Full L.A. Times article here.

Green Air Filter:

“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” said California water resources director Lester Snow this past weekend. Sounding more like a foreboding narrator for a summer disaster film than a government official, Snow was referring to the current water crisis in California.

A man no stranger to extreme stunts, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared statewide drought emergency. He is calling for a cut of 20% in water usage by California residents. California has consistently suffered from below average precipitation and snowpack over the past three years. The lack of water affects more than 100,000 acres of farmland, such as the San Joaquin Valley, which are going uncultivated year after year.

In a time when food crisis is a very real problem affecting many impoverished regions of the world, it is certainly a wakeup call for the homeland. As dramatic as this drought declaration may seem at first, it is only fitting for the dramatic times we live in.

Photo by Jerry Ting.

The high price of green energy culls consumers and Clean Air restrictions on big shipping have port workers gasping for air.

The New York Times released a comprehensive evaluation of American green power programs and found that only 2% of households can voluntarily afford electricity powered by renewables.  The study reveals that while green power may be expensive now, resources like wind and sunlight are free and safe from the price jumps found in oil, coal, or natural gas.

Los Angeles, California: The green wave has rolled into port and commercial shipping giants say less cargo will mean less revenue in 2009.  Pollution from big shipping isn’t from the boats but from the 16,000 trucks on land.  Old, dirty trucks are slated to be replaced with cash from municipal bonds but the weak market is preventing California state money from reaching the program.  The port hopes to postpone any further green initiatives based on declining cargo volumes.

For more on the price of green, check out some of the following links:

California study shows high cost of renewable power (Reuters)

Economists caution Oregon on high cost of biofuel (Renewable Energy World)

One-two punch of high cost renewables (ACCF)

Photo by TW Collins.