Weekly Roundup July 13, 2012

In today’s weekly roundup, the California water wars saga continues as special interest groups interfere with the state’s effort to find equilibrium between environmental ethics and human needs. Also, in November San Franciscan voters will have the opportunity to vote on the fate of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park—the city’s main source for drinking water.  Meanwhile, Bay environmentalists worry about the Bay’s future as the threat of sea-level rise is projected to emit toxic waste into the Bay. Finally, there is good news to report as the Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to ban plastic bags and foam products.

WASK Radio 98.7  07/08/2012 
California’s way forward on water
Southern California’s most important lake is located in a distant part of the state and has a name most of us wouldn’t recognize. Clifton Court Forebay, between Oakland and Stockton, forms the manufactured headwaters of the manufactured river known as the California Aqueduct, which over four decades has supplied millions of residents from the Bay Area to the Mexican border with drinking water and thousands of growers from Santa Clara to Santa Maria to San Diego with irrigation. Engineers warn that in the event of a major earthquake, Clifton Court could fail and the aqueduct could run dry, leaving much of the state without that water for three years or more.
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National Parks Traveler 07/10/2012
San Francisco Voters Could Get Chance To Vote On Draining Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir In Yosemite National Park
2012 already is going to be interesting election year, what with the presidential election, but in San Francisco the election could prove even more intriguing as voters might have a chance to vote on the future of the Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park.
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Santa Cruz Patch 07/11/2012
City Bids Bye-Bye to Single-Use Plastic Bags, Polystyrene Foam
The Santa Cruz City Council completed a “trifecta in waste reduction” during its meeting Tuesday night by passing three eco-minded ordinances, including two banning single-use plastic bags and the sale of polystyrene/plastic foam products within the city.
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East Bay Express 07/11/2012
Climate Change Will Unleash Buried Toxics
Toxic sites ringing the San Francisco Bay tell the story of its recent past. Smelting plants, hazardous waste dumps, landfills, shipyards, fuel depots, and military bases recall an era when the bay was prized more for its tactical and commercial values than for its ecology. Most have been closed or removed, but their toxic legacy often remains intact, hidden just beneath the surface; long-buried chemicals, heavy metals, and hazardous waste still seep into the bay on a daily basis.
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