Every March the California town of San Juan Capistrano celebrates the return of cliff swallows to the mission where they flock to build their nests. This annual migration is such a predictable event that the town has built an entire tourist industry out of it.
One huge hunk of Swiss Cheese: the “environmental report” for the Zoo’s “conservation” theme park
During the multiple public hearings leading up to City Council approval of the Zoo’s “conservation” theme park in June, 2011, we heard a lot of talk about the environmental review document for the proposed development. Waving around a City-prepared report that comprised hundreds of pages, some development enthusiasts claimed that the environmental impacts of the [...]
Poison Oak
Poison oak! Does your skin itch at the very thought of this common plant? If you’ve ever accidentally brushed up against poison oak and developed a skin rash, you know how uncomfortable that can be. So, what’s the good of poison oak? Can’t we just get rid of it once and for all?
Oakland debt will be raised with zoo’s new multi-million dollar aerial gondola
The Oakland Zoo expansion plan being pursued by zoo management with the approval of the Oakland City Council includes a big and expensive aerial gondola. You might ask, with the new City Administrator, Deanna Santana, noting in her December budget letter that the City doesn’t have money to replace aging fire pump and ladder trucks, [...]
