Zhe Li, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
These powerful ‘rivers in the sky’ provide a huge share of annual precipitation in many regions, including California. They can also melt sea ice, with global climate implications.
The US Supreme Court’s high-profile Grants Pass ruling allows cities to clear homeless encampments, even if they can’t offer shelter. A scholar explains why a Housing First approach is more effective.
Manuel Pastor, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Chris Benner, University of California, Santa Cruz
The promised ‘white gold rush’ would extract lithium alongside geothermal power production. The mineral is used in EV batteries, but even this less-polluting mining raises local health concerns.
4 in 10 voters would back a candidate from the opposing party for local office if that politician shared their views on homelessness and housing, according to survey data from California.
Breathing wildfire smoke can cut years off people’s lives. As fires become more frequent in a warming world, smoke is leading to a public health crisis, harming people far from the flames.
For years, the ‘duck curve’ of low daytime demand due to cheap solar power has challenged energy planners. California is showing the solution is storage.
Joseph Curti, University of California, Los Angeles and Morgan Tingley, University of California, Los Angeles
Even in a concrete jungle like Los Angeles, wild species show up in surprising places. New research identifies the types of wildlife that best tolerate urban development.
Georgia’s inmate fire crews respond to hundreds of calls in surrounding counties every year. Without them, there might not be a responder, but they aren’t universally loved – and they don’t get paid.
Turning off power is a last-ditch strategy for utilities to reduce the risk that their systems could spark wildfires. In most states, deciding whether to take that step is up to utilities.
California is considering a controversial proposal for utilities to charge customers for electricity based partly on household income. Two scholars explain how this approach could benefit everyone.
Subnational authorities are leading the charge on a just transition and dealing with climate change impacts. It is time for this key role to be reflected in international climate negotiations.
Wildfire Specialist at the University of California Cooperative Extension; Adjunct Professor Bren School of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
Distinguished Blue Planet Prize Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Founding Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
Adjunct Assistant Professor and a founder of the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles