Rebecca Bowe

Which kind of poison?

The push to shut down Mirant's aging power plant advances, but the alternative isn't much greener

06.10.09 - 1:58 am | Rebecca Bowe |

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GREEN CITY The push from city leaders to shut down Mirant's aging Potrero power plant advanced another step June 2 when the San Francisco supervisors approved an ordinance sponsored by Sophie Maxwell and Michela Alioto-Pier that urges closing the entire facility by the end of 2010 and directs the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to update a plan charting the city's energy future.

But the current city proposal for closing the Mirant plant appears to rely entirely on replacing that power with the output of other private fossil fuel plants — in some Read more »

Dirty diesel ban at Port of Oakland does not win approval

06.03.09 - 2:12 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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By Rebecca Bowe

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Photo courtesy Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports

Around 100 environmental and social justice activists crammed into yesterday’s Oakland Port Commission meeting in support of a program that, among other things, would have banned polluting diesel trucks from the Port of Oakland. Read more »

The struggle continues

Marriage equality advocates react, then move into campaign mode

06.03.09 - 2:19 am | Rebecca Bowe |

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>rebeccab@sfbg.com

Video of May 26's anti-Prop 8 rally. Video by Rebecca Bowe. Read more »

Public pressure mounting against proposed state park closures

06.01.09 - 2:14 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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By Rebecca Bowe

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last Thursday that 223 state parks -- about 80 percent of the state’s park system -- could be closed in an attempt to remedy deep budget shortfalls facing the state. Read more »

Video of Prop 8 protests

05.27.09 - 5:45 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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By Rebecca Bowe

Yesterday's evening rally in the wake of the California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Prop 8 attracted thousands. Read more »

The Golden State's extreme makeover

California isn't working any more. It's time to think about dramatic ideas for change

05.27.09 - 2:42 am | Tim Redmond and Rebecca Bowe |

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news@sfbg.com

California's an amazing place, a state with a history of starting trends that sweep across the nation. It has crowded cities and spectacular wilderness, agriculture and high-tech industries, 840 miles of coast, 163,000 square miles of land and 36 million people.

And it's proving almost impossible to manage.Read more »

Campaign for a constitutional convention picks up speed

05.20.09 - 2:25 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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By Rebecca Bowe

“One way or the other, on May 20th Californians will have to begin discussing how to fix their broken state.” This line -- referring of course to the aftermath of the special election -- appeared in an article published by the Economist last Thursday titled “California: The Ungovernable State.” The piece spotlights Sacramento’s perpetual gridlock and explores the id Read more »

Rally this Sunday against torture and killings of gays in Iraq

05.15.09 - 1:55 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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By Rebecca Bowe

Gays Without Borders S.F., the Rainbow World Fund, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and others will host a rally and fundraiser Sunday to speak out against torture and slayings of gays in Iraq. Read more »

“Where’s Gavin?”

05.13.09 - 3:34 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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By Rebecca Bowe

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In an article last month about how Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates has decided to trade in his car for a bus pass, the Chronicle reported an interesting transportation tidbit about San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom:

“[Newsom] rides Muni incognito, disguised in a baseball cap, and walks when he can, said Read more »

Shooting past "sharrows"

Six big ideas to boost SF's bikeability

05.13.09 - 1:07 am | Rebecca Bowe |

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San Francisco's bicycle advocates have been focused on winning approval for 56 near-term projects outlined in the city's bike plan, which would increase the number of miles of bike lanes from 45 to 79, and quadruple the number of city streets bearing "sharrow" markings (see "Street fight," 2/4/09).

But bike-related projects farther out on the horizon could significantly raise the bar for a bikeable San Francisco. Read more »