State and Local Leaders Spotlight Water-Wise Lawn Transformation Ahead of Anticipated Fourth Dry Year, RWA, Oct 21, 2022

October 21, 2022, Regional Water Authority E-News

As California prepares for another anticipated drought year, state and local leaders gathered yesterday at a small business in the heart of Folsom to spotlight their drought-resilient landscape, made possible by a rebate offered from the Regional Water Authority (RWA). The rebate is an example of how local water agencies are working to help California businesses and residents reduce their water use and embrace water-saving opportunities like transitioning to low-water landscaping.

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Improve the embodied carbon of buildings, AIA, October 2022

From the American Institution of Architects (AIA)

“How can we reduce embodied carbon? The best answer is to reuse existing buildings and materials.”

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How special interests exploited a loophole and put a Sacramento County tax hike on the ballot, SacBee, October 19, 2022

By The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board | October 19, 2022 | The Sacramento Bee

In their purest form, citizens’ initiatives are supposed to represent grassroots democracy, rallying a wide range of people behind a single cause. Measure A is the antithesis of that. It’s democracy purchased by a select few citizens who are spending money to make even more in the decades to come, heedless of the cost to the public.
In this case, the grassroots response is the opposition to the citizens’ initiative. And it’s wide-ranging, including anti-tax conservatives, environmentalists, climate activists and good government advocates. They just need 50.01% to stop it.

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Researchers Report a Staggering Decline in Wildlife. Here’s How to Understand It. NYTimes, Oct 12, 2022

October 12, 2022 | By Catrin Einhorn | The New York Times

“Scientists know what’s causing biodiversity loss. On land, the top driver is agriculture, as people turn forests and other ecosystems into farmland for cattle or palm oil. At sea, it’s fishing. There are ways to do both more sustainably.”

Click here to read the article in full: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/climate/living-planet-index-wildlife-declines.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

New water restrictions in Sacramento start next month, SacBee, October 11, 2022

By Hanh Truong | October 11, 2022 | The Sacramento Bee

The fall season is settling into Sacramento, which means watering rules for the city will change soon. As a part of a water conservation ordinance from 2017, the city of Sacramento set up restrictions on when businesses and residents water their lawns. From Nov. 1 to Feb. 28, individuals can only water their landscape one day per week, on Saturday or Sunday, at any time of day. Watering on a weekday is not allowed.

For Once, California Might Choose More Housing Over More Parking, Slate, Sept 16, 2022

By Henry Grabar

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has on his desk a long-awaited reform bill that will make housing cheaper and more abundant, help mom ’n’ pop restaurants get started, let architects reuse historic buildings, and make the state’s neighborhoods more walkable.

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