Category: California
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California Drought Forces Fisheries to Truck Salmon Smolts to Sea
Every year between late March and early June, roughly 30 million Chinook salmon make their way from five Central Valley hatcheries to the Pacific Ocean. This year, however, these young salmon—called smolts—face a perilous journey due to California’s enduring drought. [caption id="attachment_328124" align="alignnone" width="500"] Drought conditions in California mean that there isn’t much rainfall or…
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Organic Standards Lowered for Livestock in Drought-Ridden California
Due to California’s historic drought, a variance was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in February that enables applicable organic livestock farmers in the Golden State to temporarily disregard the feeding standards that allow them to stamp their product as organic. [caption id="attachment_327875" align="alignnone" width="500"] Organic producers are only allowed to substitute their livestock’s grass diet…
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The Legacy of Mercury Pollution in California’s Bay Area
Sigi Ocker is a senior at The Urban School of San Francisco and is attending Whittier College in the Fall. Sigi finds interest in Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science and will likely pursue a degree in one of these areas. California Bay Area fishermen are losing business due to increased awareness of mercury contamination in…
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The Solar Technology That Could Solve California’s Water Problem
The founders of a California company are gearing up to make a difference in their state’s future—about 2 million gallons worth of a difference. As the state battles a lengthy drought and considers spending $7 billion to $9 billion to produce, transport and store fresh water, WaterFX, a San Francisco-based, independent water producer says it has been…
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San Francisco Resident to Build a Home From Bay Bridge Scraps
David Grieshaber, co-founder of the community-supported organization Bay Bridge House, has recently received permission to use the remains of the old San Francisco Bay Bridge, which has been replaced by a new, earthquake resistant structure, to build a house from. For this purpose, he plans to use the vintage I-beams, concrete, girders, trusses, roadways, and…