After years of cracking down on California’s oil industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats are moving to get Kern County wells pumping again to avoid soaring gasoline prices.
Environment
Posted inLatest News
A walk in new Big Basin, five years post-CZU: Signs of rebirth amid California lilac, huckleberries and ‘Dr. Seuss trees’
To a large degree, the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains have survived and are thriving in the wake of 2020’s CZU fire. We vulnerable humans often take comfort in the power of ecosystems to adapt and survive. But, scientists believe, we should probably stop short before declaring that all is fine in the world of California’s redwoods.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California’s newest invaders are beautiful swans. Should hunters kill them?
California has tried to eradicate South American swamp rodents called nutria. Shooting destructive nonnative mute swans might be a tougher sell.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Pajaro Valley Water marks completion of College Lake Water Supply Project
The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is celebrating a milestone in the ongoing effort to achieve sustainable groundwater resources.
Posted inLatest News
Think you know how to recycle? A tour of Santa Cruz’s sorting facility reveals otherwise
A look inside the City of Santa Cruz’s recycling center reveals uncomfortable truths about America’s plastic waste crisis, where nearly a third of recycled items ultimately end up headed to the landfill.
Posted inLatest News
Atmospheric rivers might be diminishing on the West Coast and surging in the East, study finds
Over a 20-year period, atmospheric rivers could double the amount of rain falling on part of the Southeast, the researchers found.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
CPUC: Don’t saddle Monterey Peninsula ratepayers with unnecessary, expensive desalination project
This week, the California Public Utilities Commission will make a key decision about a desalination project proposed for the Monterey Peninsula. Marina Mayor Bruce Carlos Delgado urges the CPUC to reject the proposal, citing old data, high costs to ratepayers and severe environmental risks.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
California Supreme Court hands victory to rooftop solar panel owners
Justices told a lower court to revisit its decision to uphold cuts of 75% to payments for solar panel owners.
Posted inLatest News
Ask Lookout: The San Lorenzo River water level was high in July. Is that normal?
You might have noticed the waters in the San Lorenzo River getting fairly high this summer. It’s actually not unusual and happens virtually every year. The City of Santa Cruz installed a new system last year to keep water levels below 5 feet, though engineers are still adjusting how it works.
Posted inLatest News
‘A giant leap forward,’ UCSC expert says of breakthrough in mass starfish die-off
As scientists identify the bacteria killing Pacific sea stars, a UC Santa Cruz marine biologist who began spotting dismembered starfish on class dives more than a decade ago says the discovery highlights enduring questions about the local marine ecosystem.
