Weekly Green: January 27, 2014

In recent headlines:

Special Drought Edition: drought called "red flag for future of US";
Examined: drought's effect on groceries, wine, environmental laws, ski resorts, and water;
Deal reached on new California bill to regulate plastic grocery bags;
One-third in state still live where air does not meet U.S. standards;
... and much more!

The Drought

Historic California drought called a red flag for future of US
The California drought, the worst in its history, could have far-reaching impacts for the state and for a nation that is only now starting to cope with climate change, experts say.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2014/0122/Historic-California-drought-called-a-red-flag-for-future-of-US-video

California drought: Scientists to probe cause
California's drought will be one of the extreme weather events that the American Meteorological Society will examine later this year to determine whether the cause is natural variability or human-caused climate change, a federal official said Tuesday.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-drought-Scientists-to-probe-cause-5163948.php

The Cost of Sunny Skies: California's State of Emergency Drought
While we like to show off our weather forecasts to our more unfortunate neighbors stuck in a second Polar Vortex -- we are paying a price for this... State and water agencies can prepare for drought by investing in a diverse portfolio of water supply solutions: efficiency, recycling, better groundwater management, and stormwater capture and reuse.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/akheyfets/the_cost_of_sunny_skies_califo.htm

Key enviro law suspended in California under drought emergency
When California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) declared a drought emergency last week, his administration slipped a bit of legalese into the declaration that has some environmentalists worried.
http://grist.org/news/key-enviro-law-suspended-in-california-under-drought-emergency/

Speaker Boehner Visits California for Drought Bill
House Speaker John Boehner visited a dusty California field on Wednesday, joining Central Valley Republicans to announce an emergency drought-relief bill to help farmers through what is certain to be a devastating year.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/speaker-boehner-visits-california-drought-bill-21630138

California ski resorts battle drought with snow machines
The drought here in California has meant a lot of mud, sweat and tears at the ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The snowpack is at a meager 20 percent of normal and many ski resorts have had to turn to mechanical snow makers or close down for lack of powder.
http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2014/01/21/35635/california-ski-resorts-battle-drought-with-snow-ma/

California's drought could mean bad news at the grocery store
The record drought in California is not only likely to decrease the state's agricultural yield and affect food prices, it could also wreak severe economic consequences for rural communities. To discuss the impact on farming and for consumers, Jeffrey Brown talks to Karen Ross of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/nation/jan-june14/drought2_01-22.html

California drought: Water officials look to rules of '70s
The American River looks to Jonas Minton very much like it did nearly four decades ago when he took a kayak out into what was then a trickling stream and scraped across the rocks on the bottom.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-drought-Water-officials-look-to-rules-5156261.php

Deal reached on new California bill to regulate plastic grocery bags
Disposable plastic bags would be banned from grocery check-out stands in California and consumers would pay at least a dime for a paper or re-usable plastic bag a under a compromise proposal negotiated with key opponents of last year's bill to ban plastic shopping bags.
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/01/deal-reached-on-new-bill-to-ban-plastic-grocery-bags-in-california.html

A menacing air in the Central Valley
From Stockton to Bakersfield, the sky is thick with chemical-laced particles. Residents know there's a risk just being outside.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-central-valley-air-20140125,0,7934435.story

Calif. High Court Asked to Take up High-Speed Rail
Gov. Jerry Brown's administration on Friday petitioned the California Supreme Court to overturn two lower-court rulings that have stalled progress on the state's high-speed rail project, one of the nation's most expensive public works projects.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/calif-high-speed-rail-amtrak-joint-train-bid-21662883

Dan Morain: An insider questions so-called science behind toxic flame retardants
Now, after a devastating 2012 newspaper series and a reversal by California authorities, his work is unraveling. The chemical companies have discarded Gillham, and he is questioning the assurances given him that the chemicals prevented fires and were nontoxic.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/01/26/6099722/dan-morain-an-insider-questions.html

Microbeads a major problem in L.A. River
The tiny plastic beads, common in personal care products and not biodegradable, are an emerging concern among scientists and environmentalists.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0126-microbeads-20140126,0,7492777.story