The new leader of Cal Fire in Santa Cruz County, Nate Armstrong, is making a few changes, while insisting that the statewide agency’s “aggressive initial attack” philosophy and other core principles are not his to change and were in place during the devastation of the CZU fires and the criticism that followed.
Climate
Posted inEnvironment
How climate change is threatening the future of the Winter Olympics
As global warming continues to take its toll, the number of training cities gets smaller and cities able to host the Winter Olympics gets fewer.
Posted inEnvironment
Official count confirms monarch butterflies are back, in a big way
The nonprofit organization that monitors monarchs during their wintering months in the West announced Tuesday that butterfly populations have jumped from 2020-21 numbers by more than a hundredfold, from an all-time low of less than 2,000 to almost a quarter-million.
Posted inLatest News
Good news on Big Sur wildfire: Blaze burn zone not as large as feared with Colorado Fire
Officials originally estimated the rare January wildfire had burned 1,500 acres, but on Monday adjusted the burn zone to about 700 acres.
Posted inLatest News
Colorado fire: Containment at 35%; new mapping puts Big Sur blaze at 700 acres
Firefighters made more progress Sunday on the wildfire burning south of Carmel, which was said to be 35% contained and smaller than previously estimated at 700 acres. Hundreds remained evacuated after the blaze sparked Friday night in Palo Colorado Canyon amid blustery winds, and Highway 1 was closed from the Granite Canyon Bridge to Andrew Molera State Park.
Posted inEnvironment
Newsom announces plan to deal with extreme heat
The governor has released guidelines following a Los Angeles Times investigation into California’s failure to address heat-related deaths.
Posted inFood & Drink
Statewide composting mandate: What to know as rollout begins in Santa Cruz County
Where does food waste go now? What counts as food waste, anyway? And will I get fined for putting it in the wrong bin? Lookout spoke to officials around the county to get answers to those questions and more.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
COVID-19, children, climate change are focal points in Newsom’s budget plan
The governor’s plan lays out close to $10 billion in new spending on COVID, climate change, homelessness, inequality and ‘keeping our streets safe.’
Posted inEnvironment
California is suddenly snow-capped and very wet. But how long will the water rush last?
The recent rains did not completely eliminate the drought, but they certainly helped improve drought conditions, water experts say.
Posted inLatest News
No, California’s drought isn’t over. Here’s why.
California today issued emergency drought rules aimed at wasteful water use. Although snowpack is 150% of average today, climatologists predict dry conditions for the rest of the season. And conservation still lags.