Category: California
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Drought Emergency Declared in California as Residents Urge Halt to Fracking
The state of California formally declared a drought emergency today due to a lack of winter rainfall and water reserves at only 20 percent of normal levels. This is the third year of dry conditions across California, which poses a threat to the state’s economy and environment. [caption id="attachment_318398" align="alignnone" width="500"] In addition to concerns about having…
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Chemical Company Sues California Over New Flame Retardant Law
The chemical company Chemtura sued the state of California yesterday seeking to block new fire safety regulations that would permit furniture production without toxic flame retardants. [caption id="attachment_318383" align="alignnone" width="500"] Concerned over potential profit loss, since California holds enormous purchasing power—almost 10 percent of the U.S. population—Chemtura sued the state.[/caption] The new rules, which Gov.…
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EPA Will Require Offshore Frackers to Report Chemicals Discharged Into Pacific
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today established a new requirement for oil and gas operations off the Southern California coast to publicly report chemicals dumped directly into the ocean from offshore fracking operations. The notice, formally published today, announces the changes as part of a new permit for water pollution discharges from offshore oil…
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Architect Couple Build a Backyard Office From a Shipping Container
Karl Wanaselja and his business partner and wife Cate Leger from Berkley, California opted to build a home office using a retired shipping container. They chose to do so primarily because they live in an earthquake prone area, which makes shipping containers the perfect choice as building blocks. They purchased the 40 foot container, which…
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California Residence Heated and Cooled by The Earth
Frederick Corson’s 5000 square foot home in Northern California is one of the largest in the area, yet its cooling and heating costs are very low. Instead of using traditional sources of heating and cooling, Carson fitted the house with a ground-source heat pump known as a geothermal heat pump. Such a heat source is…