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NASA: The US Faces a "Mega-Drought" Not Seen in 1,000 Years

submitted by Albert Gomez

The long and severe drought in the U.S. Southwest pales in comparison with what’s coming: a “megadrought” that will grip that region and the central Plains later this century and probably stay there for decades, a new study says.

Thirty-five years from now, if the current pace of climate change continues unabated, those areas of the country will experience a weather shift that will linger for as long as three decades, according to the study, released Thursday.

Researchers from NASA and Cornell and Columbia universities warned of major water shortages and conditions that dry out vegetation, which can lead to monster wildfires in southern Arizona and parts of California.

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CLICK HERE - NASA - Study Finds Carbon Emissions Could Dramatically Increase Risk of U.S. Megadroughts

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Analysis: Alarmed by Ebola, Public Isn’t Calmed by ‘Experts Say’

NEW YORK TIMES                        NOV. 1, 2014
By
When public health leaders and government officials make the case against isolating more people returning from the Ebolahot zones in West Africa, or against imposing more travel restrictions from that region, time and again they cite science and experts. It isn’t working very well.

Many support the efforts of Gov. Paul R. LePage of Maine to isolate a nurse who treated Ebola patients in West Africa. Credit Craig Dilger for The New York Times

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Climate Change Causing CA Drought?

environmentalleader.com - October 7th, 2014 - Ilissa Ocko

California has officially entered its fourth consecutive year of drought, and is trapped in its worst water shortage situation ever.

Because we know that human-caused climate change can trigger and exacerbate drought conditions, media, public officials, California residents and scientists have all been wondering for years if rising global temperatures likely caused or contributed to the current drought in California.

The short answer: Yes, they did.

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Beach Closed, Keep Out: Billionaire Tries to Block Surfers

Credit: Surfrider FoundationAndrew Blankstein and Kevin Monahan - Friday, 29 Aug 2014 | 8:45 AM ET - NBC News

The beach is so central to California's identity that the right of surfers and sun lovers to access the sand is guaranteed in the state Constitution.

But now so many local landowners want to block public access to their chunks of the coveted coastline that there are several hundred alleged violations pending before state officials, including a highly charged case in which Vinod Khosla, a green energy billionaire with ties to President Obama, is fighting surfers over access to a beach south of San Francisco.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101957304#.

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California Hit With Earthquake Of 6.0 Magnitude

      

huffingtonpost.com - Associated Press - by Ellen Knickmeyer - August 24, 2014

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — A large earthquake rolled through California's northern Bay Area early Sunday, damaging some buildings, igniting fires, knocking out power to tens of thousands and sending residents running out of their homes in the darkness.

Two major injuries have been reported, and hospitals have been very busy with moderate injuries, Napa Division Fire Chief John Callanan said. The 6.0-magnitude quake caused six significant fires, including at four mobile homes, Napa Division Fire Chief Darren Drake said.

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(UPDATES - SEE RELATED ARTICLE HERE)

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California to Impose Fines Up to $500 a Day for Wasting Water

      

A jogger runs by a sprinkler that is partially watering a sidewalk in Golden Gate Park on July 15, 2014 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

cbsnews.com - AP - July 16, 2014

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Reservoirs are running dry, the Capitol's lawn has turned brown, and farmers have left hundreds of thousands of acres unplanted.

Even so, many Californians aren't taking the drought seriously. State water regulators are trying to change that by imposing fines up to $500 a day for wasting water.

The State Water Resources Control Board acted Tuesday amid warnings that conditions could get worse if it doesn't rain this winter.

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California’s Cap-and-Trade a Versatile Tool for Environmental Policies

environmentalleader.com - by Erica Morehouse - June 23, 2014

Governor Brown signed a budget last week that lays out for the first time how to invest the millions from California’s landmark cap-and-trade program ($734 million so far). California has shown another way that cap-and-trade is like the Swiss army knife of environmental policies: a versatile tool known for its usefulness and adaptability.

A Multi-faceted Investment Portfolio

California will invest $850 million over the next year to reduce dangerous climate pollution, a portfolio of investments that will benefit almost every part of California’s economy, going to low-carbon and public transportation, weatherization and energy efficient buildings, water efficiency, waste diversion, and natural resources like urban forests.

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California Challenges Cities to Compete to Cut Carbon Emissions

      

The California Air Resources Board wants cities to compete in fighting climate change by signing up residents to log actions they are taking to cut carbon emissions. Above, bicyclists during a morning commute on Market Street in San Francisco. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

latimes.com - by Tony Barboza - January 30, 2014

The California Air Resources Board thinks a little friendly competition might inspire Californians to scale back their driving, cut electricity use and take other steps to reduce carbon emissions.

The agency on Thursday announced a second round of the CoolCalifornia City Challenge, where cities compete to see how much they can cut their emissions of greenhouse gases that are causing climate change.

On the line is $100,000 in prize money that will go to cities based on how many people they sign up and how many points they earn in an online tracking system.

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Devastating Drought Continues to Plague California

                   

California’s Central Valley—prime agricultural land—is being hit the hardest by the state-wide drought which could cause catastrophic losses to crops and food supply.

As California enters its third consecutive dry winter, with no sign of moisture on the horizon, fears are growing over increased wildfire activity, agricultural losses and additional stress placed on already strained water supplies.

ecowatch.com - by Kiley Kroh - December 27, 2013

The city of Los Angeles has received only 3.6 inches of rain this year—far below its average of 14.91 inches, USA Today reported. And San Francisco is experiencing its driest year since record keeping began in 1849. As of November, the city had only received 3.95 inches of rain since the year began.

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4th Annual Design Live You Give a Damn

The Design Like You Give a Damn banner

Image: The Design Like You Give a Damn banner

architectureforhumanity.org

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Rim Fire - Fire Tracker


View Rim Fire in a larger map

http://projects.scpr.org/firetracker/rim-fire/

Fire Tracker, KPCC's tool for following & researching California wildfires, contains fire information displayed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection -- also known as CalFire -- which protects more than 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands and provides emergency services in 36 of the State's 58 counties.

About the data

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Enormous Fire Threatens Water Supply for San Francisco and Parts of East Bay

                                                 (TO ENLARGE - CLICK ON MAP IMAGE BELOW)

       

Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct

eastbayexpress.com - by Robert Gammon - August 23, 2013

The massive Rim Fire is closing in on Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park and is threatening the main water supply for the City of San Francisco and numerous other Bay Area communities. As of this morning, the fast-moving blaze was about 2.5 miles from Hetch Hetchy, according to a map created by the US Forest Service. If the enormous fire reaches the tinder-dry forests surrounding the reservoir, it could pollute the freshwater with huge amounts of ash. That’s bad news for San Franciscans and other communities that depend on Hetch Hetchy because the reservoir is not equipped with a water-filtration system.

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sf.citi Helps Bring wi-fi to SF Parks

sfciti.com - July 25, 2013

Yesterday, sf.citi participated in a press conference with Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisor Mark Farrell to announce an exciting new project to bring wi-fi to 31 parks, plazas and open spaces throughout San Francisco.  sf.citi is proud to be partnering with the City and member company Google, who is providing a $600,000 gift to fund this initiative.

Free wireless service will help close the digital divide in communities where Internet access is limited, as well as increase government efficiency by providing our city’s Recreation and Park Department’s staff with more tools to more effectively manage their recreation centers and community programs. 

Teenage Girl Killed in Asiana Crash was Hit by Fire Truck, S.F. Police Say

      

In this undated photo made available Monday, July 8, 2013, Ye Mengyuan, left, and Wang Linjia, right, pose for photos with other classmates in the classroom in Jiangshan city in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Both were killed in the Asiana Airlines crash. / AP Photo

cbsnews.com - July 12, 2013

One of the Chinese teenagers who died in the Asiana Airlines disaster was struck by a fire truck while she was covered in foam that crews had sprayed to douse the fire aboard the plane, police said Friday.

It wasn't clear, however, whether 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan was already dead or whether she was alive after the crash Saturday at San Francisco airport.

Authorities were still trying to determine the cause of death, and San Mateo County coroner Robert Foucrault said his initial results would likely be released sometime next week.

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Earthquake-Proof Table Uses Geometry to Save Lives

cnn.com - by Arion McNicoll and Stefanie Blendis - July 4, 2013

(CNN) -- "Drop to the ground; take cover by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and hold on until the shaking stops."

This is the official advice issued by FEMA for anyone unlucky enough to be caught in an earthquake.

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