Environment

Kincade Fire forces adoptable animals to evacuate twice

SACRAMENTO — The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County prompted large-scale evacuations on Oct. 26 and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. But it wasn’t just humans that were displaced by the fire — pets and animals living at shelters also had to evacuate. The Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took in a total of 42 animals from Sonoma County.

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Tom Devine and Pat Halgren lead a neighborhood response team

Half Moon Bay neighbors support the medically vulnerable during power shutoffs

HALF MOON BAY — When the power goes out in Canada Cove, a Half Moon Bay neighborhood for seniors, dozens of residents are unable to use vital medical devices. So neighbors are helping spread support and information, including how to get backup batteries.

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Are pesticides the reason honeybees are in trouble?

SAN MATEO — According to the United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, the number of honeybees declined by 60 percent since 1947. Over the last decade, some environmental activists and scientists pointed to the negative effects of neonicotinoid pesticides as potential reasons for the declines in honeybee colonies. But some members of the San Mateo beekeeper’s guild are citing other explanations

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Price of fire insurance will continue to rise in wildfire-prone areas, former state insurance commissioner predicts

CALIFORNIA — For many homeowners in California where headline-making wildfires have burned homes, led to power outages and caused billions of dollars in damages, getting property and casualty insurance becomes a key challenge.

Price of fire insurance will continue to rise in wildfire-prone areas, former state insurance commissioner predicts Read More »

As fires rage, California takes steps to integrate technology into wildfire management

CALIFORNIA — In September, even before the October wildfires began to ravage parts of northern and southern California, governor Gavin Newsom announced two contracts totaling nearly $2 million for developing technology to facilitate wildfire detection and emergency decision-making.

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A Hot Mess: PG&E fights fires in the wild and creditors in court

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Autumn brought PG&E unprecedented power outages, wildfires, and massive forced evacuations, problems that would strain any utility. But for PG&E there was an additional challenge: it had to do so while undergoing the largest bankruptcy of a public utility in history.

A Hot Mess: PG&E fights fires in the wild and creditors in court Read More »

Ripple plastic: The unintended life of plastic at sea

UK artist and conservationist Mandy Barker has spent years gathering plastic items from beaches all around the world, arranging and photographing them in evocative ways. With colorful items popping against a dark background, many of her collections give a feel of outer space — a galaxy of garbage. Barker’s work is featured in Our Plastic Ocean, a touring exhibition through Impressions Gallery in the UK. The exhibition includes a virtual reality experience of Barker’s photographs produced by Stanford University students that is viewable through rippleplastic.com.

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