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Santa Cruz County Sustainability Overview



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Power 2 Sustain is an educational nonprofit organization teaching K-12 students about environmental stewardship and sustainability.

California Local Pin Marker Local Sustainability Digest

California Needs a Million EV Charging Stations — but That’s ‘Unlikely’ and ‘Unrealistic’

07/15/2024

Public chargers must be built at an unprecedented pace to meet the target in less than 7 years, and then doubled to 2 million in 2035. The high cost — $120,000 or more for one fast charger— is just one obstacle.

Researchers Win Award Low Power AI Paper

07/12/2024

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz won a prestigious award for their paper outlining new techniques to greatly reduce power consumption by AI models.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Cruz County to Mull Ban on Filtered Tobacco Products

In the decade between 2013-23, volunteers and nonprofits picked up 439,358 cigarette butts from Santa Cruz County’s beaches and natural areas, accounting for a quarter of all litter found here.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
The Wages of Aging

Santa Cruz County’s economy saw a rebound in the last few years, but an aging workforce and the lack of high-paying jobs might spell trouble for the economy in coming years. These are some of the findings highlighted in the …

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
California Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Project Approved

The Ben Lomond Village Alliance (BLVA) California Monarch And Pollinator Habitat Kit project has been accepted into the Pollinator Habitat Monarch Conservation program through the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Sacramento. Out of 200 applicants, the BLVA project was …

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
First-Ever Pitch in All Santa Cruz Cleanup Event Removes 1,500 Pounds of Litter

The May 11 first-ever Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup Event had a significant community impact, with more than 30 organizations and 431 individuals holding cleanups from Davenport to the Pajaro Valley, including the cities of Scotts Valley, Capitola, Santa …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
California Climate Programs Would Lose Billions in Newsom’s Budget

As funds for climate change programs are cut, Democrats and environmentalists are pushing for a bond measure on the ballot to restore some funding.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
How to Find Home Insurance in Santa Cruz County

Paul Booth, who lives off Highway 17, said his home insurance was not renewed in 2023. (Michael Warren Mott — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> As thousands of Santa Cruz County homeowners are losing home insurance, a state …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Into the Woods: Watsonville to Plant Thousands of New Trees

Over the next two decades, the city of Watsonville plans to add thousands of trees to its landscape, create a plan to take care of them and train crews of young people to aid in that effort.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
New Training Facility Proposed for Santa Cruz Police and Fire

Santa Cruz police talk to a person on Pacific Avenue in 2022. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> Leaders of Santa Cruz Police and Santa Cruz Fire have a new $20 million training center in their …

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Organic Rising: Central Coast Farmers Featured in New Film

Anthony Saua, director of Organic Rising, talks about the rise of organic agriculture and its importance to health, the environment and slowing global warming,

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Soquel Drive Housing Complex Proposal Draws Concerns

Some Live Oak neighbors raise questions about a 173-unit housing proposal at Soquel Drive and Thurber Lane at a meeting Monday. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
LIVE OAK >> A Monday night meeting about a proposed five-building housing complex …

Featured

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.
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.
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
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
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
No matter where you live, you can help native flora and fauna.
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
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance
Greener ways to feed the world’s growing population
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
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
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
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
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
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
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