Or, to be precise, the drought hits my backyard. Yesterday the second of two enormous oak trees that have fallen in the same area in the past month came crashing down. About a year ago an even bigger and more beloved oak in vicinity split apart and fell. Here's a basic phone pic that givesContinue reading “CA drought hits home — in Upper Ojai”
Tag Archives: California
Anterra violates Ventura County permit routinely: State
According to public records available at the agency known as DOGGR (Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources) the injection wells at Anterra in unincorporated land have routinely violated the amount of oil field fluids they are allowed in put into the Oxnard Plain by the county. The conditional use permit allows fluids from 24Continue reading “Anterra violates Ventura County permit routinely: State”
Why is Oxy spinning off new California oilco?
One question regarding this news from last week (reported in the LA Times): A little more than a month after filing documents to spin off its California operations, Occidental Petroleum Corp. has named the leadership team for its proposed subsidiary. The longtime Los Angeles company announced in February that it was moving its headquarters toContinue reading “Why is Oxy spinning off new California oilco?”
Ojai “too conservative” w/water: California DWR
From a panel discussion I covered, here's a fascinating anecdote from Steve Wickstrum, who has managed Ojai's Casitas Municipal Water District for many years. Ojai actually is doing okay with water through the drought right now — unlike many communities in the state. According to Wickstrum, Casitas water costs about $400 an acre-foot, which isContinue reading “Ojai “too conservative” w/water: California DWR”
Climate change a factor in the new war in Iraq: Expert
From another striking climate change story from Eric Holthaus, complete with superb photos: "Could there be a connection between climate change and the emerging conflict in Iraq? The short answer is a qualified yes, according to Frank Femia of the Center for Climate and Security, a Washington-based policy institute advised by senior retired military and nationalContinue reading “Climate change a factor in the new war in Iraq: Expert”
Harvesting the California drought: gold and wood
On the front page last Sunday the LA Times ran a story about how the drought — three years old in California, and now rated "severe" or worse in 100% of the state — had led to an upsurge in gold panning in streams and rivers. Such as the Kern River. Researchers said last week thatContinue reading “Harvesting the California drought: gold and wood”
Looking to past droughts to foresee CA’s future
The past is never dead. The past is not even past. When William Faulkner wrote that, he was thinking of human history, but it's true on here on planet earth as well. Cycles repeat. For that reason, and because they were troubled by the drought they saw in the deep time record, paleoclimatologist B. LynnContinue reading “Looking to past droughts to foresee CA’s future”
“Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” explains West Coast drought
That's the meteorological explanation: a ridge of high pressure over the West Coast that has been blocking weather from the Pacific, driving it north, leaving the entire West Coast in drought. But what explains the so-called "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge?". That we really don't know yet and the climatologists are loathe to speculate. One spot ofContinue reading ““Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” explains West Coast drought”
SoCal 2014 water year forecast: Dryness, but…
For California, the Department of Water Resources releases an "experimental" long-term forecast, based on ocean indices. Lead forecaster Dr. Klaus Wolter of NOAA predicts — as he did last year — dryness, but opens the door to the possibility of an El Nino developing in spring. The forecast's three central predictions for the 2014 waterContinue reading “SoCal 2014 water year forecast: Dryness, but…”
A changing California: Lyell Glacier melting away
Climb it before it melts away, suggests Barney Brantingham of Santa Barbara's Independent: "(In the 30-plus years since my son Barclay and I trekked Mount Lyell’s snowy flanks, it’s been melting, not as fast as a vanilla ice cream cone in the summer Sierra sun, but melting. Lyell Glacier’s retreat has speeded up since 2000, says YosemiteContinue reading “A changing California: Lyell Glacier melting away”
Kit Stolz 