California

Californians Bet Farming Agave For Spirits Holds Key To Weathering Drought

"Leo Ortega started growing spiky blue agave plants on the arid hillsides around his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked. A decade later, his property is now dotted with thousands of what he and others hope is a promising new crop for the state following years of punishing drought and a push to scale back on groundwater pumping."

Source: AP, 11/06/2023

"Gavin Newsom Wants to Export California’s Climate Laws to the World"

"The Democratic governor is supercharging climate policy and eyeing a future White House run. But critics say some of his constituents could be left behind."

"Gavin Newsom, the California governor, packed his bags and his ambition Monday and flew to Chinese provinces on a weeklong mission to negotiate climate agreements.

Last month, he was the only American invited to address the United Nations about climate change, where he excoriated the fossil fuel industry for what he called its decades of “deceit and denial.”

Source: NYTimes, 10/24/2023

Prying Open the Statehouse Doors

Reporting on environmental stories often leads to the state legislature, where key material can be frustratingly hard to access. Whether that’s because the state is deliberately hiding information, has poor systems for sharing it or isn’t even tracking it, there are ways to get what you need. Four seasoned environment reporters offer tips, tricks and commiseration.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

"Newsom Signs First-In-The-Nation Corporate Climate Disclosure Bills"

"Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills Saturday that would require large corporations operating in the state to disclose both their carbon footprints and their climate-related financial risks starting in 2026."

Source: Politico, 10/09/2023

Home Insurance Likely To Be a 2024 Climate Story Near You

In the first of a two-parter for our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy, TipSheet looks at what climate-driven disasters mean for the home insurance market. Storms, floods and fire rip through communities, yet a federal insurance program falls short, lawmakers shy away from real reform and insurers grow hesitant to cover the risks, while homeowners often attempt to rebuild in the same problematic locales. Plus, see part two on extreme weather and insurance.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - California