Gourmet Magazine has a chilling tell-all on the secret cruelty behind raising wagyu in Japan. The author claims that wagyu farms are notoriously difficult for reporters and chefs to gain entrance to, but once they do they discover cattle raised alone in crates, unable to move, and lying in their own manure. The beer fed to the cattle is meant solely to jog their appetites, flagging from lack of activity. There is an alternative! American raised wagyu (and partial wagyu breeds) are often raised in healthier environments! 12/07
Women who ingest 200 milligrams or more of caffeine per day are twice as likely to miscarry as women who consume no caffeine, the study by Kaiser Permanente found. CC Times 1/21/08
Rainharvesting has been regaining prominence as people look to ways to reduce their water usage in the Bay Area. Rainharvesting involves individually collecting rain water in large barrels to be used to water yards and gardens. Inside Bay Area 1/19/08
A Palo Alto design company has put together a prize-winning tricycle that purifies water as a rider pedals. The firm designed the bike for use in third world countries, and was the unanimous winner of the “Innovate or Die” competition held this weekend and sponsored by Google. SJ Mercury 1/20/08
The state Department of Transportation agreed to reduce runoff from freeways in Los Angeles and Ventura counties under a deal that ends a 14-year-old lawsuit. A judge approved the settlement on Friday. Two environmental groups sued Caltrans, arguing that it was violating federal clean water laws by allowing storm runoff laden with oil, lead, pesticide and other toxic compounds to flow off roadways into creeks and eventually the ocean. SJ Mercury 1/19/08
On Friday, the Orange County Sanitation District began sending purified wastewater through a pipeline to the two Anaheim settling basins. Earlier this month, the Groundwater Replenishment System began piping water into an underground barrier that prevents seawater from seeping into the aquifer. But the agency had to wait for final state approval before sending water to the settling ponds. OC Register 1/22/08
By using the amount of sewer production during typically busy holidays - such as New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July - throughout the year as a measuring stick, officials at the South Tahoe Public Utility District can get a good sense of the number of tourists in their coverage area at any one time. The utility district also tracks water usage on a daily basis, but the sewage-flow numbers are more reliable than estimating tourist visits from water-usage figures. Tahoe Daily Tribune 1/17/08
Monterey area residents may soon be facing a water shortage. The state is threatening to crack down on the amount of water pulled from the Carmel River, which is used by Cal-Am customers. KSBW 1/17/08
Don Perata is likely to get the Senate to pass the universal health care plan backed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Oakland and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when it comes before the Senate this Wednesday. San Diego Union Tribune blog 1/22/08
California's largest hunting and fishing festival became a platform for environmental action Saturday as organizers turned over the stage to a panel of advocates working to restore Delta fish species. The "Plight of our Fisheries Summit" was the first of its kind ever held at the annual International Sportsmen's Exposition, now in its 21st year. The event continues today at Cal Expo in Sacramento. Six panelists urged anglers to sign petitions and rally their elected officials to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Sacramento Bee 1/20/08
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