MEANWHILE. . .

Study Finds -  Could a large chunk of the Pacific Coast disappear in the near future? Imagine the ground beneath your feet slowly but steadily sinking — so dramatically that canals crack, wells break, and entire landscapes transform. This isn’t a disaster movie; it’s the stark reality unfolding in California’s San Joaquin Valley. A new study documents how the earth is literally collapsing under the weight of our water demands. A groundbreaking report by Stanford University researchers reveals a startling trend: the valley’s land is sinking at a rate of nearly an inch per year, a phenomenon scientists call “subsidence” that threatens one of the world’s most critical agricultural regions.