Weekly Green: March 15, 2012

Good afternoon all. In today's headlines:

• CLCV announces return of Sarah Rose as CEO;
• California leads the way in solar installations;
• Lead-ammo ban sought to protect wildlife;
• Rising sea levels threaten the Golden State;
• Pacific Institute’s Peter Gleick breaks his silence;
• and much more.

Leading Off

A Tale of Two Environmental Champions

Former CLCV Executive Vice President Sarah Rose will return to CLCV and its sister organization, the CLCV Education Fund, to serve as Chief Executive Officer. Current CEO Warner Chabot will step down at the end of March in order to focus on other opportunities.

Solar installations doubled last year, with California leading the way

The amount of photovoltaic solar panels installed in the United States more than doubled from 2010 to 2011, representing a historic year for the American solar industry.

Green Jobs Remain the Bright Spot in the Economy

Green jobs have proven to be more than just a buzz term. As the grip of the recession continues to hold, a new report just put out by visionary group Next 10 provides stats that this budding sector of the economy is holding firm.

Farmers gain ground in California water wars as bill passes House

Environmental and fishery groups, however, say the health of the Delta hangs in the balance. The estuary needs less water diversions, not more, to support vigorous fish populations, they argue. Some Northern California water agencies, whose water rights take precedence, see the bill as an unfair redistribution of wealth.

Environmental News

Brittle pipes called a top gas hazard in state

Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, who has been critical of the commission since the San Bruno blast, called its recognition of risks from Aldyl-A "a day late and a dollar short." Hill is sponsoring legislation that would require state regulators to act on gas-safety recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board, which issued a 1998 warning about plastic pipe similar to Aldyl-A.

Are You in Harm’s Way? Rising Seas Increase Flood Risk in California

A new tool from Climate Central maps out which cities, neighborhoods, and even streets, will be most affected.

Lead-ammo ban sought to protect wildlife

A group of 100 environmental organizations has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate lead in ammunition as a toxic substance

Slicing Silicon Thinner to Cut the Price of Solar Cells

A California company has unveiled a radical new way to make the silicon wafers that are the basic ingredient of most solar cells, cutting silicon consumption by 90 percent and eliminating the need to use glass and heavy backing to keep the cells rigid.   

High speed rail chief: Bullet train won't cost $100 billion

Richard said the project's first segment in the Central Valley -- dismissed by some as a $6 billion "train to nowhere" -- will be tweaked to offer more "immediate benefits," but he offered no specifics.

Groundwater nitrate contamination grows in California farm areas

Nitrate contamination of groundwater in some of the state's most intensely farmed regions has grown worse in recent decades and will continue to spread, threatening the drinking water supplies of more than 250,000 people, according to a new study.

Panel examines targets to reduce water use

Water suppliers have made major progress toward a target of reducing urban water use 20 percent by 2020, but California still would come up short if current trends continue, witnesses told an Assembly panel Wednesday.

Jim Newton: Refighting California's water war (opinion)

When Gov. Jerry Brown wrapped up his tenure last time through, he left a huge unresolved question for California: In the wake of a failed 1982 initiative to fund the so-called peripheral canal, how would the state distribute and safeguard its water supply?

How Determined Docents Kept One Park Off the Closure List

A recent report by the state's non-partisan legislative analyst noted that volunteers across California worked over one million hours in 2010. Like Briggs, they serve as tour guides and nature specialists. As often as not, that person you see behind the cashier's desk at a park gift shop is a volunteer. The estimated worth of their labor: $20+ million a year.

Pacific Institute’s Peter Gleick Breaks Silence

Nearly three weeks after admitting that he had faked his identity to obtain documents from a conservative think-tank, noted California scientist and president of the Pacific Institute, Peter Gleick, returned to the public arena.

Bill Meadows: National Parks for Sale? (opinion)

Selling off, selling out or just plain giving away our national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, BLM lands and national monuments is now all too common a theme in the House.

More than $16 million in auto clean energy loans stalled

More than $16 billion in loans authorized five years ago by Congress to develop fuel-efficient vehicles has yet to be dispersed, with applicants for the money complaining that the Energy Department is crippling plans for greener cars and trucks at a time of rising gas prices.

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