Weekly Green: May 29, 2013

In recent news:

• President Obama and Governor Brown criticized on climate;
• Fracking bills advance;
• Wal-Mart pleads guilty in California hazardous waste;
• Are there too few great white sharks off California?
• ... and much more!

» Your Weekly Green is here! It's the no-frills news roundup provided free of charge by the California League of Conservation Voters. Don't forget to pass it along to your friends and colleagues. And if you're not a regular subscriber, sign up for your free subscription today! http://ecovote.org/wg

Top of the Ticket: Climate (hope and) change?

Where's President Obama's climate agenda?
President Barack Obama began his second term with a ringing pledge to tackle climate change - saying that "the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations." Four months later, everyone's still waiting.
http://politi.co/175KV5p

Governor Brown's Proposed Loan Has Environmentalists Seeing Red
A collective "NOOOOO!" could be heard from environment, social justice, public health and business groups in response. Dozens of environmental groups including CLCV signed on to a letter to the legislature that pointed out: "these are funds available now for win-win investments that stimulate economic activity and create jobs, while fighting climate pollution. The sooner we begin to invest in efforts to further reduce our emissions, the greater impact we will have on the climate crisis."
http://bit.ly/133PWHo

Climate change: Environmentalists question whether Gov. Jerry Brown's actions match his rhetoric
Some environmentalists, however, say Brown's actions don't match his rhetoric – particularly his recent decision to divert $500 million in cap-and-trade fee revenues away from clean-energy and pollution-abatement projects to help California balance its books.
http://bit.ly/133PXLz

Newspapers Weigh in on Fracking

Sacramento Bee Editorial: Legislature needs to ensure disclosure of fracking chemicals
A dozen or so bills have been introduced in the Legislature so far this session. Some call for an outright moratorium on fracking. That goes too far. Sen. Fran Pavley's Senate Bill 4 is the most comprehensive and the most thoughtful. Among other things, the bill would require an independent scientific study to look at the environmental and health risks that fracking may pose, and its possible impacts on seismic activity.
http://bit.ly/Zf3CyN

LA Times Editorial: Fracking: How risky for us?
In the absence of meaningful fracking regulations from the Brown administration, close to a dozen pieces of legislation were introduced. At least one bill, by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), would impose significant public disclosure requirements on fracking operations, including lists of the chemicals used. More important, the bill would require permits for new wells, which would fall under the California Environmental Quality Act. That means environmental impact reports would be required, and opponents could sue if they believe that a report was inadequate and that a well would cause environmental harm, including earthquakes.
http://lat.ms/175L9cF

California Environmental News

How convenient are plastic bags, really?
if they could talk, the marine life choking on that toxic plastic would say it's a pretty big inconvenience to them... or, you know, a threat to their very existence.
http://bit.ly/16q49mW

» CLCV Action Alert: Tell your state senators that you support a ban on single-use plastic bags. Urge them to vote YES on SB 405: http://ecovote.org/bag

Boxer wants DOJ to investigate troubled nuclear site
The chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee thinks a Southern Californian electric company misled regulators about the safety of a nuclear power plant.
http://bit.ly/11pHFt4

Wal-Mart pleads guilty in Calif hazardous waste, will pay $81 million
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will pay $81 million after pleading guilty to criminal charges the company dumped hazardous waste across California, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday.
http://bit.ly/113dMil

Labor-backed group runs radio ads touting Gov. Jerry Brown's tunnel project
A labor-backed group is running campaign-style radio ads touting Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to build two massive tunnels to deliver water from the Delta to Southern California, even though voters aren't likely to have a say in whether the project gets underway.
http://bit.ly/ZtYGIC

Future of Colorado River on Agenda in San Diego
Top water decision-makers from seven Western states plan to join conservation groups and Indian tribes in San Diego on Tuesday to begin hammering out rules for squeezing every useable drop from the overtaxed Colorado River.
http://abcn.ws/133Qpt8

Chinook salmon study breaks ground in bay, Delta
The experiment could have a major impact on how hatcheries release salmon in the Sacramento River system, one of two prime breeding grounds in the state. It could also boost the fortunes of the hard-luck salmon themselves.
http://bit.ly/18vuPSZ

Are there too few great white sharks off California?
Push by some groups to list the species as endangered centers on the only census ever attempted. But some scientists say the population is large and healthy.
http://lat.ms/10IqyUv

Calif. plastic ocean debris bill dies in committee
A California bill that would have required manufacturers to figure out how to keep the most common plastic junk out of state waterways died in the state Assembly without a vote Friday.
http://apne.ws/13juoFB

Northern California's First Battery Buses Rolling Out
Here's some good news for Northern Californians who like to breathe: the first battery-powered electric buses in the north part of the state are rolling out in Stockton, thanks to the California Energy Commission. Two fast-charging buses will join the San Joaquin Regional Transit District's fleet in the city of Stockton, relieving a bit of the Central Valley airshed's air pollution problem.
http://bit.ly/15aJz5P

How Long Can Underfunded State Parks Keep It Up?
Two years ago this month, the California Department of Parks and Recreation announced a list of 70 parks it planned to close. Park lovers rallied, giving their time and money to pick up the parks the state was willing to drop off. There is no closure list now, and the state parks are under new management, but the financial crisis has not passed. Those park lovers are now wondering how long they're going to carry the extra load.
http://bit.ly/18zvznu

State Politics

Legislation transparency measures sit in a dark corner
Even the most moribund measure can be resurrected and sent to the governor, especially if leaders want to pass something without holding a bunch of hearings. That's when a sneaky technique called "gut and amend" comes into play. That's legislative lingo for taking an idle bill, stripping its contents and inserting all-new language. In a flash, a bill that dealt with community college transfer students turns into one that eases environmental reviews to build a Los Angeles football stadium.
http://lat.ms/13juyNh

Jerry Brown has opportunities, risks in massive public works agenda
By the end of this year, the Brown administration plans to open the $6.4 billion span of the Bay Bridge and start construction on a $68 billion high-speed rail system. He is pushing forward a proposal to build a $14 billion water project.
http://bit.ly/12Pu0hq

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