http://blog.sfgate.com/storystudio/2017/01/09/californias-big-bright-renewable-future/ Renewable energy has become a rising trend across America but California definitely takes the lead in renewable sources. California has distinguished itself globally for its bold, visionary policies on carbon reduction and clean energy. It cannot stop now. As a state we want to carry on our proud tradition of building and maintaining an energy infrastructure that allows California to deliver on this vision. California, with its abundant natural resources, has a long history of support for renewable energy. In 2009, 11.6 percent of all electricity came from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydroelectric facilities. Large hydro plants generated another 9.2 percent of our electricity. Renewable energy in the United States accounted for 13.44 percent of the domestically produced electricity in 2015. California is a leading state and around 20% of California's electricity comes from RPS eligible renewable sources, and more if traditional hydropower sources are included.Renewable energy sources include hydropower, wood biomass, alternative biomass fuels, waste, geothermal, wind, and solar.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oroville-Dam-emergency-spillway-in-use-for-first-10925628.php “The event that we never wanted to happen, and didn’t expect to happen, has happened,” said Doug Carlson, spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources, which owns and operates the dam and reservoir. “But it has performed as we hoped it would, even though it was the first time.” This is stated about the emergency drainage route at the Oroville Dam which for the first time since the dam opened in 1968 had to be put in use. Due to excessive amounts of winter storms the dam would have over flowed if the emergency route wasn't put into use. Problems for the reservoir began Tuesday when a section of the lake’s primary spillway that is 180 feet wide and more than 3,000 feet long collapsed during high-volume water releases caused by the heavy winter storms California has been thankfully receiving. The resulting craterlike hole has grown dramatically. This caused officials to ease the amount of water released out the main spillway and ultimately use the emergency channel to keep the lake from flowing over the top of the dam. The craterlike hole did not stop the heavy water flow therefore the emergency channel which is nothing more than a mountain side was put into action. The emergency spillway, is nothing more than an open hill that drains toward the Feather River below. Officials said the emergency spillway, activated at 8 a.m. Saturday, would remain in use through at least Sunday night as mountain runoff from recent heavy storms continued to overflow the lake. California's second largest resovior next to Lake Shasta, was suprisgnly pleased with the heavy winter storm and gladly opened their emergency spillway to allow all the unexpected winter runoff to flow.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/donald-trump-remains-open-minded-environmental-issues-article-1.2907001 "I'm very open minded. I'm still open minded," Trump said on "Fox News Sunday" when asked for his position "on the environment." In the past, Trump has called climate change a "con job" and a "hoax created by the Chinese." But in recent weeks, he's sat down with climate experts Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio and told The New York Times that "clean air is vitally important," and that "there is some connectivity" between humans and climate change and even suggested he'd keep "an open mind" about his previously made promises to withdraw from the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. Trump's rumored pick for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, is hated by many environmentalists over his company's checkered record on the environment. Trump's pick is said to determine the future of the United Staes environmental issues.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38746608 Trump plans to get rid of quote on quote unnecessary and harmful policies put into place by Obama in the past eight years. Obama ran on the base of the Climate Action Plan which help cut carbon emissions. Trump finds this plan unnecessary and harmful to the economy so his first step is to cut the plan. Trump has also hushed the EPA and told them not to release any news of his actions to the press. Grant making has also took a halt since Trump has entered office. The Trump team has also taken immediate action to creating two oil pipelines to cross the United Sates. While the current steps being taken by the Trump team may turn out to be less restrictive than feared, on this side of the pond, the EPA's standpoint there's a great deal of concern.Climate scientists in the US are also rallying to fight back. The US is not ready for Trump to go through with his promise of elimination of unnecessary and harmful policies.
A study from Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History MuseumMore than 90% of tropical trees rely on fruit-eating animals, especially birds, for the dispersal of their seeds. Adding to previous evidence, new research shows that large birds are more important than small and medium-sized birds for plant regeneration. "Especially large fruit-eating birds are declining due to habitat loss and hunting in the tropics. This is likely to cause a poor regeneration of some plant species. It may bring about profound change to the tropical forest as we know it." warns Marcia Muñoz, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre.More than 90% of tropical trees rely on fruit-eating animals, especially birds, for the dispersal of their seeds. Adding to previous evidence, new research shows that large birds are more important than small and medium-sized birds for plant regeneration. "Especially large fruit-eating birds are declining due to habitat loss and hunting in the tropics. This is likely to cause a poor regeneration of some plant species. It may bring about profound change to the tropical forest as we know it." warns Marcia Muñoz, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre. At the rate at whch tropical rainforests are being depleted the rate of the bird extinctions will increase.
Invasive species on Hawaii Island may be especially successful invaders because they are formidable scavengers of carcasses of other animals and after death, a nutrient resource for other invasive scavengers, say investigators. Researchers from the University of Georgia have noticed a trend in the invasives species population in Hawaii has increased due to the species thriving on dead nutrient rich carcasses. The state of Hawaii has the highest number of endangered and threatened native species in the U.S., and this study, published recently in the journal Ecosphere, could inform efforts to manage invasive populations in Hawaii and similar island ecosystems threatened by invasive species. The lifestyles of the invasive species have also had an effect on the endangered species list. The invasive invertebrate scavenger community, which included yellow jackets and fly larvae, removed 45 percent of the carcasses. This left no carcass resources for the native species on the island. Few in number on the island, these animals were not seen by the team during the study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/436393.htm Sky gazers around the world witnessed the biggest and brightest full moon in nearly seventy years on the past Monday and Sunday evenings. The supermoon is only marginally more impressive than a normal full moon but what makes it so incredible, is that during a superman the moon appears at its closet point in orbit around earth. This close orbit is known as a perigee. Sky- watchers across the United States witnessed this rare perigee and has not happened in seventy years and is predicated not to happen again until 2034. The supermoon was predicted to come as close to the earth as 348,400 kilometers away from Earth's surface, this is about 22,000 miles closer than an average night. The explanation for how the moon came so close to the earth during orbit is the egg shape orbit it forms around our planet. A superman occurs when the timing of a full moon overpass with the point in the moon's 28- day orbit that is closest to Earths surface. Spectators came out to view this rare combination and will not be able to view something similar until 2034!
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-trump-global-warming-paris-agreement-20161110-story.html Trump plans to destroy the environment by getting rid of one treaty at a time. With the election occurring on the previous Tuesday many wonder what the future holds environmentally speaking with Trump in office. The United States is the second leading producer, next to China, in climate changing emissions. Trump plans to lead America down a road that can be detrimental to the environment. He wants to abolish Obama's clean power plan, disregard the Paris climate agreement, and reverse the work of the United Nation's environment program. Trump believes climate change is a hoax and will disregard any plans in place, or to come that will better the environment in a way that does not finically benefit himself. Trump plans to put climate change skeptics in charge of controlling the environmental regulations. With Trump sitting at the top of America with no concern for the environment it will be a controversial four years in office. We, The United States of America, are currently the second-leading producer of climate changing emissions after China, and we could find our selves heading down an even worse path of environmental degradation due to Trumps election. It is up to the average American to start making the differences if the big guy on top could care less about what this world will be like for generations to come.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2017
Categories |