Features
California Bill on PFAS Chemicals Advances, But in Watered Down Form
June 21, 2019
The bill, now signed into law, expands the drinking water notification requirement to all of the 14 to 18 PFAS chemicals. An earlier version of the bill would have forced around 7,300 public water systems in the state to test for all chemicals in the class. It would have also given the water board authority to regulate the chemicals in drinking water as a class, rather than chemical by chemical. KQED.
SFPUC Growing Plants in Hospital-Like Nursery to Protect Water Quality
June 14, 2019
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is trying something different at its new native plant nursery in Sunol. To avoid infecting plants, the botanists here take precautions more akin to a laboratory than a commercial nursery. KQED.
One Increasingly Popular Way to Control Floods: Let the Water Come
March 19, 2019
California is looking to floodplains as a way to avoid flood damage and store water. Advocates say floodplains refill aquifers, reduce risk from flood damage, re-create wildlife habitat and filter pollutants. But others aren't so convinced. KQED, March 19, 2019.
EPA, California Consider Regulation of Chemicals Found in Ski Gloves and Frying Pans Showing Up in US Waterways
February 09, 2019
Last spring the EPA promised a plan to deal with PFAS contaminants, but after almost a year, it’s still unclear how the U.S. and California will deal with these "forever chemicals." Scripted and voiced accompanying radio piece. KQED.
Can sustainably caught swordfish make waves on the Central Coast?
December 30, 2018
With new clean-fishing gear technology on the horizon, some think swordfish in California could appear on dinner plates once more. Published in the EastBay Times, The Mercury News, The Monterey Herald and The Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Gardens with too many nonnative plants threaten populations of insect-eating birds, study finds
December 26, 2018
Researchers teamed up with community scientists to explore how nonnative plants in yards and gardens affect the breeding success of chickadees, a common insect-eating bird in the U.S. Mongabay.
Gaining a deeper understanding of dyslexia
November 17, 2018
What if schools created curriculum so precise lessons were personalized to each student’s brain? That’s one long-term goal of a new partnership forged between the UC San Francisco Dyslexia Center and Chartwell School in Seaside, CA. The Monterey Herald.
Sea-level rise could cut off wastewater service to millions in U.S.
June 21, 2018
Scientists report in a recent study that with just 30 centimeters of sea-level rise, roughly 4 million people in the U.S. could lose access to municipal wastewater services — services that allow three-quarters of America to run the tap and flush the toilet.
