GreenWatch

B. McPherson A wildfire outside of Bakersfield California has forced a mandatory evacuation of 500 homes. The fire, dubbed the Shirley Fire, is currently out of control and spreading fast. It currently has consumed 2200 acres on the Alta Sierra Mountains.  Gusty winds on the weekend helped spread the fire. Currently, over 1000 firefighters are on the job there, helped with planes and helicopters. With only 10% of the fire contained, workers are employing  overlapping duty/shift changes in order to maintain the fight. The firefighting may get more difficult later this week as the weather is expected to trend to hotter and drier. The rugged terrain is hampering the use of heavy ground equipment. The cost of fighting this fire so far has been pegged at over $4 million. California is facing increasing costs in fighting wild fires. One of the reasons for the increase is the huge efforts to save people’s homes in areas of interface between the wild land and the urban. W...

B. McPherson The Golden State is facing its worst drought ever. California is suffering from its worst drought in a century. Governor Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency. Over 80% of the Golden State is suffering from severe to exceptional drought. Even in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, lack of snow cover has ski resorts closed. Wildfires in the state are expected to get worse as the vegetation becomes tinder. California is the leading agricultural producer in the US. Farming is being squeezed due to lack of water. Beef cattle, normally out grazing have to be fed hay instead, at a much higher cost to the farmer. That is, when the farmer can afford to bring in hay from out of state. Lack of water in the irrigation ponds means little water for the animals to drink. Many ranchers are sending their stock to slaughter early and at a loss. Dairy farmers are faced with low milk prices and higher forage prices. Much of the fresh vegetables that we enjoy in the Canad...