Five SoCal Must-Reads: What Effect Will a New L.A. County City of 20,000 Homes Have?

By Zach Behrens

December 28, 2011

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A big picture look at the region:

Mapping of the ocean floor surrounding the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is wrapping up, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. The study of the earthquake faults around the plant is a prerequisite for PG&E's request to renew its two operating licenses for another 20 years.
Newhall Ranch, a planned community on the western edge of L.A. County, will bring "20,000 homes, 5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, seven schools, golf courses and other amenities along the Santa Clara River." How it will impact downstream neighbors in Ventura County is being debated, says Zeke Barlow at the Ventura County Star.
The number of nights with freezing temperatures in Kern County is up this year -- 19 this month so far -- and that means citrus farmers have to take extra steps to protect their crops, finds KBAK. California's citrus industry is worth $2 billion.
At the annual Christmastime bird count in San Diego County this year, a record number of species were found, reports KPBS.
Also in San Diego County, the city of Escondido is facing a lawsuit calling for city council districts (as opposed to an at-large council). "The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that this system of voting has disproportionally underrepresented the city's Latin American population," which stands at 49%. The Atlantic Cities looks into the issue.

Photo by Tom Andrews via KCET's Southern California Flickr Pool

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An oil pump painted white with red accents stands mid-pump on a dirt road under a blue, cloudy sky with a green, grassy slope in the background.

An oil pump painted white with red accents stands mid-pump on a dirt road under a blue, cloudy sky with a green, grassy slope in the background.

California’s First Carbon Capture Project: Vital Climate Tool or License to Pollute?

California’s first attempt to capture and sequester carbon involves California Resources Corp. collecting emissions at its Elk Hills Oil and Gas Field, and then inject the gases more than a mile deep into a depleted oil reservoir. The goal is to keep carbon underground and out of the atmosphere, where it traps heat and contributes to climate change. But some argue polluting industries need to cease altogether.

By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters

Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.

By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters

A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.

By Emma Foehringer Merchant, Inside Climate News