Residential ratepayers were switched over to a fully renewable electricity plan in March. Businesses are next.
Iris Kwok
Iris Kwok covers the environment for Berkeleyside through a partnership with Report for America. A former music journalist, her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Classical Voice, among other publications. In her spare time, you can find her petting street cats or playing cello. She joined Berkeleyside in June 2022.
Posted inCity
Coastal Cleanup: Here’s how much trash volunteers picked up along the Berkeley shoreline
Litter removed from the coast included many cigarette butts, an air purifier, and a Ganesha idol.
Posted inCity
Berkeley Tool Lending Library will end late fees, go fully fine-free
Berkeley Public Library stopped charging late fees for teen and adult books in 2018. Now, residents can check out tools, from ice cream makers to weed whackers, without worrying about overdue fees.
Posted inWeather
Temperatures soar above 100 in Berkeley Hills
A heat advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday.
Posted inCity
What emergency services are offered in Berkeley on hot and smoky days?
The city has one official cooling center, with a policy to “consider” activating it if thermometers hit 90 degrees.
Posted inFire
Parks throughout the East Bay hills will close Sunday, Monday due to fire risk
The East Bay Regional Park District is closing 40 parks in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, including Tilden and Wildcat and Claremont canyons, amid this weekend’s heat wave.
Posted inCity
Excessive heat watch issued for Berkeley throughout Labor Day weekend
Temperatures are expected to peak at 85 in the Berkeley flats and 10 degrees higher in the hills.
Posted inCommunity
A massacre of mussels as algae bloom hits the Berkeley Marina
A red tide worse than any since 2004 is the likely culprit. Gulls are gorging on the dead mollusks and leaving shell piles on the docks.
Posted inCommunity
5 Berkeley stories of what it means to have your student loans forgiven
A UC Berkeley senior now owes just $138. A Ph.D. student is less scared to graduate. A wood craftsman says his $50,000-plus debt doesn’t feel any smaller.
Posted inCommunity
New rock garden opens in Tilden
The small rock garden, highlighting native alpine plants from the high Sierra Nevada, opened on Saturday in the Tilden botanic garden.
Posted inCommunity
How neighbors in the Berkeley Hills are making their community more wildfire resistant
The Firewise program helps neighbors form a plan to reduce wildfire risk. Berkeley’s first group formed this spring, and three more are in the works.
Posted inCity
Election 2022: All the candidates on the Berkeley ballot
There are 13 Berkeley seats at play, including four City Council positions, the auditor’s office, three School Board positions and five spots on the Rent Board.