NOAA report on California drought stirs controversy among climate change experts

A new report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) asserts that California's recent drought is the result of natural variations and not due to global warming. The results were summarized by the report's lead authors at a special news conference held today and almost immediately generated a firestorm of criticism among some of the world's climate experts, including notables such as Michael Mann and Joe Romm.

Read more at the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/article/noaa-report-on-california-drought-stirs-controversy-among-climate-change-experts

Free e-waste recycling event coming up for Kern County residents

Bakersfield and Kern County residents looking to finally get rid of their outmoded electronics have a free and easy way to do it this month at an electronic waste (E-waste) recycling event on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.

Get more details at the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/article/free-e-waste-recycling-event-coming-up-for-kern-county-residents

Environmental Week in Review, November 23 - 30, 2014

Here's what you may have missed in Environmental News last week.

http://www.examiner.com/article/environmental-week-review-november-23-30-2014

Photo © Frank Maccioli

Indoor Air Pollution: Carbon Monoxide

Most people associate Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley with smoggy air, little rain, and uncomfortably high temperatures, oftentimes exceeding 100 °F for weeks at a time. However, as those of us who live in the Valley know, wintertime temperatures can be very cold, many times approaching or even going below the freezing mark, especially at night.

Those cold temperatures cause us to not only dress warmly, but also to use other sources of heat, either to remain comfortable inside our houses, while working in our garages, or sometimes when doing outdoor activities, like camping. These sources include natural gas fired water heaters, wood or gas burning fireplaces, gas cooking appliances, and at times, portable electricity generators powered by gasoline. One of the dangers of using all of these different pieces of equipment stems from a very dangerous combustion product that forms when gas, wood, or gasoline is burned. That product is carbon monoxide.

Read more at the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/article/indoor-air-pollution-carbon-monoxide