Californians Must Change Thinking to Meet Challenge of Rising Seas, Says Author
The repeated scenes of flooded streets and half-submerged homes this month have literally brought the issue of rising seas home to millions of people along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. The threat is...
View ArticleWine Country Fires Were Fanned by ‘Unprecedented’ Winds
Checking the data coming in from weather stations near where wildfires exploded across the North Bay, Cliff Mass watched in astonishment from his office in Seattle. “The wind speeds were...
View ArticleAmid the North Bay Fire Ruins: A Lost ‘Sanctuary’ for Nature’s Music
Among the casualties from last month’s North Bay fires were thousands of homes and businesses — and some cultural landmarks. One of them was the home base of legendary nature sound recordist Bernie...
View ArticleRacing Rising Seas in the Bay Area: Design Teams ‘Float’ Some Big Ideas
After months of study, ten carefully-picked design teams are unveiling their first ideas for giving the Bay Area a makeover to cope with rising sea levels. It’s the latest phase of the Resilient by...
View ArticleCalifornia Leaves Another Big Footprint at U.N. Climate Talks — But Does It...
Governor Jerry Brown blazed a trail through this year’s round of U.N. climate talks, just concluded in Bonn, Germany. Along the way he spoke at the Vatican, met with key players in the European Union...
View ArticleThe Sierra ‘Snow Line’ Seems To Be Moving Uphill — Rapidly
If you make the winter run to Tahoe on a regular basis, it might seem like you’ve had to go farther up the hill to find snow in recent years. Some scientists say it’s not your imagination. Researchers...
View ArticleSan Francisco Federal Court Takes Up Young People’s Climate Change Suit
Spot quiz: who said this? “This generation has altered the composition of the atmosphere on a global scale through…a steady increase in carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.” Time’s up....
View ArticleSierra Snow Season Bogged Down by Warm Storms, Dry December
It’s that time of year, when state water managers begin their series of monthly snow surveys — and the initial news is bleak. The snow that’s presently sitting on the Sierra Nevada range is packing...
View ArticleReport: ‘Long-Term Systemic Failure’ Led to Oroville Dam Crisis
An independent report by national dam engineering experts says “long-term systemic failures” led to the collapse last year of two spillways at the nation’s tallest dam, and subsequent mass evacuations...
View ArticleThe Challenge: Visionary, Practical Plans for Rising Bay Waters … in Four Months
Ready. Set. Innovate. After months of field studies and preparation, design teams in the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge are now paired up with communities around the Bay, ready to develop...
View ArticleCalifornia Sets Bold New Target for ‘Zero-Emission’ Vehicles
California is significantly upping the ante in its quest to get more electric cars on the road. In his final State-of-the-State address this week, Governor Jerry Brown laid out the state’s ambitions...
View ArticleThor Tosses a Hammer Into the Electric Truck Derby
California’s ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions are revving up the market for electric vehicles. And it’s not just cars anymore. In a parking lot adjacent to — appropriately enough —...
View ArticleBefore-and-After Photos of Sierra Show Snow Levels Worse Than During Drought
California’s “frozen reservoir” is already melting. With California locked in the embrace of unseasonably dry weather and high temperatures, water content of the Sierra snowpack is currently 22 percent...
View ArticleCalifornia’s Recurring Nightmare: Nearly Half the State is Back in Drought
After an all-too-brief reprieve, the Golden State is once again starting to brown up — at least on government drought maps. The U.S. Drought Monitor now has nearly 48 percent of the state categorized...
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