Posts Tagged: Kern County

Opinion

As Kern County goes, so goes the nation

A historic section of downtown Bakersfield at sunset. (Photo: Matt Gush, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: Some in California hold our state as an example as the proving ground for climate policy, and the model for the rest of the U.S. – and beyond. So, it’s fair to ask – are California’s climate policies actually helping communities and, if so, should they serve as a template for other states?

Opinion

Robust economy and climate goals can go hand in hand

An aerial, panoramic view of downtown Los Angeles. (Photo: Sai Chan, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: We do not have to sacrifice our prosperity to achieve California’s climate goals. Quite the opposite is true. To put California on an equitable and prosperous path to a carbon neutral economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a $750 million Community Economic Resilience Fund.

News

Kern spill renews oil production controversy

Pump jacks at sunset, extracting up to 40 liters of oil and water emulsion with each stroke. (Photo: Ronnie Chua, via Shutterstock)

California has long been a top producer of oil. But that may change. Some hope that change will accelerate under Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has called for a decrease in the demand and supply of fossil fuels. A recent massive spill in Chevron’s Cymric oilfield in Kern County, about 35 miles west of Bakersfield, could bolster that view.

News

Doing a weed start-up? Wait in line

An illustration of a California highway sign depicting cannabis legalization.(Image: Rex Wholster

Though recreational marijuana has been legal in the state since January, good luck trying to open a marijuana business in much of the state. The state gives local jurisdictions the power to decide what type and how much cannabis businesses to allow. While big cities like San Francisco and San Jose allowed commercial activity right away, many other communities have banned it or are still debating how much to let in

News

California’s valley fever on the rise

Lab supervisor Marilyn Mitchell pulls samples during tests for Valley Fever at the Community Medical Center lab in Fresno. (Photo: Fresno Bee/Craig Kohlruss, 2014, via AP)

The first sign that Rob Purdie had valley fever was when he woke up one day with what felt like a hangover but he hadn’t taken a drink. He had a splitting headache that was so bad that he had to stay in dark room with the blinds drawn and his sunglasses on. He was eventually diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis meningitis, the most severe form of valley fever.

Opinion

Water storage needed — but keep faith with Prop. 1

The Kern River flows through Hart Park near Bakersfield. (Photo: Richard Thornton

OPINION: The California Water Commission is currently evaluating 11 proposals that are competing for $2.7 billion of the Prop. 1 funds set aside for storage projects. In December, the applicants made their cases directly to the commissioners in Sacramento, describing their purported “public benefits” to satisfy Proposition 1’s funding requirements.

News

Bullet train: A dispute over stations

Artist's conception of the bullet train crossing an overpass in Anaheim. (Illustration: California High Speed Rail Authority)

It’s a tale of two stations. Bakersfield, California’s ninth-largest city in terms of population with more than 380,000 residents, is trying to decide where to put a bullet-train station. This battle has lasted for years.

News

Bakersfield focus in bullet train battle

An artist's rendition of the California bullet train. (Illustration: California High Speed Rail Authority)

At the heart of the dispute over California’s bullet train project is Bakersfield, where a local legal battle is sending ripples through the multibillion-dollar system. “We have adversely affected all of Southern California,” said Adam Cohen, a Bakersfield transportation and planning consultant who closely monitors the high-speed train’s path and station through his city.

Opinion

Consumer Watchdog: Grill PUC nominee on oil, gas links

Aliso Canyon in Southern California, site of an unprecedented methane gas leak. (Photo: trekandshoot, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: Aliso Canyon was the biggest methane well blowout in U.S. history, and we still don’t know why it happened. The California Public Utilities Commission and Brown administration regulators just reopened the facility without the necessary environmental and safety reviews, so we have no way of knowing if it will happen again.

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