Santa Cruz 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: From the coast to the mountains, Santa Cruz County’s landscape has given way to human development. But residents can make all parts of the region more hospitable to native species.
Backyard Ecology

Tips for creating wildlife-friendly habitat in Santa Cruz County, no matter where you live.

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.

Image caption: In Santa Cruz County, 10 separate entities manage the water supply.
Santa Cruz County Water, Explained

Santa Cruz County's water system is run by a decentralized collection of entities.

Image caption: The city of Santa Cruz gets just over 20 percent of its water from Loch Lomond in the mountain community of Lompico.
Where’s Our Water?

Santa Cruz is one of the few California communities that receive 100 percent of its water from local rainfall.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

02/07/2025
Image for display with article titled A Watchful Eye on the Wetlands

Dozens of volunteers joined forces with a crew from Watsonville Wetlands Watch and the City of Watsonville on Feb. 1 for a day of tending local wetlands as part of the annual World Wetlands Day.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/03/2025
For the past three years, more than 200,000 western monarch butterflies spent their winters along the California coast — huddling together in tall tree groves, finding respite from the wind from November to February.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

01/30/2025
The number of monarch butterflies overwintering in California are at a near-record low, and the wiping out of the Topanga butterfly habitat by the LA fires has made matters worse. Read on to learn more.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

01/29/2025
Image for display with article titled New Group to Oversee $7 Million in Land Work Through Measure Q in Santa Cruz County

Applications are open to oversee about $7 million annually for environmental projects through Measure Q in Santa Cruz County.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/23/2025
The president’s order has no immediate effect on offshore wind leases already authorized, including two large areas off California’s coast. But it sends a current of uncertainty through the fledgling renewable energy industry, which relies on federal and state support.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/22/2025
It would be impossible to overstate the complexity of water supply management in California.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/14/2025
In a striking setback to reduce California’s air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

01/10/2025
Image for display with article titled Decades of Santa Cruz Wharf Repair Backlog Contributed to Vulnerability

A decision to rebuild the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is not expected for months, after detailed engineering work is done.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

01/09/2025
Image for display with article titled State Money Sought for $45 Million in Damage to Santa Cruz Wharf, Harbor

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to ratify an emergency proclamation to unlock state money for repairs on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and parts of the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor damaged by large surf on Dec. 23.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

12/30/2024
Image for display with article titled Ups & Downs

The quaint little Santa Cruz we’ve known for decades has been booming in 2024, like no other time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.It’s been a boom year for construction all over the county. It’s also been a boom for environmental troubles, a time when officials have to decide how they will face climate changes that have affected not just the coast, but everywhere throughout the county.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

12/30/2024
Following the collapse of a 150 foot section of the Santa Cruz Wharf, questions about contributing factors are raised. Who or what is to blame? Read on to learn more.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

12/23/2024
Learn about the bill introduced by Rep. Jimmy Panetta which would initiate the process to designate the communities neighboring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as a National Heritage Area, and what that would entail.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/18/2024
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decree that by 2035 all new cars sold in California must be powered by batteries or other zero-emission systems has received a double dose of legal and political support.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

12/17/2024
Image for display with article titled Go With the Flow

There are two sides to a levee, but a conservationist and a farmer have found common ground at the swampy mouth of the Pajaro River.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

12/11/2024
Image for display with article titled Coastal Watershed Council Finds Romance in Our River

The Coastal Watershed Council wants you to fall in love. Since 1995, this nonprofit group has sought to ignite Santa Cruzans with a passion for the San Lorenzo River and the desire to explore, enhance and protect this waterway that flows through the heart of the city.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

12/11/2024
Learn more about federal plans to extend protection to 289 acres across multiple sites in Santa Cruz for overwintering monarch butterflies.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/11/2024
The Biden administration is awarding Inflation Reduction Act money to help clean the air before President-elect Trump takes over.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

12/10/2024
Image for display with article titled Wetland Restoration at Beach Ranch Benefits Nature, Wildlife, and People

Conservation of 247 acres by the Pajaro River preserves habitat, safeguards farmland, and builds climate resilience.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

12/10/2024
Image for display with article titled San Lorenzo Valley Water District to Replace Aging Water Meters

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to update hundreds of water meters in Ben Lomond, California. A total of 443 water meters are scheduled to be replaced with meters that meet current standards for leak detection, which will help reduce water waste. SLVWD is one of 36 projects across the U.S. that was awarded funding through this program.