MacKenzie Elmer, journalist.

Environment Report: Why San Diego Community Power Is Stockpiling Cash The region’s government-run electricity buyer has over half a billion in its rainy-day fund but hasn’t used any of it to lower rates. Here’s why.

One of CA's biggest government-run electricity-buying orgs stockpiled over half a billion dollars in customer cash, but hasn't used it to lower rates. They raised rates this year. They blame an obligation to pay off SDG&E's contracts: voiceofsandiego.org/2026/02/02/e... @voiceofsandiego

With a nudge from industry, Congress takes aim at California recycling laws A bill in Congress seeks to eliminate different state recycling requirements and labeling by creating a single, national standard that would be voluntary.

A Republican congressman from Texas has introduced legislation to stop California from helping people understand which products are actually recyclable: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @susrust.bsky.social

trying to be a good citizen and pay for my parking at Balboa Park but the machine is broken. Don’t you come for me anyway, city of sd.

Environment Report: Flood Scares Won’t Quit in Shelltown At 2 a.m. Monday morning, the De la Mora’s were outside in the rain cleaning a city storm drain with a rake.

The rain woke Brenda de La Mora at 2 a.m. She roused her husband to grab a rake and tend the storm drain near the flooding creek. Two years ago, the creek consumed hundreds of homes. So far, nothing's changed except that neighbors are triggered. voiceofsandiego.org/2026/01/05/e...

Unseasonably warm December sets temperature records as Colorado snowpack remains poor Across Colorado, this past December was among the hottest ever recorded. Both Denver and Grand Junction recorded their second-hottest December on record, according to the National Weather Service.…

Things look bad for the Colorado River, San Diego's main water lifeline. The river's source water, the Rocky Mountain snowpack, is at record lows. Colorado had its second warmest December since 1893.
www.skyhinews.com/news/colorad...

I just asked Scott Cameron, Trump’s top water boss at Bureau of Reclamation, why the federal government hasn’t done anything except set new deadlines which seem to be meaningless. He wouldn’t answer my question. #CRWUA2025 @crwua_2025

Trump’s acting head of the Bureau of Reclamation warns Colorado River negotiators against suing each other: “Only certainty around litigation is a bunch of water lawyers will be able to put their children through grad school.” #CRWUA2025

South Bay Residents at Risk from Long-Term Toxic Gas Exposure A year's worth of data shows South Bay residents are constantly exposed to low levels of hydrogen sulfide gas from the polluted Tijuana River that could harm their health in the long run.

San Diego @SenStevePadilla introduces bill to update California's toxic hydrogen sulfide gas standards. People living next to the Tijuana River are consistently exposed to levels of the gas the EPA says is unsafe long term. voiceofsandiego.org/2025/12/08/s...

Trump officials are at #crwua2025 this morning to give the quibbling states a stern talking to: Give your commissioners room to negotiate and compromise. If you can't, send us representatives who can - Andrea Travnicek, Assistant Secretary of the Interior. @voiceofsandiego

Dispatch from Sin City: Colorado River Negotiations Are Stuck in the Mud Reporter MacKenzie Elmer is covering talks in Las Vegas among users of the drought-stricken Colorado River. They aren’t going well.  

I’m in Las Vegas covering negotiations  among users of the drought-stricken Colorado River. They aren’t going well…again. It’s almost like they want Trump to step in.  voiceofsandiego.org/2025/12/16/d... @voiceofsandiego.org

Mexicali Farmers Threaten to Use Their Colorado River Water, Putting Tijuana’s Supply in Jeopardy Cities in northern Baja California depend on Mexicali farmers’ rights to use Colorado River water. The Mexican government just wrested control of that water, sparking protests and blockades by farmers...

Mexicali farmers will spill their Colorado River water — depriving coastal cities like Tijuana of drinking water — if @Claudiashein doesn’t cut a deal to compensate them for blocking their ability to sell it. voiceofsandiego.org/2025/12/16/m... #CRWUA2025 @voiceofsandiego.org

Environment Report: Why San Diego Can’t Recycle Its Nuclear Waste What if the 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel SONGS must now store under tight security, within double canisters of steel in a thick concrete bunker along an earthquake fault line on a cliff ov...

I wrote about what's stopping Southern California Edison from doing that. Long story short: Blame Jimmy Carter.
voiceofsandiego.org/2021/12/06/e... @voiceofsandiego.org

San Diego County to explore recycling San Onofre nuclear waste The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a plan Tuesday to explore partnering with national laboratories that are developing ways to recycle nuclear waste safely.

Interesting reporting by @tammyxmurga on Supervisor @jim_desmond calling for recycling used nuclear fuel at SONGS in SoCal. www.kpbs.org/news/environ... @kpbs

Antimicrobial effects and mechanisms of hydrogen sulphide against nail pathogens - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Antimicrobial effects and mechanisms of hydrogen sulphide against nail pathogens

Another promising application of hydrogen sulfide: obliterating nail fungus!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I spent a lot of time getting to know hydrogen sulfide, a dramatic gas which has caused near-planetary destruction but may also cure erectile dysfunction.
Last year scientists sparked fear of its presence in the polluted Tijuana River valley. voiceofsandiego.org/2025/12/08/s...

South Bay Has a Gas Problem A year's worth of data shows South Bay residents are constantly exposed to low levels of hydrogen sulfide gas from the polluted Tijuana River that could harm their health in the long run.

Toxic gas data from the Tijuana River shows the amount of hydrogen sulfide won’t kill anyone instantly, for which H2S is most famous.

But there’s enough of the gas consistently circulating in South Bay that people’s health could be impacted longterm.

voiceofsandiego.org/2025/12/08/s...

This will be good:
@sammyroth.bsky.social, @amywestervelt.bsky.social & @billmckibben.bsky.social talking climate reporting Wednesday @ 5. Register here: thirdact.org/events/news-...

ICYMI, Jenna Ramiscal has this great piece on California’s hydrogen fuel paradox: North County Transit District trucks the fuel in from over 100 miles away to fuel its hydrogen-powered buses. voiceofsandiego.org/2025/11/25/n...

Column: Green hydrogen or greenwashing? Mojave water scheme takes new twist For two decades, Cadiz has been trying to sell groundwater. Now it's getting into the clean energy business.

AZ's state water financing agency nixed a proposal to import water from a controversial project called Cadiz Inc. @sammyroth.bsky.social wrote extensively about this for @latimes.com: www.latimes.com/environment/...

Arizona water board approves desalination plants in California, Mexico Arizona will provide taxpayer money to help private companies develop plans for at least two and possibly three desalination plants in California or Mexico under proposals approved by a state…

Arizona will use taxpayer dollars to pay private companies to build desalination plants in California or Mexico. AZ would trade that investment for more supplies from the Colorado River.
www.kawc.org/news/2025-11...

More evidence of San Diego’s lack of public restrooms: A man just threw two planters onto the floor of a local Starbucks after being refused access to the bathroom, which is “for customers only.”

Live event Tuesday: The Bill Gates climate memo Join me for an urgent virtual discussion with leading climate scientists.

Don't know how to feel about Bill Gates' controversial climate memo? Join me and four top climate scientists at 1:30pm PT today for a live discussion! Details and RSVP here: www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/live-event...

SDG&E Layoffs Spark Union Backlash Local 465 blames ‘corporate greed’ and says layoffs won’t translate into lower energy rates.

SDG&E's biggest union is enraged over non-union layoffs and buyouts of represented workers. "Over my dead body would SDG&E layoff or negatively impact one of our represented families,” said Nate Fairman of Local 465. voiceofsandiego.org/2025/11/03/s...

Ratio utility billing victims are everywhere - wrote about this often third-party billing system used to mask extra costs on tenants back in 2023 voiceofsandiego.org/2023/04/26/r...

The water war Trump hasn’t blown up The fight over the Colorado River’s dwindling resources is made for MAGA — but so far the Trump administration has been playing it straight.

Politico's Annie Snider has this great piece laying out how the impending fate of the drying Colorado River is the only water war the Trump Administration hasn't blown up. www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

Morning Report: Water Rates Going Up, Up, Up San Diego City Councilmembers on Tuesday begrudgingly voted to hike the city’s water rates by nearly 30 percent over the next two years, despite the fact that the region has […]

Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert. She pushed for San Diego to stop paying its water bills to the Water Authority.
“They’re not going to turn off our tap,” Von Wilpert said. “We can go to litigation over this. We can’t continue to rubberstamp.” voiceofsandiego.org/2025/10/29/m...

Council passes 31% increase in water and wastewater rates over next two years. Citizens who spoke against the move stage promoters outside chambers after vote. @voiceofsandiego

Council passes 31% increase in water and wastewater rates over next two years. Citizens who spoke against the move stage promoters outside chambers after vote. @voiceofsandiego

San Diego City Council passes two-year water rate increase - 29% - with council members Lee, Moreno, Foster and Von Wilpert voting no.
@voiceofsandiego

Councilmember Whitburn says he won't support "four years" of water rate increases. That's different than what he said in September.
He's asking whether PUD could do a 5 percent increase just for the coming year.