A California couple is facing criminal charges because the redwoods in their backyard cast a shadow on a neighbor’s solar panels. Richard Treanor and Carolynn Bissett of Sunnyvale are staunch, Prius-driving environmentalists, and were shocked when a court ruled them in violation of a state environmental law that prioritizes solar panels over trees and ordered the eight redwoods removed. Treanor and Bissett have so far refused to remove the trees, and have spent some $25,000 on legal fees. “We support solar power,” said Bissett. “But we thought common sense would prevail.”
A New Mexico legislator has proposed a tax on videogames and televisions to help fund the fight against childhood obesity. The “Leave No Child Inside” bill, sponsored by lawmaker Gail Chasey with the support of the Sierra Club, would levy a 1 percent tax on certain home-recreation devices and use the money to fund outdoor programs for the state’s children, an estimated one-quarter of whom are overweight or obese. Children should be having more “outdoor learning experiences,” said Michael Casaus of the Sierra Club.
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