Frozen pipes never concern San Francisco residents, but Minnesotans insulate the pipes around their homes every winter. The West Nile virus scares many Californians but doesn't alarm Scandinavians at all. Where you are in the world goes a long way toward determining the things you worry about.
Some Californians shy away from using wood for fear of contributing to the deforestation so frequently associated with global warming. But relying on imported goods means burning fossil fuels to bring those goods to market, which increases greenhouse gas emissions. The arguments to promote "locally grown" are no more or less valid when considering one's consumption of lumber and other forest products.
ESPM grad student interviewed by NPR, describes fighting fire
Rachel Smith, a graduate student in Environmental Science, Policy and Management with the Moritz Lab, was recently interviewed by NPR about her experiences fighting fire in Southern California.
Excerpted from the interview:
"As we work, the forest shadows deepen. The temperature drops. The humidity soars. Gradually, the fire is cooling. By the time we reach the cedar, it's past midnight. Our incident commander decides to knock off for a few hours before we try to cut down the dangerous tree. We spend the night spiked out inside the fireline, nestled in a burned-over hollow. I sleep with my boots on, just in case."
By Bill Dennison, Cal Forestry alum & past president of the California Forestry Association
The U.S. Forest Service recently became the first federal agency to register with the California Climate Action Registry, a first step to track greenhouse gas emissions attributable to global climate change from U.S. Forest Service operations.
This op-ed, by Assistant Professor Max Auffhammer and UCSD economist Richard Carson, originally appeared in the Washington Post on August 2, 2007.
China is about to emerge as the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases, a position the United States has held since 1890. Now is the time for China to take the lead in finding a way to reduce global emissions, which the United States has thus far failed to do. It should start by imposing a sizable tax on the carbon content of its fossil fuel consumption and by heading an effort among other major trading countries to do the same.
Editorial: Unabomber has no place on list of alumni who "excelled"
The College of Natural Resources finds it deeply regrettable that Ted Kazcynski, widely known as the Unabomber, was recently included in a California magazine list of Berkeley alumni who have "excelled in every field."
Kazcynski, who was not a Cal alumnus but an assistant math professor for two years in the late 60s, mailed 16 bombs over more than a decade, killing three and injuring 29. In 1995, one of his bombs killed Gil Murray, Forestry '75.
Note (4/6/07): California magazine's online edition now lists an Editor's note, which is much appreciated:
A regrettable inclusion: Due to an editing error in the Centennial issue, Ted Kazcynski, the infamous Unabomber, was inadvertently included in the roll of exemplary Berkeley alums. While Kazcynski was an assistant Berkeley professor for two years, he did not attend Cal. Moreover, we regret the error and sincerely apologize to anyone we offended, particularly the family, friends and colleagues of his victims.
In tribute to Murray, who was much loved by fellow alumni and the forestry community, we reprint two obituaries here:
Relying on Berkeley research, California establishes groundbreaking carbon standard for fuels
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued an executive order calling for California to establish the world's first carbon standard for transportation fuels. (Read about it in the Governor's op-ed here.)
The University of California estimates our greenhouse gas emissions goals will increase our gross state product by $60 billion and create more than 20,000 new jobs. The time is now for America to transition to a clean-energy economy.... I am very pleased to be able to announce that California is leading the way.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's executive order to begin implementation of a market-based compliance program encouraging businesses to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions is clearly a step in the right direction toward cleaning our air of harmful carbon particulates. The next step is to make it financially attractive enough for businesses to comply with the program.
FIRST MY socially responsible ice cream. Then my local, earth-conscious juice. Then my hip, alternative, throwback sneakers. Then my daughter's organic yogurt. Then my wife's animal-friendly cosmetics. Now it's the one toothpaste I believed in . . . if it makes any sense to believe in a toothpaste.
Forest landowners playing role in fight against global warming
By Andrea Tuttle
California's forests have something to celebrate.
The first forest projects in California designed specifically to fight global warming were recently announced at the United Nations conference on climate change in Montreal. By registering in the California Climate Action Registry, the Garcia River Forest in Sonoma County and the Van Eck property in Humboldt show a new model for protecting natural resources.
The projects will reduce greenhouse gases and restore streams and roads, all while working to produce timber. Perhaps most surprising is that well-known environmental groups, including the Conservation Fund, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Nature Conservancy and the State Coastal Conservancy, will actually manage logging on these lands to save them and better the environment.
