Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
systems and economy. In San Francisco Bay, one of the most important estuaries in the
world, there are now over 230 alien species choking the aquatic ecosystem; in some areas
they already comprise as much as 95% of the total biomass.
Although air quality in California has improved markedly in past decades, it's still
among the worst in the country. Auto exhaust and fine particulates generated by the wear-
ing down of vehicle tires, along with industrial emissions, are the chief culprits. An even
greater health hazard is ozone, the principal ingredient in smog, which makes sunny days
around LA, Sacramento, the Central Valley and the western Sierra Nevada look hazy.
But there's hope. Low-emission vehicles are becoming one of the most sought-after
types of car in the state, and rapidly rising fuel costs are keeping more gas-guzzling SUVs
off the road. Californians recently voted to fund construction of solar-power plants.
There's even talk of harnessing the tremendous tidal flows of the Pacific to generate more
clean energy. By law California's utilities must get 33% of their energy from renewable re-
sources by 2020, the most ambitious target yet set by any US state.
Co-founded by naturalist John Muir in 1892, the Sierra Club (
www.sierraclub.org
) was the
USA's first conservation group. It remains the nation's most active, offering educational
programs, group hikes, organized trips and volunteer vacations.
