When wildfires rage, the immediate threat is obvious – but smoke from the fires actually kills far more people than the flames. As fires become more frequent, that smoke is leading to a public health crisis. In a new study published in the journal Science Advances, we found that wildfire smoke likely contributed to more […]
Environment
Posted inLatest News
Monterey Bay area climate change-focused projects get $71 million in federal climate change fund awards
One of the biggest grants in the country from climate change funding included in President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has been awarded to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded the organization $71 million — one of the largest in California history to fund a multitude of projects addressing the impact of climate change in the greater Monterey Bay area, including shoreline protection, wetland restoration and workforce development.
Posted inEnvironment
California has just approved a new blueprint for offshore wind. The massive projects will cost billions
Harnessing clean energy is a venture of unprecedented scope in California, bringing big changes to Humboldt and the Central Coast, and requiring 26 ports along the coast.
Posted inEducation
Drawing from our natural world: How curator Liz Broughton brings ‘Art of Nature’ exhibit to life
Liz Broughton has curated the “Art of Nature” exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for more than a decade and loves the way it brings the wonder of nature to life. The exhibit’s 60 objects are designed to see, touch and make visitors think about the natural world and how artists depict it. Broughton, who grew up in the San Lorenzo Valley, is the museum’s longest full-time employee; she has watched the museum change over the years and says it works to tell stories that are “relevant” to our community.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Are West Cliff neighbors ready for the influx of traffic if 50-year ‘vision’ is approved by city council Tuesday? I don’t think so.
The Santa Cruz City Council is set to make a big decision Tuesday on whether West Cliff Drive should be a one-way street, writes Lookout politics columnist Mike Rotkin. But not only do too few people know about the vote, the data the councilmembers are using to get neighborhood feedback is also flawed, he says. He leans on his 26 years of experience on the Santa Cruz City Council to suggest that neighbors will not like the changes in traffic patterns and that the vote should be delayed.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Transit advocates protest as RTC delays discussion on contested stretch of Coastal Rail Trail
More than 70 rail and trail supporters rallied in front of the Santa Cruz County building on Wednesday to urge the board of supervisors to approve Segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail after the body failed to do so last week. Supporters are growing concerned that a $67.6 million state grant tied to the project could expire with more delays.
Posted inLatest News
Coast Guard ditches plans to replace Mile Buoy after local pushback
Following pushback from the local maritime community, the United States Coast Guard has decided to keep the Mile Buoy in its current location and scrap the idea for a virtual replacement.
Posted inEnvironment
Dungeness crab season to close locally on April 8 to protect migrating whales
The Dungeness crab season will close on April 8, more than two months earlier than its traditional closure on June 15, due to the presence of migrating humpback whales off the coast of California. It’s yet another blow to Santa Cruz County’s fishing industry facing delays, restrictions and cancelations on its most lucrative catches.
Posted inEnvironment
Rare harlequin duck spotted in Santa Cruz sparks frenzy among birdwatchers
Throngs of birdwatchers have gathered at the Santa Cruz Harbor to catch a glimpse of a female harlequin duck, which is rarely spotted this far south, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Posted inEnvironment
One of Santa Cruz County’s largest water sources is ‘critically overdrafted’; fixes are on the way
More than 50,000 residents of Santa Cruz County are reliant on a single water source: the dwindling Mid-County Groundwater Basin, which the state deemed “critically overdrafted” nearly a decade ago. Now local agencies are embarking on efforts to boost the ability of the basin to capture more rain during the wet months along with an […]