East County News Service
Photo: Cowles Mountain by Gerry Tietje
December 31, 2024 (San Diego) -- Today, December 31, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of Cowles Mountain at Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP). Its purchase and preservation in 1974 was a pivotal moment in the park’s history, and was the result of community members and local leaders uniting to save Cowles Mountain from imminent development. Their efforts secured the land for public use, laying the foundation for Mission Trails, now comprised of more than 8,000 acres and one of the largest urban parks in the country. The park welcomes more than two million visitors annually.
By Henri Migala
Photo: cc via Bing
January 22, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- On Monday, January 20, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time, once again placing the world's top historic emitter of greenhouse gases outside the global pact aimed at pushing nations to tackle climate change.
The withdrawal comes amid increasingly severe wildfires, hurricanes and other severe weather disasters fueled in large part by rapidly accelerating climate change. A National Climate Assessment study found that climate change is affecting every region in the U.S., across economic sectors.
Far from taking any other steps to reduce carbon emissions, however, President Trump has issued executive orders to end actions aimed at cutting carbon and increase use of fossil fuels that accelerate climate change.
His administration has also deleted all climate change information and references from federal websites, eliminating access to key data for researchers, the press, and the public.