Category: Environment

UPDATE: Late Wed. afternoon: Cal Fire is monitoring a brush fire that is about a half-mile inside Mexico near the U.S.-Mexico border. The blaze is about a half-acre in size and is burning east of Potrero, south of state Route 94 below Bell Valley, a Cal Fire spokesman said.

Firefighters said the fire appears to be burning away from the border.

Miriam Goldstein was floating on an inflatable raft in one of the planet’s oldest biological communities, curiously watching gelatinous creatures few humans have ever seen, when she noticed tiny polka dots of plastic bobbing on the ocean surface.

Goldstein was shocked to see firsthand how big pieces of synthetic debris are breaking down and littering the North Pacific Gyre with “micro-plastics” — almost undetectable, confetti-like bits that could end up fouling the entire food chain, from zooplankton to humans.

The planet’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for July, breaking the previous high mark established in 1998 according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for July 2009 ranked fifth-warmest since world-wide records began in 1880.

OCEAN BEACH, CA. As litter never ends and graffiti tagging seems endless along sections of Sunset Cliffs, another clean-up happened on Friday, August 14th.

As this one was organized by a group calling themselves “The Cliff Dwellers”, and headed up by long-time local and cliff expert, Larry O’Brian, a bunch of us OB Ragsters joined them after work at the foot of Santa Cruz Avenue.

Our hidden and invisible citizen reporters are everywhere. Thursday, August 13th witnessed a watermain break on Bolinas Street in northeast Ocean Beach.

Here are early a.m. scenes from that street. Hopefully, the spilled water will be used to water Collier Park, just down from this area.

By Monica Unhold / The Daily Transcript / August 11, 2009

An Ocean Beach architecture firm’s new offices will be the first commercial building in San Diego County to qualify as net zero — meaning it generates as much energy as it consumes.

Architects Hanna Gabriel Wells converted the 54-year-old Ocean Beach Auto Repair shop into a modern office building expected to enjoy no monthly energy costs …

by Concerned OBcean

While my son and I were in town last night having dinner, I saw someone spinning fire Poi at the west end of Newport. Surprised by the boldness of the spinner to be spinning right there in plain sight on a public corner, I pointed him/her out to my son. Thinking, perhaps hoping, it was simply a drunken fool performing a one time event, I didn’t think much of it.

Yet it continued. …

Gophers have made many enemies at Robb Field in Ocean Beach, burrowing and creating numerous holes on the park’s playing fields.

The San Diego-based Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL), however, is not among that list of enemies. APRL is urging the city to find a non-lethal method to control the gopher population at Robb Field.

by Anthony Gentile / Peninsula Beacon / August 6, 2009

With city staff members present at Monday’s Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council meeting, the two sides agreed to disagree when it comes to the safety and relocation of popular cliffside benches.

The result of the deliberation between the two sides was a temporary hold on further removal of Sunset Cliffs benches until …

by Frank Gormlie

The Ocean Beach Planning Board met last night (8/05/09) and discussed the latest reincarnation of World Oil’s Sunset Plaza project destined for the corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd and Voltaire.

Before a small crowd of about a dozen interested residents, the Board first narrowly defeated a motion to deny the project as it was presented. This was a 5 to 6 vote. Then … .

Editor: This was sent to us by an anonymous contributor.

by OBserver

What kind of neighbor is World Oil Corp.? Well since I live very close to what I’m going to refer to as “ground zero” I feel very qualified to say that they are a pretty shitty one!

…

by Jon Carr

Jon: “Hey honey, let’s pack a lunch and head down to the Sunset Cliffs tidepools for the day and soak up some sun!”

Honey: “That sounds great Jon, I’ll pack the lunch. Sounds fun!”

Or…

Jon: “Hey honey, let’s pack a lunch and head down to the Sunset Cliffs cesspools …