How activists in this Californian city stopped a gas plant from being built
When NRG Energy, one of the largest electric power producers in the country, won a contract to build a new gas plant on the beach in Oxnard, California, in 2014, nearly everyone assumed it was a done deal. The region’s electric utility, Southern California Edison, needed a new source of power to Read More...
Oregon may soon join California’s carbon trading market under new bill
Drawing inspiration from its southernly neighbor, Oregon may soon pass a landmark bill that will mandate not just greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector, but also economy-wide emission reductions. The only state to have done that is…you guessed it, California. Across every sector Read More...
Yacht-sized sharks are being spotted off California coast after 30-year hiatus
Sharks as long as small yachts are starting to frequent the coastal waters of Southern California. Surely some of you beach lovers find this bit of news unsettling, but there is no need to fear. The humongous sharks we’re talking about are called basking sharks, and they are known to be peaceful Read More...
California restaurants are incentivizing eco-friendly farming with surcharge
Restaurants in California are banding together to fight climate change in an intriguing way. Concerned eateries can sign on to the Restore California Renewable Restaurant program, which pledges to add a 1% surcharge to diners' bills and then use the money to incentivize farmers to implement more Read More...
A new algorithm is helping California scrub thousands of cannabis convictions
In the US, having a criminal record has dramatic consequences on your ability to live a normal life. From not being able to buy a home to being rejected from a job, one conviction can make it almost impossible for a person to assimilate back into society. This reality is especially sour for people Read More...
You have to see Lake Berryessa’s ‘glory hole’ in action
When the water of Lake Berryessa, the largest lake in California’s Napa County, is low, a strange concrete tower rises up above the lake’s surface. It’s just about the only abnormal thing you’ll see there on any given day. But when the water is high, it turns into an enormous, mesmerizing Read More...
A boom of wildflowers has taken over a desert in California
California’s Anza-Borrego desert is experiencing a once-a-decade “super boom” of wildflowers for the second time in two years. After weeks of heavy rain and warm temperatures, the state park to the east of San Diego is now covered in swathes of purple, yellow and orange flowers including Read More...
California has already surpassed its 2020 renewable energy target
When a state or company creates ambitious climate action targets for itself, it’s commendable. But only when those targets are actually achieved can those entities be recognized and respected. A few years back, California set a goal of having 33 percent of the state’s retail electricity come Read More...
Why you should stop buying birthday balloons
As our name implies, we don’t like to be the bearer of bad news. But sometimes we feel it’s important to bring about some more unfortunate news in order to motivate better decisions regarding our planet. In this case, new research has found that balloons are the number one marine debris risk of Read More...
California becomes one third renewable two years before the deadline
Being America’s most populous state and the world’s fifth largest economy makes it all the more impressive that California sits amongst the forerunners in the global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. A new report issued by the California Energy Commission shows that the Golden Read More...