Environment
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Thursday’s Best Quotes: On No Snow, SmartMeters, and HoJo
Politics / Environment / Occupy Robert Gammon — Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Best quotes of the day:
1. "It's time to be concerned," said Maury Roos, the state's chief hydrologist on the fact that this year's snowpack is only 37 percent of normal.
2. "We're not going to stop. We're not going away," said Josh Hart, a Santa Cruz County resident and organizer of a grassroots group called Stop Smart Meters. "People are going to refuse to pay these fees. You're going to see personal injury lawsuits and class-action lawsuits."
3. "If one house on a block opts for an analog meter, the question is, should all the homes on the block share the cost for sending a meter reader to that one house?" said PG&E Chief Customer Officer Helen Burt. "We don't think so."
Thursday’s Top Five Stories: No Snowpack, No Water; SmartMeter Opt-Out Criticized
Law Enforcement & Crime / Health & Medicine / Environment Robert Gammon — Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. State water officials are worried about the meager snowpack in the Sierra as Northern California continues to experience a bone-dry winter. The Chron reports that measurements yesterday showed that the snowpack is only 37 percent of normal for this time of year. The state’s reservoirs are still in good shape, but that will change if the dry weather continues. California may need another “Miracle March” of wet weather to stave off water rationing this summer.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Oakland Zoo's Adorable Baby Giraffe Makes First Public Appearance
Environment Cassie Harwood — Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 2:15 PM
If you’re in need of a cuteness overdose to get you through the rest of the week, stop by the Oakland Zoo tomorrow between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the first public viewing of the zoo’s new baby giraffe, Maggie, who was born at the zoo in the early morning hours of Jan. 12. At eighty pounds, 72 inches, and immeasurable amounts of adorability, the long-necked tyke is reportedly the first female giraffe born at the Oakland Zoo in nearly a decade. Her first public appearance comes two days after the Oakland City Council managed to avoid slashing funds to the organization after the City’s recent loss of redevelopment dollars. It’s also just a week before the zoo hosts a conference for the International Association of Giraffe Care Professionals, during which gaggles of researchers, conservationists, and other giraffe devotees will gather to discuss the welfare of the majestic mammals (both captive and wild) throughout the world.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday Must Read: Occupy Oakland Vandalizes City Hall; Dems Have Good Shot at Taking the Senate
Politics / Environment / Occupy Robert Gammon — Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 7:59 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Occupy Oakland protesters used a crowbar to break into City Hall on Saturday night and then vandalized the historic building after a demonstration turned into chaos, the Chron and Trib report. The demonstrators grew angry after police blocked them from taking over the vacant Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, a publicly owned building on Lake Merritt. Protesters also streamed into the Oakland YMCA on Broadway while people were working out inside the facility. Mayor Jean Quan said the protesters had acted as if they were throwing a “tantrum,” and were treating the city as if it were their own “playground.” But protesters contended that Oakland police had overreacted.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday Must Read: Sorry Planet, But More Toll Lanes Are Coming and Probably More Suburban Sprawl, Too
Politics / Environment / Transportation Robert Gammon — Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 8:02 AM
The top five stories of the day:
1. Bay Area transportation officials are continuing their love affair with toll lanes, bringing the controversial lanes to the South Bay on Interstate 880 and 237, the Mercury News reports. Caltrans also hopes that the installation of toll lanes, which allow solo motorists to drive in the carpool lane for a price, will go much more smoothly than it did on I-680 in Fremont and Sunol. Although the jury is still out on whether toll lanes actually relieve traffic congestion, transportation officials plan to eventually extend them into carpool lanes throughout the region. But what the Merc doesn’t report is that toll lanes could inspire even more people to get into their cars and not take mass transit to work, thereby worsening the Bay Area’s greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Bay Area officials also are moving forward with plans to extend BART to Livermore, even though such rail extensions — along with toll lanes — could spur even more suburban sprawl by making it easier for suburban commuters to get to work. The CoCo Times reports that the Alameda County Transportation Commission, which is dominated by elected officials from suburban areas, voted overwhelmingly to include the $400 million BART to Livermore proposal in a sales tax measure that would go before East Bay voters. Commissioner Keith Carson, who represents Oakland and Berkeley, was the lone vote against the plan, saying more money should be spent on urban bus systems.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday Must Read: College Students Are More Liberal Than Ever; State to Adopt Strict Clean-Air Rules
Politics / Education / Environment Robert Gammon — Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. College students across the nation are becoming increasingly more liberal, as conservative students are now embracing progressive views, the CoCo Times reports, citing a new major study from UCLA. A record 71.3 percent of freshmen students said they approve of same-sex marriage, and opinions on marijuana legalization, affirmative action, abortion, and immigration have steadily moved toward the left in the past few years.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Breaking News: StopWaste.org Approves Plastic Bag Ban in Alameda County
Breaking News / Environment Nate Seltenrich — Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 5:16 PM
The Alameda County Waste Management Authority board, operating as StopWaste.org, voted this afternoon to ban all single-use plastic bags at approximately 2,000 retail stores through the county. The ban is set to take effect on January 1, 2013, and applies only to large pharmacies and food-selling retailers.
Wednesday Must Read: OPD Must Now Report to Court Monitor; Swanson Drops Out of Senate Race
Politics / Law Enforcement & Crime / Environment Robert Gammon — Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. A federal judge effectively stripped Oakland Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan and city officials of their power, ordering them to consult with the independent monitor overseeing the department before making any major decisions about police, the Bay Citizen reports. Judge Thelton Henderson, angry about the police department’s lack of progress in implementing mandated reforms, also told Jordan, Mayor Jean Quan, and City Administrator Deanna Santana that if they choose to ignore the recommendations of monitor Robert Warshaw, a former police chief of Rochester, New York, then they must come to court to explain why. The extraordinary move by Henderson also apparently means that he does not plan to put the department in receivership right away.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday Must Read: State Analyst Says Brown’s Budget Is Too Rosy; Number of California Millionaires Skyrockets
Politics / Business / Environment Robert Gammon — Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 7:00 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. The nonpartisan state Legislative Analyst’s Office says that Governor Jerry Brown’s projections for state tax revenues appear to be overly optimistic — by as much as $3 billion, the Mercury News reports. The governor’s rosy budget projections could mean that the state will have to make even deeper cuts to state services than Brown proposes. The LAO says that Brown appears to be overestimating the amount of tax revenue from capital gains income. The governor apparently is relying on a tax revenue windfall from Facebook’s planned stock offering this year, Bloomberg News reports.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Thursday Must Read: Homicides in SF Remain Low as Relationship Between Community and Police Improves; Chevron Loses $9.5 Billion Appeal in Ecuador
Business / Law Enforcement & Crime / Environment Robert Gammon — Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 7:00 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Homicides remained at historically low levels last year in San Francisco, providing yet more evidence that violent crime is unrelated to the economy. The Chron reports that there were just fifty homicides in San Francisco, and that rates haven’t been consistently this low since the 1960s. Homicides have plummeted substantially over the past three years despite the Great Recession. Law enforcement officials credit the declines in part to targeting and arresting violent criminals and to witnesses being more cooperative with police, while community groups say that SF cops have greatly improved their relationship with the public. By contrast, in Oakland, where police have a poor record of solving violent crimes and their relationship with the public remains dismal, homicides increased last year to 103 compared to 90 in 2010.
