In Eduardo Porter's book, The Price of Everything, the author lays out a pretty darned good discussion about how to solve Global Warming. Or at least put a big dent in it. He proposes we pay for it. But people wouldn't pay more to save the Earth for future generations, would they? Yeah, they would. At least in California, we would.
We shut down a nuclear power plant in 1989 at Rancho Seco. By special referendum, California votes came in at 53.4% in favor of putting an end to the operation of a functioning nuclear power plant. Rancho Seco is located about an hour from Sacramento. Its twin cooling towers zoom above the horizon from Highway 104.
SMUD, which owned and operated the nuclear power plant, in cooperation with the Nature Conservatory and the Sacramento Valley Conservatory, opened the Howard Ranch Nature Trail, a 7-mile hiking trail along Rancho Seco lake and its marsh and riparian habitat. The lake started out as a small pond, which was expanded and used to cool the nuclear reactors, but is now a recreational area.
You can go boating, fishing or swimming in the lake. You can camp. There are red-winged blackbirds, horned larks and barn swallows. There is also a wildlife refuse for a variety of creatures such as emu and ostrich. If you walk far enough up the trail, you'll find not only tomcat clover among the wildflowers but cows and livestock. Here are more photos of the Howard Ranch Nature Trail at Rancho Seco. Note in the last photo where the volleyball is.
All photos by Elizabeth Weintraub
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
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