By Lori Abbott, California News Service

November 17, 2012 (San Diego)-Congress returned to Washington, D.C., to begin its lame-duck session, but a veterans' group has not given up the fight for legislation to protect parts of the California desert. A bill  by Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) would designate as wilderness more than 21,000 acres of Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia in northern San Diego County. 

By Miriam Raftery

November 10, 2012 (Ocotillo) – North American Development Bank has announced that it has approved a 20-year, $110 million construction loan for completion of Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo Express wind energy facility.  The bank, which is capitalized by both  the U.S. and Mexican governments, funds projects within 62 miles of the international border. 

SDG&E has signed a 20-year purchase agreement for power from the project, which is on track to become the first renewable energy project to tie into the Sunrise Powerlink, bringing electricity from Imperial Valley to San Diego.

November 9, 2012 (San Diego) -- Fans of modern design are invited to explore some of the most notable modern residences in San Diego this fall when the Dwell Home Tours (www.dwellhometours.com) come to America’s Finest City for the first time.

The San Diego Tours take place on November 10 and 11 showcasing ten amazing modern homes through the East County, North County and Central San Diego areas ranging from stunning new constructions to brilliant renovations.

E - The Environmental Magazine

Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

Dear EarthTalk: What is currently being done in the U.S. to ensure the wise use and safety of our nation’s groundwater?    --Kevin Orr, Baton Rouge, LA

November 5, 2012 (San Diego) -- Keeping fresh water safe and abundant is a challenge for all societies. In the U.S., about half of the country’s drinking water comes from groundwater sources. Many rural areas derive all of their drinking water from groundwater, which also provides 40 percent of the irrigation needs of American farmers. 

November 3, 2012 (San Diego) -- Dear EarthTalk: I heard that the Arctic summer sea ice is at its lowest level since we began recording it. What are the implications of all this melting?   -- Jo Shoemaker, Bowie, MD

It is true that on September 16, 2012 the world reached a new low: The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported that the extent of sea ice across the Arctic was at its lowest since satellite record-keeping began in 1979. On that date the sea ice reached its summer minimum, 1.32 million square miles, half of what the average size of summer ice was between 1979 and 2000, and almost 20 percent lower than the previous record minimum of 1.61 million square miles set on Sept. 18, 2007. NSIDC added that, despite especially warm conditions in 2007 being much more favorable for sea ice loss than this year, the thinning of sea ice due to climate change has made the ice more vulnerable to breakup and melting.

October 30, 2012 (Ramona) – County of San Diego Departments of Public Works and Environmental Health are holding a Recycling Event and Reuse & Repair Fair in Ramona, at 1401 Hanson Lane on Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Local experts will be on hand to demonstrate how to repair and reuse questionable or broken items.

Dept. of Energy grant will turn a theory and a lab model into a full-scale testing device.

October 22, 2012 (San Diego) – For the last few years San Diego State University engineering professor Fletcher Miller has been working in his campus lab to prove a theory about a more efficient way to produce solar energy. Thanks to a U.S. Department of Energy grant of $3.9 million, he will now be able to test his theory in a more realistic scenario.

The grant, from the SunShot Initiative, will enable Miller and his team of graduate and undergraduate student researchers to take a lab-scale model and, over the next four years, develops a full-scale model that will be tested at the National Solar Thermal Testing Facility in New Mexico.

By Miriam Raftery

October 20, 2012 (Washington D.C) – H.R. 3409 has been called the worst environmental bill ever Congress by SustainableBusiness.com. Deceptively titled the “Stop the War on Coal Act”, the bill in fact repeal major public health and environmental safeguards, even overturning Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act protections. 

Duncan Hunter and Darrell  Issa, both Republicans, voted for the bill, Congresswoman Susan Davis, a Democrat, joined with Republican Brian Bilbray in voting no. Bob Filner did not vote.

East County wind projects among hot topics discussed by candidates for Congress, Assembly and Mayor

Story by Miriam Raftery, videos by Paul Kruze

View ECM’s videos from the San Diego Green Candidates Forum:

Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2SAosb9-Y

Part II:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8rZTtkh7OY&feature=youtu.be

October 14, 2012 (San Diego)—November's election has big impacts for our region, our nation and our world--with San Diego poised to be a leader in the emerging green economy. 

Should our region’s needs be met by rooftop solar or industrial wind projects in our backcountry?  Should the San Onofre nuclear reactors be shut down?  How can we fuel San Diego’s economy and create green jobs? In what ways should transportation and water issues be addressed—and what about global climate change?  These were among the topics of lively discussion at the San Diego Green Candidates forum on October 4, where candidates for Congress, Assembly, Mayor and Supervisor shared their ideas on these important issues and more.

College awarded two of nine grants funded by state chancellor’s office

October 11, 2012 (El Cajon) – If Cuyamaca College grant writers were members of a college sports team, they would be basking in the glory of a triple-season winning streak. You’ve heard of the Dream Team? Meet Cuyamaca’s Green Team.

Since June 2009, the crew has had had every one of its 39 grant proposals funded for a total of $7.3 million to train hundreds of students for solid-paying, dependable jobs, including those in up-and-coming green industries. The grants have also funded pilot programs, which have since been expanded and modeled by other colleges.

By Chris Thomas, Public News Service

October 7, 2012 (Washington D.C.)-- After a decade of legal challenges, the "roadless rule" landed on the U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep, and on Monday, the court opted to leave it in place rather than hear the latest appeal.

The rule doesn't allow new road-building on millions of acres of national forest land in three dozen states, including California.

September 27, 2012 (Ocotillo)– The public is invited to a funeral procession mourning the loss of the Ocotillo Desert in Imperial County on Saturday, September 29. Organizers of the funeral procession note that the Bureau of  Land Management (BLM) was established to protect and preserve precious public lands. The BLM’s stated mission is to sustain the health of public lands for current and future generations by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.

September 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The goal of renewable energy is positive. But putting industrial-scale wind and massive solar projects on protected public lands has attracted opposition from environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts.  Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mapped out 11,000 sites where renewable energy projects could be located on California land that is already impaired, such as sites formerly contaminated with toxins.  This includes 75 high-priority California sites—43 targeted for utility-scale PV solar, 21 for geothermal, and 1 wind site.

By Miriam Raftery

September 13, 2012 (Ocotillo) – Two new lawsuits were filed September 11, 2012 against federal officials and the U.S. government seeking an injunction to halt construction at Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo Express industrial wind project. 

One suit targets U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials for allegedly violating the Endangered Species Act and failing to protect endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep.  Active signs of bighorn activity on the site have been spotted as recently as this week and photos clearly document recent sitings in the heart of the project.

The second suit takes aim at Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of Interior officials for ignoring  California Desert Conservation Area protections passed by Congress to conserve fragile desert areas for future generations. This suit alleges that officials also ignored many other laws intended to protect natural and cultural resources, views, archaeological sites, and the health of local residents.