The California Energy Commission (CEC) has established new offshore wind energy planning goals of 2,000 to 5,000 MW of offshore wind power by 2030 and up to 25,000 MW of offshore wind by 2045. If these goals are met, the offshore wind could meet power demands for up to 25 million homes by 2045. To […]
What grows up to eight inches long, is dark with a white band, can leap a foot in the air and is the latest threat to California’s forest ecosystems? The answer is the Asian jumping worm (Amynthas agrestis), a uniquely mobile species of earthworm with an impressive appetite that was sighted in the state for […]
A mysterious deep-sea whale washed up on a California beach on Sunday. The 16-foot beaked whale was discovered by a passerby at Mendocino County’s Jug Handle State Natural Reserve near Fort Bragg, which is 3.5 hours north of San Francisco, SFGate reported. Because beaked whales live deep beneath the waves and can dive down as far as 10,000 feet, scientists seldom get a chance to observe them.
Despite being banned since the 1970s, DDT and PCBs are still affecting wildlife today, particularly the California condor, a critically endangered species. The condors feed on dead marine life along the California coast that often contain higher amounts of contaminants compared to marine life elsewhere. Scientists at San Diego State University (SDSU) and San Diego […]
Swedish furniture-giant IKEA wants to bring the power of the sun into U.S. homes. The company announced on May 12 that it was partnering with residential solar provider SunPower to make “home solar solutions” available to its U.S. customers.
For the first time in more than a century, endangered California condors soared over the redwood forests along the state’s northern coast. The two birds, both males, were released from a pen in Redwood National Park on Tuesday morning, AP News reported. “That was just as exciting as I thought it was going to be,” […]
In an unprecedented move, California officials are ordering residents and businesses in three Southern California counties to limit their outdoor water use to one day a week. The restrictions will go into effect June 1 and impact millions of people living in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.
In Los Angeles County, California, the Board of Supervisors has given the green light for a new ordinance aimed at reducing plastic waste. The ordinance will require all takeout items, such as takeaway containers and other dishes and cutlery, to be either compostable or fully recyclable by 2023. Additionally, restaurants with seating for customers who […]
With their branches reaching up like knobby arms with tufts for fists, western Joshua trees are an iconic part of the California desert ecosystem, and environmental advocates want to make sure they stay that way in the face of development and the climate crisis. To that end, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a […]