Category Archives: California

News

Ethanol production continues to drain California’s water resources during drought

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a scientist.  I’m just a guy who believes in conservation and making California the best it can be.  Now that we’re three years into below-average rainfall in California and even the sluggish state government has decided that we’re in a drought, it’s time to look at ways to conserve water.  It’s something we should have been doing for years, but … well, we’ve been too busy trying to decide what marriage is while we’re riding on the high speed rail train to bankruptcy.

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Beagles, News

Put Snoopy the beagle on your license plate!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

snoopyplateThere’s a program that’s just getting started that helps put money towards California’s museums and lets you let everyone know you love Snoopy.  If you’re a beagle lover, this is definitely something you should look into.  From the press release:

SNOOPY LICENSE PLATES NOW AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

Proceeds to benefit California museums

A program is now fully underway to put the beloved beagle on California license plates, and help fund the state’s museums at the same time. The special license plate, available for pre-order now at www.snoopyplate.com, will feature a reproduction of an original drawing of Snoopy by Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz.

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Wildlife

Cal Fire ordered to pay $32 million over court misconduct

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

L.A. Times writer Jeff Gottlieb is reporting today that Cal Fire has been ordered to pay over $32M in legal bills.  Legal bills!  WOW!  From the article:

The judge scolds agency officials for lying and covering up evidence in a lawsuit in which it sought damages for a 65,000-acre fire in Plumas County.

Already under fire for siphoning money into a secret fund, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has been ordered to pay more than $32 million in legal bills for those it blamed for starting a 65,000-acre forest fire.

In a scathing order, Superior Court Judge Leslie C. Nichols, sitting on assignment in Plumas County, accused the agency of covering up, lying and engaging in “egregious and reprehensible conduct.”

“The court finds that Cal Fire’s actions initiating, maintaining and prosecuting this action, to the present time, is corrupt and tainted,” the judge wrote.

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Big Bear Lake, National Forests

A Benefit for the Big Bear Discovery Center

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Keep your calendars open on February 8, 2014!

From the Southern California Mountains Foundation:

Join the Southern California Mountains Foundation to help fund raise for the Big Bear Discovery Center and our San Bernardino Mountains at our benefit event on Saturday, February 8, 2014, at the Discovery Center; 6:30pm to 9:00pm.

We need your support to help continue the programming and services we provide at and through the Discovery Center to continue our mission of conservation, environmental education and responsible recreation programming focused on the health, stewardship and sustainability of our mountains, communities and our own lifestyles. Please see our personal note to you below. Continue reading →

Big Bear Lake

Scientist to speak on solar eclipses

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Press release form the SCMF:

Join the Southern California Mountains Foundation and the Big Bear Solar Observatory on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 4 p.m. at the Big Bear Discovery Center to welcome guest speaker Jay Pasachoff, a leading scientist on solar eclipses, in a presentation of “The Sun and Solar Eclipses.”

Combining his rare appearance with his devotion to teaching and sharing with the world the joys of observing eclipses, Professor Pasachoff’s presentation will be open to the public. Admission is free; seating is limited on a first-come basis.

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