Novel Creek Setbacks Obeyed by Local Housing Development

Seemingly small victories are no less sweet, and one such victory was recently demonstrated by the Environmental Defense Center (EDC). During the last several months, the EDC, Urban Creeks Council, SB Audubon Society, and Goodland Coalition worked together to preserve a local creek in Goleta. 

 The Village at Los Carneros project, which proposes to develop as many as 500 residential units, will now have to comply with a 100 foot setback from the nearby Tecolotito Creek. As a potential spawning passageway for the local and endangered southern California steelhead, it is no wonder that the Goleta City Council opted to enforce the buffer last month. 

The Tecolotito Creek Watershed and adjacent Cameros Basin, Credit

 

The EDC also negotiated for other improvements to the project that will remove other roads and paths from the creek bank and push them back to a respectable distance. These efforts will reduce erosion of the bank as well as physical and chemical disturbances and pollution, which will help to keep the Tecolotito Creek clean and diverse. Restoration of open spaces around the project was also agreed upon by the applicant, which will help to reduce stormwater runoff and enhance soil penetration and retention, all of which are good for the creek.

EDC and SBCK vs. Ojai Quarry Lawsuit Settled

The Environmental Defense Center (EDC), a legal group for the preservation of our natural resources, and their client Santa Barbara Channelkeeper (SBCK), a nonprofit for the protection and restoration of Santa Barbara's Creeks and Channel, teamed up to fight the environmental injustice being done by Ojai Quarry by filing a lawsuit last year.

Ventura River Steelhead Preserve, Credit

According to both EDC and SBCK, Ojai Quarry was in violation of the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act by unacceptable storm water management. As the Quarry is located on Matilija Creek, and is thus on a major tributary of the Ventura River, any "irresponsible runoff practices" could be highly detrimental to critical habitat and human health. Several threatened and endangered animal and plant species, including the southern California steelhead, can be found in these waterways. The Ventura River also services the Ventura and Ojai areas as the primary source of drinking water.
 

A Ventura River Steelhead, Credit

According to EDC's lawsuit, "Operations at the Quarry resulted in polluted run-off that threatened water quality as well as the ability of steelhead to migrate upstream as a necessary part of their life cycle."


In the settlement, the Ojai Quarry agreed to implement several improvements to their operation to ensure compliance with the Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. This include: 

"1) increase stormwater retention capacity sufficient to capture all runoff from the large majority of rain events; 2) pave, maintain, and inspect Quarry access roads; 3) install best management practices (BMPs) to control and channel runoff from roads; 4) cover dirt and other stockpiles to reduce erosion and runoff; 5) restrict future mining in a very steep rock face area of the Quarry; 6) suspend all mining activities during rain events; and 7) conduct annual inspections of North Fork Matilija Creek for blockages or impairments to migration of steelhead caused by rockfall or landslides from the Quarry."

In addition, the Quarry owners have consented to donating $60,000 of rock to the South Coast Habitat Restoration for reconstructing Steelhead passages in local creeks.

This victory for the EDC and SBCK is a testament to their dedication to environmental preservation and restoration. It is also a lesson that, when battling private enterprises, money and lawsuits truly work.

Offshore Nuclear: Any Safer than On Land?

Any person from Santa Barbara will easily recognize an offshore oil rig, as we have several along our coastline in the Santa Barbara Channel. In my four years living right along the coast here, I have never heard a single complaint from even the most staunch liberal about the Oil Industry pumping oil in the Channel. Seeing oil rigs and smelling those aweful fumes at the beach are simply a part of Santa Barbara  Yet how would we feel if gazing at the horizon showed us nuclear reactors a few miles offshore instead of oil rigs?

The question might be one to keep in mind as the associate professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT, Jacopo Buongiorno, seeks to create a bobbing nuclear reactor. This reactor in theory could safely weather natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, which can be frequent and devastating for all nations on the Pacific Ring of Fire, because of the cushioning and liquid effect of the ocean surrounding it. 

Another beneficial effect of the ocean is that of easy cooling. Because over half of the rig will be submerged in sea water, the cooling process will be efficient and fast. Also beneficial is the uncomplicated and tote-able design of this floating reactor. With a design simple enough to be quickly built in shipyards across the country, Buongiorno hopes to reduce construction time from ten years to 2-3 years. This nuclear power plant could be hauled from the original shipyards by truck or by boat to the location where it is needed.

The Bobbing Reactor. Credit: Jake Jurewicz/MIT-NSE

With a small size and short construction time, these plants may quickly become competitive with other fossil fuels.

As noted by journalist Michael Abrams, the safety aspect of this reactor is truly what makes it remarkable. As it will only be adhered to shore by the power cable, the reactor will have an unlimited heatsink along with virtually no chance of spreading contamination onto land. The reactor itself operates entirely within the submerged half of the rig, so the frigid ocean waters are constantly surrounding and cooling the reactor. Even if a power shortage were to occur, the ocean would still cool the reactor to prevent a meltdown.

Radioactive contamination is also scratched off the list of possibilities because, even if leakage should occur into the ocean, it would dilute radiation to a non-dangerous level in no time. Also, natural and unnatural disasters alike should have no impact on this remote, submerged reactor out in 100 meter deep waters.

My largest concern while reading this article was the effect this bobbing reactor might have on local marine life. Luckily, Buongiorno planned for this as well: the used cooling water will be returned to the surface of the sea at the same temperature as the water there, making this rig about as destructive as a cruise ship.
As long as we keep these rigs out of marine protected areas, there seems no better way to service large, ocean-side cities like LA, San Francisco, and San Diego.

France Reduced Food Waste by Promoting the Unsightly

Have you ever gone to your local grocer and seen an ugly orange? How about an unattractive eggplant, or a disfigured carrot? No? That's probably because much of the world's produce goes through an aethetic selection process. Traditionally, what isn't pretty to consumers won't be sold in supermarkets, so supermarket suppliers will not buy ugly produce from growers, even if it is just as good as the "perfect" counterparts.

Credit

This in turn leads to food waste, as those ugly fruits and veggies are tossed at a tune of 300 million tons away per year.

In an act to reduce food waste, save money, and broaden the minds of consumers, the French chain market Intermarche began the "Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables" movement. All Intermarche had to do was buy the ugly produce at a fraction of the price of the "normal" produce, and put them in their own special stand with some informational signs all around, and sit back as customers eagerly bought the cheap yet unattractive produce.

Credit

To further advertise that these unsightly fruits and veggies were just as good as the pretty ones, ugly soup and fruit juice were made and distributed to customers.

Luckily, this movement worked, and 1.2 tons of ugly produce were sold per store on average during only the first two days. In addition, overall store traffic increased by 24%. This movement was a successful trial run that proves that consumers will make less wasteful choices when given monetary benefits (ugly produce was 30% cheaper) and free stuff (soup and juice).

Hopefully in time, more supermarkets across the globe will adopt similar low-waste practices to stop unnecessary food waste in its tracks. Watch the short yet charming video below:

National Climate Organization 350 Announce Chinese Climate Change Discussion

Today 350.org announced the latest news regarding climate change and politics: President Barack Obama has invited the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping to New York for a Climate Summit that will be held this September. This Summit is notable in that will bring together two of the most climate-destructive countries to discuss what actions may be taken to retard global warming. No doubt it will be interesting to see what solutions both of these leaders will come up with for their affluent, fossil fuel dependent countries. 

Although a non-profit for the lofty goal of reducing greenhouse gases, 350.org never lacks for support. Credit

However, simply talking about global climate change won't cut it. As put by Jamie Henn of 350.org, the world can not afford a course of dis-action now as global temperatures continue to rise, Antarctic ice sheets melt beyond what may ever be replaced, and climatic natural disasters destroy communities around the world.

To ensure that action is taken, 350.org's  People's Climate March Campaign is assembling a mass demonstration of 10,000 concerned citizens who will march in Manhattan to protest any course of status quo. The message of this movement is simple: "the time for mere speech-making on global warming is past, and the time for action is at hand."

Current concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere as of this day are 401.3 ppm. Credit

No US social movement has gained ground without these types of large scale protests and demonstrations, and it 350.org hopes to display the power and numbers or supporters to ensure that both the Chinese and US leaders take note.They are asking that any interested advocates sign up online to add their support officially.