In California water news this weekend …
How California’s weather catastrophe turned into a miracle
“Californians were preparing for another year of unrelenting drought in 2023. Instead, they got months of incessant rain and some of the heaviest snowfall they have ever seen. They feared blasts of spring warmth would quickly turn snow into floods, adding to the havoc from a series of winter storms. But, until recently, temperatures remained mercifully cool, allowing for a slow and steady melt. The result: A return of water to California that has erased drought maps, poured into long-dry irrigation systems and raised expectations that, after months with water bursting from their gates, reservoirs will end the summer melt filled to capacity. It has been a stark transformation, with arid landscapes and trickling rivers replaced with swollen lakes, gushing waterfalls and snow-covered mountaintops. Instead of pumping groundwater to keep crops alive, farmers have access to brimming canals carrying more water than they could use. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
SEE ALSO: Record amounts of rain and snow has replenished California’s reservoirs. Now, for the first time in years, farms in the state’s Central Valley don’t have to rely on groundwater, from Insider
From West Sacramento to the Pajaro River, an army of flood fighters is confronting threats through natural intelligence
” … Across California, nearly 14,000 miles of levees stand between flood waters and residents, and anxious emergency managers plan for their failure, because levees were designed and built to reclaim floodplains for agriculture. It is only with population growth that levees have taken on a role for which they weren’t designed. California has a long history of federal partnership in levee construction for reclamation. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains oversight, while most are managed locally. Annual federal allocations provide the bulk of funds for repairs, but the state and municipalities typically fund 25%. … ” Read more from the Sacramento News & Review.
California town’s residents told to boil water for 10th straight day due to E. coli outbreak
“A boil water advisory has dragged into its 10th day in a California town where E. coli was found in drinking water. Burney residents are advised to use only boiled tap water or bottled drinking water for drinking and cooking, according to the Burney Water District. The notice has been in effect since July 12. Burney is a popular tourist town in Northern California, and the location of the renowned Burney Falls. The district said it is using chlorine to disinfect the water system and will be monitoring for chlorine residuals. … ” Read more from ABC News.
These nearly invisible organisms help clean Lake Tahoe’s water. Here’s how they do it
“Plankton are not just a diabolical mastermind on a Nickelodeon show about a sponge who lives under the sea. Lake Tahoe is filled with them — the good kind. Tahoe native zooplankton are making a comeback in the more than 21-mile long lake, helping it look the clearest it has in 40 years. A comeback because until now, the microorganism’s population significantly decreased after it’s primary predator, the Mysis shrimp, was on the rise, according to previous Bee reporting. Here’s how zooplankton help make Lake Tahoe sparkle, and why they are important to the ecosystem … ” Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee. | Click here to read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: Protecting Tahoe’s iconic clarity in changing times, from the Tahoe Daily Tribune
Bringing back beavers: Ecologists on mission to save species that once ruled in California
“California agencies are taking a new approach to beaver management in the state to prioritize conservation of the ecologically important species as they call upon Californians to be “beaver believers.” To support beaver conservation and enable California’s ecosystem to benefit from their activity, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with native tribes, non-governmental organizations, private landowners and other state and federal agencies. At a panel discussion this month, beaver researchers and members of the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spoke about the history of beavers in California and their beaver restoration project. … ” Read more from MSN News.
700-gallon fuel spill in Isleton prompts extra Sacramento County groundwater monitoring
“Sacramento County public health monitors were keeping watch Friday over groundwater soil contamination in Isleton, more than a week after hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel were spilled in a truck crash in the Delta community. Officials from the county’s environmental management and public health offices trace the contamination to a July 11 wreck on the dry side of the levee, near the 13000 block of Isleton Road. Crews began cleaning up the spill July 12, removing soil down to the water table where they found signs of groundwater contamination. A mobile refueler spilled more than 700 gallons of red-dyed diesel in the July 11 crash. Clean-up crews who spotted the spilled fuel in the soil reported it Tuesday to county environmental officers, Sacramento County officials said in a Friday statement. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Would you drink wastewater? What if it was beer?
“Epic OneWater Brew looks like your classic hipster craft beer. The can has a sleek design with the silhouette of a city skyline, and it cracks open with a satisfying hiss. The beer, a Kölsch, has a crisp golden hue and a signature fruity taste. But there is one big difference: It is made with recycled wastewater. Epic OneWater Brew, the product of a partnership between a wastewater technology start-up and a Bay Area craft brewery, is made with treated shower and laundry water collected from a luxury high-rise apartment building in San Francisco. And it’s not the only beer of its kind. As water sources, particularly in the western United States, dry up from overuse, drought and climate change, supporters of direct potable reuse — the use of treated wastewater in the drinking water supply — are pitching it as part of the solution. Increasingly, they are turning to beer as a way of getting people beyond the “ick factor” that has been a hurdle to its broader acceptance. … ” Read more from the New York Times (gift article).
OEHHA releases second public review draft of public health goals for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water
“After two years, late last week the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released its Second Public Review Draft of proposed public health goals (PHGs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water. OEHHA has been working on the PHGs since 2019, and the release of the second draft is another significant regulatory development for water purveyors and municipalities providing other related services such as wastewater treatment because PHGs are used to create enforceable drinking water standards and remediation goals for groundwater contamination. The deadline to submit written comments on OEHHA’s Second Public Review Draft is August 14, 2023. … ” Read more from Downey Brand.
El Niño will likely continue into early 2024, driving even more hot weather
“More hot weather is expected for much of the United States in the coming months, federal forecasters warn, driven by a combination of human-caused climate change and the El Niño climate pattern. El Niño is a cyclic climate phenomenon that brings warm water to the equatorial Pacific Ocean, and leads to higher average global temperatures. El Niño started in June. Today, officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that El Niño will continue through March 2024. “We do expect the El Niño to at least continue through the northern hemisphere winter. There’s a 90% chance or greater of that,” explains NOAA meteorologist Matthew Rosencrans. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
And lastly … An otter turned outlaw continues to evade wildlife officials in Santa Cruz
“An otter in California is on the run from local and federal authorities, wanted for aggressively confronting locals and stealing surfboards at a popular beach. But its outlaw status has turned the slippery sea otter into an international icon, with growing support to leave her in the wild. The 5-year-old female otter, known officially as otter 841, has been deemed a public safety risk by state and federal wildlife officials because of her “unusually aggressive” behavior along the Santa Cruz coast. As a result, wildlife officials and Monterey Bay Aquarium staff are attempting to capture and rehome the otter to an aquarium or zoo, according to a joint news release. But support for a live-and-let-live approach is growing with each unsuccessful attempt. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
In commentary this weekend …
Delta mega-tunnel is not the answer to state’s water challenges
Molly Culton, a senior conservation organizer for the Sierra Club California, and Katja Irvin, chair of the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Water Committee, write, “Climate change is rapidly affecting California’s environment. From drought to catastrophic floods and landslides occurring from unprecedented atmospheric rivers, to sea-level rise and reduced snowpack, there are many water challenges facing the state. The solution to these problems is not a $16 billion mega-tunnel paid for by ratepayers that won’t be completed until 2040 at the earliest. We need solutions now — solutions that won’t cause further damage to already overburdened ecosystems and communities. The Department of Water Resources’ claim that the Delta tunnel could have moved an additional 228,000 acre-feet of water into San Luis Reservoir during the month of January if it had been operational this year is misleading. The Delta tunnel would not have added any additional supply or contributed to long-term water resilience because there isn’t enough storage space to hold the “additional” water south of the Delta for the next dry year. … ” Continue reading at the Mercury News (gift article).
Water supply needs must be resolved through statewide infrastructure investments
Shivaji Deshmukh, general manager of Inland Empire Utilities Agency, writes, “Though summer months have arrived, it’s too soon to forget that a multi-year, near disastrous drought left Californians preserving every last drop. While a series of powerful winter storms drastically relieved these conditions earlier this year, it will not make up for years of deficit, leaving residents wondering — how long will our current water supply last and what is our long-term plan? We can all take a moment to celebrate — much of the state is out of drought, reservoirs are overflowing, and groundwater basins are replenishing, all giving essential support to communities and businesses — but, we must not forget that we cannot rely on unpredictable, intense rainstorms as California’s long-term water supply management plan. … ” Read more from the Fontana Herald News.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Almond Board of California Directors announce Clarice Turner as next CEO
“The Almond Board of California Board of Directors selected Clarice Turner, an experienced global leader in consumer goods, food service and wine and spirits, as the next president and CEO. Turner is joining the Almond Board of California (ABC) after most recently serving as president of iconic Napa Valley winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards. She has also held CEO and senior executive positions at Boudin Bakery, Starbucks Coffee Company, YUM! Brands, Papa Murphy’s International and PepsiCo. “The ABC Board is excited to welcome Clarice to the California almond industry,” said board chair Alexi Rodriguez. … ” Read more from the Almond Board of California.
Profile: Farhat Bajjaliya, Statewide Inland Trout Coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
“Based out of the Fisheries Branch West Sacramento offices, Farhat Bajjaliya oversees the high-profile Heritage and Wild Trout Program, the popular Heritage Trout Challenge, and supervises the staff who ensures CDFW’s trout stocking remains in environmental compliance. A third-generation Palestinian-American, Farhat was born in Daly City and grew up in Concord. He studied both biology and environmental studies while earning bachelor’s degrees at Sonoma State and received his master’s degree in biological conservation from Sacramento State while working for CDFW. Farhat joined CDFW as a scientific aid in the summer of 2007 operating rotary screw traps on the Sacramento River to survey juvenile Chinook salmon and assisted with CDFW’s second – and successful – effort to eradicate invasive northern pike from Lake Davis in Plumas County. Since then, he has held roles of increasing responsibility and leadership, including serving as the Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Coordinator and the Statewide Hatchery Coordinator before assuming his current position in 2019. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Michael Brain Named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science with the Department of Interior
“The Department of the Interior today announced that Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Michael Brain has been named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. Michael succeeds Tanya Trujillo who was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science on June 25, 2021, and announced her resignation, effective July 17, 2023. “We welcome Michael, who brings more than a decade of experience in water resource development and management issues, as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science,” said Chief of Staff Rachael Taylor. “Michael will play a key role as Interior continues to implement President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that is delivering historic resources to communities, helping advance drought resilience and strengthening local economies.” … ” Read more from the Department of Interior.
Podcasts …
NY TIMES DAILY: The trillion-gallon question
In the six years since the near-failure of the Oroville Dam, dam operators across the country have begun to reassess the structures under their control, looking for hidden weaknesses: the cracks in the spillway, the hillside that crumbles at the first sign of water. That work is necessary, but it may not be enough to prevent the next disaster. Bigger storms are on the way.
KZYX: Public comments periods open for two changes at PG&E owned Potter Valley Project
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Yellowstone
Things happen all the time at Yellowstone. That is why there is always something different to experience when visiting this part of Wyoming. It’s the water that plays a critical part in the beauty and life that is so abundant in the northwestern part of Wyoming. Yellowstone is built on top of a really big volcano where the magma is near the surface of the earth’s crust. Thermo features, the rivers, the falls, the great fly fishing each benefit by underlying geothermal conditions and the hydrology of the area. The benefits of water go even further than that. Elk herds, pronghorn, big horn sheep, mountain lions and the last free ranging bison are witnessed everyday living their life on the rugged landscape. Water is truly fundamental to this environment. So now that it is summer, it is time to schedule a trip to that heaven on earth that we call Yellowstone and experience firsthand the value of water. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
In regional water news this weekend …
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
The impact of drying waterways on the north state
“Every year, Little Chico Creek goes nearly bone dry by the time autumn finally arrives, however, this year it had some longevity restored by the recent stormy winter. This is the same for many waterways throughout the north valley, like the Miocene Canal that, outside of the occasional boost from rainfall, has sat dormant since the Camp Fire. This creates enough inconsistency to make it difficult for ecosystems to take hold. Even with waterways that stay relatively continuous like Big Chico Creek and Butte Creek, years of dry weather can have an impact. “It’s not good, just because the riparian ecosystems, the plants, the trees, if you have too many dry years, they can be negatively impacted,” said Chico State Associate Professor of Geological and Environmental Sciences Todd Greene. “They are adaptable, but if you have too many dry years in a row, it’s going to be a big stress on the local trees. That’s also why you’re not going to see fish. You’re not going to see healthy ecosystems because of that.” … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
The Merry Mantonian column: Water is the topic of my third-year anniversary column
Liz Merry writes, “The Butte County Board of Supervisors has proposed the creation of a Tuscan Water District to circumvent the State Groundwater Management Act. It’s a long and confusing story, but in a nutshell (hah), it would give voting rights on groundwater regulations based on – drum roll, please – number of acres owned. Yes, the largest landowners would be making decisions that would affect the 100,000 citizens of Chico. Sound familiar? Right – it’s just like our Groundwater Commission. The formation of this Special District was done behind closed doors with no opportunity for the public to participate in what it might look like. The TWD, if approved, would also overlap several existing Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), including the Vina Sub Basin GSA. What does that mean? Heck, if I know. Would some folks be paying groundwater fees to two separate agencies? Yikes. … ” Read more from the Red Bluff Daily News.
Sutter County district awarded Drought Relief Grant
“Rajvir Sahota, a project specialist for the Sutter County Resource Conservation District, said Friday that the Sutter County Resource Conservation District was awarded a Drought Relief Grant through the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. The grants, Sahota said, are for a sum not to exceed $100,000. The terms and agreement of the contract include the teaching and training of underserved farmers about the grant. “This agreement was effective on May 1, 2023, and will continue until April 30, 2025,” Sahota said. “In the span of those 1 year and 11 months, the Sutter RCD is expected to provide assistance to a number of farmers by helping them with drought related issues. The program goal is to reach a minimum of 150 underserved Punjabi farmers through outreach and get at least 20 to apply for the Cusp Drought Relief Grant Program managed by other organizations.” … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County’s water supply on the line: the implications of PG&E’s spin-off proposal
“PG&E’s proposal to reduce the flow of the Russian River and transfer the Potter Valley Project to a spin-off, Pacific Generation, has raised concerns about the potential consequences for life in Sonoma County. The company aims to decrease the river’s flow from 75 cubic feet per second to 25, possibly as low as five. This decision comes from the realization that Scott Dam, a component of the Potter Valley Project, is more susceptible to earthquakes than previously believed. The objective is also to safeguard the salmon population, which relies on cold water. … ” Continue reading at the Sonoma County Gazette.
CENTRAL COAST
Meeting gives update on potential Big Basin Water Company receivership
“On July 13, the Highlands Park Senior Center was teeming with frustrated San Lorenzo Valley residents. Customers of Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) gathered—in-person and virtually—to get updates on the potential receivership being planned for the utility following years of failing infrastructure and fiscal mismanagement. (A receivership is a remedy provided by the court. A receiver is court-appointed, and they are tasked with bringing the system back into compliance with drinking water laws and regulations.) Local agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), dispatched representatives to better explain the process to the community. … ” Read more from the Press Banner.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
South San Joaquin Irrigation District seeks to hike irrigation rates for first time in 23 years
“A protest hearing is taking place Tuesday on the South San Joaquin Irrigation District’s plan to raise irrigation rates for the first time in 23 years. In order for ratepayers to block the rate hike, the board would need to receive valid written protests from 1,629 of the 3,257 parcel owners eligible to vote in the protest hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the district office, 11011 East Highway 120, Manteca. Costs to provide irrigation service continue to rise due to regulatory and inflationary pressures in addition to the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of irrigation infrastructure, some of which was built over 100 years ago. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
City of Fresno preps lawsuit challenging County’s CEMEX extension: Source
“The CEMEX controversy continues as city of Fresno officials may weigh in with legal action affecting the mining company. A source with direct knowledge told GV Wire that the Fresno City Council in closed session Thursday directed Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz to prepare a lawsuit regarding the decision from the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to give the mining company three more years to finish an environmental document. The mining company’s permit was set to expire on July 28 before supervisors granted the company three more years to finish the Environmental Impact Report allowing them to dig deeper at the San Joaquin River and operate another 100 years. … ” Read more from GV Wire.
Building nearly disappears as Pine Flat lake water levels rise
“Pine Flat Lake levels may be so high that water has nearly submerged a nearby restroom building, but experts aren’t overly concerned. The lake is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains 35 miles east of Fresno, California. Its levels have been steadily rising as a heat wave grips the U.S. Southwest. High temperatures have caused snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains to melt quicker than normal, which is causing the lake’s waters to rise quickly. A report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showed that the lake was 98 percent full as of Friday. The lake is so full that water is flowing over the spillway at Pine Flat Dam. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Santa Clarita: LARC pipeline could begin construction in 2024
“A construction contract is anticipated to be awarded by the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency board of directors in early 2024 for the construction of a pipeline that would provide LARC Ranch residents with a permanent water supply, according to SCV Water officials. “The design phase is nearing completion and bid documents are being prepared,” wrote Kevin Strauss, communications manager for SCV Water. LARC and other Bouquet Canyon residents’ water stopped being regularly released from the Bouquet Reservoir nearly a decade ago, reducing their well water supply to a trickle over concerns of road flooding. … ” Read more from The Signal.
Coastal commission OKs Catalina desal upgrades
“The California Coastal Commission recently approved Edison’s request to upgrade the Pebbly Beach Desalination Facility. This item was scheduled for a July 12 hearing, but was moved to the Consent Calendar and approved with conditions. According to the Coastal Commission Staff report, Edison proposed to install a new water well, a storage tank, and other upgrades at the desal plant. “SCE provides water utility services to the City of Avalon and nearby areas on Catalina Island and the new equipment is meant to increase the facility’s production capacity and improve water reliability to these communities,” according to the staff report. … ” Read more from the Catalina Islander.
SAN DIEGO
Politics Report: Special water edition
“Eleven years ago, when the San Diego County Water Authority was going through the final stages of approving what had, by that time, become a decade-long odyssey to create the first desalination plant on the West Coast, the agency made a prediction. Yes, the potable water the plant created from the ocean would be expensive. Yes, it would take a lot of energy. But the agency asked us to compare that to the water we imported from Northern California and the Colorado River, via the Metropolitan Water District. Officials said in countless hearings and documents that, within 20 years, that imported water was going to be more expensive. We would look brilliant having made this investment. Now, those projections look terrible. … ” Continue reading at the Voice of San Diego.
2,000 gallons of sewage spills into Mission Bay, prompting water-contact closure
“A water contact closure was issued by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality for Tecolote Shores at East Mission Bay Friday, due to around 2,000 gallons of sewage being released into the bay and impacting recreational waters. Sewage contamination signs have been posted and samples will be collected to assess water quality impacts. The public is advised to avoid water contact as the water is impacted by sewage and may cause illness. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Along the Colorado River …
How US-Mexico collaboration could help stabilize the drought-stricken Colorado River basin
“As stakeholders across the U.S. West prepare to rewrite the rules on Colorado River conservation, experts are urging them to consider Mexico’s needs up front. The 1,450-mile waterway, which stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran Desert, is considered the lifeblood for about 40 million people in both countries. Prioritizing cross-border investments could help ensure stability in a basin that for years has been facing megadrought conditions both up and downstream, according to policy advisors in the region. “There’s wisdom in seeing that one watershed is a reality in the Colorado River,” said Carlos de la Parra, a water management and environmental policy advisor on the U.S.-Mexico border. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Las Vegas: Families hit with excess water use fees, high water bills plan to push back
“Water bills are topping one thousand, even two thousand dollars. That is a reality this summer for the top water users in Las Vegas. New excess use fees started in January for residential customers of the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Friday, FOX5 talked to people facing those fines who say they are excessive, unfair, and plan to push back. “It’s about a 1/3 of an acre. We bought it so that the kids could have grass to play in,” said Raine Shortridge as his 10-year-old son Kade practiced soccer in the backyard, one of his dogs cooling down in the pool, another also playing on the grass. “This is a typical Las Vegas neighborhood for 30 years ago. This is what people’s yards looked like,” Shortridge explained. There’s been a big change for neighbors in the San Rafael neighborhood this year, their water bills. … ” Read more from Channel 5.
Lake Mead expected to have gained 20 feet of water by end of 2023
“By the end of the year, the water level at Lake Mead is expected to be almost 20 feet higher than it was in January. Future releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead are expected to raise the lake another six feet, the Bureau of Reclamation forecast this week. Lake Mead is expected to be at 1,065 feet by the end of the year, compared with 1,047 feet in January. As of June 2023, the lake was at 1,056 feet, according to Bureau of Reclamation data. … ” Read more from Channel 13.
Short-term federal management on Colorado River needs long-term outlook
“The Colorado River is threatened by drought and climate change, and Audubon is working hard to ensure that federal changes to stabilize water supplies for people will work for nature—specifically the river’s riparian and wetlands habitats and the birds that depend on them, throughout the basin from Wyoming to Mexico. Our sights are set on 2026, when major federal operating guidelines for the Colorado River will be refreshed (the official decision-making process was initiated this week with a scoping notice). In the near-term, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is assessing a plan to conserve water which was developed by the states of Arizona, California and Nevada for 2024-2026 that likely results in fallowing 125,000-200,000 acres farmland resulting in an additional 8% reduction in total Colorado River use for each of the next three years. … ” Continue reading at Audubon.
In national water news this weekend …
How climate change could cause a home insurance meltdown
“Big wildfires had started burning more often in California, creeping closer to Beth Pratt’s home near Yosemite National Park. So Pratt did what homeowners in fire-prone areas are supposed to do: She added a metal roof, traded wood decking for laminate, installed a water tank and a fire hose, and cleared vegetation near her house. Pratt says she emptied her savings to make her “home for life” fire resistant. But it didn’t matter. Earlier this month, Pratt got a letter from Allstate, her home insurer of 31 years, saying her coverage was being dropped because of the threat from wildfires. “I get companies need to make money. I have no problem with that. Increase my rate,” Pratt says. “But to just drop people — you know, it’s scary. It leaves us feeling extremely vulnerable.” … ” Continue reading from NPR.
House paint has a microplastic problem
“When Spanish paint company Graphenstone launched a collaboration with Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum in April, it took inspiration from objects in the museum’s collection—from the off-white in Rossetti’s 1879 painting The Day Dream to the maple wood used by violin maker Antonio Stradivari. The 16 shades also had something else in common: Each paint is made with long-lasting graphene instead of plastic. Since the days of the Roman Empire, walls have been painted with lead, which is great for durability and resisting moisture. But mounting evidence of its harmful impact on human health, even in small doses, led many countries to phase out lead-based paint over the course of the 20th century. Plastic was phased in. It works as a binder, the only ingredient that’s as crucial as the pigment. (Certain categories of paint—acrylic, oil—are named for their binder.) Today plastic-based paint makes up almost 95% of the global market, which topped 44.4 million tons in 2019, according to consultants Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney. But like lead paint before it, plastic-based paint is proving more harmful than once thought. … ” Read more from Bloomberg (gift article).
July is on track to be the hottest month on record — and things are about to get warmer
“July is shaping up to be the planet’s hottest month on record as global warming, El Niño and regional heat waves conspire to push civilization into uncharted thermal territory, experts say. As a sizzling heat dome spread misery over the American Southwest, and hospitals reported increasing numbers of heat-related illnesses, government officials told reporters this week that it was increasingly likely that July would rank as the hottest month ever recorded, and that 2023 and 2024 may end up being the hottest years ever. “We are seeing unprecedented changes all over the world — the heat waves that we are seeing in the U.S., in Europe, in China are demolishing records left, right and center,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
NOTICE of 180-Day Temporary Water Right Permit Application to Appropriate Water from the Scott River in Siskiyou County
