Baykeeper is excited to be a part of the first-of-its-kind SharkTank messaging competition presented by Trainer Communications. On November 17, CEOs of Bay Area technology companies will have three minutes to pitch their company's messaging to a panel of top-tier broadcast and print media, competing to be the winner of SharkTank 2011.
Want to help cut pollution in the Bay by collecting and reusing rainwater from your San Francisco rooftop? If so, you can get a discount of up to 60% on rain barrels from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The SFPUC also offers cisterns at discounts of up to $640.
This afternoon the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) unanimously approved an amendment to the Bay Plan which addresses climate change - with specific focus on sea level rise adaptation. Baykeeper has been an active proponent of the amendment, submitting multiple comment letters, speaking at numerous public hearings and negotiating the final draft of this Bay Plan amendment. Other environmental groups engaged in this process include Save the Bay, Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, Sierra Club and Marin Audubon.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill which will ban the harmful chemical bisphenol A from plastic baby bottles and cups. The chemical, known commonly as BPA, leaches into food and liquids from plastic containers and can be harmful to children's development. BPA has been also been linked to reproductive disorders in humans, fish and aquatic life due to its estrogen-mimicking properties.
Gulf Coast Waterkeepers have released a new "State of the Gulf" report with updates on the current health of the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding shorelines, eighteen months after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and began the months-long BP oil disaster. The report lays out seven key findings and includes the results of the Environmental Monitoring Project conducted by Save Our Gulf, a coalition of the seven Gulf Coast Waterkeepers.
Federal, state and local government agencies have announced their financial settlement with those responsible for the Cosco Busan oil spill which dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay on November 7, 2007. Read the San Francisco Chronicle article about the settlement.
This past Saturday, sixteen swimmers traversed San Francisco Bay in the second annual TransBay Relay swim benefiting San Francisco Baykeeper. The swim, which spanned 9 miles across the Bay from the Golden Gate to the East Bay, challenged the swimmers and their pilots with strong winds, large swells and considerable chop. We're happy to report that everyone arrived safely at the finish line with smiles on their faces despite the difficult conditions.
The Clean Water Act is currently under threat from a series of appropriations riders under consideration in the U.S. Senate. Fortunately, one of the most powerful members of the Appropriations Subcommittees voting on these so-called "riders" is San Francisco Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Please contact her and thank her for being a supporter of clean water in the past and urge her to vote NO on all appropriations riders.
David Yearsley, Executive Director of Friends of the Petaluma River and former Petaluma Riverkeeper, passed away yesterday. David was a tireless advocate for the Petaluma River and a close friend of San Francisco Baykeeper. He will be greatly missed.
California lawmakers are expected to vote soon on a bill sponsored by San Francisco Baykeeper to fund oil spill prevention and response. Read recent news coverage here. We'll keep you updated on the results of the vote.
