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Sacramento County Sustainability Digest



California Snowpack Above Average for a Second Year

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.

“Incredibly Strong” Steelhead Returns This Year

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 Among the Best Places to Drive an Electric Vehicle

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.

Californians Face Higher Costs for Goods and Services Than Before the Pandemic Despite Inflation Slowing

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.

EPA Announces New Superfund Cleanup Projects in California

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.

Wildfires Are Killing California’s Ancient Giants. Can Seedlings Save the Species?

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.

Scientists Warn That a Crucial Ocean Current Could Collapse, Altering Global Weather

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.

Awaiting the Count—Gray Whales Population Has Been Declining

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.

Central Coast Ranch That Is Home to Endangered Species to Be Preserved

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’s Polluted Communities Could Miss Out on Billions Under Flawed System

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 EV Sales Are Falling. Is It Just Temporary, or a Threat to State Climate Goals?

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.

Why CA Legislators Want to Ban More Plastic Bags

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.”

Legislators Unveil Measure to Ask Voters for $1 billion Offshore Wind Bond

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.

Sacramento’s Infrastructure, With Its Many Trees, Poses Challenges During Storms

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.

Los Angeles Smog Woes Worsen as U.S. EPA Threatens to Reject Local Pollution Plan

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.

As Climate Hazards Converge, More Californians Are Living in Harm’s Way

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.

Californians Bought Record Numbers of Electric Cars as Industry Eyes Slowdown

02/01/2024

Some automakers are reducing production of electric cars and Tesla sales have dropped. Can California sustain its record pace and meet the state mandate?

Back From COP28, California Climate Leaders Talk Health Impacts of Warming

01/31/2024

As Californians increasingly feel the health effects of climate change, state leaders are adopting sweeping policies they hope will fend off the worst impacts.

Saving Salmon: Newsom Unveils Blueprint for Ending Decades-Long Decline

01/30/2024

Chinook and other salmon runs are collapsing. Conservation groups call it too little, too late. Plan includes dam removals and restoring river flows.

A Fire Burning Inside an L.A. County Landfill is Raising Alarms Over Toxic Air

01/29/2024

As an underground fire burns deep within Chiquita Canyon Landfill, air regulators are raising alarms over the possible spread of toxic vapors.

‘Hot Droughts’ Are Becoming More Common in the Arid West, New Study Finds

01/28/2024

Take a period of limited rainfall. Add heat. And you have what scientists call a “hot drought”—dry conditions made more intense by the evaporative power of hotter temperatures.

Since California Cut Home Solar Payments, Demand Has Plunged 80%

01/25/2024

Experts worry that the steep decline could stall the state’s battle against climate change. Solar power is critical to meeting California’s ambitious requirement to switch to carbon-free electricity.

Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Begins

01/16/2024

The removal entered a critical phase with the lowering of dammed reservoirs on the Klamath River. “This is historic and life-changing,” tribal attorney Amy Cordalis said. “And it means that the Yurok people have a future.”

Newsom Pitches Spending $22M to Fight Fruit Flies

01/10/2024

California farmers face challenges posed by multiple types of fruit flies. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending just over $22 million to combat the spread of these flies.

New Year Brings Protections for Deep-Sea Corals and Ocean Fishing Opportunities

01/08/2024

New rules took effect Jan. 1 permanently protecting the most fragile deep sea corals off Southern California. Simultaneously, more than 4,500 square miles of ocean waters are now reopened to fishing after more than 20 years of closures.

Homeowners Who Sued to Build a Seawall Could Reshape California’s Coast

01/07/2024

Raging storms brought major damage to California’s coastline last winter. But in Half Moon Bay, a different kind of coastal upheaval is gaining momentum—one that could decide the fate of billions of dollars of property and affect hundreds of public beaches.

Need a New Year’s Resolution?

12/30/2023

Here are 50 ways to improve your life in 2024.

Advocates Want More Black Californians Involved in State’s Transition to EVs

12/27/2023

There are concerns about the transition to zero emissions vehicles on Black Californians and how the state will equip low-income neighborhoods with the infrastructure needed when California bans the sale of all gas-powered vehicles in 2035.

San Diego Zoo Displays World’s Rarest Insect

12/27/2023

Visitors can see the critically endangered Lord How Island stick insect, on display for the first time in North America, in a special habitat at the zoo’s Wildlife Explorers Basecamp.

Collisions With Buildings Are Killing Millions of Birds Nationwide

12/26/2023

A dark-sky movement to save birds from window strikes is sweeping the San Francisco Bay Area. Several cities have passed or are drafting laws restricting light pollution while making windows easier for birds to see.

A Deeper Look at ‘No Kill’ Animal Control in Los Angeles

12/25/2023

Novelist Jonathan Franzen looks at how trap-neuter-release policies in feral cat colonies have troubling consequences for city residents, local wildlife and even the felines themselves.

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