To support California in meeting its climate goals and using its budget most effectively, CPI created this first-of-its-kind landscape of climate finance in California, building on the flagship Global Landscape of Climate Finance methodology. In doing so, aim to fill a gap in comprehensive data on both past spending and …
A civilian watchdog group sued a California coastal agency on Tuesday, seeking to overturn its decision to allow 1,800 tons (1,632 tonnes) of radioactive waste from a closed nuclear power plant to be buried in containers not far from a beach. Citizens Oversight Inc. asked a San Diego Superior Court …
Forecasters say this year’s El Niño promises to be one of the strongest ever, with the potential to unleash a devastating wave of flash floods and mudslides upon drought-stricken California in coming months. If there’s one person who should be concerned, it’s Bill “Tattoo” LeBlanc, a homeless man living alongside …
Categorizing the choices in coastal infrastructure that are available to policy makers will allow for comparisons of their potential impacts on ecosystems and of their value in preparation for long-term sea-level rise. Although similar approaches have been described elsewhere in different policy contexts, this article focuses on evaluating physical infrastructure …
It’s not just the polar bear. Animals and plants in Earth’s other extreme environment—the desert—are endangered by rising temperatures. At Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave Desert, these tough, gnarled plants are threatened by climate change. A survey of the park found few or no young trees in roughly …
As California braces for torrential downpours this winter from El Nino, authorities have stockpiled extra sandbags across the state while putting hundreds of personnel through flood-control training, officials told state lawmakers on Wednesday. Water engineers and emergency managers addressed a state Senate hearing in Los Angeles on preparations for the …
Even though plants first emerged on Earth 400 million years ago, it was not until approximately 80 million years later that wildfires began ripping through forests and grasslands like they do today in California, a new study revealed. Coast redwoods will be shifted northward into southern Oregon, if temperatures continue …
Known for its pioneering environmental effort, California has agreed to help India reduce air pollution and combat climate change, state governor Jerry Brown said after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend. The global fight against climate change was the center of discussion when Brown met Modi …
Forest fires have consumed nearly 9 million acres in the United States so far in 2015. Amid predictions that climate change will only bring drier conditions and trees left brittle by invasive insects, a team of scientists described opportunities and made suggestions for the nation's forest and fire management systems, …
There is strong evidence that short-run fluctuations in air pollution negatively impact infant health and contemporaneous adult health, but there is less evidence on the causal link between long-term exposure to air pollution and increased adult mortality. This project estimates the impact of long-term exposure to air pollution on mortality …
Last winter’s snow accumulation in the mountains that provide state’s most important natural water system was just 5% of what is normal, study finds The Sierra Nevada snowpack that is a critical water source for California fell to a 500-year low last winter – far worse than scientists had estimated …
Two explosive wildfires have displaced 23,000 people in northern California and threaten to wreak more devastation in rural communities, which have lost hundreds of homes. The so-called Valley fire in Lake County raged untamed on Monday after incinerating 61,000 acres, or 95 square miles, in just two days. Overcast weather …
MEXICO CITY – The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 has hit in the Gulf of California. It says the earthquake struck Sunday at 1:14 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). The epicenter is 37 miles (59 kilometers) south-southwest …
Climate officials warn winter’s weather pattern likely to be one of the strongest as effects are likely to be felt from December to March Climate officials are warning that this winter’s El Niño weather pattern is likely to be one of the strongest on record, bringing huge storms and a …
Mercury pollution in California may be coming from a surprising source: elephant seals. Scientists have found that molting elephant seals actually shed considerable amounts of mercury into coastal waters. Mercury is a major problem in the marine environment. The most toxic form of it, methyl mercury, is readily absorbed and …
A wildfire raging in California's Kings Canyon National Park forced the evacuation of about 20 homes and a heat wave prompted concern that the blaze will continue to spread, authorities said on Tuesday. At 98,000 acres (40,000 hectares), the so-called Rough Fire is the largest wildfire currently burning in California, …
A new legislation has been passed by the California State Senate to ban the sale of personal care products containing plastic microbeads on Friday, Sept 4. The amended bill would prohibit the use of microbeads due to officials found it harmful on the marine life and human health by polluting …
In August, scientists at Columbia University released a study that identified the contribution that global warming made to the severity of the California drought between 2012 and 2014. Their finding - that global warming increased the drought's severity by 8 - 27% - deepens our understanding of just how damaging …
Californians cut water use by more than 31 percent in July, the largest savings the state has logged since a drought emergency was declared last year. It was the second month of mandatory 25 percent statewide cutbacks, compared with July 2013, and residents again surpassed the target set by Gov. …
California's current extreme drought must be a lesson for managing water in a warmer, more densely populated world, say Amir AghaKouchak and colleagues. Original Source
Despite a devastating four-year drought that has forced strict water conservation measures across California, most Los Angeles County supervisors still have their cars washed two or three times a week, a local newspaper reported. The multiple weekly car washes carry on despite Governor Jerry Brown's admonitions to Californians to take …
