An interesting article by a nature writer in the Boston Globe, bemoaning the current state of nature writing as being too reverent and preaching to the converted. (Hat tip to Conservation News (August 11) for the reference.) A good thing to keep in mind for those of us among the converted. CGF’s newsletters do try...
Category: News
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Glad-handing the politicians
Just a short observation: I went to a Sierra Club/League of Conservation Voters’ meeting with candidates for political office. Those two organizations kindly offered other groups, like CGF, a chance to set up tables with information. I manned a table, but the politicians were sitting, not circulating. “No use just sitting here,” I thought, grabbed...
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Green Foothills’ Decision Markets
I have been listening to the audio version of a good book recently, The Wisdom of Crowds. The author’s thesis is that groups can arrive at the correct answer to a question more reliably than single individuals, even if the individual is an expert and the group members are not. Larger groups are better decisionmakers...
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It’s here….
West Nile virus, that is. A dead crow in East San Jose has been diagnosed with the disease. This exotic disease may force some unfortunate changes in wetlands management. Environmental groups will have to watch government agencies to make sure they do not cross the line separating reasonable caution in conducting mosquito abatement, from paranoia that...
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Tiger Salamanders finally get protection
The Fish and Wildlife Service has apparently decided to finally grant protection under the Endangered Species Act to California Tiger Salamanders throughout their range. While the government missed its promised May 15 deadline, it at least decided to go ahead with the listing, contrary to the wishes of developers. The timing is also fortuitous for...
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Sprawl comes home to roost in Gilroy
For years, the City of Gilroy has had an unfortunate obsession with promoting “big-box” retailing, placing massive discount outlets near the outskirts of town in order to attract retail customers from around the Bay Area. Besides using up open space and destroying farmland in the last stronghold for agriculture in Santa Clara County, this policy...
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Morgan Hill’s version of Coyote Valley?
I (Brian) just came back from a meeting in Morgan Hill to discuss the City’s proposed “Greenbelt”, which is unfortunately linked to a proposal to establish a new and expanded Urban Line Limit for the City. While a protected greenbelt could be a good idea, the proposal to create a 50-year, Urban Line Limit beyond...
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Metro Weekly corrects the Mercury News
A good article about Coyote Valley was in last week’s Metro Weekly: “Coyote Ugly – Why is the ‘Mercury News’ calling the city’s vision for Coyote Valley sustainable when it isn’t?” The Metro points out that 25,000 homes will not satisfy the demand created by the massive industrial development in Coyote Valley. Neither the City...
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Otters recovering, but still in danger
Some good news about California sea otters: “After a long, frightening decline, a new survey shows that the number of California sea otters living along the coast has increased sharply for the second straight year.” (Mercury News, registration required for viewing.) Before that long, frightening decline, the otters had been steadily progressing towards recovery, and...