climate change

Every day we wash our dishes, fill our water glass, and flush the toilet, likely without thinking much about the systems required to make this all possible. I’d like to think we are doing our job so you don’t have to think too much about it.

The year was 1969. And what a year it was. On July 20, 1969—the Viet Nam War was raging—American Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the surface of the moon. For much of the decade, America and indeed the world had been mesmerized by the space race.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The December edition of the City of South Lake Tahoe's "At Lake Level" has been released by City Manager Frank Rush. This month Rush covers SnowGlobe, the 56-acre site and a possible new Fire/EMS station for the community.

56-Acre Site

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Timing seems perfect to have a fleet of electric buses for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD), but trustees have the purchase of just one on their Friday night agenda along with the purchase of four diesel buses.

The Board's annual organizational meeting is set for December 13 at 5:00 p.m. instead of their normal Tuesday meeting. During the meeting, they will elect a new board president and clerk, and elect representatives to El Dorado County School Boards Association and Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation, and assign annual duties for the trustees.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) has been awarded a large piece of funding to help its $10.6 million project to restore the 500 acre Upper Truckee River Marsh.

CTC was awarded $2.98M by the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) to help with the project at the marsh, the largest wetland in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Millions around the world participated in the Global Climate Strike this past September, trying to make their voices heard as they called for action.

A reported 7.6 million people took to the streets, the biggest climate mobilization in history. From small villages to big cities, people spoke, walked, joined hands and used their voices in defense of the climate and an end to reliance on fossil fuels.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A three-year effort to survey the Upper Truckee River for aquatic invasive plants has wrapped up. Community members, supported by staff from the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, and California State Parks joined together to map the plants in order to prevent their spread during major upcoming restoration projects along the river, Lake Tahoe’s largest tributary.

This week at South Tahoe High School, students found their voice about climate change and the varsity volleyball team travels to archrival Truckee in a battle for the league’s top spot.

Climate Change Strike

Last Friday, hundreds of students at STHS walked out of their classes in protest against climate change inaction. Some even marched down towards the Lakeview Commons and spoke in front of locals. Inspired by the strike, other students are coming together to find more effective ways of protest.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As the Global Climate Strike was taking place around the world will millions of people participating, approximately 200 people in South Lake Tahoe held their own on the shores of Lake Tahoe at Lakeview Commons.

Several speakers addressed the crowd, one bigger than organizers imagined.

"This is a fantastic turnout," said organizer Stephen Wright of South Lake Tahoe. "Kids even left school."

Wright was referring to a group of students who walked from South Tahoe High to Lakeview Commons (a 4-mile trek) to join in.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 23 years political leaders from the White House to state capitols have professed their commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe.

At the first Lake Tahoe Summit on July 27, 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore told of their commitment to keeping Tahoe blue after decades of erosion from roads, increased emissions from automobiles and boats, removal of wetlands and overgrown and dying forests were threatening its clarity.

South Lake Tahoe’s renewable energy leadership is providing the opportunity for the installation of substantive solar projects on the rooftops and properties of public buildings throughout the Sierra. The City took on this leadership role in May after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to become the lead agency for the Sierra under the Solar Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Fund, a not-for-profit program aimed to empower public agencies to evaluate and participate in regional collaborative procurement of municipal solar projects.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Wilder Than Wild: Fires, Forest and the Future will be shown at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center amphitheater on Friday, June 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Besides the free showing of the film there will be a panel discussion that includes forest management experts, public land management agencies, local fire districts, local law enforcement, Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities, Liberty Utilities and more.

Find out how the League to Save Lake Tahoe has advocated for lake-wide protection since its inception in 1957. Learn how innovative new programs are currently helping ensure that Lake Tahoe remains resilient in the face of threats like climate change and traffic. Marilee Movius, the League’s Community Engagement Manager, will be speaking directly about the effectiveness of direct actions like volunteer cleanups and restoration days, and highlighting actions everyone can take to help protect our beloved Lake. Free and open to all. Presented by the Friends of the Library.

Vail Resorts was awarded the 2019 Golden Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) for its bold environmental sustainability program, Commitment to Zero. The annual Golden Eagle Awards, which were presented at the NSAA National Convention in San Diego last week, are the highest honors given for environmental performance in the ski industry.

The Tahoe Climate Change Action Network will be hosting a community forum on forest health and forest/fuel management policies in the Lake Tahoe Basin on May 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Join your neighbors and local Natural Resources professionals in forest ecology, forest and fire sciences, and fuel management.

The forum will take place at the Lake Tahoe Community College's Aspen Room in South Lake Tahoe.

Join UC Davis TERC for an evening science lecture on Mountain Lakes and Climate Change on Thursday, April 25 in Incline Village.

Between 12,000 and 14,000 small lakes are scattered throughout the Sierra Nevada. How is climate change affecting these remote mountain lakes? Recent research provides insight into the climate sensitivity of these water bodies and the influence of warming temperatures and a shrinking spring snowpack. Join Dr. Adrianne Smits as she discusses how lakes across the Sierra Nevada are expected to change and what that change could mean for the surrounding ecosystems.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The League to Save Lake Tahoe is celebrating Earth Day with a movie, presentation, and festival on April 22, 2019 and the public is invited to join them at the Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe.

Make a difference, learn more and win fun prizes!

The day starts with a clean up of the area from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Now that the snow has melted trash is showing and help is needed to keep things clean. Meet at the village at 9:00 a.m.

Then, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. visit environmental non-profit booths at Heavenly Village. Visit all booths and win prizes.

At a price tag of $150 million, the California legislature is considering a bill that, if approved, would change the way the Sierra snowpack is measured each year.

For 90 years the snowpack has been measured at several locations including Phillips, just west of Lake Tahoe. Normally performed in front of media, staff from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) snowshoe into a spot where they stick a pole into the snow to measure the depth and water content of the snow.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The City of South Lake Tahoe has launched its new
newsletter - "At Lake Level." The monthly newsletter is written by City Manager Frank Rush and prepared by Communications Manager Chris Fiore in an effort to keep the community well informed about City issues and initiatives.

New Leadership

PARK CITY, Utah -- Jamie Anderson knew what she had to do. The two-time slopestyle snowboarding Olympic champion considered dropping out of the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle Ski and Freeski World Championships but realized she could use the event for a greater good and get out a message near and dear to her heart.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As part of Operation Sierra Storm, the National Television Meteorologists' Conference held annually in Lake Tahoe, the public is invited to attend a lecture and panel discussion on living with climate change and wildland fires.

On Wednesday, January 30, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Living the New Reality: What You Should Know About Climate Change & Wildland Fires will be held at Harveys in the Cabaret Theater. It is free to the public and offers free validated parking in Harveys parking garage.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - There is hope when we find ourselves in the midst of an endless argument or discussion about climate change. On Thursday, November 29, join Professor Lynda Walsh at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) in an interactive presentation on how to debate this sometimes contentious subject.

Understanding the structure of arguments about climate change patterns helps us engage those who disagree with us more productively.

Dear South Shore Tahoe,

I attended a forum of City Council candidates this week. As I listened to the candidates, I realized, this is America the beautiful.

Each candidate spoke with integrity, well-founded opinions, intelligence, and (above all else) commitment to our city. Their views were all over the map, each represented different groups across town, defended their positions, advertised their experience. But ‒ most importantly ‒ they were there, giving themselves, in discussion and listening, for our community.

Let’s hold onto this America: E Pluribus Unum ‒ Of Many, One.

In August, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) awarded $27.5 million to fund high-priority forest health projects designed to combat climate change and reduce the risk of wildfires.

During their board meeting Thursday the California Tahoe Conservancy Board accepted their portion, a $2.3 million grant, for fire prevention projects and related efforts as part of the Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative.