Weekly Green: July 27, 2012

Hello and good afternoon all. In this week's headlines:

• Time for California to ban the plastic bag;
• Sen. Boxer pushes for tougher toxics law;
• State, federal officials reveal Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta plan;
• GMOs: Whose side are you on?
• New details emerge in state parks scandal;
• And much more.

Top of the Ticket

Time to Ban the Bag
If they could speak, millions of sea birds, fish and other marine animals would ask us to stop using the wasteful plastic bags that are polluting their ocean home. They can't, but you can speak for them. Contact your State Senator and ask him or her to vote "YES" on AB 298.
http://www.ecovote.org/blog/time-ban-bag

Sen. Boxer pushes for tougher toxics law
Retired San Francisco fire Capt. Tony Stefani, who contracted a rare form of pelvic cancer, told a Senate committee Tuesday that there is evidence that flame retardants and other chemicals used in household products expose firefighters to a "toxic soup" after they extinguish fires.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Sen-Boxer-pushes-for-tougher-toxics-law-3732565.php

California regulators take heat over fracking
California oil regulators on Wednesday capped a series of seven public meetings on hydraulic fracturing with a Sacramento session, pledging to use thousands of public comments to guide their efforts to write rules for the controversial method of oil extraction.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/07/california-regulators-take-heat-over-fracking.html

Labeling Genetically Engineered Foods: Whose Side Are You On?
On one side, is a truly grassroots people's movement that generated over a million signatures in just 10 weeks, easily qualifying for the November ballot. On the other stands the largest anti-union, pro-pesticide, agrichemical interests in the world dedicated to saying and spending whatever it takes to hide the fact that some of our most important crops are being genetically engineered in a lab without our knowledge or consent.
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/labeling-genetically-engineered-foods-whose-side-are-you

Gov. Brown's Delta Water Plan

State, federal officials reveal Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta plan
Gov. Jerry Brown and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said at a news conference in Sacramento they believe the tunnel plan is crucial to solve conflicting problems that have long divided the state: protecting the fragile environment of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and also safeguarding freshwater diversions in the estuary from earthquakes, sea level rise and levee failures.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/25/4660005/state-federal-officials-reveal.html

Analysis: Brown dives deep into state's water saga
Even for a man who has a long reputation of just saying what's on his mind, Wednesday's quip on his new quest for a state water supply project was, well, classic Jerry Brown.
http://www.news10.net/capitol/article/202598/525/Analysis-Brown-dives-deep-into-states-water-saga

Combatants in New CA Water War Dig In
“You've launched a war. We'll fight the battle,” was the rallying cry from congressman John Garamendi, within hours of the announcement of Governor Jerry Brown's revised plan for California's already embattled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2012/07/25/combatants-in-new-ca-water-war-dig-in/

State Parks Surplus Scandal

State Parks Chief Resigns Amid Scandal
On Friday, State Parks director Ruth Coleman resigned in the wake of revelations that her department failed to report a $54 million surplus. Donors and advocates – who have helped save 70 state parks from closure in recent months – say they feel shocked and betrayed.
http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201207230900

Much of hidden state park cash was in controversial off-road fund
The accounting scandal that forced the ouster of the California state parks director and her chief deputy has highlighted a long-standing rift over off-roading on public land.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-parks-20120727,0,3856220.story

Donors who bailed out state parks want their money back
Saying they feel betrayed by the discovery of $54 million hidden in two state parks accounts, a growing number of groups that donated money to keep California state parks from closing this year now say they want a refund – or at least a binding promise from lawmakers to spend the extra money on parks.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_21168426/donors-who-bailed-out-state-parks-want-their

(Editor's note: See reactions on the scandal from CLCV's Sarah Rose: http://www.ecovote.org/blog/state-parks-belong-us-all and CA State Parks Foundation's Elizabeth Goldstein: http://www.calparks.org/press/2012/california-state-parks-foundation-statement-on-parks-department.html)

More CA Environmental News

Chemical industry challenges move to curb flame retardants
As California officials move toward new rules that could eliminate the use of toxic flame retardants in furniture, chemical companies appeared at a state hearing Monday to push back.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/flames/ct-nw-flame-retardant-rule-20120724,0,5242906.story

Is this a way to build a railroad?
Pavley, who describes herself as "still a huge advocate of high-speed rail," said she concurred with the stark assessment offered by Joe Simitian, D-San Jose, the senator who had taken the lead in overseeing high-speed rail plans. Simitian called the proposal "the wrong plan at the wrong place at the wrong time."
<a href="http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/24/herdt-is-this-a-way-to-build-a-railroad/%3C/a%3Ehttp://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/24/herdt-is-this-a-way-to-build-a-railroad/%3C/p%3E%0A%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelay%20sought%20on%20Bakersfield%20high-speed%20rail%20path%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%0AThe%20state%20lawmaker%20who%20this%20month%20cast%20a%20deciding%20vote%20on%20funding%20for%20California%20high-speed%20rail%20now%20wants%20to%20delay%20a%20portion%20of%20the%20controversial%20project.%3Cbr%20/%3E%0A%3Ca%20href=" _cke_saved_href="http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/24/herdt-is-this-a-way-to-build-a-railroad/</a>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/24/herdt-is-this-a-way-to-build-a-railroad/</p> <p><strong>Delay sought on Bakersfield high-speed rail path</strong><br /> The state lawmaker who this month cast a deciding vote on funding for California high-speed rail now wants to delay a portion of the controversial project.<br /> <a href=" http:="" www.fresnobee.com="" 2012="" 07="" 23="" 2919867="" delay-sought-on-bakersfield-high.html"="">http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/07/23/2919867/delay-sought-on-bakersfield-high.html</a></p> <p><strong>House urges oil drilling off California</strong><br> In an election-year swipe at President Obama's energy policies, the Republican-led House on Wednesday voted to revoke Obama's five-year plan for offshore drilling, replacing it with its own plan that calls for more ambitious oil and gas development off the U.S. coast, including California.<br> <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/House-urges-oil-drilling-off-California-3736010.php" _cke_saved_href="http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/House-urges-oil-drilling-off-California-3736010.php">http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/House-urges-oil-drilling-off-California-3736010.php</a></p> <p><strong>Governor Brown, Schwarzenegger Dedicate Sunrise Powerlink Amidst Protests</strong><br> Gov. Jerry Brown joined former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and federal, state and local officials today to dedicate the Sunrise Powerlink at the Suncrest substation in Alpine, as opponents of the new transmission line staged a protest nearby.<br> <a href="http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/jul/26/protests-planned-governor-brown-dedicates-sunrise-/" _cke_saved_href="http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/jul/26/protests-planned-governor-brown-dedicates-sunrise-/">http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/jul/26/protests-planned-governor-brown-dedicates-sunrise-/</a></p> <p><strong>U.S. solar plan creates energy zones, excludes sensitive lands</strong><br> The federal government offers incentives to place facilities in 17 designated areas in six Western states, including 154,000 acres in California.<br> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0725-solar-zones-20120725,0,1957957.story" _cke_saved_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0725-solar-zones-20120725,0,1957957.story">http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0725-solar-zones-20120725,0,1957957.story</a></p> <p><strong>Ships told to slow for whales in San Francisco Bay</strong><br> Federal officials are asking large ships to slow down near San Francisco Bay to avoid killing the droves of whales feeding near the Northern California coast.<br> <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21163465/ships-told-slow-whales-san-francisco-bay" _cke_saved_href="http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21163465/ships-told-slow-whales-san-francisco-bay">http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21163465/ships-told-slow-whales-san-francisco-bay</a></p> <p><strong>At night in the San Gabriels, venturing into the world of the owls</strong><br> Studying the mysterious nocturnal creatures in their forest habitat has become a passion for two scientists.<br> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-holland-owling-20120727,0,658837.column" _cke_saved_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-holland-owling-20120727,0,658837.column">http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-holland-owling-20120727,0,658837.column</a></p><p></p>

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