POPULARITY
Elections have consequences. What does four more years of Trump mean for our environment? (Hint: It's baaaaaaaaaad.) But local elections were a lot better. In Eureka: Measure F failed spectacularly, firmly clarifying that Eureka voters want more housing and approve of the city's parking lots-to-apartments plan. The rejection of Measure F also hints that while money matters in politics, it only can get you so far. City Councilmembers Scott Bauer and Kati Moulton were re-elected too, which the EcoNews sees as an endorsement of the direction of the city and a rejection of the Take Back Eureka crowd (again).In Arcata: Incumbents Stacy Atkins-Salazar, Sarah Schaefer and Alex Stillman appear to have won. (Political newcomer Genevieve Serna may still be within striking distance of Stillman.) What unites these candidates? All four of the top vote getters are firmly pro-housing and were supportive of the Gateway Area Plan. Two of the candidates most critical of Arcata's housing ambitions failed to eclipse 8% of the vote. The EcoNews sees this as an endorsement of the pro-housing direction of the current council. Zooming out to the state: Voters appear to have approved Proposition 4, the California climate bond, which will invest $10 billion into fighting the climate crisis. This money may be particularly important given likely disinvestment in climate action from a unified Republican Congress and White House. Support the show
It's easy to spiral when thinking about all that dooms our planet: forever chemicals, climate change, species extinction, and so on. Feeling overwhelmed by overwhelmed by eco-distress is normal. And there are ways to lessen that anxiety. Eco-chaplain Hanna Nielsen joins the show to discuss how to become a more resilient (and more impactful) person.Hanna, together with the Good Grief Network, is also hosting a 10-week program this fall on building community and personal resilience. Sessions run weekly, each Sunday starting September 15, from 2-4pm. And thanks to our friends at Queer Humboldt, the series is free! Space is limited. If you are interested, please email hannanielsen@goodgriefnetwork.org.Other listening:An Existential Toolkit for the Climate GenerationCoping with Climate Anxiety Support the show
Chevron deference is no more. What's Chevron deference you ask? Well, it was the backbone of our federal administrative state. Congress often passes laws that are vague or are capable of multiple interpretations. In Chevron, decided in 1984, the Supreme Court said that where a law is vague, the agency gets deference to its interpretation of that law in issuing regulations. In other words, regulations were likely to withstand legal challenges because federal courts were directed to respect the opinions of federal agencies. The Supreme Court recently overturned Chevron, saying that agencies should not be afforded deference but rather it is courts to decide what laws mean. So what does that mean? CHAOS. Your legal eagles on the EcoNews, Tom, Matt, Melodie, and Scott, break down the decisions and discuss the ramifications on this week's episode.Support the Show.
To operate floating offshore wind turbines, we need to know what conditions are like far below the waves. Over a thousand feet beneath the surface, the ocean floor is mostly unmapped, with only scant knowledge about the geologic features present. Offshore wind developers are going to change that with autonomous underwater vehicles—basically drones of the ocean or underwater robots that can map the ocean floor.Ciara Emery and Joel Southall of RWE join the EcoNews to talk about how they plan to study the bottom of the ocean and how the research will feed into the design of the project.For more info:California Offshore Wind Energy GatewayShort Science Summary: Benthic & Pelagic Habitats California Coastal Commission findings on Site Assessment activities (2022)Support the Show.
C'est le titre le journal Le Maximum en rapport avec les événements tragiques du weekend dernier dans la ville de Kinshasa. Selon ce bihebdomadaire, « les éléments commis à la sécurité du quartier qui abrite les bureaux du chef de l'État ont, sans se poser trop de questions, ouvert aux assaillants les barrières et le grand portail intérieur du Palais de la Nation. Lorsque ces assaillants se mettent à tirailler à hue et à dia sans viser qui que ce soit, les sentinelles comprennent assez tardivement qu'elles venaient d'ouvrir la porte à une force hostile. D'où la réaction qui a conduit à la mort du chef de bande : Christian Malanga. Avant de rendre l'âme », a confié une source proche du dossier citée par le tabloïd, ce dernier a posé la question suivante : « Qui vous a ordonné de tirer sur moi ? Amenez-moi à l'hôpital, appelez vos chefs… Bizarre, cette tentative de coup d'État précédée par un assaut en règle contre la résidence du député national Vital Kamerhe alors pressenti président du Parlement », relève Le Maximum.« Coup de force manque, des zones d'ombre », écrit de son côté le journal Ouragan. Le trihebdomadaire décrit les assaillants comme « des amateurs, plus connus comme étant des militants sur les réseaux sociaux et dans les manifestations publiques dans les rues d'Europe ou d'Amérique. Alors comment des hommes qui semblent si peu préparés ont pu tout de même pénétrer à Kinshasa sans être inquiétés et tenter ce coup d'État ? » Selon un ancien officier de l'armée belge ayant requis l'anonymat et cité par le journal Ouragan, « les armes qu'ils possédaient sont des modèles conventionnels qui existent à Kinshasa ».À lire aussiEn RDC, Vital Kamerhe prend ses fonctions de président de l'Assemblée nationalePour sa part, Econews, un autre trihebdomadaire, commente l'installation mercredi du bureau définitif de l'Assemblée nationale. Et sous le titre « Kamerhe contraint au partage », il affirme que « la confirmation du leader de l'UNC au perchoir du Parlement congolais qu'il a perdu il y a quinze ans ne sera pas de tout repos ». Et ce journal d'ajouter qu'il « entame son mandat sous des auspices moins aléatoires. Son avenir politique sous le second mandat de Félix Tshisekedi est tributaire d'une extrême prudence qui, à la longue, finira par révéler les dessous d'une alliance en dents de scie », conclut Econews.Enfin, dans Africanews, « Nicolas Kazadi épinglé dans une affaire de rétro commission. Il s'agit d'une nouvelle charge contre le ministre des Finances sortant après l'arrestation d'une employée de la BCC. Ce nouveau scandale financier, explique le trihebdomadaire Africanews, implique l'argentier national qui a décidé de fouler au pied les mesures d'encadrement de l'IGF [Inspection générale des finances, NDLR] pour opérer des décaissements en mode urgence et alimenter un réseau de rétro commission, après l'affaire encore en cours de la surfacturation des forages ».
The Scott and Shasta Rivers were once salmon strongholds, but over-allocation of water has made these rivers nearly uninhabitable for Coho and Chinook. The State Water Resources Control Board established emergency regulations that set minimum streamflows during the most recent drought. But those will likely expire soon. Without new permanent instream flows, both rivers could run dry. A coalition of tribal governments, fishermen and environmental nonprofits are asking the State Board for new permanent instream flow dedications. And new legislation, if passed, will strengthen the ability of the state to protect those instream flows. Karuk Vice-Chairman Kenneth Brink, Cody Phillips of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, and Klamath advocate Craig Tucker join the EcoNews to talk about what's needed to save California's salmon. Let Senator McGuire know that you support AB 460 and AB 1337. Support the Show.
Nancy Pearlman is an award-winning broadcaster and environmentalist who has dedicated her career to protecting the planet's ecosystems. She organized the first Earth Day in Southern California in 1970, has hosted the Environmental Directions radio show since 1977, and has produced the ECONEWS television program since 1984. She also directs the nonprofit Educational Communications. Co-hosts: Jonathan Friedmann & Joey Angel-Field Producer-engineer: Mike Tomren Nancy's websitehttps://nancypearlman.net/ Environmental Directionshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHwd0X2JA3HyBJoWOl3Hsg ECONEWShttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzv6ensQNKDbw9Q0OwTzInA Subscribe to the Amusing Jews podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/show/amusing-jews Adat Chaverim – Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Los Angeleshttps://www.humanisticjudaismla.org/ Cool Shul Cultural Communityhttps://www.coolshul.org/ Atheists United Studioshttps://www.atheistsunited.org/au-studios
Humboldt County's transmission infrastructure is old. Connections to the larger grid are weak and undersized, forcing Humboldt to be reliant on the fracked gas-burning Humboldt Bay Generating Station because we cannot pull enough power from our grid connections to keep the lights on. And, conversely, those same undersized powerlines mean we cannot export the power that would be generated from offshore wind. Until new grid infrastructure is operational, offshore wind can't be operational.While offshore wind is driving grid improvements, grid improvements can also benefit Humboldt. With improved grid connections, we can shut down our greenhouse gas-spewing power plant. And improvements to the grid can improve energy resiliency for communities like Hoopa that frequently experience outages. Arne Jacobson of the Schatz Energy Research Lab joins the EcoNews to discuss recent research produced by Schatz on transmission infrastructure planning. Required reading:Northern California and Southern Oregon Offshore Wind Transmission StudySupport the show
Start your new year on a poetic note. Poets Jerry Martien and Katy Gurin join the EcoNews for our annual new year's poetry reading. Do you have an environmental-themed poem that you want read on air? Email tom@wildcalifornia.org and you might hear your poetry read on the EcoNews.Support the show
On this week's episode, Luis Villa, Director of Latino Outdoors, joins the show to talk about how to make nature a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all people. Latino Outdoors is a unique Latinx-led organization working to create a national community of leaders in conservation and outdoor education. By providing leadership opportunities and by changing the narrative about who are environmentalists, Latino Outdoors is helping to broaden the tent of environmentalism to make it more diverse and inclusive. Support the show
It would seem unbelievable if it weren't true. EarthFirst!, bombs, crooked cops, racists. This is the story of the redwoods, or rather, the fight to protect the redwoods, as told by one of the partisans of this fight, Greg King. His new book, The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals and Real Estate in the California Redwoods is part memoir of his own time as fiery young radical in the Redwood Wars and part of history of the economic and social history that set the stage for the Redwood Wars.Greg joins the EcoNews to talk about his new book. Join us.Read an excerpt of The Ghost Forest here. The Ghost Forest will be released on June 6th, preorder a copy today.Support the show
We don't know why he continues to join the show—doesn't he realize he's palling around with a bunch of treehugger dirt worshipers?—but Congressman Jared Huffman joins the EcoNews again for more discussion on what's going on in Washington D.C. Who does he want to replace Feinstein? What's it like to work with George Santos? How is D.C. going to help fund offshore wind infrastructure improvements? (For the answers, you have to listen.)Bonus: Watch Rep. Huffman's own state of the union address!Support the show
Local jurisdictions have very limited control over regulating local pesticide use. New legislation introduced by Assemblymember Damon Connoly would return some local control. Assembly Bill 99 would require Caltrans to respect resolutions passed by counties banning the roadside spraying of pesticides. This legislation builds on decades of work by anti-spray advocates, who have continuously pushed on the agency to reduce its reliance on the nozzle. The EcoNews talks with Patty Clary of Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, Patty Mayall of Protect Our Watershed San Mateo County, and Megan Kaun of Sonoma Safe Ag, Safe Schools about their experience working to reduce roadside spraying and their thoughts on the proposed legislation. Support the show
I don't think it's just us: 2022 has been stressful, right? Between earthquakes and a bomb cyclone, you could use to take your mind off things. Never fear! Gang Green is here with some poetry to soothe your soul and reset the new year on a more positive note. The EcoNews welcomes poets Jerry Martien and Katy Gurin to read some of their poetry, discuss their creative process, and how the act of writing poetry helps spark greater joy and wonder in life. If you want more, check out:Katy GurinFour poems by Katy Gurin in Narrative MagazineJerry Martien's Poetry Reading at the Arcata Playhouse - Nov. 13, 2021Interview with Jerry Martien - Cascadia Poetics LabSupport the show
The "Red Wave" turned out to be more like a ripple, with Democrats holding onto the Senate and Republicans taking only a slim majority in the House. What does this election mean for our environment? LoCo Editor Hank Sims joins Gang Green to breakdown local, state, and national election results.Support the show
News of PG&E's plans to spray power poles on its easements throughout Humboldt County alarmed residents. Humboldt, Trinity, and Mendocino Counties have a long and storied history in challenging the application of pesticides.On this week's EcoNews, Gang Green talks to two veterans of the Pesticide Wars, Larry Glass of Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment and Patty Clary of Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, about the long history of citizen activism against spraying.Support the show
Michael Kauffman and Justin Garwood are in love with the Klamath Mountains, the rugged and remote mountain range in Northern California that is world-renowned for its biodiversity.They, together with 32 other co-authors, have published the first definitive natural history guide to the region. Michael and Justin explain to Gang Green why the region is so special on this week's episode of the EcoNews.BOOK:The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History, by Michael Kauffman and Justin Garwood. Backcountry Press.Support the show
Fala, gente!!! Tudo bem com vocês? Hoje viemos falar um pouquinho sobre a crise ambiental que a Índia vem vivenciando e refletir em como podemos impactar e filtrar as informações ao nosso redor. Vocês já tinham refletido acerca disso? Nos sigam no Instagram!!! @flordelis_eel --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/flor-de-lis5/message
Fala, galera, tudo bem? Hoje começamos uma nova temporada aqui no FlordeCast e trouxemos uma discussão acerca de como nós, jovens adultos, nos definimos diante de tantas crises no mundo atual. Além de ter um caráter ambiental, abordamos também as ansiedades que vivemos e como lidamos com ela. Fontes para verem um pouquinho mais sobre isso: https://g1.globo.com/meio-ambiente/noticia/2022/03/26/o-que-e-a-ultima-area-de-gelo-do-artico-chave-para-o-futuro-da-vida-na-terra.ghtml https://open.spotify.com/episode/41TxwJombhOMjTGOl5DHTO Esperamos que gostem da nossa nova cara e do nosso EcoNews! :) Sigam a Flor de Lis nas redes sociais: Instagram: @flordelis_eel !!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/flor-de-lis5/message
On this week's EcoNews, the gang's nerdy lawyers — Tom, Matt and Scott — are joined by CalPoly Humboldt's own professor of environmental law, Jennifer Marlow, to talk about the recent oral argument in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. Is the court going to jettison Chevron deference in favor of its newly constructed “major questions doctrine” or will we see a return to Lochner-era non-delegation doctrine? Learn what that all means and why it should terrify you on this week's episode!“In climate-change case, justices grapple with EPA's role, congressional intent, and their own jurisdiction,” SCOTUSBlog, Feb. 28, 2022.”The Supreme Court appears eager to gut the EPA, but can't figure out how to do it,” Vox, Feb. 28, 2022.Support the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
Nós somos a Flor de Lis, uma entidade socioambiental da Escola de Engenharia de Lorena - Universidade de São Paulo (EEL/USP). Hoje, teremos o EcoNews. Nesse quadro mensal, vamos trazer as principais noticias ambientais do mês, seguido de um editorial da entidade sobre o tema. Para esse episódio, trouxemos a Invasão do garimpo ilegal no rio Madeira. explicamos pra vocês o que é o garimpo, o porquê do mesmo fazer tão mal ao meio ambiente, e também o motivo da invasão por esses garimpeiros. Sigam a gente nas nossas redes sociais: Instagram: @flordelis_eel --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/flor-de-lis5/message
Nós somos a Flor de Lis, uma entidade socioambiental da Escola de Engenharia de Lorena - Universidade de São Paulo (EEL/USP). Hoje, teremos o EcoNews. Nesse quadro mensal, vamos trazer as principais noticias ambientais do mês, seguido de um editorial da entidade sobre o tema. Para esse episódio, trouxemos a questão da crise energética, sua relação com a crise hídrica e principalmente sobre as fontes de energia renováveis, com foco na energia nuclear, já que possui diversas vantagens. Sigam a gente nas nossas redes sociais: Instagram: @flordelis_eel --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/flor-de-lis5/message
The destruction of the North Coast's redwood forests is well known to EcoNews listeners but did you know about the loss of our kelp forests? Gang Green sits down with James Ray, a scientist with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, who studies bull kelp populations along the North Coast. James talks about the marine heat wave in 2014 and the resulting 90% decline in bull kelp, in part due to an explosion in purple urchins, which have overgrazed some bull kelp beds into oblivion. The purple urchin used to be kept in check by sunflower sea stars, but bad news: in 2013, a wasting disease killed 90% of sunflower sea stars along the West Coast from Mexico to Alaska. Is there any hope for our coastal kelp forests? James and his colleagues have seen some slight increases in some kelp beds, giving a glimmer of hope that this foundational species to the marine ecosystem could eventually recover even in the absence of sunflower sea stars.Required Reading: New research to address kelp forest crisis in California - California Sea GrantKelpwatch - an interactive kelp mapping tool that uses Landsat satellite data to display kelp canopy coverage throughout the state (2021 data coming soon)Kelp Forests Surge Back on Parts of the North Coast, with a Lesson About Environmental Stability - Bay NatureIconic Sea Star Listed Critically Endangered After Study Finds Marine Epidemic Event Nearly Wiped Out Global Population - The Nature ConservancyRestoring Kelp in the Face of Climate Change - Humboldt NowSupport the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
Nós somos a Flor de Lis, uma entidade socioambiental da Escola de Engenharia de Lorena - Universidade de São Paulo (EEL/USP). Hoje, teremos o EcoNews. Nesse quadro mensal, vamos trazer as principais noticias ambientais do mês, seguido de um editorial da entidade sobre o tema. Para nosso esse episódio, trouxemos a questão da crise hídrica em São Paulo que atingiu índices muito preocupantes e também da tempestade de poeira que assombrou o interior do estado de São Paulo. As fontes das notícias citadas no episódio são: https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-58769517 https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/business/crise-hidrica-em-sp-e-pior-do-que-a-de-2013-diz-professor/ Sigam a gente nas nossas redes sociais: Instagram: @flordelis_eel --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/flor-de-lis5/message
Nós somos a Flor de Lis, uma entidade socio-ambiental da Escola de engenharia de Lorena - Universidade de São Paulo EEL-USP. Nesse episódio estreamos o quadro EcoNews. Esse quadro será mensal e trará a principal notícias destaque do mês, seguido de um editorial da entidade Flor de Lis sobre o tema. Para o nosso primeiro programa, trouxemos uma questão de extrema importante para o País, no tocante da questão indígena e a disputa pelo direito de suas terras. Siga a gente nas redes sociais: @flordelis_eel --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/flor-de-lis5/message
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, particularly harmful to young children and developing fetuses. Mercury is commonly present in fish, but in wildly different concentrations based on the life history of the species. What local fish species are safe to eat and at what amounts?Humboldt Baykeeper is there to help. With the help of fisheries biologist—and EcoNews guest—Ross Taylor, Humboldt Baykeeper tested 70 fish across nine species to examine mercury concentrations in fish. Their results? Long-lived species that eat high on the food web have the highest concentrations and should be avoided by those most sensitive to mercury. Other seafood, like salmon, oysters and clams, are good for eating often because of their extremely low levels. Want to know if your fish is safe? Download Baykeeper's 1-page summary HERE.You can also download the full report, Mercury Testing of Sport/Food Fishes from Nearshore Ocean Waters of Humboldt County, California.Support the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
Caltrans is making progress on Last Chance Grade, removing multiple alternatives from further consideration. By cutting down the number of alternatives to study, Caltrans has cut the project planning budget and has lopped considerable time off the timeline. (Enviros are also happy because the highest risk alternatives were among those on the cutting room floor.)On this week's episode, Jaime Matteoli, Last Chance Grade project lead for Caltrans, joins Gang Green to talk about how Caltrans was able to reduce the alternatives in the project and why the public should feel confident about the decision. Required Reading:Permanent Fix for Last Chance Grade Narrowed Down to Two OptionsGUEST OPINION: As Someone Who Has Two Active Lawsuits Against Caltrans, Let Me Say That Caltrans is Doing a Great Job With Last Chance GradeSupport the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
Is a massive land-based fish factory the best next chapter for a former pulp mill nestled between Humboldt Bay and the Pacific Ocean? Tune in to hear local environmental leaders discuss Humboldt County's assessment of the impacts Nordic AquaFarms proposed fish factory might have on the bay, ocean, wildlife and climate – and ways to avoid or mitigate them. Surfrider Foundation's California Policy Manager Jennifer Savage and Colin Fiske of Coalition for Transportation Priorities join co-hosts Tom Wheeler of EPIC, Larry Glass of NEC, and Jen Kalt of Humboldt Baykeeper for a discussion of what is proposed and top issues of concern as we gear up to submit comments on May 24.REQUIRED READING:Nordic Aquafarms Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration: As Lead Agency, Humboldt County released this environmental review document for public review and comment. Comments are due May 24, and a public hearing is on the County Planning Commission agenda for Thursday, June 3 at 6pm. Background studies and reports are posted on Humboldt County's Major Projects webpage.The Regional Water Board released its draft ocean discharge permit for the project. Comments are due June 4.The California Coastal Commission will also have a role in permitting the ocean discharge and the bay intake in the near future.You can submit comments on Humboldt County's environmental assessment of this proposed project until May 24 via email to: Planningclerk@co.humboldt.ca.us.Support the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
Biking for transportation is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. May is Bike Month in Humboldt County and the EcoNews has all of the resources you need to zip around on two wheels. Dave Ryan and Colin Fiske join the show to discuss this year's festivities (all of which are COVID-friendly), ways cities can encourage more cyclists, and even how to start cycling as an adult.Required Reading:Track Your Miles and Win PrizesImprovements Coming to H/I StreetCoalition for Responsible Transportation PrioritiesHumboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters AssociationSupport the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
A summary of environmental news and events from Staten Island, New York City and New York State. The events took place in January 2021, including a New Year's Day Beach Walk that is also the subject of this podcast. https://anchor.fm/ecobytes/episodes/New-Years-Day-Beach-Walk-2021-eovo75
Washington is a mess. With the Feds failing to lead on climate change, is there any hope for our planet? On this week's EcoNews, Gang Green dives into what it would take to translate the principles and values of the Green New Deal - you know, the thing that your crazy uncle says will ban hamburgers - into local legislation. Special thanks to Colin Fiske, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities and Katy Gurin of 350 Humboldt for joining the show.Support the show (https://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/get-involved/donate)
Updates on Land usage Stewardship in NYC and its current battles, impacts and trends..
My guests are Joe Tyburczy and Aldaron Laird, coordinators of the Humboldt Bay Symposium , which will be held on April 11 and 12 at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. The symposium will feature sessions on sea level rise, ecological restoration, ocean science, and economic development in and around Humboldt Bay. The symposium will provide the public an opportunity to engage directly with scientists, managers, and local experts and learn about the latest developments on a variety of current issues related to Humboldt Bay. Click HERE for the full program.
My guest is Jasmin Segura, Baykeeper’s Bay Tours Coordinator since 2014, discussing the upcoming tour season, which will begin with an Earth Day paddle and cleanup on Indian Island with the Wiyot Tribe and Coast Seafoods Company. Most of our Humboldt Bay tours are private charter tours aboard the Madaket, and are coordinated with various partner organizations to provide opportunities for underserved groups to get out on the water at no cost, with support from the California Coastal Conservancy. Participants include English Express ESL students and their families, the City of Eureka’s Camp Cooper summer youth day camp, at-risk teens, the Humboldt County library’s Summer Reading Program , and the Studio and Canvas + Clay Gallery .
If everything goes according to plan, Scotia residents may see wind turbines on Monument and Bear River Ridges by 2020. Kevin Martin of Terra Gen, the project's proponents, joins Tom Wheeler in the studio to talk about how the company hopes to avoid environmental impacts.
Today my guests are Naomi Wagner and Alicia Littletree Bales, who will be speaking on HSU campus on Thursday, February 28 in a panel discussion about Women and the Timber Wars: Feminism and the Front Line Struggle to Save the Redwoods.
My guest is Jennifer Savage, California Policy Manager for Surfrider Foundation , an international organization that is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's ocean, waves, and beaches through a powerful activist network. The Humboldt Surfrider Chapter is one of 20 chapters in California, where coastal access, coastal development, bluff erosion, sea level rise, and the threat of offshore oil drilling are some of the top issues. Read more about Surfrider’s efforts to protect our beloved coast below.
Dr. Laurie Richmond of Humboldt State University led a team of researchers who interviewed commercial and charter fishermen, fishing families, deckhands, local business owners and operators, local civic leaders, and elected officials in Eureka and Shelter Cove to develop recommendations to improve the sustainability of these ports. Recommendations range from basic infrastructure like dredging and cold storage to better organization for political engagement, market development, and habitat protection. In Shelter Cove, a new fishermen’s association has already formed and will soon begin managing the marina facilities.
Tune in for a discussion/celebration of last week's results of local, state, and national elections - and the positive changes they will bring - with a focus on environmental issues. Progressives won big on the local level, particularly in Eureka, where voters had stark choices between candidates. My guest is Tom Wheeler, Eureka resident and Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC).
The ways that we manage (or fail to manage) our impacts on the land have left many rivers and creeks without enough water year-round to sustain fish and other wildlife. Randy Klein is a hydrologist who has studied North Coast streams for over 40 years. His research on flooding, erosion, and sediment dynamics in Redwood National Park helped identify the best ways to manage heavily-logged watersheds for stream health. More recently, he has focused on the solutions to low summer flows on the Mattole River in Southern Humboldt.
The Trinidad Rancheria is planning a 100-room, 6-story hotel adjacent to the Cherae Heights Casino on Scenic Drive near Trinidad. My guests, Richard Johnson and Dave Hankin, are co-chairs for the Humboldt Alliance for Responsible Planning, a group recently formed to foster community involvement in proposed land developments that could have significant impact on quality of life and the environment. HARP’s concerns about the hotel include water supply, wastewater, impacts to birds, light pollution, traffic, and are calling for more transparency and public involvement. They will hold a public informational meeting on Thursday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Trinidad Town Hall.
Today my guests are Ted Hernandez Tribal Chairman of the Wiyot Tribe; Michelle Vassel, Tribal Administrator; and Tim Nelson, Director of the Natural Resources Department. They are here to talk about the return of Indian Island to the tribe, the cleanup of the contaminated former boatyard at Tuluwat Village, and the recent revival of the tribe’s World Renewal ceremonies that were interrupted in 1860 by brutal massacres.
Are you a beaver believer? You May become one after listening to this EcoNews Report! Beavers are nature's engineers, helping to turn unproductive streams into great salmon habitat by reconnecting old floodplains, providing pools for salmon to rest, and by increasing the quantity and quality of summer waters. In short, they are amazing. But California faces a problem: we don't have enough beavers. Guests Kate Lundquist, Director of the WATER Institute at that Occidental Arts and Ecology Center and Eli Asarian, principal scientist at Riverbend Sciences join the EcoNews Report will make you a beaver believer.
Aldaron Laird is a local environmental planner who has spent years thinking about how best to prepare the Humboldt Bay area for flooding, erosion, and higher groundwater levels that are projected in the next several decades as sea level rises. On August 7, he will lead a public workshop focusing on King Salmon and Fields Landing, which will be among the first local communities to face the effects of rising sea level.
Joe Tyburczy is a marine ecologist with the California Sea Grant Extension who is studying the effects of eelgrass on ocean acidification. Joe and his colleagues are examining eelgrass’s role in reversing the effects of ocean acidification, which disrupts the ability to form shells in juvenile oysters and other marine life.
What does it mean to design a public space for people over cars? Colin Fiske of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities discusses the key principles of transportation planning and how the Arcata Plaza could be redesigned to encourage safe and fun use. For more on this subject and to read the Coalition's proposal for the plaza, visit transportationpriorities.org
Pete Nichols talks to Waterkeeper Alliance Senior Organizer Lesley Adams about a fracked gas pipeline that would trample farms, ranches, and tribal lands to reach a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon. The proposed 229-mile pipeline would impact more than 400 waterways, including the Rogue, Umpqua, and Klamath Rivers. The LNG terminal would be one of the largest climate polluters in the state.
Godwit Days is an annual festival celebrating spring bird migration in and around Humboldt Bay, an important stop on the Pacific Flyway for thousands of shorebirds, waterfowl, hawks, owls, songbirds. My guest is Godwit Days Media Liaison, Sue Leskiw.
"The reason we count murrelets at sea is, of course, because in the forest they are flying around at really high speeds in the dawn or dusk and while you can see them and hear them there is no way you can get a handle on their populations", says Craig Strong of Crescent Coastal Research. Ken Burton, wildlife biologist, vice president of the Redwood Region Audubon Society, Friends of the Arcata Marsh docent, and author, interviews Strong on the status of Marbled Murrelets on the north coast and his murrelet monitoring program.
Have you wondered whether it is safe to eat fish from Humboldt Bay? Humboldt Baykeeper has been testing mercury levels in local fish with today’s guest, fisheries consultant Ross Taylor.
Close your eyes and think of an "environmentalist." What do you see? If its an old white guy (probably with a beard and a walking stick), you are not alone! Environmentalism has a diversity problem. It's not that people of color don't care about the environment—polls show that they do, and at levels that surpass white people—but the environmental movement has not made space for their inclusion.
Will Humboldt be the site of the West Coast’s first offshore wind energy project?
Nancy Pearlman is no stranger to the world of environmental education. She coordinated the first Earth Day in Southern California back in the 1970's. ENVIRONMENTAL DIRECTIONS, her international weekly radio series, was started in 1977 and is now the longest-running environmental radio series in the country, with over 2,000 shows to date. As Executive Producer and Host of the three-time EMMY-nominated environmental television series ECONEWS, Nancy covers every ecological issue. Over her forty year career she has worked with hundreds of conservation organizations, serving as administrator, founder, member of advisory councils, participant, and member of boards of directors. She founded the Ecology Center of Southern California in 1972 and Project Ecotourism in 1993, Humanity and the Planet in 2001, Earth Cultures in 2004, and Nancy Pearlman, the Eco-Traveler in 2007. Join me on September 10 when Nancy Pearlman joins me on The Empowerment Show to discuss the power of environmental education.
The diversity in the varieties of crops being grown in Canada has dwindled significantly. Virtually all of the fruits, vegetables, grains, livestock and pretty much every ingredient found on grocery store shelves, is of a variety that has purely been bred for profit. At no time has the importance of maintaining diversity or flavour and nutrition ever been a concern for the powerful industrial food system that has taken hold of the North American diet. This series will explore what risks accompany the loss of such diversity and will expose the many farmers and organizations who are preserving Canada's heritage varieties of food and protecting our food supply from the exclusive control of multinational interests. Part II - Gardens of Destiny On Part II, we meet with heritage seed saver Dan Jason of Salt Spring Seeds. Jason is exalted as a Canadian food security hero and icon in Gardens of Destiny - the recently released film by Vancouver filmmaker Jocelyn Demers. Gardens of Destiny investigates many important issues related to pollution and health. These include genetic engineering, Terminator seeds and the pitfalls of industrial agriculture. Additionally, it examines how organic food has proven to be protective against cancer. The film weaves the viewer through Jason's seed sanctuary on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and sprinkled throughout the film are interviews with well-known food security and organic advocates. This episode features a selection of audio segments from the film. To help introduce the importance of Jason's work, Host Jon Steinman provides commentary on the role of the media in covering the recent global food crisis. Guests/Voices Jocelyn Demers - Producer/Director, Gardens of Destiny, (Vancouver, BC) - Jocelyn is a radio journalist-turned-filmmaker who, after becoming exhausted with the lack of interest by his employer to accommodate critical environmental pieces, embarked on a journey into independent filmmaking. Dan Jason, Seed Saver, Salt Spring Seeds (Salt Spring Island, BC) - Dan is an organic gardener with a fantastic selection of seeds, vegetables, grains, medicinal plants and flowers. He is also the head of the grassroots organization the Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada, a network of Canadian gardeners who are preserving as much plant diversity as is possible. Dan has been a long time critic of the non-organic food system in North America. Herb Barbolet - Associate, Simon Fraser University's Centre for Sustainable Community Development (CSCD) (Vancouver, BC) - The CSCD is a teaching and research unit of Simon Fraser University, established in 1989. The Centre uses the resources and talents of the University to teach and encourage accountable and sustainable community development. As Associate since 2003, Herb has co-authored food assessment studies for provincial health authorities and a guide to food assessments for the provincial health services authority. Herb farmed organically for ten years and was co-founder of FarmFolk/CityFolk, a nonprofit that works to create local, sustainable food systems. He appears frequently on radio, in print, and on television. He remains an active food consultant. Guy Dauncey - Speaker/Author/Organizer, Earth Future (Victoria, BC) Guy Dauncey is a speaker, author, and organizer who works to develop a positive vision of a sustainable future, and to translate that vision into action. He is author of the award-winning book Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change; Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic, and 9 other titles. He is President of the BC Sustainable Energy Association, Co-chair of Prevent Cancer Now; Executive Director of The Solutions Project; and Publisher of EcoNews, a monthly newsletter that promotes the vision of a sustainable Vancouver Island.