Category Archives: Environment

A Wild Kingdom Right in the Middle of San Jose

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Who knew? Downtown San Jose is booming with exotic wildlife. Earlier this month came news that beavers had returned to the Guadalupe River after a long absence. Now … an update on the falcons that are making their nest on … Continue reading »


Where and When to Catch a Glimpse Today of First Night-Flying Solar Plane

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Q: What has the wingspan of a Boeing 747 but weighs the same as an average car? A: The first solar-powered aircraft able to fly both day and night. The Swiss-engineered Solar Impulse airplane came to town last month. It's scheduled … Continue reading »


Video: How Chevron Richmond Fire Happened: Feds Release Blow-by-Blow Animation

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If you live downwind of Chevron's Richmond refinery, you don't need to be reminded of what happened there last Aug. 6: A huge fire started in a crude-oil processing unit at the facility, sending an immense plume of thick black … Continue reading »


News Pix: Joshua Trees in Bloom, Oakland Artists Face Eviction and San Jose Tattoo Removal

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It's been an incredible spring for Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert and throughout the Southwest. The strange and gangly desert forest is in the last stages of an unusually rich and widespread bloom. (Caitlin Esch/KQED) Residents of a small … Continue reading »


New Lawsuit Opposes California's Cap-and-Trade Carbon Market

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California's quest to reduce global warming hit another obstacle on Tuesday. A conservative legal group filed suit to block California's new cap-and-trade carbon market. The Pacific Legal Foundation alleged that the market's charge for carbon emissions violates California law because … Continue reading »


Jerry Brown Says CEQA Reform Unlikely This Year

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Jerry Brown once called reforming CEQA, California's 43-year-old landmark environmental impact law, "doing the Lord's work." Well, if that's the case, looks like we're in the day-of-rest period… From AP: Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday it's unlikely that changes he's … Continue reading »


Chevron Admits to Inspection Failure in Richmond Refinery Fire

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RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) – Chevron Corp. says it failed to properly document tests of a corroded pipe near the one that failed and caused a fire at a Northern California refinery, and the oversight led to a failure to inspect … Continue reading »


Tussle in Tracy: Off-Roaders, Nature Lovers Fight over State Park's Future

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We’ve heard a lot over the last couple of years about all the money troubles the California state parks have been having—but not all state parks are starved for cash. Eight “off-highway vehicle parks” get a steady stream of gas-tax … Continue reading »


(Video) Ruling on Monterey Fracking Knocks Regulators; Bill Advances in Senate

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Update: A bill regulating fracking in California passed Tuesday in the state Senate's Natural Resources and Water Committee. Los Angeles County Democrat Fran Pavley’s measure requires drillers to apply for permits before they use pressurized water to extract oil from … Continue reading »


News Pix: Central Valley Farmers Flood Their Fields, Cal Women Head to Final Four and Berkeley's Outstanding Architecture

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Terranova Ranch sits southeast of Fresno in the King's River basin, an area where farmers are pumping unsustainable volumes of water in dry years. At the other extreme, farms and communities here risk floods when rivers are pulsing with too … Continue reading »