SF Bay Environment: Issues Around the Bay

You've probably read that Nancy Pelosi may be changing her stance on off-shore drilling. I'm partial to Jon Stewart's historical analysis of the whole drilling issue.

Here are some of the other environmental stories circulating about our Bay and beyond:

• Surfrider, guardian of beaches, is asking people to take a little action toward saving the Endangered Species Act -- something the Bush Administration is seeking to undermine through the Department of the Interior. Read more on the issue and, if you're inclined, sign a letter at the Surfrider website.
• Baykeeper posted an editorial by Sejak Choksi on proposed oil spill bills making their way through the state Legislature. These bills arose in response to a report following the Cosco Busan oil spill debacle.
• Save the Bay is keeping tabs on the Redwood City/Cargill development plans (and opposition) at the salt flats on the Bay.
• The Natural Resources Defense Council just filed a lawsuit against the EPA to obtain records on honeybee colony collapse disorder. The NRDC is convinced that the EPA has evidence showing a connection between pesticides and the mysterious honeybee die-offs. (If you're interested in local resources, read more about beekeeping in the Bay Area).
• Starting in September, Friends of the Urban Forest is offering Citizen Forester training. For volunteers experienced in tree care, the classes and guest speakers will help enhance existing nature, leadership and community skills.
• Golden Gate Audubon is asking people to help protect the Western Snowy Plover. You can volunteer for special programs, or just do your part by staying out of habitat areas on beaches, walking near the water line (instead of close to nesting sites), and keeping dogs on leash, walking them only in authorized areas. At the above link, you can also read about proposed plans to build a trucking terminal adjacent to Oakland's Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline, a vast habitat for a variety of birds.

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}