Watermelonism

Facebook Billionaire Sean Parker Fined $2.5 Million For His $10 Million Wedding

"New government documents show just how over-the-top Sean Parker's extravagant $10 million wedding in the Big Sur forest really was. The state of California actually fined the Facebook billionaire $2.5 million over it. That's because he built a cottage, fake ruins, waterfalls, staircases and a huge dance floor in an ecologically sensitive area near ancient redwoods and a stream with endangered steelhead trout. Parker even created an LLC company, Neraida, to run his wedding, reports The Atlantic's Alexis Madrigal. But he didn't get permission from the Coastal Commission, which regulates the area." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFacebook Billionaire Sean Parker Fined $2.5 Million For His $10 Million Wedding

The Department of Energy Is About to Mess With Computer Power

"The Energy Department signaled Friday it intends to order new efficiency standards for all computers and servers in the United States, reports The Hill. A pair of documents published in the Federal Register said the DOE has 'tentatively' ruled that a federal law designed to curtail consumer energy use, created in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, also covers computer and servers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Department of Energy Is About to Mess With Computer Power

Washington state pot regulators favor outdoor growth for environmental reasons

"The regulatory board overseeing marijuana legalization in Washington State is leaning toward allowing licensed growers to raise the drug outdoors, citing the much higher carbon footprint of indoor and greenhouse cultivation, board members said. The shift on cultivation rules underscores the degree to which the Washington State board is taking public feedback to heart, Chairwoman Sharon Foster said, and comes after the Seattle Times cited a 2012 study published in the journal Energy Policy saying that a kilogram of cannabis grown indoors requires the same amount of energy as 11 cross-country car trips." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington state pot regulators favor outdoor growth for environmental reasons

Oklahoma tornado victims denied permits to rebuild their homes

"Rhonda Northcutt said she is unable to get a building permit from the city because of where her home was located before it was destroyed. Northcutt and her neighbor Jennifer Wisooker live in a neighborhood near May and SW 149th street. Their homes were destroyed by the May 20th tornado. According to the city, there are homes in the neighborhood that are located in an area designated as a flood way. The city said it is unable to give permits to build new homes in these types of areas because of FEMA requirements. Even though their homes were there before the storm, Wisooker and Northcutt might not be able to re-build." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOklahoma tornado victims denied permits to rebuild their homes

Supreme Court rules in favor of Florida property owner over denied development permit

"The Supreme Court said a Florida property owner may be owed compensation from a government agency that refused to award him a development permit for his land. The legal issue was whether the agency’s action constituted a 'taking' subject to compensation, under the so-called takings clause of the Fifth Amendment, in a more than 18-year battle by Koontz and his late father over their nearly 15-acre parcel of land. After Florida designated much of the parcel as protected wetlands, Koontz proposed to develop about a quarter of it and dedicate the rest for conservation, only to have local officials insist that he pay money to protect wetlands elsewhere." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court rules in favor of Florida property owner over denied development permit

Ontario slashes Samsung green energy deal by $3.7 billion

"The cuts will hit a controversial sole-source deal with a consortium led by South Korea-based Samsung Group that offered special financial incentives in a bid to attract investment in renewable energy. The province’s change of heart is partly a response to the backlash over that arrangement – which made electricity bills more expensive – as well as an acknowledgment that Samsung was having trouble holding up its end of the bargain. It is also the latest sign of turbulence in the green-energy industry after the global recession reduced the need for power and an uncertain economy made less costly conventional electricity more attractive than pricey renewables." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOntario slashes Samsung green energy deal by $3.7 billion

DC ambulance breaks down over EPA emissions controls; passenger dies

"The D.C. fire department is trying to determine why one of its newer diesel ambulances broke down as crews were transporting a patient in cardiac arrest. What is unclear is if the emissions controls can be disconnected or the fire department would have to buy new units without them. When Ambulance 19 broke down, it was transporting 34-year-old Nathaniel McRae, who had just been in a shootout with D.C. police. A medic continued to administer CPR while the crew waited for a second ambulance but McRae was pronounced dead at Howard University Hospital." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDC ambulance breaks down over EPA emissions controls; passenger dies

California wants to ban campfires at the beach

"Since man first rubbed a pair of sticks together to make a fire, we’ve gathered around a campfire to cook food, enjoy good company and bask in the warmth of the glowing embers. Now, the South Coast Air Quality Management District will decide this summer whether to order the removal of 850 bonfire pits from Los Angeles and Orange county beaches on the pretense that fire is bad for the environment. To support its position, the agency concocted a study concluding that an evening beach fire creates as much particulate matter pollution as a diesel truck driving 564 miles." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia wants to ban campfires at the beach

San Francisco bacon restaurant forced to close over smell

"The owner of Bacon Bacon, an eatery that specialized in all things porcine, was forced to shut down this week over complaints by neighbors that it smelled too, well, bacon-y. Neighbors claimed they offered to buy owner Jim Angelus a new air filter to help remedy the issue but were shut down. However, the complaints did lead to the discovery that the restaurant also lacked proper health permits. Bacon Bacon may be able to secure those permits, but a hearing can't be held until July. So, until then, the restaurant must close. Angelus dismissed reports of illegal activity on the restaurant's Facebook page and said he plans to keep operating the restaurant's food truck." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSan Francisco bacon restaurant forced to close over smell