A screenshot of the CalFire active incidents web page from August 4, 2024. Yikes.
I hate to be a broken record droning on and on about wildfires, but California is breaking records with the hottest July ever, leading to possibly the worst fire season ever.
Global average temperatures are fast approaching 1.5°Celsius above pre-industrial levels—a tipping point—and the extreme weather predicted by climate scientists is already upon us.
We've previously written about how communities are devoting resources to prepare for and respond to extreme events, and in this issue of The Newsletter we want to shine a spotlight on a partnership building community resilience in North Tahoe.
Get to Know a Group
Permaculture can be described as “An ethically based whole-systems design approach that uses concepts, principles, and methods derived from ecosystems, nature connected communities, and other time-tested systems to create human settlements and institutions." Santa Cruz Permaculture puts it more succinctly, saying it's like "saving the planet while throwing a better party"
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• Rent Drives Up CA Cost of Living
Many landlords in California can only raise the rent a certain amount. On August 1, they — and their tenants — found out how high.
(08/02/2024) → CalMatters
• A Soil Fungus That Can Kill Is on the Rise in California: What to Know About Valley Fever
About 80 Californians die every year after contracting Valley fever, a fungal disease that typically affects the lungs. A recent outbreak was traced to a music festival in Kern County.
(08/01/2024) → CalMatters
• California Lawmakers Negotiating Sweeping Package to Speed Up Solar, Wind Energy
Legislators and Gov. Newsom are working behind the scenes to draft energy legislation before the end-of-the-month deadline.
(08/01/2024) → CalMatters
• What CA Voters Should Know on Minimum Wage, Health Tax Props
A voter at a polling center at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana on March 5, 2024. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters
(08/01/2024) → CalMatters
• California’s Voters Face Competing Ballot Measures as Interest Groups Clash
Although the initiative process — proposing new laws via ballot measures — has been in California’s constitution for more than a century, its use was fairly uncommon until the 1970s.
(07/30/2024) → CalMatters
A screenshot of the CalFire active incidents web page from August 4, 2024. Yikes.
