Environment

Point Loma Garden Walk to Benefit Rady Children’s Hospital — Saturday, April 27

April 24, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

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Point Loma’s Remarkable Rosecroft Gardens

April 24, 2024 by Source

By Eric Duvall / Pt Loma-OB Monthly / April 16, 2024

“See that big old tree,” Scotty Hunter would say as he regaled his cronies. “Teddy Roosevelt planted that tree.”

Quite a claim, you’ll agree. The fact that the great Afrocarpus gracilior, or African fern pine, stood in a shady section of Point Loma’s Wooded Area made that pronouncement even more remarkable.

Tall tale? The big tree certainly was tall. True story? Not really, no. But at least one of those former cronies is willing to cut the grandson of midcentury nursery proprietors Don and Kathryn Hunter some slack on that exuberant claim. Sure, it’s a great story, and probably the way he had heard it most of his life, but for the enchanted aisles of Rosecroft Gardens, hyperbole was never necessary.

Current evidence that a world-renowned exotic and tropical nursery once thrived in the wilds of a very quiet and out-of-the-way neighborhood is scarce. Street signs for Rosecroft and Garden lanes might help you triangulate the grounds where acres of begonias, bromeliads, azaleas, fuchsias and ferns once bloomed spectacularly in the dappled sunshine under their lath and later shade cloth canopies.

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Earth Day 2024: ‘The War Against the Greens’ Is Expanding!

April 24, 2024 by Source

By David Helvarg / Daily Kos / April 22, 2024

The rightwing Heritage Foundation has written “Project 2025,” a plan for what it hopes will be a second Trump administration.  The plan calls for rapidly expanding fossil fuel emissions and includes a chapter on opening up the Department of Interior’s lands to mineral mining and oil drilling written by Wise Use veteran, William Perry Pendley.

30 years ago, I wrote a widely-read book, ‘The War Against the Greens – The ‘Wise Use’ movement, the New Right and Anti-Environmental Violence,’ describing how a “populist” backlash against environmental laws and violence against grassroots activists was ginned up by western public lands corporations seeking to defend their federal subsidies in mining, logging and cattle grazing.  They aligned with gun rights and off-road vehicle groups and think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and in doing so created a template for today’s anti-environmentalism.

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The Lessons of Indigenous Sustainability: a Path for San Diego

April 22, 2024 by Source

By Joely Proudfit / San Diego Union-Tribune OpEd / April 18, 2024 

Earth Day serves as a poignant reminder of our collective responsibility to the planet. In San Diego, where the beauty and biodiversity of our environment are as integral to our identity as the cityscape itself, this day provides an opportunity not just for celebration, but for deep reflection and learning — especially from the Native communities who have inhabited these lands for millennia.

The Kumeyaay, Payómkawichum, Kuupangaxwichem, Ipai peoples, along with other indigenous groups across the continent, have demonstrated a profound understanding of sustainable living long before the term entered our modern lexicon. For these communities, sustainability was not merely a practice but a necessity, deeply ingrained in their culture and everyday life. They lived within the limits of their ecosystems, embodying an ethic where taking too much was not just frowned upon — it was culturally abhorrent because it compromised the welfare of future generations. This principle, often referred to as the “seven generations principle,” ensures that the needs of the present do not compromise those of the future.

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Rising Seawater Will Impact Sports Arena Redevelopment

April 15, 2024 by Source

[Editordude: This 5-month old article by Shannon Handy and Dorian Hargrove at our local CBS affiliate deserves resurfacing.]

By Shannon Handy and Dorian Hargrove / CBS8 / November 16, 2023

Sea levels are rising. That spells trouble for low-lying areas throughout the region, none more so than in San Diego’s Midway District and surrounding areas.

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Ban on Styrofoam in San Diego Goes Into Effect — Includes Takeout Containers, Egg Cartons, Plastic Straws and Utensils

April 11, 2024 by Source

Styrofoam is not allowed in the City of San Diego. After a grace period, a ban is officially in effect.

Businesses bringing in less than $500,000 annually were given a year to comply with the ban, which initially passed in April 2023. “The ordinance only dictates that you cannot use polystyrene foam. However, we do have preferences for the alternatives that are used, so things like rigid plastic that can be recycled,” said Jennifer Ott, a recycling specialist

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Is the City Liable for Sunset Cliffs Coastal Erosion of Private Properties?

April 10, 2024 by Staff

A bunch of condo complex owners at the foot of Bermuda Avenue in Ocean Beach want the city to help them pay for dealing with Sunset Cliff erosion problems on their property.

These Ocean Beach residents say they’re worried coastal erosion could seriously impact their condo complex, Oceanus. Russ Rasmussen, a resident of Oceanus told SanDiego7 News that he moved into his unit 13 years ago. “When I moved in, the bluff was eroding right in front of our complex.”

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Missed the Wonder of the Eclipse? Catch the Fabulous Butterflies

April 9, 2024 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

If you missed the excitement of the Eclipse or passed on the Carlsbad flowers this season. Or if you didn’t catch the Women’s National basketball semi-finals, with Caitlin Clark awing the country with record-breaking 3-point shots, don’t despair.

There is still a bit of wonder. Butterflies.

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The Beauty of the Snow in Our Local Mountains

April 6, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Lake Cuyamaca this Saturday morning – 930ish.

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April 2024 Events from the Ocean Beach Green Center

April 2, 2024 by Source

Ongoing events

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings April 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.  Keep up-to-date on climate issues and Climate Action events. To register email Jon Findley at  jon@climatemobsd.org.  More info: https://www.facebook.com/SDClimateMobilization/

Every Saturday 12 pm – 1 pm Peace Vigil for Palestine: Advocate for Peace and Justice in Gaza and Everywhere Join CODEPINK SD, San Diego Veterans for Peace, and Palestine Pals every Saturday at 12:00 pm on the plaza corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and W. Point Loma Blvd., entry to Ocean Beach, San Diego. Wear pink and bring a peace-related poster if you have one! Contact: Nathanael · nathandw@riseup.net

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Does America Now Have a Record Number of Bees?

April 2, 2024 by Source

by Andrew Van Dam / Washington Post / March 29, 2024 

Where in the unholy heck did all these bees come from?!

After almost two decades of relentless colony collapse coverage and years of grieving suspiciously clean windshields, we were stunned to run the numbers on the new Census of Agriculture (otherwise known as that wonderful time every five years where the government counts all the llamas): America’s honeybee population has rocketed to an all-time high.

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Fences Around Veteran’s Park in Ocean Beach Are Removed

March 29, 2024 by Source

By Geoff Page

The fences came down two days ago – on Tuesday. The long, luxurious grass inside the fence has been trimmed like a long-haired hippie entering the military. A couple of vendors are back. And the public once again has access to what is usually referred to as Veteran’s Park, on Abbott Street between Newport Ave. and Santa Monica Ave.

This particular piece of land was quite a mess before this work was done, as can be seen by the “before” picture taken from Google Maps. The site was mostly sand with some bits of grass. The deterioration of the area was the result of overuse, especially by vendors. Performers and the ocean added to it as well.

Checking in with Denny Knox, Executive Director of the Ocean Beach Main Street Association, for information about the restoration, it was learned that the project was the work of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

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Today’s the 45th Anniversary of 3-Mile Island – the Worst Nuclear Power Plant Accident in US History

March 28, 2024 by Staff

Forty-five years ago today — March 28th — Central Pennsylvania suffered a historic tragedy when one of the nuclear reactors at Three Mile Island experienced a partial meltdown.

The accident, which occurred at the Generating Station along the Susquehanna River on March 28, 1979, went down in history as the most serious nuclear power plant accident in United States history.

According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, researchers were able to determine that the meltdown had “negligible effects on the physical health of individuals or the environment” — but that’s not to say there weren’t any lasting impacts.

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Local Fishermen Fined for Poaching

March 28, 2024 by Source

By Phil Diehl / San Diego Union-Tribune / March 27, 2024

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have fined a network of San Diego fishermen a total of $145,000 for poaching bluefin tuna, yellowtail and mahi mahi.

A six-month investigation showed more than 5,500 pounds of fish were bought from recreational fishermen and sold in commercial markets, according to a recent news release from the department.

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The Hidden Environmental Cost of Mining Sand

March 26, 2024 by Source

By Martin Kuebler / DW / March 25, 2024

A winter of heavy storms and flooding, especially in late December, has washed away vast stretches of protective sand dunes and bathing beaches on Germany’s North Sea islands.

Coastal areas on islands such as Sylt, Borkum and Norderney, which together attract millions of tourists, will need to be rebuilt before the summer holidays — an extensive and expensive procedure.

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The Raccoons of Point Loma

March 22, 2024 by Source

By Amber Paulin / Lomabeat.com / March 20, 2024

To be a Point Loma Nazarene University student is to come into contact with our furry, nocturnal raccoon friends of San Diego. Maybe their fluffy silhouettes bumble across Caf Lane as you take a sunrise run. Or perhaps a pair of reflective eyes beams down at you from the top of the dumpster leaving you unsure of how to process the contents of your trash bag at 11 p.m.

The Loma raccoons are icons, and while PLNU’s mascot is technically the sea lion, the @loma.raccoons Instagram account might just hint otherwise.

But how much do we know about our stripe-tailed neighbors? It turns out that with March well upon us, raccoon breeding season is in full swing,

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California Gas Prices Are Highest in Nation. Why? Don’t Trust Big Oil’s Answers

March 19, 2024 by Source

Gas prices are on the rise across the country, but if you’re filling up your tank in California, you’re likely paying far more than travelers in other states, according to a new AAA study. California is ranked first out of the 10 U.S. states with the most expensive gas, according to the AAA study released last week. In California, travelers were paying about $4.86 per gallon — $1.47 higher than the national average of $3.39.

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‘Compromise’ Plan for Northeast Mission Bay Supported by Council Committee

March 18, 2024 by Source

David Garrick of the U-T reported last week: A long-debated plan to transform much of northeast Mission Bay into climate-friendly marshland got official support Thursday [March 14] from San Diego City Council members for the first time. The council’s Environment Committee unanimously approved the plan, calling it a fair compromise between environmentalists, supporters of camping and advocates for recreation like tennis, soccer and water skiing.

The plan approved does these:

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Big Brands Pushed to Report and Reduce Plastic Use by Activist Investors

March 14, 2024 by Source

Plastics-related concessions made from companies including Disney, Hormel, and Choice Hotels

By Joseph Winters / Grist / Mar 05, 2024

Wealthy investors and asset managers wield a lot of power over the major companies whose stock they own or control. Every year, shareholder advocacy groups hope to exert that power for good by filing shareholder resolutions — 500-word proposals that might ask companies to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, or to disclose more information on their resource use.

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The Fukushima — California Connection: A Video

March 13, 2024 by Source

Please take a moment to reflect on Japan’s Nuclear Disaster at Fukushima 13 years later, billions spent, unchecked meltdowns persist while contamination abounds with no end in sight.

Please watch this 12 minute video made especially for this somber occasion, and remember that it could still happen here too, with 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste 100 feet from the ocean at sea level, in a tsunami zone.

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Love Among the Ruins — Fish, Flowers, and Friends

March 11, 2024 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Disappointed in the Oscars?  Unhappy your football team lost the Super Bowl. Or that your candidates lost in the primary.  You are not alone.

Americans are overwhelmingly unhappy.

Why?  Let me count the ways.  Maybe count just the first among the heap of reasons.

The majority of voters do not want what is coming, in the 2.0 Presidential rematch of Biden v. Trump with the cruelty, debased language, hallow promises and dumb-downed promises that are mostly head fakes.

No trust of either candidate.

A new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds 36% of Americans trust Donald Trump to do a better job leading the country as president, while 33% trust Joe Biden and 30% trust neither.

Over half are appalled by the death and destruction in the Israel/Hamas war. And want a permanent “cease fire.”

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Ancient Ritual of Harvesting Cork Is Revived to Help Displace Plastics

March 11, 2024 by Source

By Marta Vidal / Washington Post / February 5, 2024

CORUCHE, Portugal — The rhythmic noise of axes whacking trees echoes in the depths of the cork oak forest. But in Coruche, a rural area south of the Tagus River known as Portugal’s “cork capital,” the bang of trees falling to the ground doesn’t follow the sound of the ax strokes. Instead, experienced workers carefully peel away the bark from the tree trunks.

This annual rite of extracting cork in the summer months has been around for thousands of years in the western Mediterranean. Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Romans used the material to make fishing gear and sandals and to seal jugs, jars and barrels. As glass bottles gained popularity in the 18th century, cork became the preferred sealant because it is durable, waterproof, light and pliable.

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Tree Specialist- Landscape Artist Donates Expertise to Point Loma

March 7, 2024 by Source

An award-winning landscape artist with plant and tree expertise, Russell Bowman, transforms the sickly trees and gardens of Point Loma into ” Disneyesque wonderlands,” it is said.

Bowman donates his time and expertise for the trees for the Point Loma Association and gardens at the Rock Church in Point Loma, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, the YMCA, Barnes Tennis Center,  and other sites, like Chili’s Restaurants, Stone Brewery in Escondido, and San Diego Botanic Garden. He also served with the San Diego Rose Society in Balboa Park for 12 years.

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Lawsuit Opposes Logging Plans for Giant Sequoia National Monument

March 5, 2024 by Source

By Anna Schier / San Diego Patch / March 1, 2024

Environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop planned logging projects following fires at Giant Sequoia National Monument.

The lawsuit opposing the commercial logging projects was brought in the Northern District of California by the Sierra Club, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute and Sequoia ForestKeeper. The projects proposed by the U.S. Forest Service would be on 13,000 acres that burned in the 2020 Castle Fire and the 2021 Windy Fire, which killed many giant sequoia trees,

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March 2024 Events from the Ocean Beach Green Center

March 4, 2024 by Source

(For Ongoing Events, see below)

March 4th Monday 6 pm – 7:30 pm   Envisioning an Environmentally-Just City

March 5th Tuesday – California Primary – Go vote if you haven’t already.

March 5th Tuesday 4 pm Silver Screen War Machine: Decoding the Military-Entertainment Complex

March 6th Wednesday 11 am  Petroleum 238: A Seven-Year Investigation of Oilfield Radioactivity

March 6th Wednesday 6:30 pm – 8 pm Connecting Creatures, Climate, and Communities

March 7th Thursday 6:30 pm Meeting of San Diego Chapter of BDS movement 

March 8th Friday — International Women’s Day

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Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Clean-Up — Saturday, March 2

March 1, 2024 by Source

Meet at the end of Ladera Street at the blue tent, 9 to 12 am.

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A San Francisco Carve Out Could Wreck California’s Landmark Coastal Protections

February 29, 2024 by Source

By Joel Reynolds and Tom Soto / Los Angeles Times Op-Ed / Feb. 26, 2024

If the coast of California is a state asset worth trillions of dollars — and it is — why is the state agency that has successfully protected that asset for 50 years under assault? The answer — “unnecessary permitting delays” — is unfounded. Yet California’s exceptional history of coastal protection is in greater jeopardy today in the halls of our state Capitol than it has been for generations.

Like water flowing downhill, California’s incomparable coast has always been a magnet for development. In 1972, with this in mind, the voters of California overwhelmingly approved Proposition 20,

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Manchester Company Selected by Navy to Redevelop NAVWAR Sued by San Diego for Dumping Contaminated Soil at Landfill

February 26, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s one of the latest under-reported San Diego scandals for you.

The very company that the Navy selected to redevelop the 70 plus acres at NAVWAR is right now being sued by the City of San Diego for allowing contaminated soil to being dumped at an inactive city landfill and denying it.

Earlier in 2024, the Navy chose Manchester Financial to replace the agency’s obsolete facilities and remake the rest of the 70.3-acre military campus with private development. Its partners on the endeavor are McLean, Virgina-based Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate. You remember Manchester,

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Point Loma Shoreline Closed Due to Sewage Spill From Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant – UPDATED

February 21, 2024 by Source

County officials placed the Point Loma shoreline under a water contact closure after approximately 5,875 gallons of gallons of sewage spilled from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The spill leaked into the ocean, according to the county’s Beach and Bay Water Quality Program.

The closure to the area surrounding the Point Loma plant was implemented on Tuesday after the spill.

Popular coastal areas like the Point Loma tide pools and the Point Loma Ecological Reserve are impacted by the closure.

No details about what caused the spill or how long the water contact closure may be in place were immediately available.

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The 2024 San Diego Bird Festival Begins at Marina Village Conference Center — Feb 21-25

February 20, 2024 by Source

From San Diego Audobon Society

The 2024 San Diego Bird Festival will take place Feb 21-25, 2024. San Diego Bird Festival is a celebration of the wild birds, habitats and people of San Diego County.

For a listing of programs taking place at Marina Village Conference Center, please click here.

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