Santa Clara 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.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Gilroy Facility Presents Sustainable Distribution Model on Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, Performance Food Group on April 22 held an open house event in Gilroy to show how they have created a sustainable distribution model at the company’s local facility.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

04/21/2024
One of the tools in state housing law that’s generated excitement among YIMBYs for its power to build new high-density housing could also end up leading to just the opposite: urban sprawl.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/16/2024
Image for display with article titled One Injured in Caltrain Collision in San Martin

A Caltrain struck a vehicle on the tracks in the unincorporated community of San Martin in Santa Clara County on Monday night, a spokesperson for SamTrans said.

California Local Pin Marker From Palo Alto Online...

04/12/2024
After being rejected twice by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the Palo Alto City Council is set to consider and vote on a new Housing Element plan.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

04/01/2024
Image for display with article titled Milpitas Launches Rent Relief Program for Local Workers

Some Milpitas residents are about to get a break on rent, as the city pushes to address the affordability crisis.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

03/30/2024
The City of Santa Clara is struggling to maintain aging infrastructure and is now facing $624 million in unfunded repairs and upgrades, according to City Manager Jovan Grogan.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

03/27/2024
At a recent breakfast with local business leaders, PG&E executives outlined upcoming projects to improve reliability and increase capacity in the Silicon Valley region.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain View Voice...

03/25/2024
As energy costs go up and awareness of the environmental footprint increases, people are turning to energy consultants for energy audits and advice.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

03/05/2024
Image for display with article titled San Jose Ranks Among Best Places to Live in U.S.

San Jose has been named one of the best places to live for quality of life, and some are asking how that happened.

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.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

03/01/2024
Image for display with article titled Sunnyvale Officials Rank Top 2024 Priorities

The Sunnyvale City Council ranked its priority projects out of the 40 proposed on Feb. 15. Homelessness and transit safety top list.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain View Voice...

02/27/2024
The City Council unanimously agreed to stop enforcing its ban on gas infrastructure to comply with a recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Board of Appeals which struck down a similar prohibition on gas infrastructure in Berkeley in 2023.

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 SF Gate...

02/14/2024
Foragers at the beaches in Half Moon Bay might be damaging the area’s reef.

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.

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.
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