Revive Nuclear Energy in America
Revive Nuclear Energy in America
The United States used to be the undisputed leader in nuclear power and still has more operating reactors than any other nation, with 94 currently in service. But in the last 35 years, only one new nuclear power plant has been built in the U.S.—Plant Vogtle in Georgia, which only recently began commercial operations. Meanwhile,...
By Edward Ring
Ignoring Role of Bass in Salmon Decline is Negligence
Ignoring Role of Bass in Salmon Decline is Negligence
A March 5 “Perspective” in the Manteca Bulletin highlights a chronically underemphasized problem impacting every Californian. Bass, as editor Dennis Wyatt succinctly explains, are a “destructive, invasive species, that are a serious threat to the sustainability of the ecosystem.” Wyatt proposes a solution that has been implemented in Oregon, a bounty system. As he puts it, “The state would...
By Edward Ring
Desalination at Scale is Cost Competitive
Desalination at Scale is Cost Competitive
On May 22, 2022, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to deny final approval for a desalination plant in Huntington Beach. It would have produced 56,000 acre feet of fresh water per year, and would have been privately financed. To describe in detail the 20 year and roughly $100 million ordeal that federal, state, regional,...
By Edward Ring
Comprehensive Energy Policy Recommendations Released
Comprehensive Energy Policy Recommendations Released
In May 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom released a report, “California’s Clean Energy Transition Plan,” which provides an updated overview of the state’s official energy policy agenda. The document sets many ambitious goals, perhaps too ambitious, and its summary presents ambiguous tables that can mislead readers. In particular, on page 7 there is a table “Total...
By Edward Ring
The Easy Impossible Paths to Water Abundance
The Easy Impossible Paths to Water Abundance
Coming up with a plan to find sufficient water to maintain 100 percent of existing irrigated farm acreage in the San Joaquin Valley the next time a multi-year drought strikes is not impossible. We can pipe water from Lake Roosevelt in Washington all the way down to Lake Mead in Nevada. From there, modest expansion...
By Edward Ring
Rehydrating the Los Angeles Heat Island
Rehydrating the Los Angeles Heat Island
Along with the fairly recent popularization of terms such as atmospheric river and bomb cyclone, we increasingly hear the term “vapor pressure deficit” (VPD). At any given temperature, the term refers to how much moisture is in the air compared to how much moisture could be in the air. The higher the deficit, the dryer...
By Edward Ring
Redefining Environmentalism
Redefining Environmentalism
“I think what we can learn here is that we are guests in this landscape.” – Marissa Christiansen, Executive Director of the Climate and Wildfire Institute, Los Angeles If you’re looking for one sentence that encapsulates the mentality and premise that underlines mainstream environmentalism in America today, these words from Marissa Christiansen, quoted in the...
By Edward Ring
Twelve Scarcity-Enabling Laws to Scrap
Twelve Scarcity-Enabling Laws to Scrap
Last week, as a representative of the California Policy Center, I had the opportunity to testify before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee at a hearing on the topic of “California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation.” While my remarks were limited to five minutes, the written testimony that we entered into the Congressional Record...
By Edward Ring
Conditions to Put on Federal Relief Funds
Conditions to Put on Federal Relief Funds
What can President Trump do to pressure Governor Newsom and the California legislature to manage the state’s water projects in a way that doesn’t simply offset the federal efforts? What leverage does he have, if for every federal regulation that is relaxed, its equivalent in California is further tightened? As it turns out, there’s a...
By Edward Ring
Ten State Water Laws to Scrap
Ten State Water Laws to Scrap
There are two ways we can respond as Californians to the wildfires in Los Angeles, and for those who share this concern, to the climate crisis which they cite as an underlying cause. We can ration our consumption and retreat into increasingly dense urban cores. That’s one option. Or, alternatively, we can adapt and advance,...
By Edward Ring
When Will Gavin Newsom Stop Deflecting Blame for the Wildfires?
When Will Gavin Newsom Stop Deflecting Blame for the Wildfires?
His responses to criticism don’t withstand scrutiny. The people of Los Angeles are experiencing one of the most horrific disasters in the city’s history. Wind-driven fires have raced through the canyons and into neighborhoods, destroying thousands of homes and costing dozens of lives. The ordeal has only begun; rebuilding is certain to take years. For...
By Edward Ring