Tag Archives: california

Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris partied at Sean Parker’s eco-wrecking wedding

by siteforme Posted on June 7, 2013

Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris partied at Sean Parker’s eco-wrecking wedding

By John Upton

California Coastal Commission

Just your average

Game of Thrones

-style wedding backdrop.

We told you about billionaire Sean Parker’s obnoxious wedding romp in a Big Sur redwood grove. The Napster cofounder and former Facebook president will pay $2.5 million to the California Coastal Commission to help heal damages caused when a temporary wonderland backdrop was illegally built in the forest for his nuptial vows.

Well, it turns out that two of California’s most senior elected officials attended the wedding, living the kind of high life that only comes with an assault on threatened fish species and the trashing of a forest. Those officials were Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Kamala Harris.

Newsom’s attendance at the anti-eco bash was interesting, given that the former San Francisco mayor has spent his political career yapping about how much he loves the environment.

Harris’ was interesting because she is the state’s top law enforcer, and Parker’s penalties stemmed from violations of state law.

(In an email to The Atlantic, Parker denied wrongdoing, saying the party preparations improved previously asphalt-covered campground lands and characterizing the $2.5 million payment as a conservation donation. But the commission’s report [PDF] is littered with accusations of violations, including construction without permits and “development undertaken in violation of the Coastal Act.” It describes at least $1 million that Parker must pay as a “penalty settlement” for the forestland violations.)

From the SF Weekly:

Enabled by a backroom deal that Parker cut with the Ventana Inn — a high-end resort that abuts an ancient forest and a creek teeming with steelhead trout — the wedding included an artificial pond, switchback stairways, fake ruins, and extra foliage that required Parker’s construction team to dig out, bulldoze, and otherwise molest areas of highly sensitive natural forest. …

Thus far, no one has divined whether Newsom’s fingerprints are on this deal. His website says that he rotates with State Controller John Chiang as chair of the three-member State Lands Commission, which oversees leasing of millions of acres of state-owned land and permitting of water channels in California. He also serves as a member to the California Ocean Protection Council. Interestingly, he also campaigned on a rather bullish environmental platform, claiming not only that he would work to conserve California’s precious natural resources, but that he would “work to secure permanent funding solutions for the California Coastal Commission.”

But Parker donated $13,000 to Newsom’s campaign for lieutenant governor, which suggests that the two of them might be (un)comfortably close. We have yet to hear Newsom’s report back from the wedding — calls to his office weren’t returned this morning.

We certainly hope the politicians enjoyed themselves. Otherwise it would be a waste of the scandalous trampling of a natural wonderland.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris partied at Sean Parker’s eco-wrecking wedding

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United Airlines Buys Big Into Biofuels

by Myrna Posted on June 6, 2013

Could the move help clean up a notoriously dirty industry? UnfinishedPortraitmaker/Flickr United Airlines is taking a significant step forward in its use of biofuel with a plan to buy 15 million gallons of the stuff during the next three years. The airline signed an agreement with AltAir Fuels to buy fuel it will use on flights departing Los Angeles beginning next year. United says the renewable jet fuel is “price competitive” with the fuel now used by airlines and should, on a lifecycle basis, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent. “This is a great day for United and the aviation biofuels industry,” Jimmy Samartzis, the airline’s director of environmental issues, said in a statement. The news comes after a period of relative quiet about the use of aviation biofuel. There was a flurry of activity in the time between 2009 and 2011 as airlines around the world announced demonstration flights and passenger flights using a variety of biofuels. Even the military was burning biofuel in fighter jets. But the high cost of alternative fuels at the time made it unlikely cost-conscious airlines would embrace them for the long term. To keep reading, click here. Read the article –  United Airlines Buys Big Into Biofuels ; ;Related ArticlesMethane Leaks Could Negate Climate Benefits of US Natural Gas Boom: ReportGulf Oil Wells Have Been Leaking Since 2004 HurricaneSlicing Open Stalagmites to Reveal Climate Secrets ;

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Carbon pricing is catching on around the globe — just not in Washington, D.C.

by graptorm Posted on June 5, 2013

Carbon pricing is catching on around the globe — just not in Washington, D.C.

By John Upton

Shutterstock

Should it cost money to do this?

More than 40 national governments and 20 states or other “sub-national” governments are now charging polluters for emitting greenhouse gases, or plan to start in the coming years, according to a new report from the World Bank.

The U.S., of course, is not one of the countries with a national cap-and-trade plan or carbon tax, but California and parts of New England are pushing ahead despite Congress’ refusal to act.

All in all, about 7 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases are now priced — the equivalent of 3.3 gigatons of carbon dioxide out of the total 50 gigatons emitted annually worldwide. Not a lot. But, says the report, “If China, Brazil, Chile, and the other emerging economies eyeing these mechanisms are included, carbon pricing mechanisms could reach countries emitting 24 [gigatons of CO2 equivalent] per year, or almost half of the total global emissions.”

From The Washington Post:

The World Bank report also notes that many cap-and-trade programs are beginning to join together — California is partnering with Quebec, and the E.U. has joined up with Switzerland — which, in theory, should make it easier for companies to make the easiest cuts first. And many programs are trying to expand coverage. Australia and Korea are hoping to get 60 percent of their emissions covered, while California is aiming for 85 percent.

That said, the World Bank concludes that there hasn’t been nearly enough progress to avoid the worst effects of global warming. “The current level of action puts us on a pathway towards a 3.5–4°C warmer world by the end of this century, [which] would threaten our current economic model with unprecedented and unpredictable impacts on human life and ecosystems in the long term.”

What’s more, many of these pricing programs could prove fleeting. In Australia, for instance, Liberal leader Tony Abbott has promised to dismantle the country’s carbon law if his party gains power in the September elections (which is looking likely). So carbon pricing could just as easily shrink as expand in the years ahead.

And even where cap-and-trade systems are in place, polluters aren’t paying a hefty sum. Many systems are awash with a glut of carbon credits and allowances, which has pushed prices to “a historic low,” the World Bank says. From the report:

Under conditions of lower growth the demand for carbon assets from compliance buyers fell [since the global economic crisis of 2008-09]. The imbalance created by reduced demand and an unchanged supply (put in place in a more favorable economic environment) in the main carbon markets has led to a surplus of allowances and credits in the market, causing carbon prices to plummet since mid-2011. Kyoto offsets are currently being traded at a few Euro (€) cents, while EU Allowance (EUA) prices fell from about €30 in mid-2008 to lows of below €4 in early 2013, substantially less than what is needed for a transition to a sustainable, low-carbon world.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Carbon pricing is catching on around the globe — just not in Washington, D.C.

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Dot Earth Blog: Rising Aggression Against Turtle Conservationists Preceded Costa Rica Slaying

by Myrna Posted on June 3, 2013

Costa Rican news reports show a pattern of rising violence before the murder of a turtle guardian. Original link:  Dot Earth Blog: Rising Aggression Against Turtle Conservationists Preceded Costa Rica Slaying ; ;Related ArticlesDot Earth Blog: A New Way to Harvest Wind Energy at SeaDot Earth Blog: A Tornado Chaser Falls Doing Extreme ScienceDot Earth Blog: A Costa Rican Turtle Defender is Murdered on the Beach He Patrolled ;

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Wal-Mart Is Fined $82 Million Over Mishandling of Hazardous Wastes

by Myrna Posted on May 28, 2013

Wal-Mart pleaded guilty to seven counts related to the improper discarding of hazardous wastes in California and Missouri. View the original here –  Wal-Mart Is Fined $82 Million Over Mishandling of Hazardous Wastes ; ;Related ArticlesIsraeli Electric Car Company Files for LiquidationFood Companies Seeking Ingredients That Aren’t Gene-AlteredNight Vision and a Copter Save 200 Horseshoe Crabs ;

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GMO-free ingredients are tough to round up in the U.S.

by Kailey A. Aitkin Posted on May 28, 2013

GMO-free ingredients are tough to round up in the U.S.

By John Upton

Shutterstock

Responsible food manufacturers are trying to meet consumer demand for products that are free from transgenic ingredients.

And they are finding it exceedingly difficult in the U.S. to do so.

The New York Times reported Sunday on the difficulties — and high costs — faced by small and large companies that want to keep GMOs out of their products:

Lizanne Falsetto knew two years ago that she had to change how her company, thinkThin, made Crunch snack bars. Her largest buyer, Whole Foods Market, wanted more products without genetically engineered ingredients — and her bars had them. Ms. Falsetto did not know how difficult it would be to acquire non-GMO ingredients.

ThinkThin spent 18 months just trying to find suppliers. “And then we had to work to achieve the same taste and texture we had with the old ingredients,” Ms. Falsetto said. Finally, last month, the company began selling Crunch bars certified as non-GMO.

The Non-GMO Project was until recently the only group offering certification, and demand for its services has soared. Roughly 180 companies inquired about how to gain certification last October, when California tried to require labeling (the initiative was later voted down), according to Megan Westgate, co-founder and executive director of the Non-GMO Project.

Nearly 300 more signed up in March, after Whole Foods announced that all products sold in its stores would have to be labeled to describe genetically engineered contents, and about 300 more inquiries followed in April, she said.

“We have seen an exponential increase in the number of enrollments,” Ms. Westgate said.

The shift is evident in prices of nongenetically modified crops, which have been rising as more companies seek them out. Two years ago, a bushel of non-GMO soybeans cost $1 to $1.25 more than a bushel of genetically modified soybeans. Now, that premium is $2. For corn, the premium has jumped from 10 cents to as high as 75 cents.

Many other countries ban GMOs or require that food containing GMO ingredients be clearly labeled. Not so in the U.S., where federal lawmakers just voted to keep such ingredients secret from consumers, and where about 90 percent of the corn and soy that is grown has been genetically modified.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who

tweets

, posts articles to

Facebook

, and

blogs about ecology

. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants:

johnupton@gmail.com

.

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Turbine Plans Unnerve Fans of Condors in California

by Myrna Posted on May 25, 2013

Environmentalists are worried that a wind-energy project near the Mojave Desert could affect the fragile condor population. Continue reading –  Turbine Plans Unnerve Fans of Condors in California ; ;Related ArticlesJapanese Lab Workers Exposed to RadiationWorld Briefing | Asia: India: Power Failures Set Off ProtestsWorld Briefing | Europe: Russia: Earthquake Hits Eastern Coast ;

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Thousands engage in Morocco, the beach is not a garbage can

by Myrna Posted on May 23, 2013

Locals gather in Morocco and clean 4 tons of garbage from a beach. Read this article:   Thousands engage in Morocco, the beach is not a garbage can ; ;Related ArticlesSurfrider’s Beach ManifestoSurfrider Argentina picks up momentumNearly half the rice sold in Guangzhou (pop. 12+ million) is contaminated by cadmium ;

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Climate Change Will Drive Up Manhattan’s Heat-Related Death Toll

by Myrna Posted on May 22, 2013

Climate change-related deaths may be even worse than these researchers are projecting. Washington Square Park, by marccappelletti/Flickr Despite the modern advances of central air and cooling centers, record-hot weather still regularly kills people all over the world. A 2010 heat wave in Russia was blamed for killingabout 55,000 people. An earlier one, in 2003, claimed 70,000 across Europe. And an infamously scorching stretch of the summer of 1995 in Chicago killed about 750. Climate change brings with it the threat that such natural disasters could happen more often, with higher death tolls, as late spring and early fall start to feel more like summer, and as summer itself gets worse. Cities are particularly vulnerable, given the urban heat island effect (we also know that certain neighborhoods within most cities are at particularly grave risk). Temperatures around New York City, for example, increased by about 2 degrees Celsius between 1901 and 2000 – a rate that was higher than the national average. Exactly how bad the heat waves will get will depend on some uncertain factors, like how fast global populations rise and how successful we are at curbing greenhouse gasses. But researchers at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the Mailman School of Public Health have at least attempted to come up with some estimates. In new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, they downscale future temperature projections for the island of Manhattan using 16 climate models under two scenarios (one assumes rapid global population growth and scant attempts to limit emissions; the other assumes slower growth and technological advances that slow emissions by 2040). In all 32 scenarios, compared to a baseline set in the 1980s, heat-related deaths in Manhattan go up, in some cases by as much as 90 percent by the year 2080. And these projections take into account that there will be fewer cold-related deaths from climate change. The net effect, though, still looks gruesome. The biggest jump in deaths, these models suggest, will come from “the months surrounding summer,” those stretches of May and September that we seldom associate today with heat waves. The chart at left, from the paper, shows the percent change in heat-related deaths, averaged across 16 models, in the 2080s relative to the 1980s. All of those summertime deaths also clearly wipe out any any positive changes in the wintertime death toll. The reality in the future may be even worse than these researchers are projecting. This study doesn’t take into account changes in demographics, and New York City (along with the rest of the country) will age in the coming decades. The study also doesn’t consider how air quality may worsen with climate change. But then again, we never know what technology (and health care) may bring us in the next 70 years. These early projections, though, should be enough to get us thinking now about how to get ready. Link to article: Climate Change Will Drive Up Manhattan’s Heat-Related Death Toll ; ;Related ArticlesOklahoma Tornado: Is Climate Change to Blame?Dot Earth Blog: A Survival Plan for America’s Tornado Danger ZoneVIDEO: The Secret Life of Trolls ;

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Occupy the Farm movement rises again, hours after being raided

by ggkk2121333 Posted on May 14, 2013

Occupy the Farm movement rises again, hours after being raided

By John Upton

Occupy the Farm

On Monday, this tractor plowed over the unauthorized farm.

A guerrilla veggie-growing occupation of university-owned land in Albany, Calif., was busted by cops early Monday and thousands of zucchini, kale, squash, and other newly planted seedlings were plowed over. But the occupiers proved more resilient than a sprawling mint plant, returning Monday to replant the desecrated farm.

More than 100 activists had gathered at Gill Tract, near Berkeley, on Friday and over the weekend, with some staying on site until the Monday morning raid. They pulled weeds, tilled soil, and planted seedlings. Some pitched tents.

The 12-acre site was part of a large tract of land donated to the University of California in the 1920s and was long used for organic farming and research. But much of it is now abandoned land, slated for homebuilding and a new grocery store. Some of the land continues to be used for agricultural research, but much of that research relates to genetic engineering.

Long-simmering tensions between the university and neighborhood and student activists over how the land is used boiled over on Earth Day last year, when Occupy the Farm broke padlocks and began cultivating gardens. After several weeks, the police moved in, trashed the garden, and arrested nine people.

The U.C.-Berkeley police didn’t wait that long to raze the farm this time around. In addition to bulldozing the plantings early Monday morning, the cops arrested four activists and charged them with trespassing and interfering with police.

From Occupy the Farm’s website:

“The UC’s use of police intervention was completely unnecessary and unreasonable,” says Occupy the Farm member, Matthew McHale, “especially after we publicly declared we were leaving later today.”

“This is a pathetic waste of public resources, to arrest people who are engaged in a constructive project to demonstrate how public land can be used for the public good,” added Dan Siegel, the lawyer for the group.

Over the course of the weekend, hundreds of students, farmers, families, and interested community members participated in the revitalization of a neglected part of the historic farmland bordering San Pablo Avenue and Monroe Street. Rows of squash, kale, tomato, corn, lettuce, and even flowers replaced 5-foot high weeds, as farmers created a vibrant community space on the site of a proposed parking lot and chain grocery store.

Since Occupy the Farm first planted on the Gill tract in April 2012, the group has organized at least 10 public forums focused on the Gill Tract as an asset to community-driven participatory research. The UC Berkeley administration has consistently failed to attend, despite being invited. As one of the last large plots of fertile agricultural soil left in the East Bay, the Gill Tract holds great potential as an educational resource for community members and for UC urban agricultural research, and for providing local, sustainable, organic food.

Later Monday, about 50 people returned to replant the farm. The Oakland Tribune reported that they plan to return again this coming weekend to care for the young plants. From the article:

“We’re here to make a statement that an urban farm is a much better use of that prime soil than paving it over,” [Occupy spokesperson and U.C.-Berkeley student Lesley] Haddock said Monday.

The area in question, roughly 12 acres, is partially used by the university for agricultural research. Activists occupied part of this area for three weeks last year. Police made arrests and ended the overnight occupation of the land on May 14 last year.

But not everybody digs the illegal farming occupation. University officials and some city leaders have been quick to criticize it. And some neighbors say they are looking forward to shopping at the grocery store that’s planned for the site. It was originally going to be a Whole Foods, but the company backed out following last year’s occupation, and a Sprouts Farmers Market store is now planned. From the Oakland Tribune article:

[A] group of Albany residents opposed to the Occupy group brought a contingent of their own to the parcel along San Pablo Avenue.

“We want a grocery store here,” said Sylvia Paull, one of the anti-Occupy protesters. “We spent five years working with UC and Albany trying to get one here.”

The Occupy the Farm folks say the San Francisco East Bay’s last remnants of farming land should stay as farming land, and claim that the new grocery store would eat into the profits of existing stores in the community.

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

tweets

, posts articles to

Facebook

, and

blogs about ecology

. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants:

johnupton@gmail.com

.

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Occupy the Farm movement rises again, hours after being raided

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