East County Magazine
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT ARCHITECTS: JULY 13 PROGRAM SHINES LIGHT ON ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOME DESIGN TECHNIQUES FROM IRAN
Printer-friendly version July 8, 2009 (San Diego)–Architect Simi Razavian will demonstrate how people of Tabbas, Iran used micro-climate and local materials to create energy-efficient homes. She will illustrate how they used sun, wind, and water, along with thermal mass to create not only zero energy consumption buildings but also private and comfortable homes. Razavian has a Master of Science
BILL TO CLEAN UP TOXIC WASTES, AIR & WATER POLLUTION & PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES PASSES HOUSE; LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES SPLIT VOTES
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery June 27, 2009 (Washington D.C.)–H.R. 2996, landmark legislation that aims to protect air, clean up waterways and restore our public lands, has passed the House of Representatives by a 254-173 vote. Among San Diego’s Congressional representatives, Bob Filner and Susan Davis voted in favor of the measure, while Brian Bilbray, Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa
LANDMARK CLIMATE CHANGE BILL PASSES HOUSE BY SLIM MARGIN WITH HELP FROM 2 LOCAL DEMOCRATS; SD REPUBLICANS VOTE NO
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery June 27, 2009 (Washington D.C.) – By a scant seven votes (219-212), the U.S. House of Representatives last night passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act. The bill has been hailed by the Environmental Defense Action Fund as “the most important environmental and energy legislation in our nation’s history.” Supporters say the
“HOW GREEN IS MY SAN DIEGO” PROGRAM SET JUNE 30
Printer-friendly versionJune 22, 2009 (San Diego) –The League of Women Voters will host a luncheon program titled “How Green is My San Diego” with Tom Blair and Stephen Grealy from the City Environmental Systems and Waste Reduction Departments and Carolyn Chase from the Sierra Club in San Diego on June 30th. Speakers will address what San Diego is doing to
LA MILPA ORGANICA FARM OPEN HOUSE & POTLUCK MOVIE NIGHT: SAT. JUNE 20
Printer-friendly versionJune 19, 2009 (Escondido) – La Milpa Organica Farm invites the public to join in a potluck that also features freshly-made wood-fired pizzas and a family-friendly film showing outdoors beneath oak trees after dark. The event will be held at 9928 Protea Gardens Road, Escondido from 3 to 10 p.m. Guests are asked to “bring something tasty to share”;
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IS AMONG WORST-HIT AREAS IN NATION FROM GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, NEW FEDERAL STUDY FINDS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery June 17, 2009 (Washington D.C.)—Recent warming in the Southwestern U.S. including San Diego County has been among the worst in the nation, according to a newly-released federal report begun under the Bush administration and finalized by the Obama administration. Average temperatures here have increased 1.5 degrees during the past 20 years and are projected to soar
“OUR PLANET, OUR HOME” ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY CONTEST ANNOUNCED
Printer-friendly versionJune 12, 2009 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Environmental Sustainability Committee invites students in grades K-12 to submit a poem or work of art in which they reflect upon the environment. The new “Our Planet, Our Home” environmental literacy contest is open to youths living or attending schools within the La Mesa-Spring Valley or Grossmont Union High School
SLEEK AND GREEN: ECO-CAR SHOW POWERS UP DEMAND FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery San Diego (June 12, 2009)—If you thought driving an eco-friendly car meant settling for a small, boxy vehicle, think again. Vehicles powered by alternative fuels on display at last weekend’s Street Smart San Diego show included sleek, sporty new styles, race cars, and electric conversions of prestigious name brand models. “We’re doing conversions,” said Michael Kadie
“CASH FOR CLUNKERS” VOUCHER BILL PASSES HOUSE; MEASURE AIMS TO REDUCE POLLUTION, SAVE JOBS AND FUEL
Printer-friendly versionLocal Representatives Split Votes By Miriam Raftery June 10, 2009 (Washington D.C.)–Three local representatives have voted in favor of a “cash for clunkers” program that will allow consumers to trade in their old, gas-guzzling cars for vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help people buy new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act (HR 2751)
CALIFORNIA-FRIENDLY® LANDSCAPES WIN BIG PRIZES
Printer-friendly versionJune 1, 2009 (El Cajon) – Winners of the sixth annual California-Friendly® Landscape Contest gathered to collect their prizes at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College on May 16th. Twenty homeowners from across the county received honors for outstanding examples of beautiful, drought-tolerant landscapes. Photographs of the winning landscapes adorned a display in The Garden’s Plaza, and garden
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IN A WIN FOR PUBLIC ACCESS, CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO KEEP LAKE MURRAY OPEN DAILY
Printer-friendly version By Karen Pearlman Photo by Karen Pearlman: wild birds at the Lake Murray reservoir June 11, 2025 (San Diego) – The future of continued daily access to Lake Murray is looking a little brighter today. With a 7-2 vote, the San Diego City Council on Tuesday approved a 2025-26 budget that preserves activities at Lake Murray and other

COUNTY ACQUIRES 540 ACRES TO EXPAND SANTA YSABEL PRESERVE AND PROTECT SENSITIVE SPECIES
Printer-friendly versionBy County News Center County of San Diego Communications Office May 28, 2025 (Santa Ysabel) — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently approved the purchase of about 540 acres of property in North County for $5.1 million to expand its conservation efforts. Located within a designated conservation area in Santa Ysabel, the land will expand an existing

COTTONWOOD SAND MIND ON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA JUNE 13
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery May 20, 2025 (San Diego) – Years after the Cottonwood Sand Mine was first proposed along the Sweetwater River on the site of the Cottonwood Golf course in Rancho San Diego, the San Diego County Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the proposed sand mine. The latest draft environmental impact report can be viewed
TAKE THE WARRIOR HIKE CHALLENGE MAY 24 AT EL CAPITAN COUNTY PRESERVE
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BORREGO SPRINGS MICROGRID COLLABORATIVE SEEKS GRANT FOR COMMUNITY MICROGRID DEVELOPMENT
Printer-friendly versionInitiative would serve as a model for community-led energy resilience, delivering more reliable power and improved energy security for Borrego’s most vulnerable residents and businesses File photo, left: Sunbeams over Anza-Borrego Desert near Borrego Springs By Gabriela Dow May 16, 2025 (Borrego Springs) — The Borrego Springs Microgrid Collaborative (BSMC) has submitted a grant application for funding through San

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO SELL FEDERAL LANDS, SLASHES FUNDING FROM FOREST AND PARK SERVICES
Printer-friendly versionThe Trump Administration is trying to sell off federal lands, while its budget cuts are severely impacting national parks and forests By G. A. McNeeley Photo: Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah May 16, 2025 (San Diego) – House Republicans have approved a provision to their budget that would allow the federal government to sell thousands of acres of public

HEARING MAY 19 ON CITY’S PLAN TO CLOSE LAKE MURRAY ON WEEKDAYS; OTHER LOCAL LAKES FACE CUTS
Printer-friendly versionResidents launch petition to keep lake open By Karen Pearlman Photo, left, by Miriam Raftery: Lake Murray May 12, 2025 (San Diego) – Lake Murray is one of several local reservoirs that may see their hours of operation get slashed starting next year because of budget issues in the city of San Diego. To cover the city’s $258 million
BILLS TO MAKE “ CALIFORNIA SMOGGY AGAIN” PASS HOUSE, ISSA VOTES YES
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RESIDENTS CHARGED UP OVER PROSPECT OF BATTERY STORAGE SITE IN LA MESA NEIGHBORHOOD
Printer-friendly versionStory and Photos By Karen Pearlman April 11, 2025 (La Mesa) — “No matter how it’s sugarcoated, battery storage facilities are dystopian looking, loud, detrimental to real estate values and potentially deadly,” La Mesa City Councilmember Laura Lothian says. For several years, Lothian (pictured above, with Heartland Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Bent Koch) has been a

JUDGE OVERTURNS SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S TRANSPORTATION GUIDELINES
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery View the court’s ruling April 9, 2025 (San Diego) – San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfei has struck down San Diego County’s Transportation Study Guide. The decision in a lawsuit filed by Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF) and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF) is a win for environmentalists seeking to reduce emissions from
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.