Bilingual Weekly
Environment
Study Shows Sugarcane Ethanol Production Causes Air Pollution
UC Merced researchers show burning of sugarcane fields prior to harvest can create more pollution than previously thought, detracting from benefits of the alternative fuel source
MERCED, Calif. — The burning of sugarcane fields prior to harvest for ethanol production can create air pollution that detracts from the biofuel’s overall sustainability, according to research published recently by a team of researchers led by scientists at the University of California, Merced.
Scientists Propose Thinning Sierra Forests to Enhance Water Runoff
Less water used by trees would result in more runoff, which could benefit farmers and water managers statewide; Project will examine impacts on forest health and other ecosystem services
MERCED, Calif. — Runoff from the Sierra Nevada, a critical source of California’s water supply, could be enhanced by thinning forests to historical conditions, according to a report from a team of scientists with the University of California, Merced, UC Berkeley and the Environmental Defense Fund.
The Growing Trend in Low- Energy Home Building
By Mayra Barrios, Bilingual Weekly
If receiving $0.05 per an aluminum can when recycling does not encourage people to live a low-energy life style, the idea of saving up to 2,000 per year on utilities will probably do so. This is the promise of Visionary Home Builders (VHB) of Stockton on their second green project, “Tierra del Sol” a neighborhood of 22 affordable energy green homes. The develop is located at 4701 Farmington Road in Stockton.
A story of survival: few live to share
STOCKTON, CA — On November 14, 2011 Ian Woodall will present “Tao of Everest” a storytelling event at Stockton’s REI store on Pacific Avenue. After surviving the climb, Ian will share the story only a few have survived to tell about it at 7 PM.
Time to plant trees
UC Master Gardeners
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA – all is a good time to plant new trees, because the cooler weather gives them some time to become established before winter sets in. Trees are the backbone of the garden, and the type of tree and location you select should be chosen very carefully.
Last 2011 free fee day in National Parks
CALIFORNIA- The final U.S. National Park service Fee Free Day for 2011 is going to be Veterans Day Weekend November 11-13. The fee free days includes 100 National Parks that usually have entrance fees. In California these include Cabrillo National Monument, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Muir Woods National Monument, Pinnacles National Monument, Sequoia National Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Yosemite National Park.
The Fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.
Public Trust Recommendations & the Delta: How much water is that?
The Sacramento River
www.bilingualweekly.com | By Deanna Lynn Wulff
California’s Chinook salmon came back this fall, due in part to good ocean conditions and abundant water, but the Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast, is still in critical condition. “Thirty-three species are endangered, and likely to go extinct within the next 25 to 50 years, if not sooner,” said Dr. Peter Moyle, associate director of UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. “Many of these are salmon and trout species, and most of the species are found only in California, so they are part of our heritage. If they disappear, they are lost, not only to California, but to the world, forever.”California’s Bay-Delta covers 1300 square miles, is home to 750 species of plants and animals, and is where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet and flow into the San Francisco Bay. But its ecosystem is collapsing.
Sanitation in the Garden
www.bilingualweekly.com | By: Marcy Sousa, UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA- Like people, plants need a healthy environment.
To reduce our chances of becoming ill, we get plenty of fresh air and clean our homes to remove bugs and bacteria. Yet we neglect our plants by leaving fruit, fallen leaves, weeds, dead branches, even dead plants in our gardens!
Fruit and fallen leaves are ideal locations for pests and diseases to harbor. Weeds and dense vegetation under trees and shrubs provide hiding places for pests and reduce airflow, increasing humidity and the likelihood of fungal diseases. Good sanitation is important for optimum plant health. Our summer fruit and vegetable crops are starting to dwindle. You may notice an abundance of fallen fruit and leaves under your trees. One question we often receive in our office is whether you should leave the fruit to compost or clean it up. Sanitation is necessary to prevent disease and pests and reduce the needs for sprays.
Often times fruit left on or around the tree will not rot completely. These fruit will shrivel up into a small ball and are called mummies. Although they may look dry and harmless these mummies will produce fungal spores during the spring and summer that can infect new fruit. Brown rot on peaches and summer rots on apples can quickly spread and may be uncontrollable, even with fungicide applications.
What you can do
Here are a few simple steps to help reduce both the severity of infections and continuing infestation by pests and diseases.
• Remove damaged and diseased branches.
• Prune plants for better air circulation. For dense plants or plants with persistent foliar fungal diseases, winter is a good time to do some thinning.
• Keep areas under trees clean. Keep the stem free of piled mulch, weeds or other competing plants. Keep weeds and grass cut short under the tree canopy.
• Remove dead plants as soon as possible. A dead plant provides a home for insects that may spread diseases to other plants.
• Rake leaves after they drop and before the first rains arrive. Because of the high rate of infection in leaves of fruit trees, ornamental cherries, ornamental plums and dogwoods, we do not recommend composting these leaves. Put them in yard waste bins for pickup. The leaves of most other plants make good additions to your compost.
Fruit trees Several additional steps are necessary to reduce disease and pest problems in fruit trees.
• Remove diseased flowers that remain on the tree after fruit set.
• Remove early fallen fruit and thin remaining fruit if necessary. Dispose of fruit.
• After harvest, remove and destroy overwintering fruit (mummies) in the tree and on the ground to eliminate sources of disease and insects next season.
If you have any questions about sanitation, fruit tree management or whether your leaves are suitable for compost, call the UC Master Gardeners at (209) 953-6112 or visit our web-site at http://sjmastergardeners.ucdavis.edu.
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Air Alert for Sept. 29
The san Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Alert for Thursday, September 29, 2011 for the Valley Air Basin. This includes the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and portions of Kern.
Will Climate Change Affect Migration?
Sep 07, 2011- Will climate change contribute to migration in the future as people are displaced? Many experts believe so, and the Migration Policy Institute is the latest to produce a report detailing how.
According to the report, climate change stands to displace people in a number of countries as weather changes affect basic necessities like the food and water supply. The countries most vulnerable to climate change affecting the qualify of life for their citizens are Bangladesh and India; other countries deemed vulnerable include Madagascar, Nepal, Mozambique, the Philippines, Haiti, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Burma and Mexico. Continue reading
Festival seeks To Educate on the Corn Crisis in Mexico
www.bilingualweekly.com | “We are the children of the corn, [is] what represented the Aztecs, “said Jonathan Sanchez, instructor of the Aztec dance group Ocelotl, after performing at the Festival.
But the future for Mexican corn farmers and the meaningful crop is uncertain.
- Aztec Dancer at the Corn Festival by Mayra Barrios
by Mayra Barrios (bw) SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – Cristina Gonzales spent her childhood learning about the native corn production alongside her father in Michoacán, Mexico.
Today, Gonzales is part of Los Hijos Migrantes del Maiz (Migrant Children of the Corn); a committee that has organized the Corn Festival in Stockton in the last four years — a festival which this year took place at Taft Park on Sunday August 28. Continue reading
The Delta Water Wars Heat Up
Photo by Bilingual Weekly of the Delta
www.bilingualweekly.com | By Deanna Lynn Wulff
(bw news) STOCKTON, CA – Stockton is ground zero for the nation’s biggest and most troubling water war – nearly 25 million Californians get their water from the Delta, which surrounds the city in an intricate pattern of rivers, farms and levees. But the Delta faces multifaceted environmental and political problems, which have led to the decline of fisheries, wildlife and water quality, and special interests are directing the dialogue away from resolution and restoration.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Lloyd G. Carter, former Fresno Bee reporter and President of the Save Our Streams Council. “I have watched this for 30 years. They’ve been searching for a solution to the Delta’s problems for decades. It’s what I call the phenomena of endless studies no results. We know what we have to do. Put water back into the Delta.” Continue reading
September garden chores
www.bilingualweekly.com | From the San Joaquin Master Gardeners, by Marcy Sousa
Protect your backyard grape crop from scavenging birds. Attach flash tape to some of the branches; or, place netting over the vines and secure it to the ground.
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Pick pears, late season apples, late peaches. Irrigate if rains have not started. Pick up all fallen fruit; compost if possible.
- Fertilize citrus for the last time this year.
- Tomato hornworms are arriving late this year. Look for them when they are actively munching on your tomato leaves, early in the morning or just after sunset.
- Plant a short row of lettuce every two weeks until mid-October. The loose leaf varieties, including Green Ice and Ruby, do best here. Continue reading
EVENT: $500 in Vouchers and Free emission testing for up to 525 vehicals
epa testing :Image by The U.S. National Archives via Flickr
Saturday, September 10 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. San Joaquin Delta College, Shima 2 Parking lot will be hosting a free vehicle emissions test for u to 525 vehicals with San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and Valley CAN. Continue reading
California Coastal Cleanup Event
Stockton, CA – In the States largest volunteer event, the California Coastal Cleanup Day, aims at removing trash and debris in and around local waterways which pollute marine wildlife and habitat. The City of Stockton, Lodi and the San Joaquin County will once again coordinate resources and participation by students, citizens, businesses and other local agencies to clean up local waterways in celebration and support of California Coastal Cleanup Day, September 17, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Continue reading
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