Weekly Updates

 

June 21th, 2012  Vol. 2. Issue 24                            

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Dear Community,


Yesterday marks the official first day of summer. We hope you'll keep us in your thoughts as summer break goes into full swing.  After work, go enjoy some much-deserved fun in the sun!



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In This Issue
CRC Activities
Regional Change in the News
Special Reports on Regional Change
Upcoming Events
Requests for Proposals
Jobs & Employment Opportunities
CRC Activities

 

Just another reminder, this coming Wednesday June 27th the CRC  

will be holding it's Spring Regional Advisory Committee Meeting!  

Not only do these meetings give us a chance to update our RAC members on all our current projects, but they also allow us 

to receive helpful input on our work and future collaboration prospects.  

We hope to see you from 10:00PM-2:30PM at the Alumni Center, Founder's Board Room.  

If interested in participating or joining the RAC, please email crcinfo@ucdavis.edu

 

 Regional Change in the News

In a recent project, environmental journalist Tim De Chant finds a surprising direct correlation between the number of trees a neighborhood has and its monetary wealth. The project, entitled "Income Inequality, As Seen From Space," looks at two neighborhoods from selected cities by comparing satellite images from Google Earth. Public response towards the project has been so positive many have begun applying it to their own cities and neighborhoods. More images and an interview with De Chant can be found here.  

 

The Bureau of Reclamation has estimated that the Sierra snowpack could be reduced by half as soon as a decade from now which could result in a loss of hydropower for the state of California. This could have dramatic effects on California residents as utilities are forced to switch some of the load to natural gas-fired plants to make up the difference. Estimates show that the cost to electricity consumers could be up to $1.7 billion dollars. Robert Shibatani, a hydrologist and consultant to numerous government agencies, says that the depleted snow pack comes as a result of warming temperatures creating rain at higher elevations, not just less precipitation. For more information on water and power, click here.   

 

Several hospital and higher education programs have been working hard to attract and retain doctors and medical professionals in the San Joaquin Valley. These programs include the San Joaquin General Hospital post-graduate physician program which offers students experience in general surgery, internal medicine and family practice. Also, the San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education, sponsored by the University of California, Merced, recently welcomed its first class of six medical students who began taking classes at the UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento. Projects like these aim to "grow their own" professionals who can address this long-time underserved region where the standard is one practitioner for every 2,000 residents, 31 percent lower than the rest of the state. For more information highlighting these programs, click here.

 

Special Reports on Regional Change


The Mineta Transportation Institute recently published a peer-reviewed research report entitled An Economic and Life Cycle Analysis of Regional Land Use and Transportation Plans. The report is the third in a series of studies that applies a new form of spatial economic model to examine the economic effects, the distribution of those effects, and their implications for California's Assembly Bill (AB) 32 and Senate Bill (SB) 375 implementation. Both bills deal with greenhouse gas emission reduction and air quality as they relate to transportation and land use. To access this unique report in full, click here
Upcoming Events
On Wednesday, June 27th Policylink will be hosting a webinar session entitled The Power of Regional Equity Networks: Tools for Regional Advancement from 1:00-2:30PM (EDT). Currently, Equity Networks are leading the movement to achieve equity and sustainable communities on local and regional levels by bringing together different groups working on diverse issues. This meeting aims to both educate those who would like to start an Equity Network and to teach strategies to strengthen an existing Network. To register for this meeting, click here.

 

 

Join the UC Davis Policy Institute and UC Center Sacramento this coming Wednesday, June 27th from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM (PDT) for their fourth forum, Hydrogen: Highways or Clusters? The forum will discuss the challenges facing the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market, and address two proposed infrastructure strategies, the "Hydrogen Highway" and the "Cluster Strategy." The discussion brings together panelists from the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the California Energy Commission, and the California Air Resources Board. To sign up, click here


Next Friday, June 29th, the California State Rural Health Association will host a Rural Healthcare Workforce Webinar from 12:00-1:30PM. The webinar will address California's rural healthcare workforce shortage and possible actions plans. To sign up, please email assistant@csrha.org and include title of the webinar in your RSVP.  
 
Request for Proposals & Call for Papers
The National Geographic Society awards grants for scientific field research and exploration through its Committee for Research and Exploration throughout the year, emphasizing multidisciplinary projects that address environmental issues. The committee is interested in applications in the following disciplines: anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biology, botany, geography, geology, oceanography, paleontology, and zoology. Applicants are expected to have advanced degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) and be associated with an educational organization or institution. Applicants should submit the pre-application at least 10 months prior to anticipated project dates. For more information, click here.

The California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resource Board is issuing a call to UC and CSU scientists interested in participating in or conducting several proposed projects dealing with air quality, vehicle emissions, and climate impacts. All interested should email hchoi@arb.ca.gov by Wednesday, June 27th. For more information, click here

 

Fellowships and Employment Opportunities

The Ag Innovations Network seeks an intern interested in learning about food systems to work with project managers in planning, organizing, communicating, and executing programs and projects. Applicants should be post-graduate or working professionals interested in helping build a better California Food system. An internship stipend is included. For a more detailed description, click here.

The Board of Directors of the Solano Resource Conservation District is looking for a full-time restoration project manager for their Dixon field office. Work includes reducing weed populations, planting native plants, and improving habitat for native wildlife species. Applications are due Sunday, July 1st. For more information, click here.

The Community Water Center is hiring a policy analyst interested in looking at policy analysis, development, and advocacy at the state level. For more information, please download the following pdf.