The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously today to conditionally concur with a federal determination that allowing energy companies and organizations to study a proposed offshore wind farm area on the Humboldt County Coast is consistent with the California Coastal Management Program. The highly technical and bureaucratic vote clears the way for companies interested in purchasing […]
climate change
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Report to California Legislature: Prepare for Devastating Effects of Climate Change
Painting alarming scenes of fires, floods and economic disruption, the California Legislature’s advisors on Tuesday released a series of reports that lay out in stark terms the impacts of climate change across the state. The typically reserved, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office outlined dire consequences for Californians as climate change continues to alter most aspects of […]
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Sierra Snowpack Worsens, Falls to Lowest Level in 7 Years
Seven years ago today, during the height of the last drought, California Gov. Jerry Brown stood on the barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada, watching as engineers measured the worst snowpack in state history. Today, snow measurements aren’t quite so bleak. But the snowy scene belies the severity of the drought. The snowpack — which […]
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Where’s the CAP?
If an irresistible force meets an immovable object, one possible outcome is a stalled Climate Action Plan. Caught between the realities of an ever-warming climate and a culture that is embedded in fossil fuels, city, state and county planners have been trying for years to come up with some acceptable and realistic ways of staving […]
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Snow Falling: Amid Climate Change, Overhauling California Water Projections Gains Urgency
The Sierra Nevada hasn’t provided nearly as much water as predicted. Now the state is struggling to overhaul its snow runoff forecasts. Packed onto the slopes of the Sierra Nevada is a precious source of water for California — a frozen reservoir that climate change is already transforming. As the planet warms, the spring snowpack […]
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The California Legislature is back: What to expect in 2022
Another coronavirus variant spreading like wildfire, and another huge state budget surplus: In some ways, 2022 is off to a similar start as 2021. That could carry over to the state Legislature’s new session that started Monday. In addition to the pandemic and surplus, California is dealing with some of the same big issues it […]
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As UN Tackles Twin Climate Threats, California Struggles with Them, Too
Nations around the globe this month have pledged to tackle two thorny and critical threats to Earth’s climate: methane, which is the most potent planet-warming pollutant, and widespread destruction of forests. Both of these are major contributors to climate change that California has tried — yet struggled — to address. More than 100 countries inched […]
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CalTrans Considers Alternatives to ‘Armoring’ 101 Against Sea Level Rise
As it faces flooding from sea level rise along the U.S. Highway 101 Arcata-Eureka, CalTrans is seriously considering a “living shoreline” instead of throwing riprap up against the tides. In a workshop yesterday, it also seemed clear the agency is going to keep the current road alignment at the edge of Humboldt Bay. Clancy DeSmet, […]
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Inside the Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement at Cal State
Ethan Quaranta seeks out nature when he needs to heal. He picked up that habit on annual family trips to Lake Almanor, where his great-grandmother grew up. There, on hikes, kayak rides, and in conversations about his family’s history, the 21-year-old California State University Monterey Bay student developed a passion for keeping spaces like the […]
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Newsom Declares Drought Emergency Across California
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California, as conservation efforts continue to fall far short of state targets. Newsom also authorized California’s water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks, and directed his Office of Emergency Services to fund drinking water as […]
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Lightning Could Spark more California Fires as World Warms
Wildland firefighters don’t admit to fearing much, but lightning is one terror that even the most experienced veterans say they hope to never encounter. The worry is not being struck by a bolt, although it can be deadly. Instead, their primary concern is that lightning, slashing down in remote areas, can trigger unseen fires that […]
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Knob Fire Holding as River Complex Grows
Fire crews continued to make progress on the Knob Fire over the holiday weekend, as crews on the McCash Fire work to protect homes near Hyapom and stop the fire’s advance toward Hayfork Creek and Hyampom Road and firefighters work to protect property threatened by the River Complex, which is expected to see another round […]