Continued tours


National Forest, where the King Fire burned 97,000 acres in 2014 and scorched 50,000 acres in just one day. We’ll examine the effects of large-scale wildfires in the Sierra Nevada and discuss fire behavior in the face of drought and climate change. We’ll learn about the current and historical role of fire and how it affects a watershed, species diversity and wildlife habitat. We’ll take a hike at the Blodgett Forest Research Station, where since the 1950’s UC Berkeley scientists have studied ways to improve forest manage- ment. We’ll also visit homeowners who lost property during the King Fire and talk about living in the wildland-urban interface. Total drive time – 3 hours.


7. Water Is for Fighting: Drought, Water Supply and Climate Change (7:30 a.m. departure, $40 fee, lunch included)


Take a visit to ground zero of California’s water wars: the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The largest estuary on the West Coast is the central hub of the state’s vast and antiquated water- delivery system. Conflicts here over Delta water signal what’s to come across the country amid climate change. You’ll visit huge water pumps so powerful they can make rivers run backwards in order to ship water hundreds of miles to Southern California. You’ll see massive fish screens that seek to protect several species of endangered fish. You’ll hear from supporters and detractors of a controversial plan to re-plumb this fragile estuary. The trip will feature a boat tour and, if time allows, a beer break at the quaint and quirky Fosters’ Bighorn saloon in Rio Vista. WWW.FOSTERSBIGHORN.COM/ Total drive time – 4 hours.


8. Kayaking California’s Imperiled Inland Sea (7:45 a.m. departure, $50 fee, includes lunch and kayak rental)


We’ll paddle through marshes and a flooded island and examine environmental problems that have brought the Delta smelt to the edge of extinction – if not over it – and caused havoc with other wild fish. We’ll set out from the Big Break Regional Shoreline to get a sea-level view of California’s huge Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, ground zero for the struggle to allocate water be- tween fish, farms and people. Peter Moyle, the UC Davis scientist who alerted the public to the brewing demise of the smelt, will be among our expert guests. We’ll lunch at the Big Break natural history center and afterwards check out part of the Suisun Marsh, the largest brackish water estuary on the West Coast and home to duck clubs and extensive waterfowl habitat. Total drive time – 3.5 hours.


9. California: The Clean Energy Proving Ground (9:00 a.m. departure, $40 fee, lunch included)


In October 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legisla- tion that codified two goals from his 2015 inaugural address: increasing energy efficiency in California buildings by 50 percent and generating half of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This tour offers a glimpse of how California plans to meet the ambitious targets. We begin with a visit to the California Independent System Operator, including a tour of the control room, the nerve center of the state’s grid. Next, we visit 2500 R Midtown, a net-zero energy neighborhood, touring homes equipped with rooftop solar panels and advanced energy storage systems. Last, we visit CleanWorld’s Sacramento anaerobic bio-digester, which converts up to 100 tons of food waste daily into renewable natural gas, electricity and fertilizer. Total drive time – 2.5 hours.


AGENDA Environmental Journalism 2016: The 26th Annual Conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists officially begins Wednesday evening, September 21, at 5:00 p.m., with our opening reception, followed by dinner and special welcomes.


Wednesday, September 21


Before the official beginning, we offer this all-day workshop below, as well as an afternoon meet-and-greet session, where we’ll celebrate new members with fun networking opportunities. See WWW.SEJ.ORG for more details.


ALL-DAY JOURNALISM WORKSHOP


Power Sector in the Hot Seat: Challenges, Opportunities and Goals for Reducing Carbon Emissions


The pressure is on to achieve last year’s international agreement limit- ing the increase in average global temperature, and the power sector’s involvement will be critical. But with proposed U.S. mandates in limbo, states are pushing ahead with their own plans. This workshop, organized by Metcalf Institute, will explore new business models, technologies and policies to cap carbon emissions, expand renewables and increase efficiency. Science, policy and economic experts from across the U.S. will provide the information you need to report the tremendous challenge of keeping temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees by 2100.


SEJ members only. See the full agenda on the SEJ website. Pre-registration and $60 fee required. Breakfast and lunch included.


4 SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS


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