California landscape of climate finance
To support California in meeting its climate goals and using its budget most effectively, CPI created this first-of-its-kind landscape of climate finance in California, building on the flagship Global
California
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Eyeing the seas & oceans
Efforts are on worldwide to make desalination units more energy efficient and environment-friendly. Water has always been a volatile topic in Australia, the world's driest inhabited continent. Yet, protesters are complaining that a planned desalination facility outside Melbourne, Victoria, will generate too much freshwater. The $3-billion government-owned plant will produce more than 300,000 cubic meters of drinkable water a day when it opens in 2011, placing it among the world's biggest.
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Warming affects tropical species too
Global warming is likely to imperil tropical species much more than fauna in the Arctic regions, even with a slight rise in temperature. "Many tropical species can only tolerate a narrow range of temperatures, as the climate they experience is pretty constant throughout the year,' said Curtis Deutsch of the University of California and co-author of a new study. "Our calculations show that they will be harmed by rising temperatures more than would species in cold climates. Unfortunately, the tropics also hold the large majority of species on the planet,' he said.
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Natural changes may briefly offset global warming
After decades of research that sought, and found, evidence of a human influence on the earth's climate, climatologists are beginning to shift to a new and similarly daunting enterprise: creating decade-long forecasts for climate, just as meteorologists routinely generate weeklong forecasts for weather. One of the first attempts to look ahead a decade, using computer simulations and measurements of ocean temperatures, predicts a slight cooling of Europe and North America, probably related to shifting currents and patterns in the oceans.
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Tremors jolt northern California, Russia's Kamchatka peninsula
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck in the mountains of northern California on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey reported. Meanwhile, another earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale Wednesday shook the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's far east, RIA-Novosti news agency reported. In California, the quake's epicentre was 57 kilometers (35 miles) east of Eureka, 307 kilometers (191 miles) from the California state capital Sacramento, the USGS said. The earthquake was recorded at 7:03pm local time (0203 GMT) and had a depth of 17 kilometers (10 miles), it said.
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Waste Management To Make Vehicle Fuel From Landfill Gas
Waste Management Inc said on Monday it would open the largest-ever facility to turn landfill gas into vehicle fuel, which will then be used in its own California collection trucks. The project will help the largest US trash hauler develop a source of low-carbon fuel, which is expected to be in wide demand when states such as California begin requiring drivers to cut their carbon dioxide emissions. "We think there's going to be a very significant demand for the fuel," said Waste Management spokesman Kent Stoddard.
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California Wildfire Rages, 1,000 People Evacuated
A wildfire that began along a popular hiking trail forced 1,000 people to evacuate their homes in the hills northeast of Los Angeles on Sunday, officials said. The cause of the 400-acre (162 hectares) fire, which started Saturday afternoon as Southern California logged near-record temperatures, was still under investigation, said Elisa Weaver, a spokeswoman for the city of Sierra Madre, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
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The Valley's Fault Lines (Environment)
For residents of the san francisco bay area in California, their home is in one of the most agreeable parts of the world. The Bay Area has good weather, beautiful landscape, great job opportunities, and some of the most competitive and resourceful minds in the world to interact with. However, at the back of their minds is a phenomenon that can destroy the tranquility in Silicon Valley: earthquakes.
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Renewable energy firm invests in solar generators
An Ireland-based renewable energy firm has given Euro 62m (US$100m) in funding to a solar energy specialist. NTR has invested the money in the US-based firm Stirling Energy Systems (SES) after reaching an agreement that will give NTR a controlling interest. The funding will allow SES to begin work on two major solar farms in southern California and increase its production of its SunCatcher solar energy generators. The SunCatcher technology uses large mirrored dishes to direct sunlight onto an engine capable of turning the energy into electricity.
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Zero energy homes take a step closer
Its electricity and water heating is wholly powered by photovoltaics, it uses recycled and energy efficient construction materials, and it is extensively equipped with water conservation equipment. Campaigners hope all new homes in California will be powered solely by renewable energy like the SOLARA development (Copyright Community HousingWorks) The SOLARA development in California, which officially opened last year, is what green campaigners hope will become the model for all new homes in the state.
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Climate change could save endangered salmon
Lean times lie ahead for fishermen in California and Oregon. Last week, US regulators decided to cancel the entire salmon season for this year. The long-term prospects for the salmon themselves are unclear. In the long term, however, the future of the salmon, and the people that rely on them, may depend on climate change.