Sacramento County Local News: Sustainability


All Local Sustainability News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future

Heat pumps, an energy-efficient way to both heat and cool homes, are a necessary element of California's climate goal of net zero carbon emissions. Here's what they are, how they work, and how to get one.

Image caption: Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage

Long-duration energy storage is essential if renewables are to become the basis for a future, carbon-neutral power grid. Here's how California is leading the race to store energy from solar, wind, and other clean sources for use whenever it's needed.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance

California is a leading producer of agricultural crops. So it’s not surprising to find cutting-edge ideas taking root here.

Image caption: Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals

Solar power, and a network of giant battery storage facilities, are playing an essential role in moving California toward its goal of exclusive reliance on renewable energy sources.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

04/02/2024
The California Department of Water Resources announced the water content of the Sierra Nevada snowpack at 110% of the April 1 average.

California Local Pin Marker From Elk Grove News Net...

03/23/2024
Unlike the record low Chinook salmon returns on the Sacramento River this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife noted a new record for the number of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River.

Sacramento News and Review logo From Sacramento News and Review...

03/21/2024
Image for display with article titled Wood Pellet Mills in California: A Blessing or a Boondoggle?

Supporters say harvesting trees would thin out the state’s overgrown forests; critics say the wood pellets for heating produce more carbon than coal.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

03/10/2024
New report ranked metro areas based on electric vehicle charging infrastructure and found improvement over the last year using data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/05/2024
The consumer price index shows services are mostly responsible for persistent inflation, but prices for food and other goods in California remain high.

California Local Pin Marker From YubaNet...

02/27/2024
Part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the projects include California’s Lava Cap Mine in Nevada City, Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks, and Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

02/26/2024
Ecologists estimate that up to 14,000 sequoias have been killed in recent wildfires. The National Park Service for the first time has begun replanting some severely burned areas.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/25/2024
New research warns of a possible collapse in Atlantic Ocean currents due to climate change. That could fundamentally alter global weather patterns.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

02/24/2024
There was a time not so long ago when trained observers were overwhelmed by the number of whales migrating through Monterey Bay.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/23/2024
The Wildlife Conservation Board voted to award $10.3 million to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County to preserve the 27,000-acre Camatta Ranch in Santa Margarita.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/22/2024
The state’s environmental tool skews which communities are designated as disadvantaged, researchers say. Some immigrant neighborhoods could be left out, while other groups are overrepresented.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/14/2024
California electric vehicle sales dropped significantly in the last half of 2023, raising questions about the state’s ability to phase out gas-powered cars.

Orangevale Sun logo From Orangevale Sun...

02/13/2024
Image for display with article titled County Charts Its Green Journey With New Dashboard

Sacramento County is launching a “Sustainability Dashboard,” which charts the county’s course on its way toward achieving greenhouse gas reductions and adapting to climate change.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

02/08/2024
Sacramento, known for its tree-filled landscape, faces unique challenges in intense weather. The convergence of high winds with large trees poses significant risks to people and urban infrastructure.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/08/2024
The funds would help California ports expand to handle giant wind turbines and other equipment. California’s first offshore wind farms are on a fast track off Humboldt County and Morro Bay.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/08/2024
State Senators Ben Allen and Catherine Blakespear announced a new measure to ban plastic bags statewide—particularly the thicker ones billed as “reusable.”

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/03/2024
The U.S. EPA is planning to reject Southern California’s plan to reduce smog, which called for the federal government to take more action.

Sacramento News and Review logo From Sacramento News and Review...

02/02/2024
Image for display with article titled Regional Tribal Environmental Coalition Challenges State Water Board on Bay-Delta Plan

“The coalition urges the State Water Board to expeditiously update water quality standards sufficient to protect Delta tribes and communities,” the group said in a statement.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/02/2024
When wildfire smoke and extreme heat combine, they create “a synergistic effect” or an “additional burden” on people’s health, researchers say.
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