Category: Environment
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Wineries on high alert as Point Fire burns in Sonoma County
Nearby wineries are unscathed so far, but remain on edge. By Kate Bradshaw and Rick Hurd This story was first published in The Mercury News on June 17, 2024. Wine lovers were watching anxiously Monday as firefighters engaged with a stubborn early-season blaze threatening some of Sonoma’s most famed vineyards. The Point Fire, which had…
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Renowned Oakland-Senegalese chef teams up on a new West African cookbook
Lisa Katayama and chef Pierre Thiam have written the cookbook “Simply West African” on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Oakland, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) “Simply West African” by Pierre Thiam and Lisa Katayama hits bookstores September 19 By Kate Bradshaw This story was first published in The Mercury News Sept. 5, 2023. Renowned…
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Q&A: Jenny Odell on how Bay Area landscapes inspired her new book ‘Saving Time’
From I-880 to Pescadero State Beach, Odell dissects different ways of grokking time. Jenny Odell, author of “Saving Time” and “How to Do Nothing,” lives in Oakland and draws inspiration for her writing from Bay Area landscapes. (Courtesy Chani Bockwinkel.) By Kate Bradshaw This story was first published in The Mercury News on Sept. 11,…
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Bay Area: Who knew there were chestnut orchards right here?
Plus, how to collect your own haul. Hans Johsens prepares for the onslaught of harvest season visitors to his Skyline Chestnut In the Santa Cruz Mountains, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) By Kate Bradshaw This story was first published in The Mercury News Oct. 31, 2023. We’ve all heard the Christmas…
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Inside the wacky ways Peninsula communities are trying to skirt new housing
Pam Silvaroli comments on plans for multifamily zoning along El Camino Real at an Atherton City Council meeting Jan. 31. (Photo by Magali Gauthier) Wealthy towns have a rich playbook for preserving the status quo around housing. But it’s starting to backfire. By Kate Bradshaw Published Feb. 15, 2023 in The Six Fifty. Residents in…
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Beyond plastic straw bans: ‘Generation Dread’ author and Stanford postdoc Britt Wray on coping with (and acting on) eco-anxiety
Britt Wray is a Stanford University postdoc and the author of “Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis.” Courtesy Sebastian Wray. Wray discusses her book, which is framed around her decision about whether to have a child in a climate crisis, and advice for navigating the stormy seas of climate change. By…
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An initiative to reduce single-use plastics is brewing in Peninsula cafes
A barista prepares a hot drink in an Okapi Reusables insulated cup. Courtesy Jason Quigley. As San Mateo County eateries face new laws to curb throwaway plastics, the county is partnering with a new startup to bring reusable takeout cups to local shops. By Kate Bradshaw Feb. 17, 2023 About 120 billion paper, plastic and…
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Flipping the switch on all-electric housing
By Kate Bradshaw Sept. 21, 2022 For Juan Carlos, the electricity switch was both subtle and profound. His home in a newly-renovated unit in Light Tree Apartments is at the forefront of a trend that cities across California are trying to encourage to meet their sustainability goals: switching from natural gas appliances to electric ones.…
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The call of the wild: From paralyzed seagulls to skunks caught in bear traps, Peninsula wildlife rescue workers have seen it all
Baby birds are kept in a nursery at the Wildlife Care Center in Burlingame, where they may need to be fed as often as every half-hour. Photo by Devin Roberts. By Kate Bradshaw August 4, 2022 Orphaned baby songbirds and poisoned seagulls. Small squirrels snapped up by cats. Skunks caught in bear traps. Wild animals in trouble…
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Going to Santa Clara’s Central Park? Watch where you step
Canada geese rest in the shade at Santa Clara’s Central Park. Photo by Kate Bradshaw. By Kate Bradshaw April 8, 2022 Santa Clara’s Central Park has a goose problem. More specifically, a goose poop problem. The park is home to—by one count—about 176 Canada geese, and each one drops roughly a pound of excrement every…
Kate Bradshaw 