California Watch: Climate and Water

California 2025
Planning for a Better Future: June 2010

California’s current economic and fiscal realities make nonpartisan, objective information on the state’s future challenges all the more critical. Understandably, the search is on for immediate solutions to the unprecedented crises we face today. But if the present crises make policymakers shelve long-term planning, the result may be an even more uncertain future for our state.

It highlights the state’s most pressing long-term policy challenges in 8 key areas -budget, economy, education, population, transportation, workforce; and

• Climate Change: California is charting new territory with its plans to reduce emissions. But the state also needs to prepare for the effects of climate change that are already coming. Watch a “Briefing” Slide Show.

• Water: California faces growing water management challenges—including growth in demand, climate change, and instability in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Potential solutions will involve difficult and sometimes costly tradeoffs. The comprehensive package of water legislation enacted in late 2009 is a good beginning in policy reform but increased momentum—coupled with new investments—is essential to the state’s future.

2 other publications on water from the Public Policy Institute of California:

California Water Myths, December 2009

California faces enormous challenges in establishing a sustainable path for water resource management. This study highlights eight common water myths, focusing on water supply, ecosystems, and legal and governance issues. In combating these myths, the report sets the stage for a more informed approach to water policy and management.

Interactive Map: Per Capita Urban Water Use: 1960-2005
Interactive Feature: Virtual Tour (Center For Watershed Sciences, UC Davis)

Lawns and Water Demand in California, July 2006

Over the next 25 years, outdoor water use will be a major factor in escalating water demand in California. The demand will be aggravated by the dominant land-use pattern in inland areas: single-family homes with lush lawns. Without efforts aimed specifically at reducing outdoor urban water use, the demand will pose significant financial and environmental challenges for California. Also analyzes population growth and housing trends in the state’s major climactic regions, estimates residential lot and yard sizes, and examines the water needs of cool-season turf grass lawns. It also evaluates several outdoor water conservation programs.

Water Efficiency Measures

Business not going with the flow, yet
Burbank Leader: July 31, 2010 by Gretchen Meier

Less than half of all business owners in Burbank have installed water-saving fixtures in advance of the Nov. 1 deadline that will mark the beginning of a 25% surcharge on water bills for delinquent customers, officials said.

Enacted as part of the new rate plan established last year, the deadline has already been extended beyond June 30 until the end of October, yet only 45% of businesses have returned certificates of compliance, officials said.

Burbank Water and Power has been pushing those under deadline at least twice since the beginning of the calendar year, but only half of the remaining 55% have confirmed they are "working on it," customer programs assistant Karen Wilcox said.

Utility customers are being asked to replace older toilets with those that use 1.6 gallons per flush and replace aerators in kitchen and bathroom faucets with a lower flow rate.

Burbank Water and Power offers a rebate of $100 to replace older toilets for high-efficiency models that use 1.28 gallons per flush.

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In an ordinance passed by the Burbank City Council last week, all properties must now retrofit faucets and toilets upon resale as a condition of escrow. READ MORE !

* Important Notice Regarding Your Water Service *

The City of Burbank now requires that all multi-family residential, commercial and industrial water service customers certify that certain water efficiency measures have been installed on their property.

Compliance must be achieved by October 31, 2010. Failure to certify compliance will result in a surcharge of 25% on the customer’s water bill for 12 months commencing on November 1, 2010. If non-compliance continues beyond the 12 month period, the surcharge will increase to 50% per month, until compliance occurs. To view more information on the Required Water Efficiency Measures, CLICK HERE

National Water Quality Month

National Water Quality Month: August

Basic Information about Drinking Water Contaminants
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water.

Also an alphabetic list of contaminants

List of Contaminants & their MCLs
Microorganisms
Disinfectants
Disinfection Byproducts
Inorganic Chemicals
Organic Chemicals
Radionuclides

Quality of Water in Burbank and California

Burbank Water Quality Report 2009

California
EPA: Consumer Confidence Reports
Local Drinking Water Information by state.

Aquafornia
California Water News Blog by the Water Education Foundation

Green Day Planner: August 2010

Burbank Library Green Events: August 2010

Calendar of Green Events in Burbank and Greater LA. Check out State and National events on the Green Day Planner.

Aug 4-6
Techonomy Conference - Tahoe
identifying and promoting ideas, principles and enterprises

Aug 13
Jules Verne Festival @ 10am-6pm - LA
1st Annual Jules Verne NATURE DAY. FREE @ 7th & FIG Plaza
Featuring the vegetable-oil running vehicle from the award-winning film NATURE PROPELLED

Aug 14
BURBANK: Household Hazardous Waste Roundup
Burbank Fire Training Center 1845 N. Ontario

Aug 15
Power Mix - LA
Cutting Edge Alternative Energy Expo

Aug 16
BURBANK: Sustainable Task Force @ 4:30pm

Aug 18
BURBANK: Take Out Your Lawn Workshop @ 6:30pm
Swap that water-guzzling lawn @ the Buena Vista Branch

Aug 30-31
CAPCOA Climate Forum – SF

September
Sep 1-2
Women In Green Forum - Pasadena

California Watch: Rebates

California Cash for Appliances expands to energy-efficient dishwashers, water heaters and HVAC systems
LA Times: July 29, 2010 by Tiffany Hsu

When rebates for refrigerators and money for washing machines won’t do the trick, try adding dollars for dishwashers to the mix.

That’s what state energy officials are offering Californians, starting Thursday, in an attempt to boost lagging interest in a 3-month-old rebate program for energy-efficient appliances.

The original rebates included up to $50 for room air conditioners, $100 for clothes washers and $200 for refrigerators. The offer now adds up to $50 for freezers, $100 for dishwashers, $750 for water heaters and $1,000 for heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems. Search for qualifying appliances here.

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Instead of requiring that the appliances be sold by May 23, the commission is giving customers rebates until funds run out. And buyers now get 120 days, not 30, to file their rebate applications.

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Hence the expanded offer, known as California Cash for Appliances PLUS. Consumers can now get rebates for 25 dishwasher models, 165 freezers, 258 boilers, more than 300 water heaters and 2,887 furnaces. READ MORE !

MyCall2Recycle

Call2Recycle® Challenges
North Americans to Recycle 1 Million Pounds of Batteries
July – October 1, 2010

Cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, cordless power tools and digital cameras all use rechargeable batteries, which can and should be recycled.

Call2Recycle, North America’s only free rechargeable battery and cell phone collection program, launched MyCall2Recycle, an awareness campaign designed to educate consumers and businesses on the importance and ease of battery recycling.

During the campaign, consumers are asked to scour their homes and rid their attics, junk drawers and storage spaces of all used rechargeable batteries and cell phones and bring them to any of Call2Recycle’s 30,000 public drop-off locations to help the organization achieve its goal of collecting one million pounds of rechargeable batteries between now and Oct. 1.

Since 1994, Call2Recycle has recycled millions of pounds of rechargeable batteries through a network of 30,000 drop-off locations in the US and Canada.

Find a Drop-Off location by Zip Code
or Call: 877.2.RECYCLE - 877 . 273 . 2925

Some Burbank Locations

Best Buy - 1501 N Victory Pl – 818 845 5121
Do It Center - 3221 W Magnolia Blvd – 818 845 8301
Fry's Electronics - 2311 N Hollywood Way – 818 526 8159
Grainger - 7565 N Lockheed Dr – 818 253 7970
K-Mart - 1000 N San Fernando Blvd – 818 843 4221
Lowe's - 2000 W Empire Ave – 818 557 2300
MelroseMAC - 2400 W Olive Ave – 562 879 3865
Office Depot - 228 E Burbank Blvd – 818 848 2591
RadioShack - 2412 W Victory Blvd – 818 842 8579
Verizon Wireless - 1729 N Victory Pl – 818 842 2722

More @

News For You: UCLA Institute of the Environment

UCLA Institute of the Environment
Everything We Do Now Matters

IoE generates knowledge and provides solutions for regional and global environmental problems and educates the next generation of professional leadership committed to the health of our planet.

Through its local, national, and international programs, the IoE employs innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches to address critical environmental challenges - including those related to climate change, water quality, air pollution, biodiversity, and sustainability - with the goal of achieving stable human coexistence with the natural systems on which society depends.

IoE Resources

Southern California Environmental Report Card
~ UCLA faculty analyzes current environmental issues
Spring 2010: Biodiesel Fuels
Winter 2010: Promoting Green Innovation

Clean Tech LA Video Series
CleanTech Los Angeles (CTLA) is a multi-institutional collaboration between the City of Los Angeles, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, UCLA, USC, Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Central City Association, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to establish Los Angeles as the global leader in research, commercialization, and deployment of clean technologies.

Climate Change Portal
entry point to the vast array of experts, research, and activities that UCLA is engaged in.

IoE Newsletter: Spring 2010
The Hot Spot
Programming for the Planet
Natural Invention

Follow IoE on Twitter