Natural wine shop and bar Tofino Wines is closing its doors after nine years in business and hopes to move to a new location. Owners Mark Nevin and April Sack announced in an email to customers that they will be closing the business at 2696 Geary Boulevard, writing that Tofino's last day as a bar will be Saturday, March 30. The couple said issues with renewing their lease and ongoing challenges with the pandemic contributed to their decision to close.

It's not all sad news, though: Nevin and Sack say they plan to find a new retail space for their wine shop and will expand their online business in the meantime. They want to open their store in early July and have started a GoFundMe to help them reach their opening goal. And while the wine bar portion of the store is closing at the end of March, the couple says they'll be operating “in and out of the store” through the end of April if anyone wants to pick up a bottle. “It breaks our hearts to make this announcement, but we plan to take with us many of the beautiful things we have built and created,” the email reads in part. “Most importantly, we want to take you with us, because we have always been the link between the wines and winemakers we care about and our customers, who have been at the heart of our work for nine years.”

Another SF rooftop restaurant will join the chat

Real estate developer Presidio Bay Ventures purchased the building at 60 Spear Street in August 2023, but now the San Francisco Business Times has learned what the company plans to do with the property. The news outlet reports that in addition to creating a larger building, there are also plans to install a 7,700-square-foot rooftop bar and restaurant, as well as a bakery, as well as other structural amenities such as “sauna rooms, cold and hot water pools, floating saltwater pools, co-working -Space” and more, says an application to city planners.

Opening of a new distillery in Rancho Cordova

Gold River Distillery is closing its doors at the end of March after 11 years, but now the Sacramento Bee has news about who is taking over the space at 11460 Sunrise Gold Circle. Set to open there this summer, Dao Distillery plans to produce the first California-made version of the Vietnamese rice liquor Rượu đế.

Pliny the Younger turns 20

The most die-hard beer fanatics probably already know this and are lining up at Russian River Brewing Company, but for the rest of us, the annual return of Pliny the Younger is just around the corner… and the celebrated beer is almost at the legal drinking age. The Mercury News reports that this release of the triple IPA will run from Friday, March 22nd through April 4th and will be available at Santa Rosa Brewpub and Windsor Brewery and Pub in Russian River to mark the beer's 20th anniversary becomes. All detailed information about what to expect when looking for Pliny can be found on the Russian River Brewing Company website.

Spring cleaning party at the Michelin star restaurant

As Osito bids farewell to its sister establishment and bar Liliana, making way for Bar Agricole in May, chef and owner Seth Stowaway is throwing a party to sell the alcohol there. On Tuesday, March 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., fans can stop by for a plate of barbecue and cocktails for $10 per person.

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The post San Francisco Neighborhood Pure Wine Bar and Bottle Store Tofino Wines Is Closing for Now appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors (BAAQMD) on Wednesday approved new regulations that will gradually phase out nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from natural gas furnaces and water heaters in the Bay Area. 

According to the Air District, natural gas building appliances are one of the largest emitters of nitrogen oxides of all stationary sources of air pollution, accounting for a similar amount of NOx pollution as passenger vehicles in the Bay Area.

“The 1.8 million water heaters and furnaces in the Bay Area significantly impact our air quality, resulting in dozens of early deaths and a wide range of health impacts, particularly in communities of color,” said Air District executive officer Dr. Philip Fine. “This groundbreaking regulation will phase out the most polluting appliances in homes and businesses to protect Bay Area residents from the harmful air pollution they cause.”

Many illnesses, including coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, asthma, and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections have been linked to NOx exposure, while asthma and other respiratory conditions, neurological disease, heart attack, stroke, lung cancer, and premature death have been linked to exposure to particulate matter.

The new amendments will avoid up to $890 million annually in health impacts due to exposure to air pollution.

However, the Air District added that the rule amendments will apply only to new appliances and do not mandate the immediate change out of existing appliances, nor will they apply to appliances used for cooking, such as gas stoves. The Air District expects the new regulation to reduce NOx emissions by 90% and improve air quality significantly in the Bay Area.

Information for this briefing was found via the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.

The post San Francisco Bay Space to Ban Pure Fuel Heating Home equipment by 2027 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The simple act of washing clothing and bedding has a bigger environmental impact than many folks know. Apart from the amount of water used, some chemicals in conventional laundry detergent allow synthetic substances to enter natural waterways and can also cause skin irritation.

In This Article

01 What makes a laundry detergent eco-friendly? 03 The best natural detergents

Lea D’Auriol, founder of ocean conservation nonprofit Oceanic Global, shares, “Laundry detergents are commonly made with synthetics and toxic chemicals including carcinogens, air pollutants, and hormone disrupters.” Not only are these toxins detrimental to human health, but since around half of global wastewater enters the environment untreated (according to the United Nations), they also end up in our waterways and threaten to devastate marine biodiversity, fisheries, and the overall health of marine ecosystems, D’Auriol notes.

Fortunately, there’s a more sustainable solution. Natural laundry detergent can be a healthier choice for us and our planet. They’re made with more sustainable packaging, safer ingredients, and are less toxic for aquatic life than many traditional options.

Some people worry that eco-friendly laundry detergent won’t clean well, but that’s a myth. Minimize your carbon footprint with the best natural laundry detergents on the market. Not sure where to start? There’s a sea of options available, so I tested several popular choices over the course of a few weeks to figure out which will clean your clothing the best.

What makes a laundry detergent eco-friendly?

There’s no shortage of brands selling these natural laundry detergents in this age of sustainable living, but what exactly makes a laundry detergent green? And how can you tell if it’s just clever marketing or a product that performs well and doesn’t contain harmful additives?

Eco expert Jessian Choy, who works with the Sierra Club and the San Francisco Department of Environment, recommends seeking out products with minimal ingredients. As she puts it, “If you won’t eat it, why would you put it on your skin? She considers coconut oil to be one of the best options, as its antifungal and antibacterial properties can help remove stains.

Ingredients to avoid in laundry detergent

Choy warns against 1,4 dioxane, a known carcinogen that can contaminate waterways and is often hidden on labels under various names. “Avoid anything with pre-fixes and words like -eth, PEG, or -oxynol-, which are all synonymous with 1,4 dioxane.”

Besides that, Choy says to try and steer clear of:

• Dyes
• Formaldehyde
• Optical brighteners
• Phosphates
• Dichlorobenzene
• Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate

What to consider when buying eco-friendly laundry detergent

Type

Detergent is typically offered in pods, sheets, liquids, or powders. D’Auriol recommends powdered or liquid detergent sold in bulk as opposed to single-use disposables. Choy prefers powder since it’s less bulky and heavy.

While laundry sheets and detergent pods can be convenient, they’re not as kind to the environment. “Liquid and powders are both better than laundry pods,” Choy says. “I prefer powder, since liquid is heavier and weighs more to ship around, ultimately creating more climate change.” She adds that an ultra-concentrated formula, which typically comes in a smaller plastic container, can help reduce waste as well.

Fragrance

When it comes to natural laundry detergents, Choy prefers fragrance-free products to unscented ones. “Fragrance-free means zero added fragrance or oils,” she says. “Even something that sounds as innocent as essential oils can cause breast growth in young boys.” This can be especially important to consider if you have allergies or skin sensitivities.

Environmental criteria

Ecolabels, which are icons allowing you to see just how sustainable your product is, are another way to identify natural laundry detergents. Look for the Environmental Working Group (EWG) verified mark and the Safer Choice Standard from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You can also check for labels that contain words like organic or bio-based, and offerings from Certified B Corporations.

Packaging

“When shopping for an eco-friendly detergent, a plastic-free bottle is better,” Choy says. Plastic isn’t great for the environment, but post-consumer recycled plastic has a smaller carbon footprint. Also keep an eye out for biodegradable packaging and brands that sell refills, which can help minimize waste.

The best natural detergents

Best overall

Dirty Labs, Signature Sustainable Set — $44.00

In my eyes, as convenient and mess-free as sustainable detergent sheets are, nothing beats the effectiveness of a liquid solution. This one is made with a bio-based, 5-in-1 enzyme cleaning formula, and a little goes a long way.

Dirty Labs sent me their Signature and Murasaki options, both of which were incredible, though, they have a fragrance-free version if that’s what you prefer.

Packaged in a recycled aluminum bottle with a screw-on cap, the included measuring cup was made of silicone rather than plastic. Apart from being pleasantly squishy, it’s a more sustainable alternative to plastic and doesn’t risk cracking. On the laundry booster, there’s an additional snug metal lid that settles into the jar. After pouring a spoonful of the booster in a soiled load filled with hoisin and tomato sauce stains, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the clothes came out without any stains and smelled sublime. 

Fragrances: Signature, Murasaki, Free & Clear (fragrance-free)

• Effective enzyme cleaning
   
• USDA bio-based/EPA Safer Choice/EWG verified
   
• Biodegradable formula
   
• Incredible and long-lasting scents
   
• Comes with a stain-removing booster
   
• Options safe for sensitive skin

• The silicone lid isn’t recyclable
   
• Doesn’t last long if using full caps for every load

Best laundry pod alternative

Blueland, Laundry Starter Set — $52.00

Swap those plastic-encased laundry pods for something with a smaller carbon footprint—dissolving plant-based tablets. This Certified B Corp has earned an army of fans for good reason, and the results speak for themselves. Served in minimalist biodegradable packaging with reusable tin canisters, this eco-friendly detergent is plastic-free and void of dyes, harsh chemicals, and bleach. I get that tablet casings aren’t the most sustainable choice, but I wish that the tablets were a bit more durable and less prone to breakage.

Although the tablets were unscented, they left a fresher smell than some of the other unscented alternatives and significantly less residue. The Oxi Laundry Booster that Blueland sells offers an additional light, but beautiful fragrance. The lid of the Oxy Booster canister was designed so that you could pour directly in it for the proper dosage. Overall, it felt just as clean as the results from the commercial laundry pods I previously used, which was impressive. 

Fragrances: Unscented (Oxi Booster is scented)

• No single-use plastic
   
• Reusable packaging/refills available
   
• No parabens/ammonia/phthalates/VOCs
   
• Tablet refills take up less space/are travel-friendly

• Contains alcohols, C12-14, Which can be harmful to aquatic life 
   
• Tablets can break during shipment—several crumbled/were broken in half
   
• Tablets can be inconsistent, don’t always dissolve as well in cold water

Best scent-free

Branch Basics, Laundry Kit — $69.00

Not everyone digs a fragranced product. Whether you suffer from allergies or are just scent-sensitive, Branch Basics fragrance-free laundry detergent will leave your clothes squeaky clean.

The brand’s starter kit comes in both glass and plastic versions. I was sent both, and while the recyclable plastic bottle is more lightweight and less expensive, the glass dispenser will last ages and has a stylish look that will elevate any laundry room. Both hold up to 64-loads worth of detergent. 

The concentrate, which comes in a generous 33.8 fluid-ounce bottle, can last for nearly 200 loads and is enhanced by a bag of oxygen boost powder, which can be used to deodorize, pre-treat stains, and leave clothing whiter and brighter. Though this detergent may have a higher price tag, it contains around three times more than your average eco-friendly laundry detergent and gets cheaper if you subscribe. Plus, without the Oxy Booster, the concentrate can be a versatile all-purpose cleaner for dishes and surfaces around your home as well.

• Plant- and mineral-based formula for non-scented shoppers
   
• Zero harmful preservatives/chemicals
   
• Versatile, biodegradable cleaner that works on more than laundry
   
• Each bottle lasts at least 192 loads of laundry

• Expensive price tag
   
• Can leave a musty smell at times
   
• Stains need to be soaked before washing

Best eco-friendly

Seventh Generation, Easy Dose Laundry Detergent — $11.00

This natural detergent is ultra-concentrated, so you can get maximum bang for your buck without wasting detergent. While I’m a sucker for their lavender-scented detergent, those looking for fragrance-free laundry detergents will love this effective formula and its minimal carbon footprint.

I washed my dog’s bedding with this soap since he’s sensitive to scents and additives. All the stains and dirt were visibly washed away, and both blankets and his zippered bed cover were left residue-free, even in cold water.

I loved how the  EasyDose cap measures for you; instead of pouring, I could squeeze it out without drips or messes. Seventh Gen advertises that you only need one squeeze for regular loads and two for extra soiled or large loads. However, I needed at least two squirts to get items sufficiently clean. Based on reviews, the scented versions have a light and airy fragrance.

In short, don’t expect this to last 66 loads unless your laundry is very lightly soiled or the size of your loads is small. But if you like the idea of a pre-measured squirt or have sensitive skin, it’s worth a try. 

Fragrances: Fragrance-free, Rose, Lavender, Mango & Mandarin

• 100-percent plant-based formula
   
• Mess-free dispenser
   
• Built-in measuring cup
   
• Leaping Bunny certified and Certified B Corp

• Comes in a plastic bottle (still, recycled plastic)
   
• Minimum of two squirts for maximum cleaning power

Best fragrance

Dedcool, Dedtergent Milk — $35.00

DedCool really does take after its namesake—this is the coolest detergent brand out there I’ve seen.  Served up in a minimalist aluminum tin, Dedtergent Milk can wash up to 60 loads and adds the coziest scent ever to your clothing, bedding, or whatever else you decide to use it on. The 100-percent biodegradable formula comes in four different scents. With luxurious notes like bergamot, incense, and amber, it’s like a linen spray combined with a detergent. Instead of dwindling after it comes out of the dryer, it stuck around for about four days in my drawers with hand and machine-washed clothing.

I’m partial to gardenias and floral scents, so they sent me their Red Dakota option, which contains bergamot, gardenias, and amber notes. It was love at first whiff when I took the seal off the container. It uses coconut-derived surfactants to wash any garment (including delicates), and the smell left behind is soft and comforting. Whether you’re looking to splurge on a fancy detergent or gift it to a friend (refills cost $50), this environmentally conscious detergent that performs as great as it smells is worth a shot. 

Fragrances: Dedtergent Milk, Taunt, Red Dakota, Spring

• Transparent and minimal ingredient list
   
• No other scents like it on the market
   
• Comes in a reusable tin and refills available

• Lid doesn’t have a built-in measuring cup
   
• Not ideal for scent-sensitive folks/no unscented options

Best laundry detergent sheets

Earth Breeze, Laundry Detergent Sheets — $13.00

Detergent sheets are compact, you don’t have to deal with leaks, and they still get the job done. That said, not all laundry sheets are equal. Some of the samples I was sent left behind a residue, leaving me on the fence about whether they were performing optimally. However, Earth Breeze’s cellulose detergent sheets cleaned powerfully and dissolved well in the machine, so it’s no wonder they’re a bestseller and have almost 60,000 glowing reviews on Amazon. 

Though Earth Breeze sells a non-fragranced version, they sent me their scented one, which was lightly floral and refreshing without being overwhelming. I walk dogs part-time, and although the detergent cleaned all the hair and dirt off my garments, it didn’t leave behind a scent on the super stinky clothing items. Unlike some of the other laundry sheets I tested, the sheets dissolved without a hitch. It was the only non-liquid that gave clothes a clean feel.

Fragrances: Fresh Scent, fragrance-free

• 100 percent hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested
   
• Mess-free alternative to liquid detergent
   
• Compact and lightweight 
   
• Simple to use
   
• Customizable due to perforated sheets

• Scent doesn’t last long on extremely soiled clothes
   
• Not as eco-conscious as liquid/powder
   
• Only comes with 30 sheets

Best stain remover

Tide, Purclean Natural Laundry Detergent — $19.00

Tide has been the faithful laundry sidekick of folks for years, and they decided to reduce their environmental impact with Tide Purclean. Though it’s also sold in a scent-free rendition, I was sent their Honey Lavender one, which has more of a mild honeydew melon aroma and washes up to 72 loads. It comes in a hefty box with perforated panels and a dispenser that pours into an included detergent cup when twisted.

While the fragrance didn’t stick around as long as it does with Tide’s conventional pods, the smell still lightly clung to the clothes for a while after they came out of the dryer. Unlike some of the other eco-friendly detergents I tested, the clothes had zero residue after washing and felt 100-percent clean. Most notably, the stains were completely gone.

Fragrances: Honey Lavender, unscented

• Eco-friendly without sacrificing performance
   
• Free of phosphates/dyes/optical brighteners/chlorine
   
• Less plastic in packaging

• Only a hybrid detergent (75-percent plant-based ingredients)
   
• Can be leaky and bulky to maneuver 
   
• Not ideal for those who don’t have counter space to spare

The post 7 Greatest Pure Laundry Detergents, Per Consultants appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

In the aftermath of extreme weather events, major insurers are increasingly no longer offering coverage that homeowners in areas vulnerable to those disasters need most.

At least five large U.S. property insurers — including Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Erie Insurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway — have told regulators that extreme weather patterns caused by climate change have led them to stop writing coverages in some regions, exclude protections from various weather events and raise monthly premiums and deductibles.

Major insurers say they will cut out damage caused by hurricanes, wind and hail from policies underwriting property along coastlines and in wildfire country, according to a voluntary survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a group of state officials that regulates rates and policy forms.

Insurance providers are also more willing to drop existing policies in some locales as they become more vulnerable to natural disasters. Most home insurance coverages are annual terms, so providers are not bound to them for more than one year.

That means individuals and families in places once considered safe from natural catastrophes could lose crucial insurance protections while their natural disaster exposure expands or intensifies as global temperatures rise.

“The same risks that are making insurance more important are making it harder to get,” Carolyn Kousky, associate vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund and nonresident scholar at the Insurance Information Institute, told The Washington Post.

The companies mentioned those policy changes as part of previously unreported responses to the regulatory group’s survey. The survey was distributed in 2022 by 15 states and received responses — some sent as recently as last month — from companies covering 80 percent of the U.S. insurance market.

Allstate said its climate risk mitigation strategy would include “limiting new [auto and property] business … in areas most exposed to hurricanes” and “implementing tropical cyclone and/or wind/hail deductibles or exclusions where appropriate.”

Nationwide has already pulled back in certain areas. The company said that in 2020, it “reduced exposure levels in some of the highest hazard wildland urban interface areas in California.”

In its response to the regulators’ survey, Nationwide said it no longer underwrites coverage for “properties within a certain distance to the coastline” because of hurricane potential.

Other changes will come. “More targeted hurricane risk mitigation actions are being finalized and will start by year-end 2023,” Nationwide told regulators.

Berkshire Hathaway, which also offers reinsurance — insurance policies for insurance providers — wrote that increased climate disasters mean “it is possible that policy terms and conditions could be updated or revised to reflect changes in such risk.”

U.S. homeowners have faced unprecedented disasters in recent weeks that have underscored the new challenges facing insurance markets.

Hurricane Idalia brought severe flooding to Georgia and the Carolinas, and tore through parts of Florida that had never experienced direct hits from a major storm. Tropical Storm Hilary caused $600 million in damage on the West Coast, according to Karen Clark & Co., a leading catastrophe modeling firm. The fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, whose cause is still under investigation, led to $3.2 billion in property damage, the firm said.

Those catastrophes, insurance industry insiders said, show just how quickly claims costs are escalating in the face of climate change.

U.S. insurers have disbursed $295.8 billion in natural disaster claims over the past three years, according to international risk management firm Aon. That’s a record for a three-year period, according to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

Natural catastrophes in the first six months of 2023 year in the United States caused $40 billion in insured losses, the third costliest first-half on record, Aon found.

“There’s no place to hide from these severe natural disasters,” said David Sampson, president of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. “They’re happening all over the country and so insurers are having to relook at their risk concentration.”

That trend is too costly, insurers contend, and necessitates rewriting policies or eliminating coverages in growing geographic areas.

Rate increases for homeowners insurance are regulated by state agencies. That can prevent firms from pricing policies that accurately reflect risk, said Daniel Schwarcz, who studies insurance markets at the University of Minnesota Law School. Instead of setting much higher prices for policies in specific areas that might be more vulnerable — such as regions below sea level or on the edge of fire-prone areas — insurance firms must set prices that are relatively comparable across an entire state.

“We’re in the business of pricing to risk,” Matt Mayrl, vice president of strategy, performance and partnerships at American Family Insurance, said in an interview. “Sometimes your price can’t match your risk.”

Many of the policy changes, experts say, may be unfavorable to certain consumers but are important for the survival of the wider insurance market.

Typical home insurance policies cover damage from all manner of perils, including fire and smoke, wind and hail, plumbing issues, snow and ice, and vandalism and theft. Floods are generally covered by a separate federally administered program.

Under the policy changes many large insurers are reporting to regulators, firms will continue to offer baseline policies to clients in disaster-prone areas, but without protections for damage caused by those disasters. For example, a policy in a region afflicted by hurricanes may exclude coverage for wind or hail damage, or in wildfire country, a policy without fire and smoke protection.

Consumers who want those coverages would need to purchase a supplemental policy or shop for insurance from another provider.

“The fact that insurers have the capacity to limit their exposure or change their exposure over time means at the end of the day their concerns are not fully aligned with the concerns of their policyholders,” Schwarcz said.

Representatives from Allstate and Erie declined to comment. Berkshire Hathaway and Nationwide did not respond to requests for comment.

Insurance markets, especially those that serve many regions across the country, rely on relatively stable risk projections when it comes to natural disasters. By balancing wildfire risk during the late spring in the Pacific Northwest with hurricanes in the early fall in the Southeast and winter storms in the Upper Midwest, insurers can spread risk across constituencies. In theory, providers can collect monthly premiums from a broad clientele without paying out claims on too many large-scale disasters at once.

But weather patterns are changing as the planet warms.

“There is no wildfire season anymore — it’s year-round,” said Sampson, who is also a member of President Biden’s Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.

Major hurricanes are becoming more frequent and hold more intense rains, said Paulo Ceppi, a climate scientist at Imperial College London. Meanwhile, “tornado alley” — an area swarmed by twisters that runs from Texas and Oklahoma through Kansas and Nebraska — is moving east, according to 2018 and 2022 research published in the journals Nature and Environmental Research Communications.

The variability in weather patterns means insurance companies can no longer rely on the previous risk projections that helped them make decisions.

“Potential changes to the frequency and/or severity of weather-related catastrophic losses pose a risk in both the short and long term,” Nationwide wrote in its survey response. “Activity has been observed in recent years that has differed from historical norms or modeled expectations.”

As insurers leave certain markets or cut certain perils out of policies, some homeowners are going without insurance. State governments have erected insurance policies of last resort.

The taxpayer-backed Citizens Property Insurance in Florida was the state’s second-largest insurer in 2021 in terms of policies written, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Fourteen insurance firms have either left Florida as of April or have policy portfolios that are failing. Farmer’s, the fifth-largest homeowners’ insurance provider in the United States, said in July that it would not renew nearly a third of its policies in the Sunshine State. A state-backed policy in California, where State Farm and Allstate have withdrawn or significantly cut back on new policies, covers 3 percent of residents.

But even state-backed policies must face climate risks.

“When you see the insurance companies pulling out en masse because the cost of rebuilding homes in Florida is bankrupting them,” said Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, “it’s either hubris or folly to think the state wouldn’t be bankrupted stepping in to help.”

The post House insurers lower pure disasters from insurance policies over local weather danger appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Like going into a dark attic to investigate a mysterious noise, Americans appear to be walking toward danger rather than away. But it’s not just in slasher movies that people make surprising decisions. More Americans are moving into areas prone to natural disasters than moving out, according to Redfin. Let’s look at where more Americans are choosing to call home and why they’re making the move. 

1. Florida

According to Redfin, Lee County on the Gulf Coast saw 60,000 more people move in than move out over the past two years. That’s the largest increase among the 306 high-flood-risk counties analyzed. Despite the high probability of severe flooding, builders continue to put up new homes, and buyers continue to get mortgage loans and snap them up as quickly as they’re built. 

Interestingly, Redfin reports that many of the folks who moved to Florida from the Northeast or West during the pandemic are now leaving. However, they’re quickly being replaced by new out-of-staters who dream of living near the coast. 

2. Texas

Just north of Dallas is Collin County, home to Plano. Collin County has welcomed 61,000 more residents than have left over the past two years. Meanwhile, Lee County, in southeast Central Texas, had a net gain of 57,000 residents. 

Climate-change modeling from the nonprofit First Street Foundation shows that Collin County has major risks from wildfires and severe winds. In addition, there’s a severe risk from heat. Lee County has a severe risk from heat due to an increase in “feels like” temperatures. A whopping 100% of homes in Lee County have a Severe Heat Factor®. Lee County also faces minor risk from flooding, major risk from wildfires, and severe risk from high winds. 

3. Arizona

An astounding 76,000 more people moved in than moved out of Maricopa County during the past two years. But, 100% of homes in Maricopa County face high heat risk. It’s no secret that Arizona is one hot state, but the folks moving into the state face more than an occasional hot day.

More: Check out our picks for the best mortgage lenders

According to ClimateCheck, in a typical year between 1985 and 2005, residents of Maricopa County could expect about seven days above 111.5ºF. By 2050, 27 years from now, Maricopa County residents are projected to experience about 41 days per year of temperatures over 111.5ºF.

4. Inland California

Among the 306 high-fire-risk counties Redfin analyzed, Riverside County had the highest number of homes facing high wildfire risk. In fact, 600,000 homes face the possibility of being damaged or destroyed in the next wildfire, and yet, Riverside County has experienced a net gain of 40,000 people over the past two years. 

5. Utah

Washington and Utah counties have each witnessed an influx of new people since 2021, despite the fact that 95.5% of homes in Washington County face high fire risk and drought. And Utah county isn’t much better off in terms of risks. While 71% of homes in the county have a Moderate Heat Factor®, Utah county also faces a moderate risk of flooding, a major risk from wildfires, and minimal risk from severe winds. 

Why people are moving

While there’s no single explanation for why people are choosing to move to high-risk areas, there appear to be at least two major reasons. 

Lower cost of living

Many who’ve moved over the past two years got in early enough to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates before inflationary pressures led the Federal Reserve to raise rates. It was the middle of the pandemic, more people were working from home, and they suddenly had the freedom to move to less-expensive areas of the country. 

Although interest rates have risen and the price of homes has skyrocketed in some areas, it’s still less expensive for someone moving from Boston, San Francisco, or New York to make a house payment in Florida or Arizona than it was back home. 

The less a household spends on housing and everyday expenses like utilities and groceries, the more they have to invest for retirement or other future goals.

What you can do: When calculating the cost of living, be sure to factor in how much more you may have to spend on homeowners insurance.  

Focus on today

There was a time when builders were less likely to construct homes in risky areas. Perhaps for that reason, disaster-prone regions have been more affordable than other areas of the country. According to Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather, “It’s human nature to focus on current waterfront views or a low cost of living, over costs that could rack up in the long run, like property damage or a decrease in property value.” 

From 1900 to 1959, just 14% of homes were built in areas with a high risk of fire, and 37% in areas with drought risk. So far this decade, 55% of homes have been built in places with a high risk of fire and 45% in areas facing the risk of drought.

To understand the potential hardship of drought, look no further than Maricopa County. Redfin reports that the explosion in population has coincided with an increasingly dire climate crisis. Due to a lack of water, Arizona plans to stop issuing homebuilding permits in parts of the Phoenix area and will cap the number of new communities that can be built.  

Fairweather believes “the consequences of climate change haven’t fully sunk in for many Americans because oftentimes, homeowners and renters don’t foot the whole bill when disaster strikes.” There’s a tendency to believe that insurance companies and government programs will foot the bill for rebuilding. 

What you can do: Investigate the area you hope to move to, including how climate change is expected to affect the region. Unless you don’t plan to stay for long, be aware that extensive flooding, wildfires, and excessive heat can all impact the value of your property. 

There’s no corner of the world immune from climate change, but some areas are more prone to catastrophic events than others. While you can’t base decisions solely on what “might happen,” it doesn’t hurt to factor risks into your next big decision, especially if it involves getting a mortgage loan. 

The post Why Pure Disasters Aren’t Discouraging Folks From Transferring to These 5 States appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Take a tour of the natural wonders of the US via vintage photography

Have a look at beautiful vintage landscape photography featuring various natural wonders of the US — rivers and waterfalls, mountains and gorges, beaches and canyons — as seen around the turn of the last century.

Through thousands of images, the prolific Detroit Photographic Co. documented life and scenes across the US from the late 1890s until the 1920s. They sold those pictures on postcards and prints to consumers, and also provided photos to magazines and newspapers nationwide.

Old Detroit Photographic Company storefront in the early 1900s

The majority of the scenes below were featured in several antique issues of the then-popular Ladies’ Home Journal magazine throughout 1900. Many of these natural wonders of the US still look much the same today, which is something that’s pretty remarkable in this modern era of increased population and development.

Through picturesque America in views of scenic magnificence

Text by Luther L Holden for Ladies’ Home Journal (multiple issues during 1900)

PYRAMID PARK, OR “THE BAD LANDS” OF NORTH DAKOTA

In the western part of North Dakota, the traveler suddenly comes upon a place where the mighty forces of water and fire have wrought strange confusion.

It is Pyramid Park, formerly known as “The Bad Lands.” Buttes from 50 to 150 feet high are seen, with pyramidal sides curiously banded in rich colors. The mounds are in almost every conceivable form.

TEMPLE GATE, A LAKE SUPERIOR LANDMARK (1898)

Off Point Detour, Wisconsin, lie the Apostles’ Islands, some of which show remarkable rock formations.

One of the most notable is found on Sand Island, where masses of splintered sandstone have so disposed themselves as to form a gigantic portal known as Temple Gate.

OLD FAITHFUL — YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN WYOMING (1892)

CRATER LAKE, IN SOUTHERN OREGON

A marvelous feature in Oregon scenery is Crater Lake, in Klamath County, which was discovered by the whites in 1857, though long before that it was known to the Indians, who held the place in dread and awe.

It is 6251 feet above sea level, with surrounding crags from 1000 to 2000 feet higher. It is seven miles long, six miles broad, for a large extent nearly 2000 feet deep, and occupies the crater of a once powerful volcano.

LAKE CHELAN, IN NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON

On the eastern slope of the Cascade Range, environed by lofty granite mountains and deep gorges disclosing recent glacial action, is Lake Chelan, of which thirty miles of the northerly end is seen in this view taken from Round Mountain.

The lake is over fifty miles long, and very narrow, terminating only three miles from the Columbia River, where the terminal moraine of an ancient glacier effectually dams and confines its mountain waters.

BEAUTIFUL MOUNT HOOD, AS SEEN ACROSS LOST LAKE

One of the most striking features of Oregon scenery is the profusion of beautiful cone-shaped peaks rising far above the general elevation of the Cascade Range into the region of perpetual snow. There are ten of these peaks scattered between the California border and the Columbia River, the loftiest and the most picturesque of all of them being beautiful Mount Hood, which is 11,225 feet in elevation.

When seen across the mirrorlike surface of Lost Lake, with its graceful snow-capped summit reflected in the tranquil depths below, it becomes a vision of rare beauty.

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LARGEST NATURAL BRIDGE IN THE WORLD (1900)

In Southeastern Wyoming, where La Prele Creek breaks through the Laramie Mountains, is the largest natural bridge in the world. The span is 18o feet, the highest point of the arch 75 feet above the water, and the width 8o feet. The spot is a remarkably picturesque one.

CLOUD PEAK, ONE OF THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS (1892)

The Big Horn Mountains, in Northern Wyoming, are one of the groups of the Rockies, the main range of which rises to majestic heights in the west. Their chief elevation, Cloud Peak, about 12,000 feet high, is one of the most picturesque sights of the region. It was in the valley of the Little Big Horn that General Custer’s brave command was massacred by Indians in 1876.

DEVIL’S TOWER — ONE OF WYOMING’S WONDERS

Five hundred feet above Belle Fourche River, in Northeastern Wyoming, stands Mato-Teepee, or Devil’s Tower. Rising 600 feet, it is visible forty miles away. From a point near by, its formation impresses one strangely, the tower being one of the most curious natural objects in the state.

IN MONUMENT PARK, “THE QUAKERS”

Monument Park, a few miles distant from Colorado Springs, is similar in character to the Garden of the Gods. Among the grotesque groups is one called ” The Quakers,” because the broad-capped pillars remind an imaginative person of the hats of old-time Philadelphians.

THE ROYAL GORGE IN COLORADO

The Arkansas River, as it flows eastward through the Rocky Mountains toward the sea, tumbles tumultuously through a narrow canon, the most picturesque part of which is known as The Royal Gorge. Here the mountain walls are almost sheer precipices half a mile high.

THE SEVEN FALLS IN SOUTH CHEYENNE CANYON (1896)

Near Colorado Springs and Manitou, hidden by Cheyenne Mountains, are two picturesque cations. In South Cheyenne, canyons are situated the beautiful Seven Falls, where the stream plunges down five hundred feet.

“THE FALLEN MONARCH” GIANT SEQUOIA TREE IN CALIFORNIA

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MOUNT RAINIER, FROM THE CROSSING OF NISQUALLY RIVER

About fifty miles from Puget Sound, and visible from a broad extent of those matchless waters, as well as from a thousand inland vantage points, rises almost in solitary grandeur glorious Mount Rainier, one of the noblest mountain forms to be found in America. The vision generally takes in the whole mountain from the forest-clad base to the massive white dome of snow and ice.

At sunrise or sunset, when the lofty slopes are suffused with a roseate flush like the beauteous glow upon the peaks of the Bernese Oberland, the entrancing effect is deepened. The mountain then seems to draw nearer the beholder and to assume a more lofty aspect.

Of four recent scientific measurements, the average gives Mount Rainier an approximate elevation of 14,526 feet.

CLIMBING THE MOUNT RAINIER GLACIERS – A MAGNIFICENT NATURAL WONDER OF THE US

THE COLUMBIA RIVER ABOVE THE DALLES

The noble Columbia River is lined with the most picturesque objects all along its course, and nowhere is the scenery more strikingly peculiar than it is at the Danes, where the hitherto broad stream Is contracted into narrow limits by rocky boundaries.

The great river is approaching the mountain barrier of the Cascades, and the distant outlook is upon the giant warders of the pass — Mount Hood and Mount Adams. It is a spot much resorted to by Indian salmon-catchers, picturesque groups of whom are frequently seen.

THE FAMOUS MAMMOTH CAVE, IN KENTUCKY

It was about 1809 when the Mammoth Cave, in Edmonson County, Kentucky, was discovered in a romantic ravine. There are seemingly endless avenues, galleries and labyrinths aggregating over 150 miles in length, with lofty halls, and a navigable river.

DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA, AROUND 1900

Out among the Black Hills of South Dakota is found a typical mountain city: Deadwood, the commercial center of all that part of the State.

It is most picturesquely situated. One writer has graphically described it as caught in a gulch, and obliged to climb steep mountain walls for elbow room. This view gives an idea of the beauty of Deadwood’s surroundings.

THE FAMOUS DEVIL’S DOORWAY, IN WISCONSIN

Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin, is one of the clearest bodies of water to be found in America. The eye may penetrate its depths for fully fifty feet. On its rocky shore some of the bluffs rise to a height of more than five hundred feet, and at one point is seen the exceedingly curious formation pictured above, commonly known as The Devil’s Doorway.

STAR CHAMBER OF MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY (1892)

In this vast under-world is a region of intense darkness and the deepest silence. A singular effect is produced in the great Star Chamber by the guides, who first extinguish their lamps and then relight them gradually, making the roof of the great vault appear as if studded with stars.

TRIBUTARY OF THE ST JOHNS RIVER, FLORIDA (C1900)

THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP

On the borders of Virginia and North Carolina, near the seaboard, is a lonely morass, forty miles long and twenty-five wide, covered by a luxuriant growth of brushwood and timber. This is the Great Dismal Swamp. In slavery days it was a secure harbor for runaways.

HARPER’S FERRY, ON THE POTOMAC

Nestling among the hills of West Virginia is Harper’s Ferry. It is situated where the Shenandoah River unites with the Potomac to force that passage through the Blue Ridge which Thomas Jefferson said was ” one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature.”

ON THE BATTLEFIELD AT GETTYSBURG: THE SCENE OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST CONFLICTS

In a fertile plain, surrounded by picturesque hills, lies historic Gettysburg, the scene of one of the most sanguinary battles the world has ever known — a desperate struggle, in which nearly 200,000 men were engaged, resulting in the success of the national arms only after three days of hard fighting, and with the loss of nearly 35,000 men killed and wounded.

The Battlefield Memorial Association has converted the field into a vast and beautiful memorial of the event, and hundreds of costly monuments mark the spots where different organizations were engaged and where brave men fell. With the aid of these monuments, the varying tide of battle may be intelligently studied. The great struggle occurred on July 1, 2 and 3, 1863.

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A VIEW OF THE SCHUYLKILL LOOP, PENNSYLVANIA

AT THE WARM SPRINGS OF VIRGINIA

At the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, in a valley elevated 25oo feet above the sea, amid scenic loveliness unsurpassed elsewhere in picturesque Virginia, are the Warm Sulphur Springs, among the most famous of the health-giving waters of the Old Dominion. Generations of Southern people have been attracted thither.

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“THE LAND OF THE SKY”

The Appalachians, which extend from Canada nearly to the Mexican gulf, culminate in North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee in a group of lofty peaks—the highest east of the Rocky Mountains. There are forty-three points which are higher than Mount Washington.

MULTNOMAH FALLS, OREGON

Of all the numerous cascades pouring down the walls of the Columbia River, Multnomah Falls are by far the most beautiful. They are 850 feet high and seem to tumble from the clouds themselves. They are situated at the head of a dark ravine.

PILLARS OF HERCULES ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER, OREGON

RAINBOW FALLS, WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK

SNOQUALMIE FALLS, WASHINGTON

Of the many streams which flow from the mountains to the picturesque waters of Puget Sound, the Snoqualmie is one of the most beautiful. The Snoqualmie Falls, 280 feet high, are in a romantic nook of the hills, fifty-five miles from Seattle.

AN ARIZONA WONDER — THE BRIDGE OF AGATE

The petrified forests of Arizona present some of the most marvelous evidence of volcanic action known to the world. Groves of giant trees, becoming solidified, have fallen of their own weight. One log, no feet long, which spans a ” box canon ” sixty feet wide, forming a con-venient foot-bridge, is really a mass of fine agate weighing hundreds of tons.

CATHEDRAL SPIRES IN THE GARDEN OF THE GODS

Almost no end of curious resemblances to familiar objects may be found in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. One of the chief attractions is the cluster of Cathedral Spires, so called.

Red is the prevailing color of the sandstones, but there are yellows, grays, whites and delicate rose tints, while the neighboring mountains add to the scene a grandeur which is in striking contrast to the immediate surroundings.

A UTAH CURIOSITY — THE DEVIL’S SLIDE

Some parts of the State of Utah are rich in scenery that is full of wild and rugged beauty. Near a vast gorge in the Wasatch Mountains, known as Weber Cation, is found the Devil’s Slide, a rock formation on the mountain-kill side, fully as curious as it is enormous.

THE WONDERFUL MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS

Before the white man penetrated the wilds of the Rocky Mountains the red man saw the sacred emblem of Christian faith lifted high upon one of the loftiest peaks of Central Colorado.

Two canyons of great depth, filled with eternal snows, form this holy symbol, which is raised against the heavens like a mighty banner. Its sublimity could not be overdrawn, for it is one of the most wonderful spectacles human eyes have ever gazed upon.

A QUAINT CITY IN THE AIR: SOUTHWESTERN CLIFF DWELLINGS

On the level tops of detached buttes which rise from the center of wide cañons in New Mexico and Arizona, with walls so shattered and splintered that access to the top is had only through the crevices, are found the striking and picturesque dwelling places of the Pueblo, or Village, Indians, one of which is shown in this view.

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THE CATARACT OF NIAGARA — THE GRANDEST SCENIC FEATURE OF AMERICA

No other land on the earth’s wide surface possesses an object of such grandeur and great impressiveness as Niagara Falls. Standing upon Table Rock, one takes in a glance the whole of the two great falls — the American Fall and the Horseshoe Fall, or, as the latter is sometimes called, the Canadian Fall — a wall of water which is nearly a mile wide and about 16o feet high.

The American Fall is 1050 feet in width and 164 feet in height, while the Horseshoe Fall is six feet less in height, or 158 feet. The width of the river at this point Is 4750 feet. The American Fall is on the left. The Horseshoe Fall, on the right, has a contour of 3010 feet.

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All but one of the chain of great American lakes are pouring their ceaseless floods over these precipices at the rate of 275,000 cubic feet a second. A cubic mile of water is hurled into the gorge every week.

Scientists say that the cataract has gradually receded from Lake Ontario, and that in three or four thousand years, it will cease to be more than a series of rapids. The falls are now receding at an average rate of about two feet and a half a year. The rapids, both above and below the falls, form in themselves a very impressive spectacle.

CORONADO BEACH, NEAR SAN DIEGO (1899)

SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA (1899)

THE BAY AT AVALON, SANTA CATALINA ISLAND (1899)

THE GOLDEN GATE, NEAR CLIFF HOUSE, SAN FRANCISCO

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HICKORY-NUT GAP, FROM CHIMNEY ROCK

The upper reaches of the French Broad River, North Carolina, disclose much romantic scenery, and, with the lower sections of the stream, possess a peculiar charm. One of the most striking features is Hickory-nut Gap. Chimney Rock rises a sheer precipice 1000 feet high. Opposite, Bald Mountain rises 5500 feet. 

HORSESHOE BEND IN THE ALLEGHANIES, WHERE MARVELOUSLY BEAUTIFUL SCENERY IS FOUND

Across the middle part of Pennsylvania sweeps the section of the Appalachian chain known as the Alleghanies. The railway lines on their way West built across this barrier, and the skill of the early engineers was severely taxed. The original achievements were crude, but the traveler of today is carried with ease through mountain regions which present far greater obstacles.

The Horseshoe Bend, depicted above, is 242 miles west of Philadelphia, and a short distance beyond Altoona. Beyond Kittanning Point, the line is carried around this curve by a remarkable piece of engineering, crossing two ravines on a lofty embankment and cutting through a dividing ridge. The mountains are crossed at a height of 216o feet, only 210 feet below the summit.

THE BEAUTIFUL CANYONS OF LURAY (1882)

THE WONDERFUL NATURAL BRIDGE IN VIRGINIA

Among America’s wonders, the Natural Bridge in Virginia is one of the most famous. It is a huge limestone arch 215 feet high, 90 feet in span and 100 feet wide, crossing a stream called Cedar Creek. A stranger might drive across it without discovering that such a marvel exists. The Bridge once belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

BAYOU TECHE: ” THE EDEN OF LOUISIANA”

For sixty miles above the broad Atchafalaya, Bayou Teche winds among the low, verdant hills of the Parishes of St Martin’s and St Mary’s in Southern Louisiana, bordered by oaks from whose wide-spreading branches hang “garlands of Spanish moss and of mystic mistletoe.”

Today, as when the Acadians came to this peaceful land, the loveliness of the shore is mirrored in the clear waters beneath, making a scene full of beauty.

Some helpful hints on landscape photography (1910)

“Anyone can take landscapes,” is a remark that is often heard among people who have had only a slight knowledge of photography — and often also among those of more extended knowledge.

It is also true that anyone can take them after a fashion, but it is also true that the perfect landscape only comes once in a great while, and this is when and only when the light conditions, exposure and composition are just right.

Delaware Water Gap from New Jersey (c1900)

Who is there that in looking over a large stock of negatives has not often come across a perfect beauty in that line, but alas, it is only one out of perhaps some hundreds — and it is often a puzzle to the novice why he does not get a larger percentage of these good ones.

There are many landscapes that are nearly always unsatisfactory no matter how or when they are taken, and the serious worker had better avoid them entirely, as unless he is satisfied with mere matter-of-fact photography — and a real artist seldom is — he will derive no pleasure from them.

View from Smiley’s Heights, Redlands, California (c1898)

To get the best out of any landscape, and do it constantly, not only requires thought and care and a good knowledge of composition, light and shade, etc., but careful thought in using his instrument and in making the exposure.

As a rule, an under-exposed negative is absolutely worthless, and it is better to over-expose rather than under. In working in glens or ravines, always expose for the deepest shadows and never mind the highlights. Such views, however, should never be attempted with a brilliant sun streaming through the leaves of the trees. A partly cloudy day should always be chosen if possible, and a time exposure given with the lens partially stopped down.

The use of the diaphragm in landscape work is one of the most important points to understand thoroughly in order to get the best results, and the use to which the resulting picture is to be put will largely determine this.

If the negative is to be used for lantern slide or stereoscopic work, a negative that is absolutely sharp is preferable to any other; but if the camera is a large one, and used for direct views only, a much more artistic effect can be had by having only the foreground or principal subject sharp, and allowing the view to gradually fade off in the distance.

Arch Oak, Tomoka River – Ormond, Florida (c1910)

In making pictures of clouds (or of landscapes in which they occur) very fine effects can often be had by taking them against the light, but the sun, of course, should be under a cloud or obscured so that it will not shine into the lens. There are many excellent books and papers on landscape photography, but the above hints may be of more value to the worker or beginner than would a long essay on the subject.

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The post The pure wonders of the US seen on this classic panorama pictures are simply as breathtaking right this moment (circa 1900) appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

[1/2]A person walks along a street in San Francisco as the city struggles to return to its pre-pandemic downtown occupancy rate, falling behind many other major cities around the country, according to local officials, in California, U.S., February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

March 16 (Reuters) – The San Francisco Bay area will phase out natural gas-powered furnaces and water heaters beginning in 2027 to improve local air quality and public health.

It is the latest move by local officials in the United States to eliminate natural gas, a fossil fuel, from heating homes and buildings. California has been at the forefront of the effort, and the California Air Resources Board said last year it will require that all new space and water heaters have zero emissions by 2030.

Eliminating natural gas appliances would mean transitioning to electric equipment such as heat pumps.

In a vote held late Wednesday, the board of directors of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted rules that will require new water heaters and furnaces to have zero emissions of nitrogen oxides, or NOx. Exposure to NOx has been linked to respiratory conditions, according to the BAAQMD.

The rules do not apply to cooking appliances such as gas stoves.

Currently about two thirds of Bay Area households use natural gas appliances, according to the regulator. The rules will prevent up to 85 premature deaths per year and save up to $890 million a year in health-care costs and lost work.

They will apply to water heaters in single-family homes in 2027, furnaces in 2029, and multifamily and commercial water heaters in 2031. The compliance dates are meant to allow availability of zero-emitting equipment to increase and costs to come down, the BAAQMD said in a staff report.

Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Leslie Adler

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The post San Francisco Bay space to section out pure fuel heating home equipment appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Sophia Villalba and Will Tran

14 hours ago

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Officials are advising the public to avoid Duboce Avenue and Castro Street because of a natural gas leak Wednesday morning. According to a tweet from Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose district the affected area belongs to, the San Francisco Fire Department evacuated a one-block radius around the intersection.

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According to the SFFD, responders including PG&E and the San Francisco Fire Department are currently on the scene after a 16-inch water main burst and a natural gas leak occurred. The rupture of the water pipe caused pressure to build up underground, which led to a rupture in a sewage pipe and a gas pipe.

Gas subsequently entered the sewers and underground, Peskin said.

According to a tweet from SFFD, the previous supply disruption threat has stabilized. The area may still smell residual gas and first responders remain on site. People are advised to continue avoiding the area.

KRON On is now broadcasting the news live

According to Peskin, PG&E and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission are on site and are both working to vent the underground area.

“Once the venting is complete, SFFD will go into all the apartments (and inspect them) and SFPUC will dig with PG&E (and) start assessing the damage to see if both can do repairs at the same time,” Peskin said.

According to a subsequent tweet from Peskin, no homes were damaged by the leak and no casualties were reported.

Drivers are advised to find alternate routes as traffic delays are expected in the area. SFs Muni has diversion plans for buses in place. According to the SFFD, officials were working on assessing the resettlement of evacuated homes as of Wednesday afternoon.

The post Pure gasoline leak, water primary break closes streets in San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

As the fourth-largest country in the world, the United States has a vast assortment of picture-perfect natural scenery to flaunt. From the Alaskan Tundra to the Gulf of Mexico, Niagara Falls to the Hawaiian Islands, the contrasts between the 50 American states and five territories are fascinating and sometimes enigmatic.

Geological, physical, chemical, and biological phenomena have rational explanations, but some are so rare they seem to be a figment of a science fiction screenwriter’s imagination. Nonetheless, understandable or not, they do—unmistakably—indulge the senses.

From features in national parks to regional quirks, Stacker compiled a list of 20 of the strangest natural phenomena in the U.S. Anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of these phenomena must remain mindful of the risks they face in the wilderness and also of the damage they could inflict on the environment. Government and community organizations manage the grounds where many of these natural happenings occur—and are often available to guide visitors through their journey.

So, revel in that which only nature can offer, buckle up for a jaw-dropping adventure, and enjoy the ride.

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Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

Death Valley’s sailing stones

Death Valley National Park was established as a natural monument in 1933. Although its name could be more inviting, its beauty is undeniably unique. Its main attraction is the geological phenomenon known as the sailing stones—a mystery that kept scientists and explorers in awe for decades.

In the early 2010s, time-lapse photographs and rigorous investigations uncovered the enigma. The rocks, ranging from weighing a few ounces to over 700 pounds, move every winter without human or animal intervention when the wind blows strong enough to slide them over thin sheets of melting ice. The ice melts and moves when exposed to warm morning sunlight, a process known as ice shove.

Kate Scott // Shutterstock

Florida’s colorful swamp

When oils released by decaying vegetation drift into the pooled water of the Sunshine State’s wetlands, a rainbow-colored phenomenon decorates the scenery: Florida’s colorful swamp. The spots of oil slick reflect sunlight into trees and bushes, making them look multihued and vibrant. The natural spectacle can appear in any swamp and any time of the year, but it is rather notorious under a cloudless sunny sky and when humidity is at its highest.

akphotography00 // Shutterstock

Lunar rainbows

Much rarer than rainbows but just as marvelous, moonbows or lunar rainbows can appear when the moon is in or near its full phase and positioned low in the sky, most likely an hour before sunrise or after sunset. As with rainbows, water droplets must be in the air—from waterfalls, rain, or breaking waves—on the opposite side of the light-reflecting celestial body for the iridescent visual phenomenon to happen.

SIHASAKPRACHUM // Shutterstock

Great Smoky Mountains’ lightning bugs

Sometime between the third week of May and the third week of June, the beetle species, officially known as Photinus carolinus, will enter its mating season in the Great Smoky Mountains. Male fireflies synchronize their flashing lights so females can recognize them. The spectacle put on by millions of lightning bugs blinking simultaneously in the dark forest nights attracts hundreds of tourists who plan their visit several months in advance.

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

Taos hum

To this day, there is no agreement among the scientific community about why 2% of people hear a low-frequency hum in the small town of Taos, New Mexico, and its surroundings since the 1990s. The explanations for the mystery range from plain boring—such as tinnitus—to amusingly creative, like secret government mind control experiments. Real or not, it seems like the only way to find out if there is a humming sound in the historic Taos area is to pay a visit and formulate your own hypothesis.

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Susanne Pommer // Shutterstock

Yellowstone’s geysers

The attractions of Yellowstone Park have been in the making for over half a million years. Geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots result from the interaction between underground volcanic activity and groundwater. The superheated water of hot springs—trapped in channels leading to the surface—erupts when the steam in the inner layers of the volcanic caldera (where Yellowstone lays) lifts the cooler water in the upper layers causing the flashy phenomenon called geysers. The most famous performer of the geothermal show is Old Faithful, a highly predictable geyser that erupts every 45 to 100 minutes.

Gregory B Cuvelier // Shutterstock

Horsetail Fall in Yosemite

Every summer night for almost a century, burning hot embers were poured from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park down the cliff to the valley below. The 3,000-foot drop of incandescent coal put on a magnificent show that attracted growing crowds from 1872 to 1968. Nowadays, a natural spectacle evocative of the man-made fire has taken center stage: Horsetail Fall in Yosemite, an evanescent waterfall that sometimes—during the two last weeks of February—turns bright orange when backlit by the sunset gleam.

lu_sea // Shutterstock

Thor’s Well

An hour before high tide, the Oregon Coast near Cape Perpetua seems peaceful and innocuous. As the minutes go by and the Pacific Ocean climbs closer to the shore, a 20-foot-deep sinkhole, known as Thor’s Well, begins to swallow the seawater. Not long after, the water overflows and starts erupting to heights of 25 feet. The water flowing and ejecting through the slippery basalt rock cavity during winter storms is a natural performance worthy of bearing the name of the mighty god of thunder. However, keep your distance: The phenomenon can be as dangerous as it is sensational.

SCStock // Shutterstock

Mendenhall Glacier

Alaska’s scenery is unparalleled. Many of nature’s finest exhibits call the northernmost state home. One is Mendenhall Glacier, an enormous glacier that flows from the Juneau Icefield, a 1,500-square-mile stretch of rock, snow, and ice. The frozen giant started retreating three centuries ago when its annual melting began exceeding its annual accumulation of ice. Nevertheless, it would take hundreds of years for the glacier to disappear completely, so there is more than enough time to visit it and admire its greatness.

WeichengHan // Shutterstock

San Diego bioluminescent shore

Neon blue, glowing sparkles light up San Diego’s beaches during the nights of the last weeks of summer. The eye-opening event occurs when microorganisms named Dinoflagellates travel back and forth on the ocean waves. Images of surfers, boaters, and even dolphins splashing through the glimmering water are all over the internet. Still, nothing beats the experience of seeing the bioluminescent shores with your own eyes. The occurrence is not exclusive to San Diego; it can be seen on several beaches along California’s coastline.

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Yernar Almabek // Shutterstock

New York’s ice volcano

Letchworth State Park in western New York hosts a yearly natural event known as the ice volcano. In the middle of winter, constant frosty temperatures allow the water of a fountain (fed by a natural pond uphill) to freeze until it reaches heights of 20 to 50 feet. The cone-shaped structure forms next to the Glen Iris Inn, once the mansion of an iron magnate and philanthropist after whom the scenic park was named.

Eric Brinley // Shutterstock

Singing sands at Great Sand Dunes National Park

The air pushing through the sand grains of an avalanche at the Great Sand Dunes National Park creates sounds similar to those made by certain birds or insects. The singing or booming sands usually occur during sandstorms or when people push the sand down the dunes. Due to the various applications of this sound in song and ritual, it is a natural phenomenon that has attracted adventurers, artists, and mystics to the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado for decades.

Patrick Myers // National Park Service

Petrified lightning at Great Sand Dunes National Park

The sculptures made when dry sand is struck by lightning are called fulgurites. Even though they look like rocks—which gives them the nickname of petrified lightning—they truly are glass tubes covered by burnt sand. The largest dunes in the U.S. found in the Great Sand Dunes National Park are the ideal place to find these whimsical pieces of natural art. However, if you ever find yourself in the desert during a thunderstorm, get away from the dunes immediately.

Joseph // Shutterstock

Sounds of Coqui frogs in Puerto Rico

Mother Nature was quite generous when creating the paradisiacal island of Puerto Rico. Breathtaking beaches and luscious tropical forests are the main attractions of the Caribbean nation, yet the top prize of Puerto Rican pride goes to a tiny and noisy little frog: the coquí. Tourism advertisements and pop culture have made the coquí famous for its “singing.” The name of these tiny amphibians is an onomatopoeia, resembling their cheerful song pretty accurately.

Anatoliy Lukich // Shutterstock

Overwintering monarchs in California

As autumn settles in, thousands of monarch butterflies leave the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains to spend the cooler months in the central coast region of California. The bright-colored insects gather mostly at Pismo State Beach in San Luis Obispo County, roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, but can also be found in several other locations down the Pacific coast. The amalgam of a massive number of overwintering monarchs and the green foliage is a delightful sight that impresses spectators, especially the younger ones.

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Jim Bogosian // Shutterstock

Pennsylvania’s ringing rocks

In a 123-acre park on the eastern border of Pennsylvania—where the Delaware River separates it from New Jersey—a field of boulder rocks ring like bells when hit with a hammer. Although the main course of Ringing Rocks Park is the attraction to which it owes its name, the riverside forest is also an ideal destination for hiking, biking, and picnicking. To round up a trip on a different note, Bucks County—where the park is located—is home to several long-standing breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

Anne Powell // Shutterstock

Bioluminescent fungi in Appalachia

Most of us are familiar with pixie dust, but have you heard about fairy fire? Deep in the woods of the Appalachian Mountains, a rare phenomenon takes place in the dark: bioluminescent fungi illuminate the forest bed and decaying tree logs with a bright green glow. This state of brightness is caused by an oxidative enzyme called luciferase, which can be so potent that the radiance might remain visible even when the fungi are taken out of the forest. Conditions for the mushrooms to light up are very particular, so you might only sometimes find foxfire, as it is also known. Nonetheless, there are better chances if you explore the southern Appalachians.

Uwe Michael Neumann // Shutterstock

Mother-of-pearl clouds in Alaska

Officially named polar stratospheric clouds, this natural event only happens when the temperature above the Arctic Circle falls below minus 114 degrees F, causing widely spaced water molecules to blend and form ice crystals in the otherwise dry stratosphere. High-altitude sun rays beam into the ice, reflecting rainbow-hued light into the clouds. Since the only U.S. state that is part of the Arctic Circle is Alaska, it’s the only one where you might be able to catch a glimpse of this mesmerizing color display.

yeoojk // Shutterstock

Pittsburgh’s Gravity Hill

Many claim that cars roll uphill when put on neutral at an apparently ordinary intersection in the Pittsburgh area. Though no scientific research has been conducted to confirm or deny the assertions, plenty of videos of the incident exist on the internet. The location is known as Gravity Hill, since the most agreed-upon explanation of the phenomenon is a glitch in the planet’s gravitational field.

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

Nebraska’s Chimney Rock

The monumental natural tower known as Chimney Rock is a prehistoric formation embellishing Nebraska’s North Platte River Valley. Towering at 480 feet, it is a symbolic point of the Oregon Trail. Many pioneers and migrants mentioned Chimney Rock in the written and oral recollections of their journeys to the West, making it an unassuming protagonist of an emblematic portion of American history. (It is not to be confused with the scenic viewpoint in North Carolina that goes by the same name.)

You may also like: Must-drive roads in every state

This story was written by Stacker and has been re-published pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.

This post was originally published on this site

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The rules would essentially require all new housing developments to have electric water heaters by 2027 and heat pumps instead of stoves by 2029. More controversial would be that homeowners whose old gas stoves or water heaters break should also need to replace them with electric ones according to the schedule.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the regional air pollution agency, will vote on the mandate on March 15. He was responsible for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and southern portions of Solano and Sonoma counties.

About 90% of the nitrogen oxides emitted by the Bay Area’s 1.8 million homes are produced by stoves and water heaters, which is why the district is focusing on those appliances, said Greg Nudd, the district’s assistant air pollution control officer. The rules don’t actually ban any specific device, but the district’s proposal would require that water heaters and stoves emit no nitrogen oxides or NOx by those deadlines — effectively a requirement to go electric.

Nitrogen oxides are gases that can contribute to the formation of smog and particulate matter and are linked to health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular disease. The Air District estimated that the new home rules would reduce nitrogen oxides enough to prevent 89 deaths a year in the Bay Area.

Daniel Jacobo, employee of Henry Mechanical, installs a ventilation system for a heat pump in a residential building in Windsor. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has proposed that all new construction must use electric water heaters by 2027 and heat pumps in place of stoves by 2029.

Brian Feulner/Special for The Chronicle

Public comment was closed on February 6th. County officials said they received 530 letters or emails from people, businesses and organizations that offered feedback on the proposal. Of these, 160 opposed the proposal, 170 supported the proposal, and a further 200 letters of support were submitted by the Sierra Club. Out of the 96 letters available online for public inspection, the most common complaint came from local residents, who raised strong concerns about the cost and feasibility of the plan. “Do you really think it’s fair to tell someone whose water heater has blown they can’t have hot water until an electrician replaces the breaker box?” Mike Thompson of Palo Alto wrote.

“I’d have to gut my house and live somewhere else while contractors worked,” said Jennifer Huber of El Sobrante. “If I could even find a contractor.”

“Slower,” wrote Belmont’s Tom Tilden. “Start the new construction.”

Among the big concerns: A heat pump, an electrical device that extracts warm or cool outside air to heat or cool indoor spaces, can cost twice as much as a gas stove, according to several contractors who submitted public comments. The devices are more energy-efficient than gas-powered devices because they use the warmth of the air, which is also available in cold winters. But electrical systems in older homes will likely need to be upgraded to handle higher amperage — costing extra money and time.

“These proposed rule changes will devastate the lives of ordinary people (the rich will have no problem adapting, they never have),” said Oakland’s Lawrence Jensen.

The comments reflect the frustration of a population reeling from high electricity bills and inflation – and concerned about increasing reliance on electricity amid the risk of blackouts from storms and other extreme events such as heat waves or fires. Power disruption has become an important tool used by utilities to prevent power line-started wildfires during hazardous weather.

San Francisco’s Malcolm Post described a fictional scene from the future without a gas water heater: A person asks their spouse, “Can we have hot water tonight?” I want to bathe the children.”

“No, not tonight, honey. Power outages because it was too windy,” he wrote.

The rules do not apply to gas stoves.

Nudd said he understands residents’ concerns about the cost of upgrading, which is why the district has set the deadline several years into the future. Nudd said his colleagues have seen the technology improve significantly in recent years, and they believe it will be even more efficient and affordable in the years to come. Nonetheless, after consultation with an advisory group made up of affordable housing advocates, manufacturers and environmental groups, the district will be willing to consider extending the deadline for households.

Henry Mechanical employee Daniel Jacobo installs new plumbing for a heat pump at a home in Windsor on Friday. Heat pumps would proliferate in the Bay Area under the new rules proposed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Brian Feulner/Special for The Chronicle

“While your single stove or water heater might not be a huge polluter, when you multiply that across 1.8 million households, it’s a big deal,” Nudd said.

He added that federal and state grants are available to help homeowners modernize.

Some commenters wrote to welcome the proposed rules as a precursor to Bay Area electrification. With renewable energy accounting for an ever-increasing share of California’s electricity generation, migrating devices to the grid should reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which pose a major threat to life in California and everywhere else.

“That’s the right thing,” said Richard Probst of Los Altos.

Lafayette resident Brenna Shafizadeh, who said she works on her city’s environmental task force, said that “buildings are the second largest source of emissions in our city.”

Oakland’s father, Brendan Moriarty, urged the district to take the plunge and “take every opportunity to curb emissions.”

“As a father of two young children, this will have a major impact on the quality of her life for decades to come,” Moriarty said.

Contractors, plumbers and home heating contractors wrote with concerns that the industry is not ready for a large influx of customers seeking these electrical systems.

Thor Electrical employees Thor Cary (left) and Clint Petker work at the electrical panel and help install a heat pump at a home in Windsor. Heat pumps can cost twice as much as gas stoves, several contractors said.

Brian Feulner/Special for The Chronicle

About 90% of home water heaters are replaced due to emergencies, said Eric Truskoski, senior director of government and regulatory affairs at Bradford White Corp., a national appliance manufacturer headquartered in Pennsylvania.

Truskoski called the six-year timeline to ban these natural gas systems “overly optimistic” because the supply chain for these products is not ready to meet significantly higher demand.

Writing on behalf of the Associated General Contractors of California, Brian Mello said members of his group were wary of the idea given the power outages that can hit Californians.

But San Francisco resident Adam Buck believes the mandate would create just enough spark to prime the industry. It would, he wrote, “send a clear signal to the market that we are committed to this transition and can accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy alternatives.”

Details of the district’s proposal and March 15 vote can be found here.

Reach Julie Johnson: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @juliejohnson

Correction: A previous version of this article reported incorrect statistics for pollutants emitted by stoves and water heaters. About 90% of the nitrogen oxides emitted by the 1.8 million homes in the Bay Area are produced by stoves and water heaters, according to BAAQMD’s Greg Nudd.

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