Source:  County of San Diego

September 8, 2022 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) on September 7 issued the following beach management actions for Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

By Miriam Raftery

August 17, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act, calling it “one of the most significant laws in our history.” He added, “With this law, the American people won and the special interests lost.” The bill cuts prescription drug costs for Medicare and has healthcare savings for many others, provides tax breaks and rebates for households and companies investing in clean energy, funds IRS collections from tax dodgers and levies new taxes on some corporations, also aiming to sharply reduce the federal deficit.

First live demonstration of bi-directional charging since launch of the federal cross-sector collaboration initiative to rapidly commercialize technology

Source: SDG&E

July 26, 2022 (San Diego) - Today, San Diego Gas & Electric announced that it has successfully deployed an innovative technology that enables eight electric school buses to put electricity back on the grid when needed such as on hot summer days. A collaborative effort between SDG&E, the Cajon Valley Union School District and locally based technology company Nuvve, this is the first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project to become operational in Southern California, helping to advance clean air and climate goals while also bolstering grid reliability. 

Deadline for public comments in August 8

By Henri Migala

Photo: mule deer buck by Debbie Merrill

July 17, 2022 (San Diego) -- The San Diego National Wildlife Refuge is seeking public comment on their proposed plan to open 160 acres of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge to hunting. Hunting would be allowed only in the Otay Mesa and Lakes Management Area of the refuge (near Otay Lakes).

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

July 6, 2022 (San Diego) - A new initiative to spread the word about County parks, teach people about the outdoors, share fun, and promote equity, inclusion, accessibility and opportunity, kicks off Friday night with a Summer Movie at the Park at the Waterfront Park.

By Elijah McKee 

June 22, 2022 (Alpine) — On the outskirts of Alpine lies something rare in East County — an exceptional opportunity for fishing and other recreation on land that is free to access through an arrangement with the U.S. Forest Service. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell, April 2022 levels, courtesy Bureau of Reclamation

June 17, 2022 (San Diego) – The U.S. Senate held a hearing this week on dire water shortages in the West, including critically low water shortages at the Colorado River, which provides water to cities across the Southwest including San Diego.  As Senators sought solutions including acceleration of infrastructure projects, one bright spot came in testimony from San Diego County Water Authority’s general manager Sandra L. Kerl, who illustrated how our region’s investment in innovation, conservation and water reclamation have provided sustainable water solutions in a model that could be emulated in other areas.

By Mike Allen

Photo, left to right:  Allen Carlisle, Outgoing General Manager, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Jeremy Bauer, Acting Deputy Director, Tribal, Intergovernmental and Policy Division, U.S. EPA Region 9, Deven Upadhyay, Chief Operating Officer and Assistant General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, David Gibson, Executive Officer at San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, Joel A. Scalzitti, Board Member, Helix Water District, Bill Pommering, Board President, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Steve Goble, Joint Powers Authority Chair, East County Advanced Water Purification Program, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson, Sandra Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority, Jack Simes, Planning Officer, Bureau of Reclamation, Kyle Swanson, Incoming General Manager, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Melissa McChesney, Communications Manager, Padre Dam Municipal Water District.  Photo courtesy East County Advanced Water Purification Program

June 1, 2022 (Santee) -- East County took a huge step toward greater water reliability and affordability today when regional officials broke ground on the $950 million Advanced Water Purification (AWP) project in Santee.

By Matthew Manosh 

Video courtesy County News Service

May 22, 2022 (Spring Valley) -- On Friday, May 13th, the grand opening of the Ildica County Park located at 8604 Ildica St. in Spring Valley took place. The new park is about half an acre and includes a play area, exercise equipment and a 20-plot community garden.

By Pennell Paugh

May 4, 2022 (La Mesa) – On Wednesday, April 27, the City of La Mesa (the City) provided a virtual meeting between the public and San Diego Community Power (SDCP) and San Diego Electric and Gas (SDG&E) to discuss the new SDCP program.

By Melinda Myers

Photo: Garden of hostas beneath Burr Oak tree, courtesy of Melinda Myers

April 27, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- Celebrate National Arbor Day, the last Friday in April, by planting new trees and caring for established ones in your landscape and community. This special holiday was first celebrated in 1872. Arbor Day celebrations continue to recognize the important role trees play in our environment and more recently their impact on our mental and emotional well-being.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

April 23, 2022 (La Mesa) - The U.S. Department of Education announced today that St. Martin of Tours Academy in La Mesa, CA is among the 2022 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Bald Eagle in East County by Scott Lagace

April 16, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Opponents of wind farms in San Diego’s East County have long voiced concerns over potentially deadly impacts on eagles. Now a major wind energy company, NextEra Energy, a subsidiary of ESI Energy, has pleaded guilty to violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and killing 150 eagles at multiple wind energy facilities.

International Scientists Warn: Time to Fight Climate Change is Now

By Suzanne Potter

Story and photo from California News Service, originally published April 5, 2022

April 11, 2022 (Sacramento) --State and international reports on the effects of climate change are out this week, urging government efforts fighting climate change to speed up significantly if the world is to avoid the worst effects, from megafires and drought, to sea level rise and floods.

In a report released April 4, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said countries need to cut carbon emissions by 43% in the next eight years.

Lauren Sanchez, senior climate adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom, said California is taking a "whole-of-government approach."

"The world's leading climate scientists have made it clear," Sanchez asserted. "Our window to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis is narrowing faster than expected, and success requires unprecedented collective effort and transformational change."

By Matthew Maichen, San Marcos

Photo: CC by NC via Bing

April 10, 2022 (San Diego) -- As an English teacher, I find it so immensely frustrating that the kids that I teach are going to bearing the brunt of this climate emergency and its long-term effects even more than I am. It's so frustrating that we have the technology, but not the will, to make the change. And I worry that by the time we decide to do anything, it'll be too late.