Staggs, B. (2023, December 29 ). Here’s your 2024 timeline for California climate and 

environmental issues. Retrieved January 22, 2024, from https://www.ocregister.com/2023/12/29/heres-your-2024-timeline-for-california-climate-and-environment-issues/ 

This article written by the OC Register, a southern californian publication, highlights some key dates for environmental issues this year. From recycling laws to bans on fluorescent light bulbs and lawnmowers, California has a lot in store for 2024. One important date that highlights environmental clean up is on October first. The South Coast Air Quality Management District is thinking about putting regulations on ports to help clean up pollution in those areas. This would help clean the water and natural habitat around ship ports along California’s coast. 

This article showcases what California is doing to take initiative and help the environment. California has always been a trendsetter for other states in the climate change arena. With laws and regulations protecting our environment and our citizens from damage. These new laws that will come into effect in 2024 will just continue to help the environment even if it is in small ways, like banning fluorescent light bulbs. Everything makes a difference. 

Rode, E. ( 2023, december 7). Salton Sea restoration projects get $72 million boost from feds, a historic first. Retrieved January 22, 2024, from https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2023/12/07/salton-sea-restoration-projects-federal-funding/71818181007/ 

In early december the Desert Sun publication, wrote this article summarizing the Salton Seas new restoration project. The Salton Sea located in southern california, has been longing for restoration for years. Finally the Biden-Haris administration has provided money to back the project. $250 million dollars goes toward restoration with $72 coming from the Inflation Reduction Act. The project hopes to restore shallow and deep water lost to the receding shoreline, and improve salinity.  The funding from the federal government will expedite the 10 year plan to restore 30,000 acres to the habitat.

This article highlights the importance of federal funding in efforts to restore habitats. With the starters complex laws and regulations it can be difficult to find funding for big projects like these. It is reassuring to know that the federal government cares about the future of our state and wants to help. 

Rogers, P. ( 2023, September 22). Beach Bounce Back? California’s Largest Volunteer Event Seeks to Restore Former Glory after Covid Downturn. Retrieved January 22, 2024, from 

https://www.montereyherald.com/2023/09/22/beach-bounce-back-californias-largest-volunteer-event-seeks-to-restore-former-glory-after-covid-downturn/ 

In September, The Monterey Herald wrote this article about the struggle to find volunteers after covid. Coastal Cleanup Day has been California’s largest volunteer event since 1985. However, after the pandemic less and less people have been showing up for coastal cleanups. Before covid there were nearly 75k volunteers cleaning up trash, however that number has been cut in half in years following the pandemic. The California Coastal Commission is conducting a paid social media promo in order to try and recruit more volunteers. California has a plethora of beaches and they need the help of citizens to stay clean and healthy. 

This article exemplifies the importance of environmental volunteer work. In California especially we have so many habitats that need protection and restoration. You don’t have to be a lawmaker to help fix things, anyone can go out and volunteer. When I went out to beach cleanups I felt very good about myself and had a fun time. It is a great way to learn more about the environment hands on. I think that California residents really have the capability to make a difference. 

Mcewen, L. ( 2023, November 25). Going to the source: Can meadow restoration beef up California’s water supplies and reduce flooding?. Retrieved January 22, 2024, from 

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/going-to-the-source-can-meadow-restoration-beef-up-california-s-water-supplies-and-reduce/article_7808096e-8961-11ee-b2aa-d33681c3e062.html

Published recently in January 2024, this article written by a Bakersfield publication highlights the importance of meadows. California’s Sierra Nevada is home to hundreds of thousands of meadows. The meadows act as a sponge of water, slowing it down and filtering it. However more than 50,000 meadows are in need of restoration. Proposition 1 includes meadows in its plan to fight climate change in California. Restoring 1 acre of meadow increases water yield by half an acre-foot per year. People can help clean up meadows by removing forest debris, like one local Fresno group did recently. 

This article was surprising to me because I didn’t know how much of an impact meadows had on the environment. By restoring meadows we can really help climate change effects.This connects to sea level rise, a soft engineering approach is by creating marshes to soak up water. Meadows do the same thing for mountain water runoff. 

Houston, W. ( 2023, August 2). Marin district outlines plans for salmon habitat restoration. Retrieved January 22, 2024, from

https://www.marinij.com/2023/08/02/marin-district-outlines-plans-for-salmon-habitat-restoration/              

This article published only about a week ago by the Marin Independent Journal, summarizes the upcoming project by the Marin Municipal water District. In an effort to restore the habitat for the endangered coho salmon. Lagunitas creek was interrupted by the creation of dam, however through innovative strategies environmentalists will try to replicate the habitat for the salmon before the dams existed. The Peter Dam  at Kent Lake interrupts the flow of important gravel and wood downstream, which create spawning beds for salmon. This project is estimated to cost between 10 and 12 million dollars. 

The article highlights the efforts of Marin County to reconstruct a habitat for the endangered species of salmon. This is such an important thing to do in order to protect the ecosystem as a whole. With dams being a controversial topic in the environment, it is nice to see people finding ways to help animals affected by them. 

The Keep America Beautiful non profit works to educate people on ways to clean up the environment. Their mission is to create a clean and green country that everyone can live in happily. Some of their main points are to end littering, improve recycling,  and restore communities. The nonprofit organizes clean ups and information for people to learn more about small ways they can help the environment. Their goal is to support elected officials and other bigger organizations in environmental restoration. 

This article illustrates more common ways that the environment can be restored. Every citizen in the United States can help to make the environment better. This non-profit shows how by becoming educated in environmental clean up anyone can help. I think this is a very beneficial group that is doing great things for the environment. 

Environmental remediation services heal nature. Scientists figure out the chemical makeup of pollutants, identifying their weaknesses. They break down pollutants into substances, in order to revive the land. Remediation is a scientific process that restores the beauty of nature. The science behind it is complex and develops important methods in order to fully restore broken parts of the environment. One example is soil vapor extraction which pulls harmful gasses out of the soil. This is important to allow plants to grow and ecosystems to thrive. 

This article illustrates the importance of science in restoring the environment. Science can help us understand what is wrong with the environment and how to fix it. This is important because while governments can enact laws to try and prevent the possibility of environmental damage there most likely will always be damage to the environment. So it is important for scientists to find a way to remedy this.

The Ocean Cleanup group is a non-profit whose goal is to clean up the ocean and get rid of the toxins that harm sealife, and sometimes humans. The great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest of the world’s five garbage patches. The Ocean Cleanup Group developed a new system to be able to clear a football field of trash every five seconds. The group’s aim is to remove 90% of floating plastic from the oceans by 2040.

This article was interesting to me because it opened my eyes to other forms of environmental restoration. I had only ever researched on land restoration of national parks and ecosystems on the land. However, the ocean is also a place that needs to be cleaned up. There are so much pollutants and trash in the ocean that are negatively affecting wildlife, and the seafood that humans eat. 

In this NY Times article, the previous Obama “Good Neighbor” act is shown. This rule directed only power plants to clean up their emissions. However, the Biden administrated revised the rule to include all small plants, windmills, and small factories to do the same. The EPA is required to revise rules yearly after failing to do this they had to under a court order. The “Good Neighbor” rule is to ensure that downwind states don’t experience pollution from emissions in other states. 

This article exemplifies the importance of laws and regulations in order to encourage environmental clean-up in the United States. Big industrial corporations should be held accountable for the effect their machines have on the environment and be told to implement programs in order to reduce the consequences of their industrial equipment. 

In this article, a site of an environmental cleanup is described. The article highlights key points from the clean-up that will aid in the restoration of this beautiful space of wildlife. This is the first of four major cleanups, that will lay a foundation for a future High Falls State Park. The company Rochester Gas & Electric is overseeing this cleanup. The worksite sits on top of old foundations of a gas plant, and coal-fired Beebee station.  

This article illustrated a perfect example of how communities across the country are creating small projects to restore habitats and nature to their original beauty. This park will now create many opportunities for citizens in neighbor communities to experience the beauty of nature. This inspires me to consider restoration projects around me and see how my community is working to restore wildlife.