Our state becomes the first to adopt cap-and-trade program

“The California Air Resources Board on Thursday unanimously adopted the nation’s first state-administered cap-and-trade regulations, a landmark set of air pollution controls to address climate change and help the state achieve its ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” as the L.A. Times reports.

“The complex market system for the first time puts a price on heat-trapping pollution by allowing California’s dirtiest industries to trade carbon credits. The rules have been years in the making, overcoming legal challenges and an aggressive oil industry-sponsored ballot initiative.

“The air board met in Sacramento for more than eight hours in a packed hearing room. Board members listened to sometimes scathing comments from union workers fearful of losing their jobs and a parade of industry representatives who likewise characterized the regulations as anti-business. Other speakers called the proposal historic and groundbreaking.

“Late in the day, as the eight board members voted to approve the regulations, to scattered applause, Chairman Mary Nichols looked up and said, ‘We’ve done something important.’”

The rest of the article is here.

Prop. 23, to repeal the global warming act, lost handily in our state — and in our county. Our county representative Assemblyman Dan Logue now “R-Lake Wildwood” said he is “very disappointed.” His response is here. Logue was a leading Prop. 23 proponent.

County Library turns 20

We headed up to the Rood Center this afternoon for the 20th birthday celebration of our county library (and check out a book for our son). We are big fans of Madelyn Helling (and have been contributors to her other “passion,” the county railroad museum). It was a good turnout, with some fun along the way. Here’s some background and a video:

Beason to hold town hall meeting

I received this press release:

Nate Beason, Nevada County Supervisor for District 1, will hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday, November 2, at 6:30 pm at Nevada County Consolidated Fire District Station No. 84, at 10135 Coyote St., Nevada City.

Supervisor Beason will present information on the County budget, the realignment program and its impact on County services, and other issues affecting Nevada County. He welcomes the opportunity to meet constituents, answer questions and listen to concerns.

The Board of Supervisors is the legislative and executive body of County government. The County serves as an arm of the state in providing critical health and human services such as public assistance, public health, child and adult protective services, child support services, Medi-cal, housing programs and veterans services.

Other core services include infrastructure, roads, jail, law enforcement and land use and development within the unincorporated areas.

District 1 serves the areas of Peardale, Chicago Park, Cedar Ridge, Banner Mountain, Cascade Shores, Nevada City and the Highway 174 corridor. If you are not sure which district you live in, please contact the Board of Supervisors office at 265-1480.

WHERE: Nevada County Consolidated Fire Station No. 84, 10135 Coyote St., Nevada City.
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 6:30 PM.

Famous VC invests more $$$ in clean tech

“Vinod Khosla, the billionaire venture capital investor, is raising his bet on clean technology,” according to Bloomberg News.

“Khosla Ventures, the company he formed in 2004, created a $1.05 billion fund and will steer as much as 65 percent of that to back businesses developing renewable sources of power, energy-efficiency technology and LED lighting products, Khosla said Friday.

“In supporting early stage companies with unproven technology, Khosla expects some of them to fail. Lawmakers in Washington have criticized an Energy Department program that followed the same strategy by providing a loan guarantee to Solyndra LLC, the Fremont solar company that filed for bankruptcy last month.

“‘When you’re trying new things, some things just don’t work,’ Khosla said. ‘Solyndra wasn’t cost competitive with other companies in the valley; there are other companies that are doing fine.’

The rest of the article is here.

Crab season is here, at least in Florida

Stone Crabs

We like crab, and we like the West Coast’s California dungeness crab the best. We prepare it the night before Christmas as an annual tradition.

We’re native Californians, but there are other kinds of crab to choose from: such as King and Stone. When I graduated from college, I found myself working for the daily newspaper in Fort Lauderdale. I’d never been to Florida, but I was glad to put my master’s degree to use, because we were in a recession in 1982.

The reporting job paid a cool $15K and required the requisite coat and tie in humid weather — no income taxes, though, and a studio beach bungalow. Not bad, because I’d just spent the winter in Chicago.

In Florida, I learned, the “stone crab” is king, and the season opens this weekend. “The seven-month stone-crab season starts on Saturday, and the chief executive of the Keys fishing fleet’s trade group says he anticipates a good year,” the Miami Herald writes.

I’d go sailing with my friends in the Keys, and we’d get them from a local fish shop. There’s also a famous place called Joe’s in Miami that specializes in them — expensive.

Here’s some stone crab lore — including the part about the one-clawed stone crabs — from a restaurant we like in downtown Napa called BarBerQ that imports them for the season.

“When Joe Weiss opened Joe’s in Miami Beach in 1913 as a fish and sandwich shop, Stone Crabs were unknown to the culinary world. The most prized stone crab comes from the waters surrounding Florida. The warm waters give us a meat that is sweet and firm, different from all others.

“The handling of stone crab is strictly regulated; the season runs from October 15th to May 15th and it is illegal to harvest an entire crab. Fishermen take one claw, a minimum length of 2.75 inches. The crabs are then returned to the water and new claws regenerate in about 12 months!

“They are served cracked on ice, with traditional mustard sauce or butter & lemon.”

Kadafi captured, possibly killed, Libya reports say

“Unconfirmed reports Thursday say deposed Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi has been captured and killed in the fall of his hometown of Surt, Libya,” the L.A. Times reported.

“The information center for the military in the nearby city of Misurata issued a statement saying ‘the tyrant’ had been arrested in Surt by fighters from Misurata who led an assault on Kadafi’s hometown. Earlier Thursday, the coastal city was reported to have fallen to forces loyal to Libya’s new government.

“Reuters quoted Abdel Majid, an official of Libya’s transitional government, as saying that Kadafi had been captured after being wounded in both legs. He was taken away by ambulance, the official said, according to Reuters.

“Later reports indicated that Kadafi had died after his convoy was struck by NATO aircraft in the Surt area as the vehicles were attempting to flee the city.”

The rest of the article is here.

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