Reactions to story from SFGate

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  Sneak Peek at Weekend Reading

  http://paul.kedrosky.com/archives/2008/05/11/sneak_peek_at_w...
  205 days ago in Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed · Authority: 929

  Here is a sneak peek at some links from my weekly column over that TheStreet.com. Busting the non-cartel in semiconductors (Bloomberg) Solar industry in California is chasing madly after workers (S.F. Chronicle) Nuclear, tidal energy to supplement
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  The Daily Grind

  http://greenbeandreams.blogspot.com/2008/07/daily-grind.html
  131 days ago in Green Bean Dreams · Authority: 133

  We live with an economy whose health is measured by consumer spending, by the amount of material goods bought and sold. Yet everything we read and watch - Affluenza, Simple Prosperity, The Story of Stuff - tell us that those days must come to an end. That we are consuming more than our planet can handle, more than our fair share globally and running out of cheap oil while we do it. Pulling the plug on our consumer lifestyle, however, will plunge the economy into a tailspin - or at least that's the argument. As experts debate what can and may and should happen, a new economy is sprouting up around us. I'm talking about green jobs. Not the kind you initially think of. Not ones funded by Kleiner Perkins. Not the solar industry's efforts to keep up with skyrocketing demands by frantically hiring anyone with a brain and a couple limbs. I'm talking about the little guys. You and me. Entrepreneurs. Average folks combining their skills and interests, their desire to do good with their need to earn a paycheck, their hope for a more sustainable future with the goal of a more fulfilling lifestyle. I'm talking about Trevor Paque, a landscape gardener who grows organic produce - instead of ornamental flowers - for his homeowner clients. Mr. Paque was discussed on No Impact Man yesterday. Many people would love to have an organic vegetable garden in their yard but lack time and/or skill. Mr. Paque offers them what they desire and supports himself in the process. He is able to have a job he loves, that is fulfilling and provide a service that allows others to become more aware of where food comes from, reduce their food miles and pesticide use and enjoy delicious food. Mr. Paque is not unique. A farmers' market friend, who is at risk of losing her farm, has mentioned the same service idea to me. Our own Beany has apparently considered starting up an organic, local ingredient meal delivery service. And the Wall Street Journal featured suburban farmers, replacing their own and neighbor's lawns with vegetable gardens in exchange for a CSA share of the produce grown. Not all eco-entrepreneurs can devote their time as completely as Mr. Paque, at least initially. Many, however, are starting side businesses in the hopes of one day earning their living entirely from something they believe in. People with green skills are increasingly paid to teach classes ranging from the Backyard Chickens class I took last month, to classes on solar cooking, canning, and bicycle maintenance. Last weekend, at the Blogher conference, I met a very smart Smart Mama who has launched her own business testing toys to determine whether they contain toxins, helping clients create a non-toxic nursery or home, and teaching classes on how to make green cleaning and beauty products. If rumors are true, she's got a few other green business models up her sleeve. Eco Burban Mom reported on a couple selling homemade lemonade and limeade at her farmers' market. Closer to home, I have a friend who collects old textiles and transforms them into trendy handbags for a local boutique. Another friend is exploring the idea of a consignment store specializing in used nursery items. Yet another friend gave up her career as an attorney to create a company specializing in energy efficiency audits for homes and businesses. I've even had a few blogger friends share some green business ideas with me. Is this the local economy Bill McKibben dreamed of when he penned Deep Economy? Is this the key to a sustainable future? A means for people to do good and live well? I'm going to say yes. Are you inspired to search out a path that combines earning income with a more fulfilling life?
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  Solar Industry Needs Workers

  http://www.mygreenearthfoundation.com/greennews/?p=267
  203 days ago in Green News · Authority: 2

  Solar Industry Needs Workers May 13 California’s fascination with solar power has created thousands of jobs in the state and will probably add thousands more, according to a new survey of the industry. The survey, by two community college researchers, estimates that solar companies in California now employ between 16,500 and 17,500 people and may hire another 5,000 in the next year. Most of the job opportunities will be on the roof, not in the lab. The industry desperately needs people to install rooftop solar arrays, as more Californians plant photovoltaic panels on their homes. And that represents a great opportunity for community colleges, whose students could be prime candidates for the work, said survey co-author John Carrese. The industry also has openings for designers and salespeople. “You don’t need a Ph.D. or a B.A. to get into this industry,” Carrese said. “It’s an opportunity to rebuild the working-class jobs that have been lost.” Salaries vary by the type of job and the level of experience. Entry-level solar installers, for example, make a median salary of $31,200 per year, while their more seasoned colleagues earn $60,000. Experienced solar designers and engineers earn a median salary of $83,000. Carrese heads one of the California community college system’s Centers of Excellence, offices that study the employment needs of industries and help the schools tailor their classes to match. Carrese is at City College of San Francisco, while co-author Jennifer Oliver directs the Center of Excellence at West Valley College in Saratoga. Full Story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/… Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. No Comments
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  Saturday news briefing 5.10.08

  http://mlukens0404.typepad.com/san_joaquin_valleyfornia/2008...
  206 days ago in San Joaquin Valleyfornia · Authority: 11

  State’s nurse shortage no longer critical – California is bouncing back from its severe shortage of registered nurses, and the state may be on its way to averting a true health care crisis, according to a report released Friday. The state's Labor and Workforce Development Agency provided an update on the California Nurse Education Initiative that showed nursing programs around California are projected to graduate 10,391 RNs in the 2007-08 academic year, a 68 percent increase over the 6,158 who graduated in 2003-04. Stockton Record article Solar industry needs workers – California's fascination with solar power has created thousands of jobs in the state and will probably add thousands more, according to a new survey of the industry. The survey, by two community college researchers, estimates that solar companies in California now employ between 16,500 and 17,500 people and may hire another 5,000 in the next year. San Francisco Chronicle article Other states woo California teachers amid uncertainty over budget plan – Drawn by pink slips issued to thousands of teachers, recruiters from school districts nationwide are wooing California teachers with greater fervor than usual. Districts in Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Kansas, Virginia and Texas have been buying newspaper ads and renting billboard space, calling teachers unions and sending recruiters to regions facing the biggest school budget crunches. The trend worries some Sacramento officials, who fear talented young teachers will be lured away from a state that already expects one-third of its 300,000 teachers to retire over the next decade. LA Times article Modesto officials say rule to lessen smog would hurt efforts to reduce trash at landfill – Modesto's 30-acre compost site is caught between a green rock and an eco-friendly hard place. It takes 65,000 tons of green waste each year and turns it into organic fertilizer, a key component in helping the city comply with a state mandate to divert half of its garbage out of landfills. But a proposed rule aimed at reducing ozone pollution could drive up the cost of composting, which could lead to cutbacks at the site and more waste winding up at landfills. Modesto Bee article It’s official: Salmon season is a bust – Wildlife regulators on Friday canceled most of the salmon fishing season in the Central Valley, a potential $20 million hit for the state's already struggling economy. The unprecedented restrictions make it illegal to fish for salmon with one exception: a stretch of the Sacramento River from north of Woodland to Red Bluff, and only in November and December. Stockton Record article Valley sees health improvement – It's no secret that Valley residents continue to lag behind - in many cases, far behind - their fellow Californians when it comes to critical health indicators, but there are some signs that improvements are being made, according to a new report released this week by the Modesto-based Great Valley Center. Stockton Record article Fresno meeting plots strategies to curb urban sprawl – Global warming, rising energy costs and population growth are changing the way cities grow, and planners must adapt -- especially if they hope to save farmland from sprawl. Those were among the topics discussed at a workshop Friday that drew leaders of land-use agencies from throughout the state. Nearly 80 people gathered at the Fresno County Farm Bureau to talk about how best to stop urban sprawl, save farmland and prevent cities such as Fresno from becoming the next Los Angeles. Fresno Bee article Sacramento Bee: Historic agreement preserves Tejon Ranch – It took several years of contentious negotiations, but private landowners, developers and environmental groups have achieved a historic land-use agreement for the 270,000- acre Tejon Ranch. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is optimistic that it will show that "we can protect California's environment at the same time we pump up our economy." This deal is a major accomplishment. Californians won't see many more opportunities to preserve land on the scale of the Tejon Ranch. Sacramento Bee editorial Farm products pricier, but farmers no richer – Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years, and oil prices have tripled since the beginning of 2004. But farmers aren't getting rich off higher prices -- they too are facing shortages and high costs. Economic experts say the continued growing of corn for ethanol has influenced the price of all commodities and has hit growers who also have animals the hardest. Merced Sun-Star article Stanislaus County agencies plan new mental health program – Three county departments are proposing a plan for 157 patients who, as a last resort, have gone to Stanislaus County health clinics for medication to treat mental disorders. Under what's billed as a pilot program, county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services would retain the services of a psychiatrist to evaluate the patients and consult with health clinic physicians. County staff also are weighing options for obtaining low-cost or free medications for the patients. Modesto Bee article Extreme commutes: More time on road means less time for family – U.S. Census data show that about a third of Merced's work force traveling outside the county for a job. More than 8,000 head to Stanislaus County, though others are willing to drive to Alameda, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties for skilled jobs that can't be found locally. The census estimates that 2 percent of the American work force is made up of extreme commuters, which means they spend more than 90 minutes driving each way to their job. Driving that long changes a commuter's life and inevitably the social fabric of society. Merced Sun-Star article Apartment rents steady in San Joaquin County – Apartment occupancy is up, and demand for rental units is up. That's usually a prime scenario for rising rents, but rents, at least for apartments in San Joaquin County, are flat, year to year. That's according to the latest quarterly survey by the Novato research firm RealFacts, which tracks trends in the apartment industry. Stockton Record article Guess how many people now live in Bakersfield – Bakersfield’s population rose to 328,692, a 1.8 percent gain on last year, according to estimates by the state Department of Finance. On the ladder of California cities, that leaves Bakersfield 18,131 people shy of No. 10 Anaheim and 24,492 short of No. 9 Santa Ana. But since Bakersfield historically has grown faster than other cities, the city should vault into California’s top 10 in two to three years, predicted Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy. Bakersfield Californian article Visalia growth unlikely to stall in slowdown – Visalia remains on track to reach 165,000 by 2020 just as the General Plan predicts, and the current real estate slowdown won't delay things. That's the consensus of key players in the Visalia growth wars, regardless of which side they're on. Fresno Bee article Pacific Ethanol delays quarterly report – Pacific Ethanol Inc. announced it will delay reporting its first quarter 2008 financial results, the second report the Sacramento-based ethanol producer has delayed this year. The company was set to report on Monday, but now plans to make the report on May 19, the company told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a filing Friday. Fresno Bee article Merced airport may get regular flights to Nevada – Regularly scheduled passenger flights could be taking off from Castle Airport as soon as July. The Merced County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on an agreement that would allow North Las Vegas-based Vision Airlines to provide nonstop flights six days a week to North Las Vegas and Reno. Merced Sun-Star article Lathrop plant eyes $100 million update – The owner of a construction-glass plant in Lathrop is proposing a $100 million upgrade, contingent on some government financial support. The Pilkington plant, which opened in 1962 and employs about 160 hourly union workers and 30 salaried people, is part of Pilkington North America, a manufacturer of flat building glass owned by the Tokyo-based NSG Group. Stockton Record article Retirees’ suit over Fresno Unified health benefits heads to trial – Three decades ago, Fresno Unified trustees promised to give retirees health benefits for life -- free of charge. Now the district is headed for trial in a lawsuit accusing it of backing away from that pledge. At the heart of the court battle is a $758 million health-care funding gap. Fresno Bee article Visalia Times-Delta: 210 Connect is not for members only – In coming months, the 210 Connect forum discussion in Visalia will turn toward some specific flash points in our communities, such as housing, planning for a livable city, and how we restore and protect neighborhoods. We hope you will join us. You won't need a membership card. Visalia Times-Delta viewpoint Elk Grove wants refund after hybrid-bus fires – The once-vaunted hybrid gasoline-electric buses that powered the early days of Elk Grove's transit service are languishing in a city corporation yard over city concerns about buses catching fire. The city reportedly is demanding that manufacturers refund much of the $10 million it spent on 21 buses, most of which were on hand to launch Elk Grove's e-tran service in January 2005. Sacramento Bee article

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