Image via a Green Living

You'd be forgiven for thinking that AB 32, California's climate change law, was truly controversial. Republican candidates running for office this year have taken to publicly bashing it, calling it a job killer and worse.

Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch

The name Jacuzzi may be most often associated with spas and hot tubs, but in the Carneros region of Sonoma, California, locals know that the family surname also means great wine.

Vineyard owner Fred Cline--the grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi--began making wine even before he was even old enough to drink it.

Ned Farquhar, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, addresses the guests at Terra-Gen Power's ground breaking ceremony for Alta Wind Energy Center in Mojave, California.

Photo via Hayes Valley Farm

I was just at Hayes Valley Farm this past Sunday, volunteering at the urban farm turning a crumbling freeway into crop land for local food production and education.

Photos via Save The Bay

Cargill, a Minnesota-based agribusiness goliath, is looking to spread its real estate ownership to San Francisco. However, its planned development of as many as 30,000 residents is aimed at an ecologically vital area of the bay -- the Redwood City salt ponds.

photo via flickr

Although it may be in some trouble, California's aggressive goal of attaining 33 percent of its energy from clean renewable energy by 2020 is still on track--for now at least. In fact, wind energy in the state got a shot in the arm today when Terra-Gen Power LLC announced that it has secured $1.2 billion of financing to build four wind farms northwest of Los Angeles.

Photo via StormyDog

Good news for water thanks to San Diego. The city is home to over 1.25 million people, all of whom are feeling the pinch of water restrictions after a drought emergency was called last year. San Diego set a goal of an 8% reduction in water use, which they flew past with a fantastic 11% reduction during the past fiscal year.

photo: backyardnature.net

About half of states in the U.S. have official rocks. West Virginia has coal. And California has serpentine .... for now. State Senator, Democrat Gloria Romero of East L.A. has proposed dropping serpentine as the state's official rock because it contains asbestos.

Photo via Alex E. Proimos

San Jose, California is having a lot of trouble closing its budget deficit. After cutting back on public benefits like library hours and reducing pay for city workers, it is now looking at selling municipal water to a private corporation for a gain of around $50 million.

Photo via foxypar4

In the face of an increasing water shortage, last November state regulators told Monterey County to curb its withdrawals from the Carmel River, the current main water source, by 70% by 2016.