White sand, black gold: when oil derricks loomed over California beaches
As California population boomed in the decades following the gold rush of 1849, there was a rapidly growing demand for petroleum. By 1920, California was producing 77 million barrels of oil a year, and vast stretches of the state were occupied by derricks, and refineries. In coastal places such as Venice, oil derricks ran right up to the shore, mingling with residential neighborhoods and pristine beaches.
Sand Berm May Not Be Enough to Protect Goleta Beach from Winter El Niño Storms
Santa Barbara County Parks Department staff walked the shoreline at Goleta Beach Park earlier this week to find that much of the work crews had done – a 2,400-foot sand berm – to protect the beach from coming El Niño storms had been washed away with high tides over the weekend.
Stealing Turtle Eggs Got People Shot, But The Thievery Continues
Olive ridley sea turtles are a threatened species, and the Mexican government has made it illegal to harvest their eggs from Pacific beaches. Mexican marines patrol those beaches, and violators have been prosecuted. Yet sea turtle eggs continue to be harvested, sold in the market.
Paris COP21: Amid Optimism, Key Issues Remain on Negotiating Table
The centerpieces of a deal are the 180 national emissions pledges for the period up to 2030, which were submitted ahead of the conference. What is at issue now are the rules for their implementation, and whether a procedure can be agreed upon for upgrading them later to give the world a chance of meeting its two-degree target.