Water:
*East Bay rationing plans calls for increase -- The East Bay's largest water district will raise rates by 10 percent and impose surcharges on customers who do not conserve water as part of a plan to cut water use by 15 percent. The new rates start Aug. 1 and will show up on customers' bills beginning in September and October. Inside Bay Area 7/9/08
Water rates to go up 10% in East Bay on Aug. 1 -- Starting Aug. 1, most of the East Bay Municipal Utility District's 1.3 million customers will pay 10 percent more for water. They will, in addition, face surcharges if they drink, pour or otherwise use more than a personal allocation. The rate hike, which the EBMUD board approved by a 7-0 vote, is an effort to shave 15 percent off water use in the aftermath of a second consecutive year of below-average rainfall. SF Chronicle 7/9/08
Glaciers on California's Mt Shasta keep growing -- Scientists say a warming Pacific Ocean means more moist air sweeping over far Northern California. Because of Shasta's location and 14,162-foot elevation, the precipitation is falling as snow, adding to the mass of the mountain's glaciers. SF Chronicle 7/9/09
Agencies urge water conservation -- Water conservation tips are a part of the new "Water Saving Hero" campaign, sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Water District and 10 other Bay Area water agencies. The campaign, launched this month, is part of the ongoing effort to encourage voluntary water conservation as drought conditions continue. SJ Mercury 7/9/08
Food and wine:
Governor Schwarzenegger Proclaims September 2008 California Wine Month -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared September 2008 California Wine Month for the fourth consecutive year. In the proclamation, the Governor lauds the state's wine community as one of the largest and most successful wine producing regions in the world. As the state's leading advocate, Governor Schwarzenegger has also given his support to the historic partnership between the Wine Institute and the California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC). Market Watch 7/9/08
Agriculture:
California Checks On Farmworkers In Heat Wave -- Searing temperatures are expected this week in most of California. That spells more trouble for firefighters, and can be deadly for people laboring in agricultural fields. This summer, at least one farmworker has died due to heat exhaustion. California officials are trying to better enforce laws requiring growers to provide adequate water and shade. NPR 7/9/08
*Mating race with light brown apple moth questioned -- The plan to substitute sterile moths for aerial spraying as a way to combat the light brown apple moth has mollified many anti-spraying activists, but some pest-control experts have cast fresh doubt on how effective the program can be, based on the moth's mating habits. At issue is whether the female moth mates more than once in her lifetime, which would expose her to multiple opportunities to lay eggs. The California Department of Food and Agriculture says the female moth mates only once. But independent pest control experts and entomologists say the female light brown apple moth can mate several times in the one- to two-week period preceding the period in which she lays her eggs. SJ Mercury 7/9/08
Health:
*Coalition plans major health care reform drive -- In cities across the nation, a coalition of groups kicked off a $40 million campaign Tuesday with a simple message for the presidential candidates: Affordable health care should be available to all Americans by 2009. The groups plan to spend $1.5 million on advertising immediately and will invest $25 million in a media blitz before the November election. They also plan to have 100 organizers in 45 states. CC TImes 7/9/08
South Sacramento may face aerial West Nile spraying -- South Sacramento residents face the possibility of aerial spraying as early as next week to combat the spread of the West Nile virus. Mosquito sample lab results available today will help officials determine whether to spray, said Luz Maria Rodriguez of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. Sacramento Bee 7/9/08
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