State Water Resources Control Board
Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board; former western director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, based in San Francisco; former regional administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency (1993-2001); former public-interest environmental lawyer and one of the founders of Heal the Bay
California's Biggest Lake, More Toxic than Ever In 1905, levees broke on the Colorado River, and the water flowed into the lowest point in the United States to become the Salton Sea . California's largest inland body of water has become a magnet for fish, migratory birds and tourists, but it's also a receptacle for agricultural water runoff. Now, the drought is making it smaller, leaving behind a dust-bowl of toxic chemicals. We hear more about this potential disaster and plans to avert it.
Governor Brown Issues Statewide Water Restrictions Governor Brown today stood on dry grass where there's normally five feet of snow and announced a set of mandatory water restrictions after four years of drought. The new restrictions were immediately criticized by the group Food and Water Watch, as well as others, for letting big agriculture and the oil industry off the hook. Felicia Marcus is Chair of the Governor's Water Resources Control Board. Governor Brown delivers remarks on the drought and new mandatory water restrictions Photo: California Department of Water Resources
Obama's Green Team and the California Connection All that federal money in Barack Obama's recovery plan will be funneled through state and local officials. The President-elect has reached out to California for ideas and major appointments, saying this state leads the nation on energy and the environment. Mayor Villaraigosa will have a critical role in the flow of federal money. His biggest job will be to speed up local bureaucrats whose slogan is, "saying no never gets you in trouble." But two other Californians will play even more significant roles in the cabinet and the White House.
Midterm Elections and the Divider in Chief During a visit to Pittsburgh to honor the victims of an anti-Semitic attack, President Trump was met with protests. The president has ridiculed Democrats targeted with pipe bombs and deployed troops against Central American asylum seekers. By defying the tradition of ‘President as Unifier,’ can Trump help maintain Republican dominance in Washington?
Too rich for our own good Affluent communities put their futures as risk when they become unaffordable for everyone but the wealthy.
The Left, Right & Center Midterms Special The results are in. Who’s happy? Who’s not?
A Santa Barbara doctor learns to treat his own pain At the peak of his career as a palliative care doctor in Santa Barbara, Michael Kearney found himself burned out and in a state of personal suffering. Even though he had become an expert in treating the pain of others, he couldn’t treat his own. That changed when he had a revelatory experience that provided him with a path forward. Meanwhile, the November election is just days away, a look at what could happen to the Central Coast if California voters pass Proposition 10.