Climate Change

Costa Mesa Assemblyman Van Tran will be working some late nights, but not for marathon budget negotiations with other legislators. Instead of trying to cut taxes and shrink government, he'll be warming bottles and changing diapers for his first child. Tran's wife, Cyndi, gave birth early Friday to the couple's son. Alexander Thai-Son Tran (the assemblyman says the middle name means "great mountain" in Vietnamese) weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and was born two weeks early. Tran said Wednesday being in the delivery room to watch the birth was "a gift from God."

UC Irvine researchers have linked an increased precipitation and fresh-water flow into oceans to global warming, according to a study released Monday. Using NASA and other world-scale satellite observations, researchers tracked total monthly water volume flowing from land into the oceans and found an average annual increase of 1.5%. "That might not sound like much… but after a few decades, it's huge," according to a statement from Jay Famiglietti, UC Irvine Earth system science professor and principal investigator on the study, which will be published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

  Vanguard University’s Students In Free Enterprise to hold Environmental Sustainability Conference Targeting the Orange County business community, the conference features keynote speaker Martin Diedrich, Founder of Kéan Coffee, and focuses on environmental sustainability with an emphasis on innovation and creativity. Costa Mesa, CA – December 16, 2009 – The news from the environmental front seems to constantly be bleak. Sojourner’s Magazine states that due to the effects of climate change, 40 -170 million people are at increased risk of malnutrition and hunger, 200 million people will suffer from ravaging diseases like malaria and fevers, and 100 million will experience the devastating effects of coastal flooding.

Regarding a recent editorial about the Costa Mesa Senior Center (“Perhaps a new liaison is needed,” Dec. 14), the Costa Mesa Senior Center is without a doubt the most warm and welcoming of the five senior centers in Orange County I have visited. I have worked as a volunteer there for 11 years, taking lessons in cooking, computer, dancing, 55 alive, played Scrabble and bridge, all these by time donated by volunteers. I am presently enjoying a play-reading class. Our director, Aviva Goelman, came in with 44 classes offered, and has doubled that, putting an emphasis on fundraising as we are only one-third supported by the city.

I agree with Jim Righeimer (“$4 a gallon: We did it to ourselves,” May 10) that the recent high gas prices are our own creation. However, after recovering from all the spinning he did in his article, I realized it was not due to any lack of developing and draining our natural resources to the point that we are so dependent on foreign terrorist sponsored oil. We did it with the help of people like his good friend Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,...

Habitat for Humanity breaks ground today This morning marks a new beginning for six low-income families. Officials from Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and the Orange County Technology Collective will break ground on a collaborative project in Costa Mesa that will provide affordable home ownership with increased access to technology. The project will rehabilitate blighted land and transform existing structures that contain hazardous building materials into six safe homes.

Years ago, as Corona del Mar neighbors, we were included in Joseph Bell's Fourth of July birthday parties featuring hilarious contests of wit and skill, and the requisite softball game in the park. Nowadays, I cherish our occasional breakfasts where off-the-record thoughts are shared about almost everything. As for Joe's columns, William Lobdell says it all. As for Joe's distinguished career, and his columns, Lobdell says it all, beautifully ("Owing love of journalism to Bell," Jan. 7)

UCI’s baseball stadium will be named after former Chancellor Ralph Cicerone tonight. He flew in from Washington, D.C., for the dedication ceremony. Cicerone, who left UCI in 2005 to head the National Academy of Sciences, was instrumental in bringing baseball back to campus after the school disbanded its team during financial hard times in the early 1990s. The university’s team is now the top-ranked program in the country for the fifth week. “This was not a slap-dash thing; it was a commitment to make a first-class program, and I think you can see the results,” Cicerone said.

IRVINE — UC Irvine is a "cool school," at least according to a survey by the Sierra Club. The fourth annual list recognizes the greenest schools in the nation, according to their commitment to sustainability in energy, efficiency, food, academics, waste management, administration, financial investments and other categories. "It's an acknowledgement of many aspects of the campus community," said Wendell Brase, vice chancellor for administrative & business services, in a statement.

After receiving my grandparents' letter about the four women taking a last spin on the Balboa carousel, I had to collect my tears and start to laugh about all the fun I have had on that wonderful carousel. It breaks my heart to think that they are going to take apart a piece of so many families' traditions to have a patio. I spent so many summers standing in line watching it go round and round to pick out my favorite horse to ride. As soon as they took my token, I would run as fast as I could and jump on for the two-minute ride.