Weekly Green: March 1, 2012

Leading Off

 

Remembering environmental champion Kimo Campbell

 

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of one of our own: CLCV Board member Kimo Campbell.

 

More Americans now believe in global warming

 

After several years of finding that fewer and fewer Americans believed in man-made climate change, pollsters are now finding that belief is on the uptick.

 

California May Lose Control Over Its Water

 

Today the House approved H.R. 1837, a federal water management bill targeting California.  The bill would override state law to favor certain powerful water users – specifically agriculture

 

California Water News

 

House approves California water bill

 

Approved by a 246-175 margin, the bill marked one of the few times the full House has confronted California's water woes.

 

Calif. delta tunnel plan would increase pumping

 

The amount of water pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta would significantly increase and some species would be harmed if massive tunnels are built to move water around the fragile ecosystem, according to thousands of pages of documents released by state officials Wednesday.

 

State Senator Lois Wolk: Time to get real about California's water supply (opinion)

 

The plan should be rethought, based first on providing the freshwater necessary to revive the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the largest estuary and fishery ecosystem on the Pacific Coast. Only then can we determine how much water can be safely exported, and by what means. Science, not politics, should guide the process.

 

Big fall salmon run forecast for Klamath River

 

But in a stunning reversal that state wildlife officials are at a loss to fully explain, nearly 1.6 million chinook salmon, the big, meaty fish most prized by fishermen, are expected to try to make their way into and up the river to spawn this fall.

 

More Environmental News

 

Shuttered California state parks may be vulnerable to vandalism

 

California parks officials closed a gem of the state park system last spring, sadly shuttering Mitchell Caverns, a natural wonder that for eight decades had drawn visitors to this remote spot in the Mojave Desert.

 

Controversial fishery plan derailed by court

 

A ruling by a federal court in California threatens to upset a controversial new fishing management plan embraced by environmental groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy.

 

New Boss at the Pacific Institute, New Salvo from Heartland

 

Gleick requested a temporary leave of absence over the weekend and the board has nominated Elena Schmid, an independent consultant, to head the organization on an interim basis. 

 

Unprecedented number of sea otter deaths along California coast

 

After being brought back from the brink of extinction, sea otters are again in peril, with an unprecedented number of deaths along the California coast in the last year.

 

State loosens 'fracking' ban near Taft

 

Under new leadership, state regulators have loosened restrictions imposed on a Denver-based oil company last summer to prevent ground subsidence and seepage near Taft.

 

Steinberg: Fish & Game Commission head acted 'like a jackass'

 

Richards, the commission's president, has been the subject of criticism and calls for resignations since a picture surfaced online of him posing with a mountain lion he killed on a hunting trip in Idaho.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/03/steinberg-california-... and good afternoon all. In this week's news:

 

Remembering friend and colleague Kimp Campbell;

Belief in global warming on the rebound;

Could California lose control over its water?;

Steinberg: Cougar-killing head of Fish & Game Commission acted "like a jackass";

and more.

 

Leading Off

 

Remembering environmental champion Kimo Campbell

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of one of our own: CLCV Board member Kimo Campbell.

http://www.ecovote.org/blog/remembering-environmental-champion-kimo-campbell

 

More Americans now believe in global warming

After several years of finding that fewer and fewer Americans believed in man-made climate change, pollsters are now finding that belief is on the uptick.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-more-americans-now-believe-in-global-warming-20120229,0,2120287.story

 

California May Lose Control Over Its Water

Today the House approved H.R. 1837, a federal water management bill targeting California.  The bill would override state law to favor certain powerful water users – specifically agriculture

http://www.ecovote.org/blog/california-may-lose-control-over-its-water

 

California Water News

 

House approves California water bill 

Approved by a 246-175 margin, the bill marked one of the few times the full House has confronted California's water woes.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/02/29/2741727/house-approves-california-water.html

 

Calif. delta tunnel plan would increase pumping

The amount of water pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta would significantly increase and some species would be harmed if massive tunnels are built to move water around the fragile ecosystem, according to thousands of pages of documents released by state officials Wednesday.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/29/MN5E1NE44E.DTL

 

State Senator Lois Wolk: Time to get real about California's water supply (opinion)

The plan should be rethought, based first on providing the freshwater necessary to revive the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the largest estuary and fishery ecosystem on the Pacific Coast. Only then can we determine how much water can be safely exported, and by what means. Science, not politics, should guide the process.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/01/EDH81NE0I6.DTL

 

Big fall salmon run forecast for Klamath River

But in a stunning reversal that state wildlife officials are at a loss to fully explain, nearly 1.6 million chinook salmon, the big, meaty fish most prized by fishermen, are expected to try to make their way into and up the river to spawn this fall.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-salmon-run-20120301,0,4290983.story

 

More Environmental News

 

Shuttered California state parks may be vulnerable to vandalism

California parks officials closed a gem of the state park system last spring, sadly shuttering Mitchell Caverns, a natural wonder that for eight decades had drawn visitors to this remote spot in the Mojave Desert.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-park-vandals-20120225,0,7688496.story

 

Controversial fishery plan derailed by court

A ruling by a federal court in California threatens to upset a controversial new fishing management plan embraced by environmental groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy.

http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/controversial-fishery-plan-derailed-court-15077

 

New Boss at the Pacific Institute, New Salvo from Heartland

Gleick requested a temporary leave of absence over the weekend and the board has nominated Elena Schmid, an independent consultant, to head the organization on an interim basis. 

http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2012/02/27/new-boss-at-the-pacific-institute-new-salvo-from-heartland/

 

Unprecedented number of sea otter deaths along California coast

After being brought back from the brink of extinction, sea otters are again in peril, with an unprecedented number of deaths along the California coast in the last year.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0227-sea-otter-20120227,0,2779949.story

 

State loosens 'fracking' ban near Taft

Under new leadership, state regulators have loosened restrictions imposed on a Denver-based oil company last summer to prevent ground subsidence and seepage near Taft.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x1801991983/State-loosens-fracking-ban-near-Taft

 

Steinberg: Fish & Game Commission head acted 'like a jackass'

Richards, the commission's president, has been the subject of criticism and calls for resignations since a picture surfaced online of him posing with a mountain lion he killed on a hunting trip in Idaho.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/03/steinberg-california-fish-and-game-commission-presidenthead-acting-like-a-jackass.html