Weekly Green: August 10, 2012

In the news this week:

• Heat waves explained by human-caused climate change, say researchers;
• Obama administration's "Clean Energy Revolution;"
• Chevron refinery fire: analysis, aftermath;
• Elections, cleaner cars => cleaner air, and much more.

Top links

CLCV Blog: A Capitol day for environmental advocates
The annual Green California Lobby Day on August 8 brought more than 65 advocates from 85 environmental and public health organizations to Sacramento to meet with members of the state legislature on the community's top policy priorities.
Read the blog entry here: http://www.ecovote.org/blog/capitol-day-environmental-advocates and view photos from the day here.

Scientists Link Recent Heat Waves to Global Warming
Human-caused climate change is essentially the only explanation for the extremely high summer temperatures, longer summers, and related weather catastrophes, a group of scientists argue in a new research paper published Monday. These phenomena, the scientists say, also appear to be here to stay.
http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/08/06/extreme_summer_heat_linked_to_climate_change_along_with_other_weather_catastrophes.html

A New Wind Blowing: Obama’s Clean Energy Revolution
Mitt Romney has suggested that wind and solar are “imaginary” sources of energy, but they can now power 15 million homes, and their industries employ more than 300,000 Americans. That’s real.
http://swampland.time.com/2012/08/10/a-new-wind-blowing-obamas-clean-energy-revolution/

Renewable Energy

Solar Energy: Obama administration to expedite Inland projects
The Obama administration plans to fast-track a pair of large Riverside County solar projects meant to create hundreds of construction jobs and enough electricity to light hundreds of thousands of homes, the White House said.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/politics/politics-headlines-index/20120806-solar-energy-obama-administration-to-expedite-inland-projects.ece

California weighs innovative community solar bill
Rooftop solar power is growing like crazy in California. But there's a big problem: About 44 percent of California residents are renters, not homeowners. That means that nearly half the residents of the state can't purchase solar-generated electricity even if they want to.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/politics-government/ci_21228899/california-weighs-innovative-community-solar-bill

Chevron Refinery Fire

Refinery damage may take months to repair
The damage caused by a fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond will take months to repair and will hobble one of the West Coast's biggest sources of fuel, industry experts said Wednesday.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Refinery-damage-may-take-months-to-repair-3773939.php

Tests reveal safe toxics levels near Chevron refinery fire, but airborne particulates data not available
The Bay Area air district declared toxic chemical levels were safe after Monday night's Chevron refinery fire in Richmond, so why did nearly 1,700 people go to hospital emergency rooms complaining of stinging eyes, wheezing and difficulty breathing?
http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_21266816/tests-reveal-safe-toxics-levels-near-chevron-refinery

Small refinery leak leads to big disaster
Monday's fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond began with a hydrocarbon leak so small that the facility's emergency response team at first thought it posed little threat to the community, a company representative said Tuesday.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Small-refinery-leak-leads-to-big-disaster-3770451.php

Chevron response to fire threat probed
Investigators looking into the fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond suspect that heat insulation around a leaking pipe contributed to the disaster by masking the extent of the danger until it was too late, The Chronicle has learned.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chevron-response-to-fire-threat-probed-3777488.php

November's ballot

L.A. County voters to decide whether to extend transit sales tax until 2069
Voters will decide in November how long they want to continue paying a half-cent sales tax to finance transportation projects, including a possible rapid bus or rail line through the Sepulveda Pass and a portion of the so-called Subway to the Sea.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_21258884/l-county-voters-decide-whether-extend-transit-sales

If You Liked Citizens United, You'll Love Prop 32
This year's most deceptive ballot measure would enhance Big Money's ability to corrupt California elections.
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/if-you-liked-citizens-united-youll-love-prop-32/Content?oid=3306130

Fisheries

Politicians struggle to put brakes on genetically altered fish
The latest move by politicians to limit or ban the sale of genetically modified fish has been stymied.
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/politicians-struggle-put-brakes-genetically-altered-fish-17433

Report recommends changes at California salmon hatcheries
Most of the salmon caught in California come from hatcheries in the Sacramento Valley, yet it turns out we don't know much about these fish even though we breed them by hand.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/08/4703776/report-recommends-changes-at-california.html

More California Environmental News

Hazardous waste dump is environmental battleground
The West's largest hazardous-waste landfill is running out of room after four years of expansion attempts have been stymied by tragedy in nearby Kettleman City.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/05/4694166/hazardous-waste-dump-is-environmental.html

Study: Cleaner cars helping to reduce L.A. pollution
The Los Angeles area still has some of the nation's dirtiest air, but a study released Thursday concluded cars are belching far fewer pollution-causing fumes.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_21278840/study-cleaner-cars-helping-reduce-l-pollution

State legislation may bring peace to L.A. water district war
The California Assembly approved legislation Thursday that would end a long-standing turf war between two Los Angeles County water districts.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/water-replenishment-district-central-basin-legislation-water-war.html

Flex alert issued as energy demand soars in heat wave
Confronted by a continuing heat wave and power plant equipment failures, California's grid operator issued a statewide flex alert Thursday, urging consumers to cut back on energy use.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/flex-alert-heat-wave.html

Cougar Hunter Dan Richards is Out as Fish and Game Commission President After Vote
The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously for Jim Kellogg as president, thus ousting previous commission head and controversial cougar-hunter Dan Richards.
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/08/08/fish-and-game-dan-richards-10-a-m/

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