Weekly Green: January 6, 2012

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Happy New Year Weekly Green readers!

Please note: The Weekly Green appears on Friday today because of the late breaking news yesterday about the governor’s budget.

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Leading Off

Surprise! The New State Budget

“So much for the playbook. On Thursday afternoon, after a copy of his proposal somehow was uploaded to a state website (oops), Governor Jerry Brown quickly summoned reporters and offered up the entire 2012-13 blueprint -- one that pegs the deficit at $9.2 billion and includes some major changes and cuts to health and human services.”

Jerry Brown proposes folding High-Speed Rail into new agency

“As part of a measure to consolidate state agencies and departments, Brown proposed creating a Transportation Agency, including the Rail Authority, the Highway Patrol and the departments of Transportation and Motor Vehicles, among others.”

Candidates Take Note: New Poll Shows Independent Voters are Environmentalists

“A groundbreaking new statewide poll of California voters who decline-to-state (DTS) an affiliation with any political party reveals the strong environmental and other progressive values of this poorly-understood but growing bloc of voters. The poll was commissioned by the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.”

In the News

CDC official: More study of gas drilling’s health effects needed

“A top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official is calling for wider study of the potential public health effects of natural-gas development, comments that will likely embolden opponents of the widespread drilling method called hydraulic fracturing.”

Panel vindicates Delta scientists accused of bias

“Two government biologists who were excoriated last fall by a federal judge accusing them of arguing dishonestly for tougher environmental regulations in the Delta did nothing wrong, according to an independent panel of experts. The charges leveled by former U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger were mostly unfounded, according to the scientific panel.”

Dan Lungren's critics wary of Hetch Hetchy plan

“Lungren said Yosemite holds a special spot in his heart, as it is where he met his wife. But his critics, pointing to his zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters, say Lungren's environmental record is anything but romantic.”

German insolvency could lead to sale of Oakland solar subsidiary

“Volker Boehm of Schulze & Braun said today in a statement that it's seeking buyers for the company's 60 or so project units and stakes, including Oakland-based Solar Trust of America LLC, which is planning the world's biggest solar plant.”

Making Hay While the Sun Shines: A Flap over Solar Panels in Farm Country

“A new joint report from UC Berkeley and UCLA estimates that California could need 100,000 acres of land to meet its renewable energy targets by 2030. But it warns that the state needs to define which land is optimal for solar development, or else it risks losing prime farmland. That’s exactly the fear of the California Farm Bureau. It’s suing Fresno County over its decision to allow a solar development on land protected by the Williamson Act.”

And the 2011 awards for bad climate science goes to...

“The 2011 “Climate B.S. of the Year Award” goes to the entire field of candidates currently stumping in New Hampshire for the Republican Party presidential nomination, the Pacific Institute announced Thursday. The awards, in their second year, are intended to distinguish the most active among so-called climate change deniers.”

Speaker Perez: Fix Water Bond. And More.

“Perez was unswayed but nonetheless circumspect on the ever growing debate over high-speed rail. The Los Angeles Democrat called the $98 billion project a "unique opportunity," but acknowledged that the Legislature needs to take a close look at the plans -- an examination that will determine whether to give the green light to the first of almost $10 billion in voter-approved state bonds.”

Dry start for Sierra snowpack

“The measurements taken at several Sierra locations manually and electronically came in at 19 percent of average for this time of the year. Last year at about this time the figure approached 200 percent of normal.”

Deadly parasite turns Bay Area honeybees into zombie slaves

“San Francisco biologists have made a macabre discovery that might help explain the mysterious crash of honeybee populations: parasites that turn bees into zombies.”

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