A key component of staples like bread, wheat is a great grain to grow in the Golden State. Photo courtesy of Frog Hollow Farm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, baking has become a popular and passionate pastime for countless people sheltering in place. Th …
Back in April, in the previous edition of the Monitor, I gave the alert that this current June/July 2020 edition could be our very last, due to years of declining funding coupled with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Approaching a new bud …
These satellite images show concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (a noxious gas emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities) in China from January 1 to 20 (on the left) and February 10 to 25 (on the right). Evidence suggests the re …
Doug Gordon asked Twitter users which of these two images they preferred. Photos by Doug Gordon. In early May, Doug Gordon, co-host of The War on Cars podcast, tweeted two street curb pictures and asked his followers, “Who wore it better?” One frame sh …
The Bay Area Critical Linkages map from the Conservation Lands Network shows critical habitat linkages (in solid green) and highway barriers to wildlife movement (in red). Image courtesy BayAreaLands.org. Animals are on the move. Whether we are aware o …
Researchers are weighing the idea of reintroducing sea otters into the San Francisco Bay estuary. Photo by Marshal Hedin. When most people think of sea otters, they picture these charismatic creatures wrapped in kelp as they float on their backs in the …
In 1975, the year it launched, the Bay Area Monitor was produced on a mimeograph machine. In case you’re wondering, a mimeograph is basically a high-volume stencil, a way to reproduce printed pages by pushing ink onto paper through letter-shaped holes. …
As Earth Day approaches its 50th anniversary, the Monitor interviewed Steve Dunsky, Mary Ellen Hannibal, Jason Mark, and C.N.E. Corbin about their thoughts on its legacy and what the next 50 years will bring in terms of environmental activism. Photo cr …
MTC’s Horizon planning initiative explored “what-if” scenarios to make sure the region is better prepared to address varying degrees of unpredictability. Futuristic hyperloop pods that whisk commuters around the region are a flashy idea, but not one th …
SFPUC headquarters has implemented an innovative system for localized water treatment that could be more widely used in the future. After the building’s blackwater is treated through engineered wetlands outside, it is sent down to the basement (picture …