A fixture of the West for millennia, the storms are becoming more frequent as the byproduct of water diversions and climate change.Continue readingRising from dead and dying lakes, western dust storms menace species, drivers, and public health
Category: Pollution & the West
Private citizens were first on the scene to document a massive die-off in Oakland’s Lake Merritt. Their contributions were enabled by the crowd-source observation tool iNaturalist. Continue readingWhen red tide smothered an urban lake, citizen scientists sounded the alarm
Once prized as a key ingredient in fire retardant foam, non-stick pans and many everyday items, a synthetic chemical’s appearance in public water supply wells raises questions of how to protect the public from unknown health hazards.Continue readingConcern Over the “Forever Chemical” PFAS Is High, But Remedies Remain Remote
As was true a half century ago, forces in Washington, D.C. want to loosen emission requirements and strip California of its ability to impose tough standards for vehicle emissions, and once again, California officials are fighting back.Continue readingCalifornia’s Vehicle Emissions Fight Continues a 50-Year Struggle
Forty percent of food produced for consumption never gets eaten, instead filling landfills and releasing greenhouse gases. With a recent law, California aims to drastically reduce the amount of food that ends up in the ground. Continue readingWhen Sustenance Becomes a Pollutant: California Aims to Steer Wasted Food from Landfills