Climate Mitigation and Adaptation News

October 4th, 2023

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Events & Opportunities

Agricultural Biomass Conference

October 5th - 6th

The Sacramento Valley Basin-wide Air Pollution Control Council is putting on the Agricultural Biomass Conference to highlight the opportunity to utilize a ubiquitous, but underused commodity – agricultural biomass. Biomass from agricultural operations in the northern valley is a renewable and reliable resource, continually generated year to year and easily transported, making it ideal for the production of bio-products like biochar and biofuels. Diverting ag biomass for alternative uses instead of burning them would greatly reduce smoke impacts and contribute to clean air goals for northern valley communities. This conference looks to bring key stakeholders together to promote discussion and fuel positive action toward ag biomass utilization. More information on this event can be found here.

2023 Water Summit

October 25th, 9:00am - 6:00pm

The Water Summit is the Water Education Foundation’s premier event of the year, with leading policymakers and experts addressing critical water issues in California and across the West. This year’s event will be held Wednesday, October 25, at The Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento and includes lunch and an evening reception to network with speakers and fellow attendees. Details on the agenda are soon to come. Registration information for this event is available here.

2023 Livability Summit by Valley Vision

October 30th, 8:00am - 3:30pm

The Livability Summit is Valley Vision's annual collaborative conference for advancing equity, sustainability, and prosperity. The Livability Summit provides a space where community members and regional leaders unite, share views and voices, listen and reflect, and engage with a diverse audience capable of creating real impact. More details and registration information for this event can be found here.

Oak-toberfest - Celebrate our Region's Trees!

October 30th, 5:00 - 7:00pm

Join The Sacramento Tree Foundation at Oak-toberfest!. Prepare for an evening of festivities dedicated to Angelo Tsakopoulos, taking place at The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre on Capitol Avenue. This event provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in lively ambiance, savor delectable cuisine, and enjoy live entertainment with a performance from the B Street performers. Oak-toberfest offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow tree admirers and immerse yourself in Sacramento’s vibrant culture. Mark your calendar and secure your spot at this memorable event! Find more information on this event here.

Call for Speakers: 2024 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo

The 2024 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo is taking place May 20 - 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. This event is looking for dynamic and forward-thinking industry leaders to present case studies and compelling presentations on the latest trends and emerging topics in sustainable transportation such as advanced clean vehicle deployments; renewable fuel advancements; connected vehicle technology implementation; advanced energy management; federal and state regulations and funding programs; and efficiency progresses across all weight classes and vehicle applications. More information on this opportunity can be found here.

News

Local

NorCal School Districts are Taking Climate Change Head On. Here's the Changes They're Making

CBS News Sacramento

Climate change is an issue we are all familiar with - but for many schools in northern California, it's becoming an issue they need to take head-on. From Sacramento City Unified to Modesto City Schools, many districts are now trying to keep up with changes in the climate by making their own changes. "School districts like ours must think deeply about how to both adapt to a rapidly changing climate and also how to mitigate our impact on it," said Chamberlain Segrest, Environmental Sustainability Manager at the Sac City Unified School District. Read this full article here.

Collaborative Art Raises Climate Consciousness in Davis

Sacramento News & Review

Driving north through rural Davis, Jullianne Ballou noticed a series of signs on Pole Line Road with compelling messages. The missives all had a climate awareness theme, with catchy phrases: “Orchards capture carbon,” and “What a climate bargain.” Another proclaimed Race to net zero. “I thought the signs were incredibly effective because I wondered where I could learn more,” she says. Ballou, who later accepted a position as associate director of strategic initiatives for the UC Davis Institute of the Environment, was renting a farmhouse on the land that featured the signs, a 9,000-tree almond orchard owned by Mike Russell, a former UC Davis professor and part-time farmer. Read this full article here.

State

Here Are All the Climate and Environment Bills that California Just Passed

Los Angeles Times

At midnight, September 14th, California lawmakers put their pencils down. The legislative session had come to a close in Sacramento, and elected officials had approved a whole bunch of climate change, energy and environment bills — and rejected others. Here’s a brief roundup of some of the highest-profile legislation. Read this full article here.

California’s Climate Disclosure Bill Could Have a Huge Impact Across the Nation

Capital & Main

The California Legislature took a step this week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate change within the state and have a transformative effect across the nation. It also marked the rise of a more forceful climate caucus in the Legislature, led by new Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, bucking an intense industry lobbying push that killed a similar bill last year. Read this full article here.

Wildfire

Wildfire-prone California to Consider New Rules for Property Insurance Pricing

AP News

California will let insurance companies consider climate change when setting their prices, the state’s chief regulator recently announced, a move aimed at preventing insurers from fleeing the state over fears of massive losses from wildfires and other natural disasters. Unlike other states, California does not let insurance companies consider current or future risks when deciding how much to charge for an insurance policy. Instead, they can only consider what’s happened on a property in the past to set the price. Read this full article here.

Is California’s Wildfire Season Finally Over? Don’t Bet on it, Experts Say

Los Angeles Times

California has entered fall amid notably moist conditions that have left some wondering whether this year’s fire season has officially fizzled. The state has seen about 276,000 acres burn so far this year — significantly less than the five-year average of 1,158,028 acres for the same year-to-date period, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Experts said much of the mildness can be attributed to historic rains that soaked the state this year, including more than 30 atmospheric rivers that caused major flooding and record snowpack in the winter and spring, and a rare tropical storm that barreled through Southern California in August. Read this full article here.

Drought

Sacramento Set to Activate its Biggest Groundwater Plant. Why Some Might Notice Tap Water Change

CapRadio

The City of Sacramento aims to activate its biggest groundwater treatment facility by mid-October, seven years after construction for the project began. Once the plant — which is located near Cosumnes River College — begins producing up to 4 million gallons of drinking water a day, people living in the Shasta neighborhood could notice their tap water change, Department of Utilities spokesperson Carlos Eliason said. Some residents could sense more of a mineral taste associated with well water compared to the treated river water the area has received, Eliason said. But while drinking water preferences depend on the person, he said the Shasta Groundwater Treatment Facility will improve the entire city’s water supply. Read this full article here

State Delivers $55 Million to Sacramento Water Agencies in Support of Local Water Resilience Projects

California Department of Water Resources

To help combat climate change and drought impacts on regional water supplies, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and Department of Water Resources (DWR) have partnered with local water agencies to implement critical infrastructure upgrades that will improve water resilience and support environmental health in the Sacramento area. As part of a landmark partnership agreement, the state agencies have committed $55 million in funding to the Sacramento Regional Water Authority to advance 21 projects designed to boost local water supplies and environmental flows for the Lower American River during dry years. Read more here.

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The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative is a membership based collaborative network designed to promote greater climate change resilience planning coordination in the six-county Sacramento Region. The purpose of this collaborative network is to create a forum where leaders from government, academia, environmental and community groups, the business community, and labor can come together to exchange information, identify vulnerabilities and data gaps, leverage resources, and advance comprehensive solutions in an effort to create stronger, sustainable, and economically viable communities in the Capital Region.

CRCRC is a program of CivicWell.