Category: California
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Northern California County Produces 152 Percent More Solar Energy Than It Uses
California is known for being a leader in solar energy, but a small county in Northern California has taken things a step further. It has become the first county government in the state to not only zero-out its electric bill with renewable energy, but also to become grid positive. Yolo County (population 200,000), just west…
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Unique Home Made From Used Car Parts
Architects Karl Wanaselja and Cate Leger of Leger Wanaselja Architecture studio built for themselves a one-of-a-kind home in Berkeley, California. The McGee House, as they are calling it is constructed mainly from salvaged car parts and the repurposed waste product called poplar bark. The 2-bedroom house measures 1140 square feet and is the home of…
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UC Davis and Honda Unveil Smart Home For a Zero-Carbon Future
Honda and the University of California, Davis aren’t particularly known for constructing homes, but an ambitious project places the two entities at the forefront of designing homes capable of producing more renewable energy than they consume. They began constructing the Honda Smart Home last spring and unveiled it less than a year later on the…
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Makers of d-CON Sue California Over Regulations on Super-Toxic Rat Poison
The makers of d-CON products have filed a lawsuit challenging a California effort to limit the sale of super-toxic rat poisons to licensed specialists. The state’s new restriction on retail sales of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, due to take effect July 1, seeks to protect wildlife and pets from accidental poisoning. Poisonings have been documented in at least 25 species…
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Too Little Too Late: California Rain Unlikely to Alleviate Worsening Drought
Much of California is expected to receive rain over coming days from a series of storms lined up over the Pacific. However, it is unlikely to make a significant contribution to the overall drought situation. California is dependent on the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada to provide water to fill the rivers and reservoirs that…