California Re-evaluating Its Landmark Climate Strategy
As the coronavirus pandemic and recession hits California, the governor’s top environmental official has launched a comprehensive review of the cap and trade program that has been the cornerstone of the state’s strategy to fight climate change.
The Future of Small Farmers in Local Food Chains
Community Supported Agriculture programs have seen an uptick in business during the coronavirus pandemic
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, consumers flock to Community Supported Agriculture programs as reliable sources of fresh produce, but will they stay once the pandemic has passed?
A One-Woman Urban Farm
The owner of Corn Poppy Produce in Stockton talks about building her urban farm business
Jessica Bryant, a former personal trainer who was raised on a cattle ranch, started Corn Poppy Produce in 2019 to promote healthier living in the Stockton community.
Lean but Still Green
More new developments across the Capital Region are using water-wise landscaping, but state rules are complex and not uniformly enforced
State regulations present an opportunity to shift the way we think about what an eco-friendly landscape can do when we move beyond compliance toward practices that conserve all natural resources and maximize water efficiency.
Nut of the Future?
With droughts inevitable, more farmers are switching from almonds to pistachios, but not everyone is happy about it
Almond trees and grapevines will die if deprived of irrigation for a year or less in a dry place like the San Joaquin Valley, but pistachios can survive for years with almost no water. That means, in crisis-level droughts, the trees might persist where virtually all other crops die.
Storm Chasers
Real-time weather forecasting is helping to balance the need to store more water while still preventing floods
In the face of climate change, environmental stress and population growth, advanced technology can lead to enhanced weather forecasting, which could make a huge impact in preventing floods and keeping reservoirs full.
Going With the Flows
McGeorge School of Law professor Jennifer Harder on water issues, laws and uses
Professor Jennifer Harder is the co-director of the Water & Environmental Law program at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Comstock’s spoke with Harder about water issues affecting the Capital Region and California.
Delta Blues
The battle over water has been fought to a standstill, but there’s hope that science and technology will make voluntary agreements by all sides possible
For decades, the California water debate revolved around one metric: unimpeded flow, which is the amount of water in the river and streams. While flow is still without doubt the key issue, it is no longer the only one.
Sun Power
Evolving practices help bring solar cooking to the world stage
Solar Cookers International, the world’s leading organization on solar cooking, has been based in Sacramento since 1987. SCI’s work to reduce dependency on fuelwood could have far-reaching global economic impacts.
Growing Pains
Local farmers work hard to respond and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic
Comstock’s spoke with Paul Towers, executive director of Community Alliance with Family Farmers, a Davis-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting family farmers and community-based agriculture, to find out how small farmers in the Capital Region are faring during the coronavirus pandemic.