Environment

New Google Tool Shows Remarkable Timelapse of Fresno Growth Since 1984

Joe Moore — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:21:55 +0000

A new timelapse tool released this month by Google provides Fresno residents with a stark reminder of just how quickly much of the city's nearby agriculture land has been replaced by homes, shopping centers and freeways.

Brown Proposes Changes to Prop 65 Warning Signs

Katie Orr — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:14:16 +0000

It’s hard to go anywhere in California without seeing a little signs warning about potentially hazardous chemicals. Now Governor Jerry Brown wants to give those signs an update. Katie Orr reports from Sacramento.

Proposition 65 requires California businesses to post warnings about potentially hazardous chemicals in the air. The voter approved law has been in place since 1986. Now Governor Jerry Brown wants the warnings to be more specific and he wants to modify the law requiring where the signs are posted.

New Study Examines Collapse of Honey Bee Colonies

Joe Moore — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:16:42 +0000

The collapse of honey bee populations in the U.S. is the result of a number of factors, ranging from insects and diseases to pesticides, according to new study released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection agency.

The report says a parasitic mite is the single most destructive pest to bee populations, and is closely linked with what has come to be known as colony collapse disorder.

What Snow? Final Snow Survey Yields Dry Results

Amy Quinton — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:12:18 +0000

The season’s final snow survey in California found what most expected – dry conditions. Snow surveyors found absolutely no snow on the ground at Phillips Station, nearly 7,000 feet up Echo Summit in the Sierras.

Water content in California’s snowpack is only 17 percent of normal, meaning a below average water supply this summer.

Frank Gehrke with the Department of Water Resources says despite that, most reservoirs are near normal levels for the date thanks to early winter storms.

Major CEQA Legislation Passes First Committee Test

Amy Quinton — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:45:06 +0000

Lawmakers are considering a number of bills that would change California’s Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. The more than 40-year-old law guides almost all development projects in the state.

The bill garnering the most attention passed its first legislative test today. Democratic Senate President pro Tem Darrel Steinberg’s bill would streamline some aspects of the environmental law.

Brown Administration Sidesteps Controversial Delta Comments

Ben Adler — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:26:12 +0000

California lawmakers who represent the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region are seething over recent comments from Governor Jerry Brown’s point man on the state’s proposed water delivery tunnel project. Ben Adler has more from Sacramento.

As 'Fracking' Debate Heats Up, Weighing Risks Key to Possible Monterey Shale Boom

Joe Moore — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:42:19 +0000

Could California be on the verge of a new gold rush? That’s the finding of a new study from USC about the potential economic impact of oil that lies deep beneath the Central Valley, known as the Monterey Shale. But extracting that oil isn’t easy, and it would require the use of a number of advanced techniques, including hydraulic fracturing. And that’s attracted concerns from environmental groups and state regulators.

Several Bills Would Regulate 'Fracking' in State

Amy Quinton — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:33:45 +0000

Ten bills that would regulate hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for oil are working their way through the California legislature. The proposals range from requiring more scientific study to a moratorium. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, the industry opposes almost all of the bills.

Where Might Funding For Safe Drinking Water Flow From?

Rebecca Plevin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:19:39 +0000

For the past 35 years, Sandra Garcia has picked grapes, plums and peppers on San Joaquin Valley farms. But when she returns to her home in the small, Tulare County community of Poplar, she’s reminded of agriculture’s impact on her drinking water.

She can’t drink it because it contains unhealthy levels of nitrates. And she can’t cook with it, because boiling water can concentrate the nitrate level. It’s a serious health issue for infants and pregnant women.

Environmental Advocates Call For Phasing Out Strawberry Pesticides

Amy Quinton — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:08:03 +0000

Some environmentalists say hazardous strawberry pesticides should be banned in California by 2020. But as Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, strawberry growers say finding an alternative to fumigants is difficult.

On the steps of the Capitol, farm workers, environmentalists and health leaders called on the state to phase out soil fumigants used most heavily in strawberry production. They say fumigants have a wide range of health effects, are highly volatile, and drift from where they are applied. Martha Arguello is with Physicians for Social Responsibility.