DAILY DIGEST, 6/15: Delta tunnel hangs over budget talks as legislators challenge Gov. Newsom’s plan; What are the dirtiest beaches in California?; Historic winter leads to severe problems for LADWP at Owens Lake; Interior Department initiates process to develop future guidelines and strategies for protecting the Colorado River; and more …

On the calendar today …

• EVENT: Water Conservation Showcase from 8am to 5pm at the San Ramon Valley Conference Center.  ​​We encourage attendees to join us in person to engage with our expo and network with other water industry professionals. If you are unable to attend in person in San Ramon, you may register beneath individual sessions below to attend them online.  Click here for more information and to register.
• MEETING: Delta Independent Science Board Tour from 8am to 5:30pm. The Delta ISB will tour the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by boat with the United States Geological Survey to get an orientation on the hydrology, hydraulics, and water quality of the region. Prior to the boat tour, the Delta ISB will receive a pre-tour informational briefing from the United States Geological Survey at its office, and will make a stop at the Delta Cross Channel, where the United States Bureau of Reclamation will provide an overview of its purpose, operations, and modifications over time. Click here for the agenda.
• WEBINAR: New Essential Tools for Accelerated Restoration Permitting from 11am to 12pm.  In this webinar, Sustainable Conservation’s Accelerating Restoration team will provide a high-level overview of the new statewide authorizations, how they complement other permitting pathways, and technical resources available to help project proponents and agency staff use these new regulatory tools.  Click here to register.
• EVENT: Sacramento Policy Briefing: How California Can Improve Water Right Curtailment to Better Manage Water Scarcity from 12pm to 1pm.  How can California improve water right curtailment to better manage water scarcity? Find out at a free lunchtime briefing/Q&A in Sacramento on June 15, where we’ll share key takeaways from the new Berkeley Law CLEE report.  Register for this FREE lunchtime event below. Boxed lunches will be provided for those who register by Tuesday, June 13th. Click here to register.
• WEBINAR: Principles of Forest Carbon Markets for Landowners and Credit Buyers from 12pm to 1:15pm.  Nature-based solutions describe various solutions for mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem services preservation. Carbon markets, a component of nature-based solutions, are a market-based solution to provide funding for various management practices that take up additional carbon on the forested landscape. To achieve meaningful emissions reductions, all carbon projects must follow a set of principles. These principles govern how the projects are implemented, how the management is carried out, and how the credits are sold and traded on the carbon market. This presentation will give landowners and credit buyers the necessary tools to understand how projects are developed conceptually and what to look for in a high-quality carbon offset credit.  Click here to register.

In California water news today …

California water tunnel hangs over budget talks as legislators challenge Gov. Newsom’s plan

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing the state Legislature to tackle what has long been one of the biggest gripes about government: Taking far too long to build things like roads and bridges.  But Newsom’s plan to cut through red tape has slowed in the state Legislature, where some lawmakers fear his true motive is to favor a single project — the long-delayed and long-disputed plan to build a giant tunnel to re-route how the state moves water from north to south. The tunnel reflects the tension between arid Southern California, where most of the people live, and Northern California, the source of most of the state’s water.  Newsom is seeking major changes to the state’s building and permitting process. He wants to make it easier and faster to build a slew of projects, from solar, wind and battery power storage to road maintenance and bridge repairs. His administration denies that the changes are aimed at expediting the tunnel. But as budget negotiations speed toward a deadline, debates over his plan have repeatedly turned to the tunnel. … ”  Read more from the Associated Press.

Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin communities brace as Newsom’s plan to dismantle environmental protections comes down to the voting wire

“On June 8, the California Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee held a hearing about new proposals that conservationists say would “gut” the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, and other environmental laws at the behest of Governor Gavin Newsom, who wants to include such measures as a package of trailer bills attached to the state budget that must be completed by Thursday.  Newsom’s efforts have spurred outrage from environmental justice and fishing groups, along with opposition from both Democratic and Republican legislators. On June 3, over 100 organizations sent a letter to the governor urging him not to weaken CEQA and other protections.  Newsom Administration officials at the hearing claimed the last-minute proposals were urgent, requiring the Legislature to act upon them before June 15. They asserted that California “will risk funding for critical infrastructure like safe drinking water and clean energy” if Newsom is denied. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento News & Review.

SEE ALSO: “It just so happens that [Governor Newsom’s Sweeping New Plan to Accelerate Infrastructure Projects] is only mostly dead.” – Miracle Max from The Princess Bride, from Downey Brand via JD Supra

LandFlex opportunities becoming available to more farmers

“LandFlex opportunities available to farmers and ranchers will be expanding. The program offers incentives to producers to reduce demand for groundwater supplies and help comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). President and CEO of the Almond Alliance of California, Aubrey Bettencourt said the next round of LandFlex has been announced.  “It should be opening on June 14, and it will be opening now to four more districts and basins. We’re excited to see how this works out because a lot of this is going to be in areas that are dealing with a lot of flood protection and flood mitigation issues,” said Bettencourt. “We’re looking at Pixley Irrigation District, Lower Tule Irrigation District, Mid-Kaweah GSA, and Westlands Water District.” … ”  Read more from Ag Net West.

Water Year 2023 snow drought conditions summary and impacts in the West

“An above-normal start to winter precipitation in the West—with the exception of the Pacific Northwest—accelerated when a series of 9 atmospheric rivers over a 3 week period brought significant amounts of rain and snow. The precipitation pattern this year was unlike that of last year, when the fire hose of storms shut off in January. In the Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Colorado River Basin, the cool, wet, and snowy year brought major drought relief. As of mid-June, observed water year runoff has been above normal, and forecasts indicate that above-normal summer flows will persist. Higher-elevation snowpack across the West remains, and is remarkably deep for mid-June in parts of the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades.  Persistent and widespread anomalously cold winter temperatures, which have not occurred in recent years, aided snowpack development. … ”  Read more from NIDIS.

California flooding harmed 4 out of 5 households in this city. A study tallies the damage

“How do you put a price tag on a disaster?  Researchers at the University of California, Merced attempted to do just that for a small farmworker town in the northern San Joaquin Valley still struggling with the economic fallout of historic flooding.  In January, the unincorporated community of Planada, just east of Merced, was the first of many towns in the Central Valley and elsewhere to flood in what became several months of storms. When the levee on a nearby creek failed, half the town flooded and displaced thousands of people.  Now, five months later, many are still recovering from staggering economic loss and hardships. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters.

What are the dirtiest beaches in California?

“Slather up with sunscreen. Grab some flip-flops, towels and maybe a book. And make sure to check your beach’s water quality.  Heal the Bay, a nonprofit group based in Santa Monica, released its 33rd annual Beach Report Card yesterday, with information about how safe California’s beaches are for swimming. Taking a dip in polluted water makes you more likely to develop stomach illnesses, ear infections, rashes and more.  According to the report, 95 percent of California’s beaches logged clean water-quality scores between April and October 2022, the months when we’re most likely to swim in the ocean. That’s on par with the annual average. Only 23 of the more than 400 beaches in the state had worrisome levels of pollution during those warmer months, the report found. … ”  Read more from the New York Times.

SEE ALSO: Report: Wet winter creates issues for beach water quality across California, from KPBS

Invasive aquatic rodent known as nutria spotted in Sacramento County. Here’s what to know.

“The invasive rodents known as nutria, spurred by California’s wet winter, have been spotted on Sherman Island in Sacramento County.  California Fish and Wildlife was first on alert about these rodents when they were spotted in the Central Valley in 2017. Now, the critters some people call swamp rats are spreading to other counties.  “An invasion of swamp rats in California, let’s be serious?” said Congressman Josh Harder from the 9th Congressional District. “But this is actually a real problem.” … ”  Read more from CBS Sacramento.

Almond update: New guide simplifies mitigation strategies for salinity issues

“Growers dealing with salinity issues in their orchards have a new resource to help better understand the problem. The new Salinity Management Guide for Almond Growers has been developed by the Almond Board of California in cooperation with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. “It provides you an overview of what the different types of salts are and what kind of impacts they have on almonds,” said Mae Culumber, UC Tree Nuts Crop Advisor and author of the guide.  The guide explains the two types of salt stress that almond trees can experience. … ”  Read more from Ag Net West.

Garcia introduces bill to improve atmospheric river forecasting

“Reps. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, and Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, have introduced the Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act, which would establish a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve the forecasting of atmospheric rivers, powerful storms that carry the risk of severe flooding and snowfall that caused substantial damage across the state this year.  California was hit with at least 12 atmospheric rivers this past winter, dumping more than 30 trillion gallons of water on the state, and resulting in the loss of life and property damage, Garcia’s office said in a news release. … ”  Read more from The Signal.

Mapping beaver dams with machine learning

“North American beavers transform ecosystems with their engineering prowess. By ponding water, excavating channels, and foraging nearby vegetation, they drastically alter landscapes across a variety of environments, from tundra to deserts.  Two centuries of fur trading starting in the 17th century decimated the thick-coated builders, but today, beaver populations are rebounding gradually. That’s good news for many ecosystems because beaver construction creates valuable habitats for endangered species, traps carbon, and improves water availability in dry places.  Despite these ecologic implications, large-scale mapping of beaver habitats has been missing from scientific research. Most mapped dams are identified manually, which takes a lot of time and effort. … ”  Read more from EOS.

Preserving forests to protect deep soil from warming

“A recent study led by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of Zurich has revealed that the organic compounds proposed for carbon sequestration in deep soil are highly vulnerable to decomposition under global warming. The finding has implications for a key strategy in carbon management that relies on soil and forests – natural carbon “sinks” – to mitigate global warming.  About 25 percent of global carbon emissions are captured by forests, grasslands, and rangelands. During photosynthesis, plants store carbon in their cell walls and in the soil. Because of rich carbon stores from decades past, soils contain twice as much carbon as the atmosphere does, and deeper subsoils (more than 8 inches or 20 centimeters) account for roughly half of the soil carbon. But as global populations rise, so do our demands for new croplands and timber. Research shows that disturbing the natural world for commerce has a price: the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that emissions from deforestation and agriculture account for around a fifth of global greenhouse gases. … ”  Read more from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.

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In regional water news and commentary today …

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

“It’s a monster”: ACID struggles to manage water after year of drought

“Last year, the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District (ACID) didn’t receive any water for the first time in more than 100 years. Prolonged California drought conditions meant the local irrigation district, which serves about 700 users, lost 82% of its usual allocations from the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Board members sold off the remaining 18% for about $12 million, claiming they couldn’t distribute it equitabilly along the thirty-five miles of ACID canal.  The decision provoked outrage among many District users, who were left with questions about how hard the Board fought the federal government to protect the District’s senior water rights, and whether the water that was sold could have been kept in the District to provide some benefit. Some district irrigators survived the summer by selling off cattle, others let their fields turn to star thistle. … ”  Read more from the Shasta Scout.

Vina groundwater agency hosts informational workshop

“Residents in Chico, Durham and areas of Butte County may soon see a new fee on their tax bill next year that will go towards funding the area’s groundwater regulation agency.  Formed in 2019, the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency is a jurisdiction with regulatory power over groundwater in an area of about 185,000 acres encompassing Chico, Durham surrounding parts of Butte County.  A workshop on Wednesday by the agency discussed a flat fee of $3.09 per acre per year proposed to cover long-term agency costs including administration at 48% of a projected 5-year budget, state regulation compliance at 35% and legal defense at 19%. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.

Fish passage, vehicle crossing project at Dye Creek underway

“In collaboration with project partners, the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County is facilitating the planning process and construction of an improved fish passage and vehicle crossing at the Dye Creek and Shasta Boulevard Weir Crossing north of Los Molinos.  One hundred percent of designs are complete, with permits currently underway, according to RCDTC, adding an environmental impact analysis has begun.  The existing culverts at the crossing are undersized and plugged with stream sediment during high-flow periods, RCDTC reported. In addition, the trenches are too high for upstream fish passage under most flow conditions. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) determined that the weir crossing impedes fish passage during low or receding flows. During these events, it acts as a barrier and separates upstream from downstream fish habitat and the larger Sacramento River watershed. … ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat.

BAY AREA

Marin Municipal Water District directors urge collaboration as watershed recreation plans evolve

“The citizens of Marin displayed compelling initiative in 1912 when they voted to form the Marin Municipal Water District, California’s first publicly owned municipal water district.  But the sources of MMWD’s water had long existed in Mount Tamalpais’ rain-fed creeks, which have supported settlements extending back to the Coast Miwok civilization and their predecessors. Sheltering these water sources was one priority for MMWD’s early leaders when they established a protected watershed on the slopes of Mt. Tam.  A second priority was creating public access to connect the community to those watershed lands. In 1917, MMWD launched one of California’s first ranger programs to help protect the watershed, including through the management of recreational activities. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.

Fecal bacteria is polluting some of California’s beaches. Five of the dirtiest are in the Bay Area

“Five of the 10 dirtiest beaches in California are in San Mateo County, with Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica ranking third worst, according to an annual report from an environmental group.  While Linda Mar faces the Pacific Ocean, the other San Mateo County beaches that scored poorly were all located in enclosed areas or along the bay with poor water circulation, according to the 2022-23 report by the nonprofit organization Heal the Bay. The report looks at water quality at beaches from the Tijuana, Mexico, area to Washington state. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Commentary: Why this Bay Area beach is one of the most bacteria-ridden in the country

Mara Dias writes, “Surfers of all abilities and ages flock to Pacifica’s Linda Mar Beach to enjoy consistent swells and gently rolling waves. The crescent-shaped shoreline of the beach extends for nearly a mile, with room for newcomers and seasoned surfers alike. Linda Mar’s mellow waves and gradual sloping shoreline have earned it a reputation as a hub for surf education. You can often find children playing in the surf or in San Pedro Creek, which flows across the sand and empties into the ocean here.  Unfortunately, despite its splendor, all is not well at Linda Mar. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Birds flock to a resurrected Tulare Lake, peaking at nearly the size of Lake Tahoe

“Beyond a ‘road closed’ sign, telephone poles file out into flood water, stretching all the way to the hazy coastal range in the distance. Occasional houses, farming equipment and barns emerge from the choppy blue expanse like a mirage.  And everywhere you look, birds: Ibises bob between rows of drowned wheat in nearby flooded farm fields. Cliff swallows swoop back and forth where water laps against asphalt, gathering mud for their nests. Black-necked stilts, tri-colored blackbirds, egrets, western sandpipers, curlews, long-billed dowitchers, and more have found plentiful habitat in the southern Central Valley this year—including the resurrected Tulare Lake, which surged back to life with this winter’s historic rains.  “There will be hundreds or maybe even thousands of birds in those fields, foraging and looking for insects and other tasty morsels,” says Xerónimo Castañeda, conservation manager for California Audubon’s working lands program. … ”  Read more from Bay Nature.

Freeway sign marks significant chapter in California water history

“Travelers along northbound Highway 99 may have noticed a large – very large – sign a little ways past Highway 166 that says “Howard Frick Pump Plant” in massive white letters on a blue background.  Well, who the heck is Howard Frick, some drivers may wonder.  Frick was one of the main people who ushered in the era of groundwater banking in Kern County, now one of the biggest groundwater banking regions in the state, if not the country.  The pumping plant at the feet of that giant freeway sign, how it connects to the California Aqueduct and the deal behind it all are a significant chapter in California’s water history.  And it as all written right here in Kern County with Howard Frick at the center. … ”  Read more from SJV Water.

Conservationists file lawsuit against city of Bakersfield over Kern River water diversion

“Several conservation groups have filed a lawsuit against the city of Bakersfield, claiming the city is harming the local community and wildlife by diverting water from the Kern River.  According to a spokesperson from the Center for Biological Diversity, the lawsuit was filed in the Kern County Superior Court and alleges the city’s actions to divert water from the Kern River violate California’s public trust doctrine, which requires government agencies protect public resources for the public good. The city has been diverting water from the river for neighboring agricultural water districts, which has caused the river to dry up completely. … ”  Read more from the Kern Valley Sun.

EASTERN SIERRA

Historic winter leads to severe problems for LA water supply operations at Owens Lake

“For over a century, Southern California has taken water from Owens Lake in Inyo County.  After record runoff from winter storms, many fear it could cause catastrophic damage to the aqueduct and surrounding areas.  Adam Perez, manager of the Los Angeles Aqueduct for the L.A. Department of Water and Power, described the situation as have short-term benefits, but could become a big problem in the long run.  He says by the times the runoff is finished later this summer, Owens Lake is expected to be eight times what it is now because of record snowfall in the southern Sierras this past winter. … ” Read more from ABC 7.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

SoCal beach lands spot on ‘beach bummer’ list over bacteria levels in ocean

“California received a record amount of rainfall this year, which is great for our reservoirs but not so great for our beaches.  Every year, Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit organization, releases its beach report card, which assigns “A-to-F” letter grades to 700 Pacific Coast beaches from Washington State to Tijuana, Mexico.  The grades are based on the bacteria levels in the ocean and this year, California beaches were impacted by 50% more precipitation than the last 10 years. … ”  Read more from KABC.

SEE ALSO: Heal the Bay: Wet winter polluted the water for Southern California beaches, from the OC Register

IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS

Salton Sea may be delaying the next big earthquake in SoCal

“The last time the southern end of the San Andreas Fault produced a massive magnitude 7 earthquake or greater was 300 years ago — an unusually long time for a seismically active area.  So where is “the big one” southern Californians have been told is coming, and why hasn’t it hit yet? New research points to a possible answer that has to do with the Salton Sea.   Ryley Hill, a Ph.D. candidate in geophysics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and San Diego State University, did a new study finding that over the past 1000 years, six out of seven major quakes along the southern end of the San Andreas Fault occurred when the ancient Lake Cahuilla was filled or filling. A remnant of that lake is now the Salton Sea. … ”  Read more and listen at KCRW.

SAN DIEGO

Everyone is racing to decide a San Diego water divorce

“San Diego’s boundary referees are rushing to push up a vote on a controversial water divorce before the state Legislature can step in.  The Local Agency Formation Commission is holding an emergency meeting Wednesday to push up a vote on whether two small farming communities can break up with the San Diego County Water Authority in search of cheaper water in Riverside County.  That’s because they’re in a race against the clock with Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner, a Democrat from Encinitas, who introduced another new bill that effectively would dethrone LAFCO of its power over the decision. She’s also pursuing what’s known as an “urgency clause,” which means the law would go into effect immediately upon enactment. … ”  Read more from the Voice of San Diego.

Grants awarded to restore safe drinking water for Lake Morena residents—but process may take until 2024

“For more than two years, Lake Morena Village area water users have been drinking bottled water because of formidable nitrate levels in the region’s wells, the main source of water for drinking in the rural San Diego county burg.   In September 2019, the county issued a do-not-drink order for about 125 customers of the Lake Morena Views Mutual Water Company, one of the two main water suppliers in the area.  The state recently approved grant funds to eliminate the contamination, but the process moves slowly – meaning frustrated residents may be without potable tap water for another two to three years.  “I am wondering what the effects will be on all of us in time to come. How can it take over two years to fix the issue?” asks Claudia Millerbragg, a Lake Morena Village residents in rural Campo. … ”  Read more from the East Valley Tribune.

Imperial Beach asks White House for help with sewage spills from Tijuana

“The City of Imperial Beach has joined a list of cities in San Diego County that are requesting assistance from the White House with sewage leaks from Tijuana.  The mayor of Imperial Beach said the recent closures from the sewage spills present a public health and economic crisis. Businesses and beach visitors have also expressed their frustration.  “We need that help, we definitely need that help out here. The town is in a state of emergency,” said Tricia Baglioni, a manager at the Tin Fish Restaurant. … ”  Read more from Fox 5.

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Along the Colorado River …

Interior Department initiates process to develop future guidelines and strategies for protecting the Colorado River

“The Department of the Interior today announced that it is initiating the formal process to develop future operating guidelines and strategies to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River. The new guidelines will replace the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and the Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which are set to expire at the end of 2026.  The robust and transparent public process will gather feedback for the next set of operating guidelines, including new strategies that take into account the current and projected hydrology of the Colorado River Basin. The Basin is currently facing an historic drought, driven by climate change, that is increasing the likelihood of warming temperatures and continued low-runoff conditions, and therefore reduced water availability, across the region. … ” Continue reading this press release from the Department of the Interior.

The coming months in the Colorado River basin

“The Colorado River basin supplies water to up to 40 million people and five million acres of farmland across two countries, seven U.S. states, and up to 30 federally recognized Native American Tribes. Since 2000, consumptive uses and losses of the basin’s water have regularly exceeded natural flows, and levels of Lakes Mead and Powell, the largest surface water reservoirs in the U.S., are at historic lows. Consequently, the U.S. government is taking and considering unprecedented steps to reduce water use.  This webpage explains how we got here and what to expect in the months to come. At present, the U.S. Department of the Interior is evaluating a proposal put forth by the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada in May 2023 to voluntarily reduce their water use over the next three years. … ”  Read more from Stanford News.

Arizona’s water future: We must plan solutions for a host of challenges

“None of us has a crystal ball, but we can be certain that our water future will require a variety of adaptive changes.  We must adjust to reduced availability of Colorado River water and adjust to enhanced regulation of groundwater uses. This regulation will come in various forms. For the first time in decades, additional groundwater basins have been designated for regulation as a new Active Management Area (AMA) and a new Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA). For some water users and landowners, the result is restricted access to groundwater supplies. … ”  Read more from the Phoenix Business Journal.

Elevated arsenic in Grand Canyon region groundwater sites likely from natural sources

“About 12% of 230 groundwater sites sampled in the Grand Canyon region over 45 years show arsenic concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report. The source of the arsenic in many of these sites is likely from naturally occurring geothermal activity.  Available data indicate limited evidence of mining effects on elevated arsenic in groundwater, although slow groundwater flow paths in the region may result in extended times of decades or more for groundwater to reach springs and wells.  The establishment of baseline groundwater quality is an important first step in monitoring for change in water chemistry that may be related to uranium mining in the region. … ”  Read more from the USGS.

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In national water news today …

The hidden wealth of nations: Groundwater’s critical role in a changing climate

“Groundwater is our most important freshwater resource—particularly in times of drought. As climate change advances, policymakers need to understand better and manage this critical asset. A new World Bank report considers the economic value of groundwater, the costs of misusing it, and the opportunities to leverage it more effectively.  The report, titled The Hidden Wealth of Nations: The Economics of Groundwater in Times of Climate Change, demonstrates how groundwater can safeguard food security while boosting economic growth and job creation. However in most cases, this resource has been undervalued and overexploited, with insufficient regard for its long-term sustainability. This is partly due to a lack of systematic research into its economic importance.  With this in mind, the new report offers fresh data and evidence that with the right policies in place, we can maximize the benefits of groundwater harvesting—both now and long into the future. … ”  Read more from the World Bank.

White House picks up the pace on regs

“The White House revealed plans for energy and environmental regulations Tuesday, with rules primed to meet a crucial deadline to avoid being overturned by Republican lawmakers if President Joe Biden loses his reelection bid.  The spring Unified Agenda offers a window into the Biden administration’s intent to shore up regulatory actions on air, water and climate in the months ahead.  “The Administration is using every available tool to improve Americans’ lives, including Federal regulations that my office — the Office of Information and Regulatory [Affairs] (OIRA) — reviews,” Richard Revesz, Biden’s rules chief, wrote in a blog post released with the agenda. … ”  Read more from E&E News.

When disaster strikes, is climate change to blame?

“Last November the spring weather in South America jumped from cold to searing. Usually at that time of year people would have been holding backyard barbecues, or asados, in the lingering evening light. But on December 7 the temperature in northern Argentina, near the borders of Bolivia and Paraguay, hit 115 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the hottest places on Earth. The heat exacerbated a three-year drought, baking the soil and shriveling vast wheat crops before harvest.  As the Argentine government restricted wheat exports and warned people to stay indoors, a small team of scientists from around the globe logged on to Zoom. They belonged to the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, a collaboration of climate researchers that Friederike Otto and Geert Jan van Oldenborgh formed in 2014 to address a persistent, nagging question: Is climate change making extreme weather worse and, if so, by how much? The group’s ambitious goal is to provide straight answers almost as quickly as disasters strike—for the public, the media and policy makers, as well as for emergency managers and urban planners trying to understand how to prepare for the next severe event. … ”  Read more from Scientific American.

SEE ALSO:  Without climate change, these extreme weather events would not have happened, from CNN

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