LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider a response to draft state regulations that could request Lake County water right holders to provide information on wells and water usage as part of an effort to save the threatened Clear Lake hitch fish.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 918 0684 7503, pass code 500534. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,91806847503#,,,,*500534#.
In an item timed for 1:30 p.m., the supervisors — sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District — will consider a draft comment letter to the State Water Resources Control Board regarding draft emergency regulations proposed for the Clear Lake watershed.
Those draft regulations allow the State Water Resources Control Board’s deputy director or designee to issue an order to water right holders or users to provide information related to water diversion, extraction, or use in the Clear Lake watershed, “including but not limited to groundwater well location and depth, beneficial uses of diverted or extracted water, place of use of diverted or extracted water, volume and timing of diversions or extractions, the basis of right with supporting documents or other evidence, parcel information, or any other information relevant to the Board’s Clear Lake hitch protection efforts.”
The regulations note, “Orders may require reporting of diversions or extractions made in prior months and diversions or extractions anticipated during subsequent months. Orders may require submission of information on a repeated or ongoing basis.”
Failure to comply could lead to civil liability, the regulations state.
Supervisors Michael Green and Bruno Sabatier, in a memo to their board colleagues, note that written comments on the draft regulations are due on Oct. 31.
A draft letter to the State Water Resources Control Board from the county asks for the Upper Cache Creek watershed to be excluded from the regulations, and for there to be regulations that are “narrowly tailored and applied” for the remaining watersheds.
“We oppose regulations that would require reporting of water usage or well locations on or near ephemeral watercourses,” the draft letter states.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve joining Operation Green Light and lighting the county courthouse with green lights.
5.2: a) Rescind Resolution 2002-71, resolution approving Waste Reduction and Recycled Products Procurement Policy; and b) adopt resolution approving the County of Lake Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy.
5.3: a) Approve Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 3011 – Roads for $32,420 from account 730.53-55 to Capital Asset account 730.62-74; and, b) approve amendment to the list of capital assets of the 2023-2024 budget to include a Fecon FMX 28’ Brush Cutter and authorize the Chair to the Board of Supervisors to sign.
5.4: Approve update to the property policy, Section 8 Purchasing Real Property by the County, Item 3 Exemption.
5.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) for the State Hospital Program in the amount of $8,412 for FYs 2023-25 and approve the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between CalMHSA and the California Department of State Hospitals for county use of state hospital beds and authorize the Department Head to Sign the Agreement and MOU.
5.6: Approve request to close Health Services office on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 14, from 1 to 5 p.m. for all-staff training.
5.7: (a) Approve a side letter to Lake County Employee Association, October 21, 2021 – June 30, 2025; (b) approve a side letter to Lake County Safety Employees Association, Oct. 21, 2021 – June 30, 2025; (c) approve a side letter to Lake County Correctional Officer Association, Oct. 21, 2021 – June 30, 2023; (d) approve a side letter to Lake County Deputy District Attorney Association, Oct. 21, 2021 – June 30, 2025; (e) approve a side letter to Lake County Deputy Sheriff Association, Oct. 21, 2021 – June 30, 2025; (f) approve a side letter to Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association, Nov. 1, 2021 – June 30, 2025; and authorize chair to sign all letters.
5.8: a) Approve Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 1904-Information Technology for $2,000 from Salaries & Wages account 719.01-11; and b) increase the allocation for account 719.62-72 Autos & Light Trucks to $36,000; and c) approve the purchase of a Ford Bronco Sport from Folsom Lake Ford for $35,967.88 and authorize the information technology director to issue a purchase order.
5.9: Approve purchase order for the purchase of a vehicle from Matt Mazzei Chevrolet for the Probation Mobile Services Unit and authorize the chief probation officer to sign purchase order.
5.10: Approve Amendment No. 6 to the lease agreement with New Cingular Wireless relative to space allocation on the courthouse roof, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.11: Approve the Facilities Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2023-24 through FY 2027-28.
5.12: Approve Change Order No. 1 Middletown Multi-Use Path Improvement Project, State Project No. ATPL - 5914(102) Bid No. 22-05 for an increase of $158,700 and a revised contract amount of $1,276,149.60 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.13: a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.2 (2) based on the unique nature of services provided; and, b) approve contract between county of Lake and Evident Change for Safe Measure internet access, in the amount of $29,000 per year from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.14: Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, adopt the resolution authorizing the Lake County Watershed Protection District to accept a California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention FY 2023/2024 Grant for $330,755 and approve Water Resources director as signature authorization to execute agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: New and noteworthy at the Library.
6.4, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation on CalWORKs Outcome & Accountability Review (Cal-OAR) presentation by Social Services, Employment Services Program Manager Theresa Showen.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of a resolution amending the master fee schedule for departmental services rendered by the county.
6.6, 11:30 a.m.: Consideration of Agreement between county of Lake - Behavioral Health Services as the lead administrative entity for the Lake County Continuum of Care and Blue Horizons Foundation in the amount of $104,400 for fiscal year 2023-24.
6.7, 1 p.m.: Consideration of report to the Board of Supervisors explaining the emergency conditions that necessitated the summary abatement for the property located at 10305 Hok Has Ha Lane, Kelseyville / APN#043-343-07.
6.8, 1:30 p.m.: Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, consideration of a draft comment letter to the State Water Resources Control Board regarding draft emergency regulations proposed for the Clear Lake watershed.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with real property negotiators pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8 Property: APN 024-083-06; 5245 Third St, Kelseyville. Negotiating parties: (a) County Negotiators Susan Parker, Stephen Carter and (b) Karlene Ellis and Lorna Sue Sides. Under negotiation: Terms of payment.
8.2: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) County negotiators: S. Parker, P. Samac, and Rob Howe; and (b) Employee Organizations: LCDSA and LCCOA.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): Earthways Foundation, Inc. v. County of Lake, et al.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Authorities are investigating a Friday evening plane crash near Covelo that killed two people.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies responded to the report of a plane crash in the 21000 block of Airport Road in Covelo at 6 p.m. Friday.
A short time later, deputies were informed the airplane was on fire and the fire was spreading into nearby vegetation.
Personnel from Cal Fire, United States Forestry Service, California Highway Patrol, and Round Valley Tribal Police Department responded to the crash scene as well, officials said.
Once the fire was contained, deputies began searching the debris field. They located the bodies of two deceased individuals who remain unidentified at this time due to the conditions of their bodies, she sheriff’s office said.
Deputies initiated a coroner's investigation specific to aircraft accident protocols and contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The circumstances/cause of the crash is currently being investigated by NTSB investigators who were making arrangements to respond to the crash scene upon being notified of the incident by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office Coroner's Division will continue the Coroner's Investigation in conjunction with the NTSB investigation.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators are urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center by calling 707-463-4086.
Initial costs of upkeep were higher for new owners of older homes than for those who had lived in their homes for at least 10 years, according to recently released Census Bureau data.
The 2021 American Housing Survey (AHS) shows that in 2021, the median age of all owned homes was 41 years. Older homes — those built before 1950 — made up about 17% of homes and their owners spent a median of $1,800 a year on upkeep.
Upkeep includes both home improvement projects such as remodeling a kitchen or installing a security system and routine maintenance such as painting, plumbing, roofing and other minor repairs.
The AHS asks homeowners how much they spent on home improvements over the previous two years, or since they moved in if they had lived in the home less than two years.
Owners of older homes who had moved in within the past two years tended to spend more on overall upkeep. These new owners spent a median of $3,900 per year, while longtime owners who had lived in older homes for at least 10 years spent about $1,500 annually.
To estimate annual spending, the amount reported was averaged over the time the owner lived in the home between 2019 and 2021:
About 61% of owners of older homes started a home improvement project between 2019 and 2021, spending a median of $4,100 on all their home improvement projects during that time.
Median annual spending on maintenance alone was around $540 for owners of older homes.
Types of home improvement
Regardless of the home’s age, the most common type of projects were interior improvements. Nationwide, 47% of homeowners undertook such projects. The percentage of owners of older homes with interior projects did not differ from this national percentage.
Among owners of older homes, 59% of new owners who had moved in within the last two years did interior projects, compared to 46% of longtime owners who had lived in the home at least 10 years.
The most common types of interior improvements in older homes were additions or replacements of plumbing fixtures; flooring, drywall, paneling or ceiling tiles; and water heaters.
About 27% of owners of older homes made exterior improvements. The most common types of projects were window and door replacements; replacing the roof; and adding or replacing a porch, deck, patio or terrace.
About 21% of owners of older homes made land improvements, which was not statistically different from the share of all homeowners.
The top land improvement projects among owners of older homes were landscaping; adding or replacing fencing; and adding or replacing a driveway or walkway.
New owners of older homes were more likely (32%) than longtime owners (18%) to undertake land improvements.
Spending by home size
Older homes tend to be smaller, with a median of 1,290 square feet of living space compared to around 1,500 square feet for all homes.
Owners of older homes spent a median of $200 per 500 square feet of living space on routine maintenance annually.
Those who undertook at least one home improvement project spent a median of about $700 for each 500 square feet of living space on their projects.
Spending by home value
More than half of owners of older homes spent less than 1% of their home’s value annually on home improvement and maintenance.
New owners spent more than longtime owners: a median of 1.5% of the home’s value, compared to 0.6%.
Characteristics of owners of older homes in 2021
The median age of owners of older homes was 58 and 26% of their households had children.
Nationwide, 15% of homeowners lived in an older home. For householders who were Black, Hispanic, White, or Two or More Races, the percentage of homeowners in an older home was not statistically different from the national percentage.
About 10% of homes owned by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) householders and 7% of homes owned by American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) householders were built before 1950.
More housing data
The AHS Table Creator has further information on home improvement from the 2021 AHS and on topics such as maintenance needs, physical characteristics of homes, neighborhood features and household demographics.
The AHS is conducted by the Census Bureau and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It provides up-to-date information on the quality and cost of housing in the United States and major metropolitan areas. The 2021 American Housing Survey page provides related definitions and information on sampling and nonsampling error.
All comparative statements in this article have undergone statistical testing and, unless otherwise noted, are statistically significant at the 10% significance level.
Katie Gustafson is a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The annual Lake County Burn Ban for 2023 is lifted as of 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23, with Cal Fire’s determination that wildfire risk has been reduced.
Burn permits are required for all outdoor burning in the Lake County Air Basin.
Burn permits can be obtained online at www.lcaqmd.net and follow the quick links to burn permits, at www.southlakecountyfire.org/home/permits/ or in person at the Lake County Air Quality Management District office. Appointments are required for all in person burn permit issuance.
A smoke management plan is required for multi-day burns, overnight burns, standing vegetation burns, whole tree or vine removal, burns over 20 acres, and any other burn where significant smoke impacts may occur or sensitive receptors may be impacted.
A smoke management plan can be obtained at the Lake County Air Quality Management District office; call 707-263-7000 to make an appointment. Bring a map showing the burn location (https://gispublic.co.lake.ca.us/portal/home/), burn site coordinates (GPS locations), parcel number or address, acres to be burned, and details of vegetation to be burned.
A fee is required for all burn permits, payable at the time the permit is issued. Smoke management plans, agricultural burn permits and residential burn permits are $33, land development/lot clearing burn permits are $99. In person payments may be made by cash, check, or money order. Online permit payment is by credit card only.
Only clean dry vegetation that was grown on the property may be burned. Residential burn permits require a one acre or larger lot of record, a burn location that is at least 100 feet from all neighbors, and at least 30 feet from any structure in order to qualify.
Land development/lot clearing burn permits may only be issued where no other feasible method of vegetation disposal is possible. Read your burn permit carefully and follow all the conditions.
Please be considerate of your neighbors. A permit does not allow you to create health problems for others. You can be liable for health care costs, fines, and other costs resulting from your burning.
Consider composting or using the vegetative waste pickup provided with your waste collection service as an alternative to burning leaves.
Lake County’s joint fire agencies and air quality management district’s open burning program has incorporated both fire safety and air quality management since 1987.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District thanked the community for its cooperation this burn season.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has more dogs and puppies available for adoption this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of boxer, Chihuahua, collie, dachshund, German shepherd, hound, Labrador retriever pit bull, Rhodesian ridgeback, Siberian husky, shepherd and treeing walker coonhound.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
This week’s dogs include “Mom,” a 3-year-old female Labrador retriever-pit bull mix with a black and white coat. She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. LCAC-A-6120.
Another dog ready for her new home is a 3-year-old female pit bull terrier with a brindle coat with white markings. She is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-6103.
The adoptable dogs also include a 1-year-old female shepherd mix with a tan and black coat. She is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-6104.
Those dogs and the others shown on this page at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
lDavid Rosenberg, Wayne State University and Natalia Szura, Wayne State University
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How many hours does the average American spend on devices each year? – Maxwell P., age 10
Think about your favorite devices – your smartphone, laptop, tablet, computer or console – the things you use to play cool games, watch hilarious videos and connect and chat with friends.
Many young people spend a lot of free time looking at them. Turns out that teens spend an average of 8½ hours on screens per day, and tweens – that’s ages 8 to 12 – are not far behind, at 5½ hours daily.
What’s more, much of the time taken up by social media and texting is apparently not even enjoyable, much less productive. A 2017 study of teens ages 13 to 18 suggests they spend most of those hours on the phone in their bedroom, alone and distressed.
These lonely feelings correlate with the rise in the use of digital media. In 2022, 95% of teens had smartphones compared with only 23% in 2011. And 46% of today’s teens say they use the internet almost constantly, compared with 24% of teenagers who said the same in 2014 and 2015.
Our team of psychiatrists who treat young people with digital addiction have many patients who spend over 40 hours per week on screens – and some, up to 80 hours.
Think about it: If you spend “just” an average of 50 hours per week on devices from ages 13 to 18 – the total time you will spend on screens equates to more than 12 years of school!
Find the right balance
All this is not to say that everything about devices is bad. In this digital age, people embark on exciting journeys through the screens of their devices. Sometimes, screens are the windows to a magical adventure.
But too much screen time can lead to problems. As human beings, we function best when we’re in a state of balance. That happens when we eat well, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.
But spending too much time using digital devices can cause changes in the way you think and behave. Many teens and tweens developed the “fear of missing out” – known as FOMO. And one study shows some people develop nomophobia, which is the fear of being without your phone, or feeling anxious when you can’t use it.
Getting hooked on screens means missing out on healthy activities. To achieve a better balance, some experts recommend the following: Turn off all screens during family meals and outings. Don’t complain when your parents use parental controls. And turn off all the screens in your bedroom 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime – this step will improve sleep.
Feel uneasy or grumpy when you can’t use your device.
Don’t take breaks while spending hours on your device.
Ignore other fun activities you enjoy, like going outside or reading a book.
Have trouble sleeping, or falling asleep, because your screen time is too close to bedtime.
Experience eye, lower back and neck strain.
Struggle with weight gain or obesity because you’re inactive.
Have difficulty with real-life, face-to-face social interactions.
If you notice these signs, do not dismiss them. But also realize you’re not alone and help is out there. You can find balance again.
A healthy approach
Exercise – riding a bike, playing sports, lifting weights or going for a jog or walk – keeps your brain healthy and protects it against depression and anxiety, as well as limiting your screen time.
Another way to be happier and healthier is to spend time with people – face to face, not via a screen. Seeing people live and in person is the best way to bond with others, and it may be even better for life span than exercise.
Creative hobbies are good, too. Cooking, playing an instrument, dancing, any arts and crafts, and thousands of other fun things make people happier and more creative. What’s more, hobbies make you well rounded and more attractive to others – which leads to more face-to-face interactions.
It’s also critical for parents to practice healthy screen habits. But about one-third of adults say they use screens “constantly.” This is not exactly a great example for kids; when adults take responsibility to minimize their own screen time, the whole family gets better.
Our research team used magnetic resonance imaging, also known as MRI, to scan the brains of teens who had digital addiction. We found impairment in the brain’s decision-making, processing and reward centers. But after a digital fast – meaning the addicted teens unplugged for two weeks – those brain abnormalities reversed, and the damage was undone.
Our findings also showed that kids with a desire to overcome digital addiction did better with a digital fast than those who were less willing or who denied their addiction.
A balanced lifestyle in the digital age is all about finding joy in screenless activities – being active, connecting with others and exploring your offline interests.
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And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Ending pandemics is a social decision, not scientific. Governments and organizations rely on social, cultural and political considerations to decide when to officially declare the end of a pandemic. Ideally, leaders try to minimize the social, economic and public health burden of removing emergency restrictions while maximizing potential benefits.
Vaccine policy is a particularly complicated part of pandemic decision-making, involving a variety of other complex and often contradicting interests and considerations. Although COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives in the U.S., vaccine policymaking throughout the pandemic was often reactive and politicized.
A late November 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that one-third of U.S. parents believed they should be able to decide not to vaccinate their children at all. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that between 2019 and 2021, global childhood vaccination experienced its largest drop in the past 30 years.
COVID-19 is here to stay. Reflecting on the ethical considerations surrounding the rise – and unfolding fall – of COVID-19 vaccine mandates can help society better prepare for future disease outbreaks and pandemics.
Ethics of vaccine mandates
Vaccine mandates are the most restrictive form of vaccine policy in terms of personal autonomy. Vaccine policies can be conceptualized as a spectrum, ranging from least restrictive, such as passive recommendations like informational advertisements, to most restrictive, such as a vaccine mandate that fines those who refuse to comply.
Because of ethical considerations, vaccine mandates are typically not the first option policymakers use to maximize vaccine uptake. Vaccine mandates are paternalistic by nature because they limit freedom of choice and bodily autonomy. Additionally, because some people may see vaccine mandates as invasive, they could potentially create challenges in maintaining and garnering trust in public health. This is why mandates are usually the last resort.
However, vaccine mandates can be justified from a public health perspective on multiple grounds. They’re a powerful and effective public health intervention.
Mandates can provide lasting protection against infectious diseases in various communities, including schools and health care settings. They can provide a public good by ensuring widespread vaccination to reduce the chance of outbreaks and disease transmission overall. Subsequently, an increase in community vaccine uptake due to mandates can protect immunocompromised and vulnerable people who are at higher risk of infection.
COVID-19 vaccine mandates
Early in the pandemic, arguments in favor of mandating COVID-19 vaccines for adults rested primarily on evidence that COVID-19 vaccination prevented disease transmission. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 vaccines seemed to have a strong effect on reducing transmission, therefore justifying vaccine mandates.
COVID-19 also posed a disproportionate threat to vulnerable people, including the immunocompromised, older adults, people with chronic conditions and poorer communities. As a result, these groups would have significantly benefited from a reduction in COVID-19 outbreaks and hospitalization.
However, the emergence of even more transmissible variants of the virus dramatically changed the decision-making landscape surrounding COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The public health intention (and ethicality) of original COVID-19 vaccine mandates became less relevant as the scientific community understood that achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 was probably impossible because of uneven vaccine uptake, and breakthrough infections among the vaccinated became more common. Many countries like England and various states in the U.S. started to roll back COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
With the rollback and removal of vaccine mandates, decision-makers are still left with important policy questions: Should vaccine mandates be dismissed, or is there still sufficient ethical and scientific justification to keep them in place?
Vaccines are lifesaving medicines that can help everyone eligible to receive them. But vaccine mandates are context-dependent tools that require considering the time, place and population they are deployed in.
Though COVID-19 vaccine mandates are less of a publicly pressing issue today, many other vaccine mandates, particularly in schools, are currently being challenged. I believe this is a reflection of decreased trust in public health authorities, institutions and researchers – resulting in part from tumultuous decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Engaging in transparent and honest conversations surrounding vaccine mandates and other health policies can help rebuild and foster trust in public health institutions and interventions.
Hundreds of millions of tons of single-use plastic ends up in landfills every year, and even the small percentage of plastic that gets recycled can’t last forever. But our group of materials scientists has developed a new method for creating and deconstructing polymers that could lead to more easily recycled plastics – ones that don’t require you to carefully sort out all your recycling on trash day.
In the century since their conception, people have come to understand the enormous impacts – beneficial as well as detrimental – plastics have on human lives and the environment. As a group of polymer scientists dedicated to inventing sustainable solutions for real-world problems, we set out to tackle this issue by rethinking the way polymers are designed and making plastics with recyclability built right in.
Why use plastics, anyway?
Everyday items including milk jugs, grocery bags, takeout containers and even ropes are made from a class of polymers called polyolefins. Polyolefins make up around half of the plastics produced and disposed of every year.
These polymers are used in plastics commonly labeled as HDPE, LLDPE or PP, or by their recycling codes #2, #4 and #5, respectively. These plastics are incredibly durable because the chemical bonds that make them up are extremely stable. But in a world set up for single-use consumption, this is no longer a design feature but rather a design flaw.
Imagine if half of the plastics used today were recyclable by twice as many processes as they are now. While that wouldn’t get the recycling rate to 100%, a jump from single digits – currently around 9% – to double digits would make a big dent in the plastics produced, the plastics accumulated in the environment and their capacity for recycling and reuse.
Recycling methods we already have
Even the plastics that make it to a recycling facility can’t be reused in exactly the same way they were used before – the recycling process degrades the material, so it loses utility and value. Instead of making a plastic cup that is downgraded each time it gets recycled, manufacturers could potentially make plastics once, collect them and reuse them on and on.
Conventional recycling requires careful sorting of all the collected materials, which can be hard with so many different plastics. Here in the U.S., collection happens mainly through single stream recycling – everything from metal cans, glass bottles, cardboard boxes and plastic cups end up in the same bin. Separating paper from metal doesn’t require complex technology, but sorting a polypropylene container from a polyethylene milk jug is hard to do without the occasional mistake.
When two different plastics are mixed together during recycling, their useful properties are hugely reduced – to the point of making them useless.
But say you can recycle one of these plastics by a different method, so it doesn’t end up contaminating the recycling stream. When we mixed samples of polypropylene with a polymer we made, we were still able to depolymerize – or break down the material – and regain our building blocks without chemically affecting the polypropylene. This indicated that a contaminated waste stream could still recover its value, and the material in it could go on to be recycled, either mechanically or chemically.
Plastics we need − but more recyclable
In a study published in October 2023, our team developed a series of polymers with only two simple building blocks – one soft polymer and one hard polymer – that mimicked polyolefins but could also be chemically recycled.
Connecting two different polymers together multiple times until they form a single, long molecule creates what’s called a multiblock polymer. Just by adjusting how much of each polymer type goes into the multiblock polymer, our team created a wide range of materials with properties that spanned across polyolefin types. But creating these multiblock polymers is easier said than done.
To link these hard and soft polymers, we adapted a technique that had previously been used only on very small molecules. This method is improved relative to traditional methods of making polymers in a step-by-step fashion, developed in the 1920s, where the reactive groups on the end of the molecules need to be exactly matched.
In our method, the reactive groups are now the same as each other, meaning we didn’t have to worry about pairing the ends of each building block to make polymers that can compete with the polyolefins we already use. Using the same strategy, applied in reverse by adding hydrogen, we could disconnect the polymers back into their building blocks and easily separate them to use again.
With an almost twofold increase in annual plastic use projected through 2050, the complexity and quantity of plastic recycling will only increase. It’s an important consideration when designing new materials and products.
Using just two building blocks to make plastics that have a huge variety of properties can go a long way toward reducing and streamlining the number of different plastics used to make the products we need. Instead of needing one plastic to make something pliable, another for something stiff, and a third, fourth and fifth for properties in between, we could control the behavior of plastics by just changing how much of each building block is there.
Although we’re still in the process of answering some big questions about these polymers, we believe this work is a step in the right direction toward more sustainable plastics.
We were able to create materials that mimic the properties of plastics the world relies on, and our sights are now set on creating plastic compositions that you couldn’t with existing methods.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With the week getting off to a rainy start, the National Weather Service’s forecast said there is a chance for more precipitation later in the week.
The agency’s forecast created it a “spinning surface low” that was centered right along the northwest California coast for the rain that took place across the region on Sunday.
The forecast said that additional periods of cool temperatures and rain are possible in the middle and later parts of the week.
Rainfall totals in inches for the 24-hour period ending at 1 a.m. Monday are as follows:
— Cobb: 1.30; — Indian Valley Reservoir: 0.89; — Kelseyville: 0.75; — Lake Pillsbury: 0.94; — Lower Lake: 1.50; — Lyons Valley: 1.08; — Middletown: 1.65; — Nice: 0.29.
The weather system that brought Sunday’s showers is expected to leave the North Coast region on Monday, the National Weather Service said.
That will be followed by more chances of rain in parts of Lake County on Wednesday, and again on Thursday and Friday, the National Weather Service reported.
Temperatures this week are expected to drop into the 50s in the day and the low 40s at night. Windy conditions are possible on Wednesday.
The forecast said the Climate Prediction Center is “showing a slight risk of heavy precipitation for northwest California for the first few days of November. This is pretty far out there but something to note.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Hundreds of people came to the Lake County Fairgrounds on Saturday to take part in a day of fun and health.
The 10th annual Heroes of Health and Safety Fair took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event was spread across the fairgrounds, with dozens of booths featuring local organizations, among them, nonprofits, local agencies that help families and children, law enforcement and health professionals.
Children were able to enter raffles for brand new bikes, pick up toys, snacks and other goodies at vendor booths, and learn more about healthy lifestyles.
Fire, police and rescue personnel were on hand on the racetrack to show their equipment and emergency response capabilities.
There also were a variety of health and dental screenings for adults and children, as well as flu and COVD-19 vaccine shots.
Making special appearances at the event were Smokey Bear, McGruff the crime dog and Sparky the fire dog.
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The unprecedented digital atlas includes data from NOIRLab telescopes and will be an invaluable resource for research into galaxy formation and the structure of the Universe
Astronomers have created a detailed atlas of almost 400,000 galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood.
The Siena Galaxy Atlas was compiled using data from NSF's NOIRLab telescopes, and is designed to be the pre-eminent digital galaxy atlas for large galaxies.
It’s a treasure trove of information for researchers investigating everything from galaxy formation and evolution to dark matter and gravitational waves. It’s also freely available online for the public to explore.
Astronomers have long sought to map the night skies, not only to fill in our picture of the cosmos we inhabit, but also to support further research.
Comprehensive compilations of astronomical objects serve many purposes: they can help scientists spot broad patterns across a population of objects, put new discoveries such as transient events in the context of their surroundings, and identify the best candidates for focused observations.
However, these resources must be routinely updated to reflect the continuous technological improvements of telescopes.
Now, a new atlas has been released with detailed information on over 380,000 galaxies at a greater level of accuracy than ever before, promising to be a boon to future astronomical inquiry.
The Siena Galaxy Atlas, or SGA, is a compilation of data from three surveys completed between 2014 and 2017 known as the DESI Legacy Surveys, which were carried out to identify galaxy targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, survey.
Data were collected at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), both Programs of NSF’s NOIRLab, and at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory.
The DESI Legacy Surveys used state-of-the-art instruments on telescopes operated by NOIRLab: the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS), carried out using the DOE-built Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at CTIO in Chile; the Mayall z-band Legacy Survey (MzLS) with the Mosaic3 camera on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at KPNO; and the Beijing-Arizona Sky Survey (BASS) with the 90Prime camera on the Bok 2.3-meter Telescope, which is operated by Steward Observatory and hosted at KPNO.
The DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys data, as well as a queryable copy of the full Siena Galaxy Atlas, are served to the astronomical community via the Astro Data Lab science platform and Astro Data Archive at NOIRLab’s Community Science and Data Center (CSDC).
The SGA contains additional data from a survey by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite that has been reprocessed by Aaron Meisner, an astronomer at NOIRLab.
These surveys captured images in optical and infrared wavelengths to chart a total area of 20,000 square degrees — nearly half of the night sky, making it among the largest galaxy surveys. Bringing this wealth of information together in one place, the SGA offers precise data on the locations, shapes and sizes of hundreds of thousands relatively nearby large galaxies. Besides the sheer number of objects recorded, the data in the SGA also achieve a new level of accuracy and it is the first such resource to provide data on the galaxies’ light profiles.
“Nearby large galaxies are important because we can study them in more detail than any other galaxies in the Universe; they are our cosmic neighbors,” notes John Moustakas, professor of physics at Siena College and SGA project leader. “Not only are they strikingly beautiful, but they also hold the key to understanding how galaxies form and evolve, including our very own Milky Way galaxy.”
The SGA builds on several centuries of efforts to chart the night skies. The iconic Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles (Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters), published in 1774 by French astronomer Charles Messier, was a major milestone, as was the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (NGC), published in 1888 by John Louis Emil Dreyer.
More recently, in 1991, astronomers assembled the Third Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies (RC3). Several other valuable galaxy atlases have been published over the past two decades, but most of them draw on the photographic-plate measurements in the RC3, or are missing significant numbers of galaxies. Since the SGA uses digital images captured with highly sensitive instruments, it represents a substantial improvement in both data quality and completeness.
Arjun Dey, a NOIRLab astronomer who was involved in the project, explains: “Previous galaxy compilations have been plagued by incorrect positions, sizes and shapes of galaxies, and also contained entries which were not galaxies but stars or artifacts. The SGA cleans all this up for a large part of the sky. It also provides the best brightness measurements for galaxies, something we have not reliably had before for a sample of this size.”
This versatile resource will drive progress in numerous branches of astronomy and astrophysics by helping scientists find the best galaxy samples for targeted observation.
For example, the SGA will enhance research into how patterns of star formation vary across different galaxies, the physical processes underlying the diverse array of morphologies that galaxies display, and how the distribution of galaxies is related to how dark matter is spread across the Universe.
By acting as a map, the SGA will also help astronomers pinpoint the sources of transient signals like gravitational waves and understand the events that give rise to them.
“The SGA is going to be the pre-eminent digital galaxy atlas for large galaxies,” says Dey. However, he points out that the SGA is not just for academic researchers, it is freely available to view online for anyone wishing to get to know our corner of the Universe better. Dey adds, “In addition to its scientific utility, it has a lot of pictures of beautiful galaxies!”
"The public release of these spectacular data contained in the atlas will have a real impact not only on astronomical research, but also on the public’s ability to view and identify relatively nearby galaxies," says Chris Davis, NSF program director for NOIRLab. "Dedicated amateur astronomers will particularly love this as a go-to resource for learning more about some of the celestial targets they observe."