The Yurok Tribe, the largest Indian Tribe in California, is urging Yurok Citizens and Allies to voice their support for a plan to manage the Trinity River, the largest tributary of the Klamath River, in a “more holistic manner.” By Dan Bacher In a statement issued yesterday, the Tribe said it “fully supports the Trinity River Winter Flow Variability […]
Yesterday, Save California Salmon released its first episode of the Western Water Justice podcast, “Envisioning Justice on the Klamath River with Dr. Cutcha Risling-Baldy”. The first episode of the podcast was released today in honor of indigenous People’s Day, according to Save California Salmon. By Dan Bacher “The Western Water Justice podcast aims to highlight […]
On Thursday, the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) and Voices in Solidarity against Oil in Neighborhoods (VISIÓN) urged lawmakers and the Newsom administration to treat the environmental health crisis caused by fossil fuels impacting working communities of color “with the same urgency as the Governor’s response to this weekend’s oil spill that occurred off the […]
Yesterday, Consumer Watchdog and Fractracker Alliance revealed in an alarming report that California oil and gas regulators have approved 9,728 oil drilling permits since Governor Gavin Newsom assumed office in January 2019. By Dan Bacher Here is their full report: Governor Newsom’s oil regulators have approved 9,728 oil drilling permits since he assumed office in […]
Sejal Choksi-Chugh, Executive Director of the San Francisco Baykeeper, believes that “it’s nuts” to ask California’s urban water users to voluntarily reduce water use while allowing almond, walnut, and pistachio growers to use big amounts of water during a record drought. By Dan Bacher On July 15, Governor Gavin Newsom added nine counties to the regional drought state of emergency and […]
I urge everybody to call Governor Newsom at (916) 445-2841 and ask him to sign SB 821 to restore funding for the Delta Independent Science Board, or send him a message using this form: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/. By Dan Bacher Deirdre Des Jardins explains on her California Water Research blog (cah2oresearch.com) the background behind the Delta Independent Science […]
During Climate Week, over 320 elected officials demand action against fires, droughts and heatwaves with acceleration of clean energy economy SPEAKERS: HOST: Christian C. Brock, Elected Official to Protect America CEO, Air Force Veteran County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez, Ventura County Councilmember Paul Koretz, Los Angeles Councilmember Devin Murphy, Pinole City, CA & Director of MCE Clean Energy Board […]
On August 26, three environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal District Court challenging the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation over extra groundwater pumping plans by Sacramento River water districts. The filing of the suit by AquAlliance, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and the California Water Impact Network was followed on Wednesday, September 1, by a motion […]
Intensive pumping of aquifers during drought can speed up deterioration of groundwater quality, a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reveals, “The results highlight clean drinking water supply vulnerabilities in California and other western states currently experiencing record drought conditions,” according to the USGS. The study “Critical aquifer overdraft accelerates degradation of groundwater […]
In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council yesterday (September 1) approved a motion introduced by Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Mitch O’Farrelll requiring that 100 percent of the city’s electricity come from clean, zero carbon energy by 2035. By Dan Bacher “Through this motion, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — the largest municipally-owned utility in the […]
The Caldor Fire breached Echo Summit on Monday, crossing the Sierra Nevada and posing a direct threat to the population centers around Lake Tahoe, forcing more than 50,000 people to evacuate. A wildfire has crossed over the Sierra Nevada just once before in recorded history: less than two weeks ago the Dixie Fire crossed the […]
A wildfire burning in dry mountain forest swept through the Gold Rush town of Greenville, California, on Aug. 4, reducing neighborhoods and the historic downtown to charred rubble. Hours earlier, the sheriff had warned Greenville’s remaining residents to get out immediately as strong, gusty winds drove the Dixie Fire toward town. At the same time, […]
Northern California has some of the strongest offshore winds in the U.S., with immense potential to produce clean energy. But it has a problem. Its continental shelf drops off quickly, making building traditional wind turbines directly on the seafloor costly if not impossible. By Matthew Lackner, University of Massachusetts Amherst The Conversation Once water gets […]
A drumbeat of climate-fueled heatwaves, compounded by water management practices, will likely kill nearly all juvenile chinook salmon in the Sacramento River, California wildlife officials warn. “It’s an extreme set of cascading climate events pushing us into this crisis situation,” California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Jordan Traverso told reporters. Salmon need river water […]
The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency, today announced it has denied all 21 of Aera Energy’s applications for fracking operations in California, citing risks to public health and safety and environmental quality and climate change under regulatory statutes. By Dan Bacher “This is the first permit denial of this scale for reasons related […]