Sasan Saadat, a research and policy analyst with Earthjustice, gave “Civic” an overview of the hazards associated with gas use in homes and explains some of the shortcomings of fossil gas alternatives.
Category: Utilities
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Environment, Utilities
Reduce First, Then Recycle: Sorting Out SF’s Waste
In recent years, the mills and foundries that receive recyclables from Recology have stopped accepting bales of material with more than 1% impurities, so the sorting facility at Pier 96 must work to a very high standard. Through a recent tour of the sorting center, “Civic” reported on what happens when things that cannot be recycled end up there, and what should be done about material that is difficult to recycle, like plastic bags.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Climate Change, Community, Land use, Parks & Open Space, Utilities
Urban Community Farm Adapts as Exceptional Drought Hits Home
Tere Almaguer, an environmental justice organizer with PODER, talked with “Civic” about how the group has adapted to years of inconsistent rainfall. Almaguer said California’s exceptional drought conditions have already had visible effects on the farm, like flowering plants that grew shorter and bloomed later this year than previously. Hummingbird Farm will also be experimenting with an alternative water source: Drawing water from the air.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Climate Change, Environment, Utilities
Water Efficiency Is Energy Efficiency, Too, Expert Says
Laura Feinstein, sustainability and resilience policy director at the urban think tank SPUR, explained the difficult choice between attempting to create separate drinking and nonpotable water systems, or developing robust wastewater recycling systems.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Environment, Government & Politics, Utilities
SF Water Use Efficient, but State Restrictions Would be Challenging, Official Says
San Francisco’s residential water use is among the lowest among large cities in California, said Steven Ritchie, assistant general manager for water for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Ritchie joined “Civic” to explain how the city sources and uses its water, and why it is fighting state restrictions on the use of Tuolumne River water.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, City Hall, Public Safety, Utilities
Journalist Uncovers Potential Fire Danger in Earthquake Safety Retrofits
In an effort to keep certain buildings from collapsing during an earthquake, thousands have received city-mandated seismic retrofits. But as Joe Eskenazi, managing editor at Mission Local, revealed in a recent special report, some of these upgrades left gas lines encased in concrete, which raises concerns about post-quake fires or explosions. “The real problem is […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Government & Politics, Open Government, Utilities
Reporter Investigates Firing of Utility Regulator’s Director After She Uncovered Missing $200 Million
After she pointed to millions of dollars in uncollected fees for public services and alleged serious mismanagement problems, the executive director of California’s utility regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission, was fired. Commissioners said Alice Stebbins had misled the public about missing funds and accused her of favoritism in hiring. But an investigation by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica looked into the dismissal, and found the director had been right about the missing money.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Community, Housing, Utilities
Treasure Island Residents Report Ongoing Disruptive Power Outages
According to a resident and advocate, Treasure Island has experienced more than 160 power outages in the last 20 years, with the average blackout lasting about five hours. Disruptions from power outages include sewage backflow and opportunistic burglars who know to expect outages, he said.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Utilities
Regulation Activist: Grid Mismanagement Led to Blackouts
Californians were hit with power shut-offs last weekend and were told to conserve energy by minimizing use as power needs could exceed availability. But some energy experts are doubtful that unusually high demand led to the shutdowns, alleging mismanagement on the part of the state’s energy grid operator.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Public Safety, Transportation, Utilities
Some Hope for Ride-Hailing Safety Transparency After Unanimous Regulator Vote
The California Public Utilities Commission, the body that regulates ride-hailing, has unanimously voted to reverse a policy that allowed safety reports filed by Uber and Lyft to be kept hidden from the public.