dan’s outside

***Senate OKs survey of offshore oil: Drilling moratorium off California coast at risk, opponents say
- “The Senate approved a major study of offshore oil and gas reserves Thursday, angering California officials and lawmakers from other coastal states who called it the first step toward ending a 20-year moratorium on offshore drilling in [...]

***Did a nice little 30-mile bike loop
today. Went south of San Jose and around Calero Reservoir.
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***Everything seemed green
last week but the coastal California hills have now turned golden - though a bit later than usual.
This was certainly the case on my hike today. Almost all of the seasonal plants have turned brown and the grasses have gone to seed. There are still some late season flowers - some quite spectacular [...]

***Outdoors industry stands up for nature: Utah’s willingness to drop protections provokes a response
- “epresenting an estimated $18 billion in annual sales, the industry’s major trade group wields the kind of economic clout that makes pro-business Western politicians sit up and take note. But in the past, the Outdoor Industry Association’s lobbying efforts on hotly [...]