Jan 08, 2009

Food Crisis a Likely Result of Global Warming

We've written a lot here about likely climate change effects like wildfires, rising seas, and water shortages, but one Pandora's box we haven't opened yet is the potential for a food crisis. A Stanford study finds that rising temperatures are likely to have a major effect on crop yields in the the tropics and sub tropics by 2100.

Jan 08, 2009

Fuel Economy: One Last Stall in the Slow Lane

We'll have to wait for the next administration to take action on fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. The Bloomberg news service reports that the Bush Administration has decided not to raise the bar, citing the current ocean of red ink surrounding Detroit.

The California Report | Mon, Jan 5 2009, 8:50 AM

California Emissions and an Obama EPA

When it comes to tailpipe emissions from cars, California is the only state that can set a stricter standard than the federal government. But so far, the federal EPA has blocked those efforts. California regulators and activists hope Barack Obama's EPA will grant the state the waiver it needs to start enforcing its rules. In the first of a series of reports on what Californians are expecting from the new president, we look at what could be one of Obama's first major environmental decisions.

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The California Report | Tue, Dec 30 2008, 8:50 AM

Snowpack Survey

Teams are heading up to the Sierra this morning for the season's first official snow survey. Preliminary data show that we're off to a slow start with snowfall this season -- and that's crucial to California's water supply.

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KQED Radio News | Fri, Dec 26 2008, 5:30 PM

California Drought Outlook

Holiday travelers heading up to the Sierra found themselves having to chain up on both Interstate 80 and U.S. 50. The heavy snow didn't come a moment too soon for skiers - or for cities and farms looking nervously ahead to next summer. California's now into a third year of drought conditions and derives most of its water from the mountain snowpack.

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