The last few years’ fires are all blurring into one for Jessica Tovar, an Oakland resident and advocate at the nonprofit Local Clean Energy Alliance, a renewable energy advocacy group. “I had an office that you could see the port of Oakland from, and in those times, you could not see the port because the […]
Category: Climate Change
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Climate Change, Environment
Journalist Discusses Reporting on Local Governments’ Slow Response to Sea Level Rise
Public Press Executive Director Michael Stoll talks with journalist Kevin Stark about Stark’s reporting that showed how local governments were slow in responding to the predicted effects of sea level rise on the Bay Area waterfront. “So I think the scientists were hesitant to get out and say you shouldn’t be building, but what they […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Climate Change, Environment
Discussion Forum Host Wants More Talk, More Action on Climate Change
Greg Dalton, founder and host of Climate One, talks with Civic about facilitating productive conversations about the environment and climate change. Plus, a quick look at sea level rise on the San Francisco waterfront. “The lack of action on climate is not because of dearth of facts, there’s enough books and podcasts and radio shows […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment, News, Sea Level Rise, Utilities
Sea Level Rise in S.F. Will Affect More Than the Waterfront
Professor Kristina Hill, of the University of California, Berkeley, outlines how sea level rise is likely to affect San Francisco, the danger posed by toxic waste and how the city could adapt.
“Places that people think are not going to flood because there’ll be a levee or a wall may actually flood as that groundwater comes right up through the surface of the soil.” — Kristina Hill
This story was produced in collaboration with Covering Climate Now. Covering Climate Now is a global journalism initiative committed to bringing more and better coverage to the defining story of our time.
Posted inCity Hall, Climate Change, Environment, Government & Politics
Climate Summit Coverage: A Roundup of Links
San Francisco hosted the two-day Global Climate Action Summit at the Moscone Convention Center. We gathered links to articles about the meeting and affiliated events, along with related climate news and research.
Posted inClimate Change, Environment, Government & Politics, Housing, Land use, Neighborhoods, News, Sea Level Rise
State Looking to Require Cities to Plan for Rising Seas
California officials are taking their first, tentative steps toward requiring cities to plan for severe sea level rise that scientists now say could conceivably elevate high tides by up to 22 feet by the middle of the next century. A state-funded study recommends that local planners adopt a risk-averse approach to permitting developments such as hospitals and housing in areas that have even little chance of flooding in the coming decades.
Posted inCity Hall, Climate Change, Environment, Government & Politics, Housing, News
Critics See Environmental Threats in State Rule Changes That Speed Housing
Some environmental advocates say long-standing state rules governing soil pollution, traffic congestion and flood control will be weakened by legislation pushed by Democratic lawmakers from San Francisco and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown that will “streamline” land-use regulations to speed housing construction.
Posted inBay Area Smart Growth, City Hall, Climate Change, Economy & Business, Environment, Government & Politics, Housing, Law & Justice, News
California’s Push for Affordable Housing Could Weaken Environmental Law
The Legislature’s efforts to ease the housing-affordability crisis could chip away at longstanding protections in the state’s landmark environmental law. Two such bills were introduced by San Francisco lawmakers.