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In a little-noticed move in late August, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that would award all of California's electoral votes in presidential elections to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote, a solution that proponents say would make presidential elections more rational and fair. The bill is possible because the U.S. Constitution leaves the power of selecting electors for presidential elections to the individual states. Article II, Section 1 says: "The executive P

The debt ceiling deal reached late last month might have temporarily reassured foreign debt holders, but the same can't be said of American farmers who anxiously await some decisions on cuts to agricultural spending. Though agricultural leaders are uncertain what these cuts will mean for farmers, they are sure that American food producers will have to do more with less. The plan to address the nation's massive budget deficit with an immediate $900 billion in government spending cuts and over $1

A recent proposal by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to amend its assured water supply rules would provide grandfathered irrigation water rights to farmlands that were retired for development. The new rules would apply only to lands that previously had irrigation water rights and that are still capable of being irrigated. We all know the story: beginning in 2005 and lasting until 2007, a speculative-driven bubble inflated land and real-estate values beyond market recognition. A

Most forms of power generation, especially coal, oil, and natural gas, require large amounts of water. The US Geological Service says nearly half of the nation's water consumption is used in creating electricity, an astonishingly high number. Coal and petroleum-based energy are among the most water-intensive, as water is used every step along the way, from extraction to refining as well as in production. But, environmentalists shouldn't get too smug here. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), which r

California has mandated that 33% of power by 2020 must be from renewable sources.  This has created a huge surge in applications to build renewable energy plants as developers have rightfully determined that Californians will have to buy power from them by 2020. The state needs 20 GW (20,000 MW) more in renewable energy by 2020 to meet the 33% goal. It currently has proposals for 71 GW! This is certainly encouraging and quite unexpected.. Yet, it still hasn't met the 20% renewable goal it set

The haboob that hit Phoenix on July 5 was indeed a monster, the largest in decades. It was at least 100 miles long, lasted for two hours, and was several thousand feet high. A second, less powerful haboob hit on July 18.  Such dust storms are relatively common in Arizona. The good news is that their frequency has been steadily decliningthe past few decades, down to about 2 per year at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix from 8 per year in the 1940'-50's. This is partly due to urbanization and less fa

The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts for the 2012 fiscal year. Over 114,000 acres of marginal California farmland have been enrolled in the federal conservation program designed to increase wildlife habitat. Since the program's inception 25 years ago, California CRP conservation contracts have earned over $144 million for rural property owners and producers, FSA officials say.  Landowners who voluntarily enroll in CRP receive annual

Governor Jerry Brown is expected to provide a huge boost to the progressive anti-Electoral College movement with his signature on AB 459, the National Popular Vote law. The highly controversial bill, passed by both the Assembly and the state Senate last Thursday would enroll California in an interstate agreement that obliges member states in presidential elections to give their electoral votes to the candidate with the most votes nationwide, regardless of the true tally of each state's electoral

Former California Secretary of Agriculture A. G. Kawamura is reconnecting with his roots. After serving as Ag Secretary for seven years, he's now growing food in Orange County. Kawamura recently told the California Farm Bureau that suburban sprawl has created opportunities for farmers in an era that sees farmland rapidly disappearing. Kawamura, a long-time proponent of urban gardens, recently said that the role agriculture will have to play in an “unpredictable future” is being defined right now

Good news from the state Department of Water Resources: the two major California snowpacks are standing well above-average. Measurements taken this week show levels in the Sierra Nevada to be at 144 percent of the April 1 season average, while the Colorado River Basin remains 149 percent of the average. The latter provides Southern California with much of its drinking and agricultural water. The high amount of precipitation the state has received throughout the winter will guarantee that no new