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Oceans could have reached carbon threshold

Each of the five mass extinctions over the last 500 million years that saw at least 75% of species disappear was accompanied by a surge in carbon entering the ocean.

California’s Wildfires Are the Doom of Our Own Making

At this very moment, we have the dubious honor of living through an event whose impact will span generations: climate change. Never before has our kind faced such omnipresent peril, from supercharged storms to rising seas to drought to crop failure to biodiversity crises.

Invasive lionfish have huge appetites. Hotter oceans will make them hungrier, new study finds

As the ocean gets warmer, lionfish get hungrier, a new study indicates. With climate change happening now, that’s bad news for the Atlantic marine ecosystems the invasive lionfish has ravaged for decades.

Tests Find Plastic in 20 Percent of Mexican Fish

Microplastics from product packaging and other sources are present in the stomachs of 20 percent of commercially important fish from three regions in Mexico, according to new tests by conservation groups and scientists from prominent Mexican universities.

Climate change is coming for your Cabernet

Harvest season has just begun in California's Napa Valley. But the $160 billion wine industry could dry up if something isn't done to combat a changing climate.

Stressed about climate change? Eight tips for managing eco-anxiety

If the prospect of climate change makes you stressed, anxious or depressed, you aren’t alone. With reports of some children becoming terrified by climate change and the protest group Extinction Rebellion holding “grief-tending workshops”, there is an increasing awareness of so-called eco-anxiety.

Oildale parks could soon be under scrutiny under new program aimed at increasing usage

Not all parks in Kern County are created equal. Whereas The Park at River Walk and Hart Park have recently been filled with cheerful residents out to enjoy the relatively mild weather, parks in Oildale aren’t so lucky.

99% of These Sea Turtles Are Turning Female—Here’s Why

Pacific green sea turtles spend years cruising this northern Australia feeding ground, fattening up on sea grasses before heading to nesting areas to mate and lay eggs.

Recycled plastic to soon pave Los Angeles roads

To better manage plastic waste, Los Angeles is in talks with Technisoil, an innovative manufacturing company, to viably incorporate plastic into the city’s roads.

Firefighting foam leaves toxic legacy in Californians’ drinking water

It was a Sunday tradition at Bethany Slavic Missionary Church. After morning services, Florin Ciuriuc joined the line of worshipers waiting to fill their jugs with gallons of free drinking water from a well on the property, a practice church leaders had encouraged.

The World’s Oceans Are in Danger, Major Climate Change Report Warns

Climate change is heating the oceans and altering their chemistry so dramatically that it is threatening seafood supplies, fueling cyclones and floods and posing profound risks to the hundreds of millions of people living along the coasts, according to a sweeping United Nations report issued Wednesday.

Hundreds of wells are contaminated across California. Find out where

Nearly 300 wells and other sources of drinking water across California contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer, developmental issues in infants, and harm to the liver and immune system.

New Drinking Water Report: Communities of Color More Likely to Suffer Drinking Water Violations For Years

Race bears the strongest relationship to slow and ineffective enforcement of the federal drinking water law in communities across the nation, according to a new report released today.

A vast heat wave is endangering sea life in the Pacific Ocean. Is this the wave of the future?

A vast region of unusually warm water has formed in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, and scientists are worried that it could devastate sea life in the area and fuel the formation of harmful algal blooms.

California Becomes First State to Ban Single-Use Hotel Toiletries

California became the first state in the nation to ban hotels from offering mini toiletries in plastic bottles Wednesday when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to that effect into law.

Regenerative Agriculture Could Help Stop Climate Change -- Can Tech Help Us Get There?

Climate change dominates the headlines and our news feeds and infiltrates our daily conversations. It’s a problem that weighs heavily on our society, but a promising solution could be lying right beneath our feet — in the soil.

The biggest source of microplastics in California coastal waters? Car tires

Cars may be doing more damage to our environment than we realized. The harmful effects that fossil fuels have on our environment are well documented -- a study from March found that global fossil-fuel emissions account for nearly 70% of climate cooling.

Why Japan’s Radioactive Water May End Up In the Ocean

The Japanese utility giant Tepco is considering a plan to dump roughly 1 million cubic meters of treated radioactive water -- enough to fill 400 Olympic-size swimming pools -- from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, part of its nearly $200 billion effort to clean up the worst atomic accident since Chernobyl.

Climate change takes toll on oceans, ice: UN report

Loading the atmosphere with CO2 and greenhouse gases has spawned a host of consequences, starting with irreversible sea-level rise, according to a draft Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report obtained by AFP.

PFAS toxins found in drinking water throughout Southern California

Wells of nearly two dozen Southern California water agencies have reportable levels of PFAS, a chemical family increasingly linked to cancer, liver and kidney damage, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, low fertility, low birth weight and ulcerative colitis.

Move To Ban Single-Use Plastic Bottle Toiletries Gains Steam In New York

Tiny plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash in hotels may soon be a thing of the past in New York as lawmakers continue efforts to reduce plastic waste statewide.

Immediate Climate Action Is Needed to Avoid “Grim” Future, Scientists Warn

A leading group of international climate scientists is warning that “large-scale strategies” are needed immediately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avert “catastrophic circumstances” that threaten every part of the world.

Tens of Thousands Expected to Take Out California’s Trash

It’s a big feat to get 65,000 people to do anything, let alone spend three hours picking up soiled trash. Yet, state officials are expecting around that number to turn out Saturday for the 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day. The event attracts volunteers who spread out across more than 1,000 coastal beaches, rivers and parks in 55 of California’s 58 counties. Merced, Sutter, and Trinity counties do not participate.

Marine plastic pollution hides a neurological toxicant in our food

In the mid-1950s, domesticated cats in Minamata, Japan mysteriously began to convulse and fall into the bay. The people of Minamata took on similar symptoms shortly after, losing their ability to speak, move, and think.

Heartbreaking images that show the impact of plastic on animals in the oceans

These distressing photos reveal the devastating impact of the plastic crisis that is blighting the planet's oceans. The images, which have been taken by photographers around the world, show everything from turtles trapped in fishing nets to dead whales with their bellies full of debris.

Climate change is coming for your wine. What the world's wineries are doing to save grapes

The estate house grounds at Spottswoode Winery look like a postcard from a 19th-century dream. A sprawling Victorian mansion commands a view of lush gardens, a shimmering swimming pool and 45 acres of grape-filled vines that soon will be harvested.

Climate Anxiety Groups Are the New Self-Care

There were dance parties, DJ sets, drum classes and tutu-making workshops. Still, despite the buoyant mood it wasn’t just another festival tailor-made for glossy Instagram photos. Instead, Catharsis on the Mall, which was inspired by Burning Man and took place on the National Mall in May, had a different aim— healing.

Hundreds Of California Schools Haven’t Released Results Of Water Testing For Lead

This summer, we reported that one out of five California schools found detectable levels of lead in drinking water, but we also told you, hundreds of schools still hadn’t reported the required lead test results.

California sues Trump administration over auto emissions

California and 23 other states on Friday sued the Trump administration over its bid to restrict their authority to limit auto emissions, setting the stage for a bitter court battle over states' rights and climate change.

Climate Scientists Alarmed by Trump’s Move to Undercut Auto Emission Rules

In the fight against climate change, gas-guzzling cars are increasingly seen as the biggest enemy. Carbon dioxide from automobiles has surged in the U.S. at the same time that the emissions have declined from power plants. The transportation sector is now the nation’s single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions -- beyond electrical generation from coal, leaking oil wells and burping cows.

Is Your Drinking Water Safe? Are You So Sure?

The United States boasts some of the cleanest tap water in the world thanks to a slate of laws — notably the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 —sthat set standards for permissible levels of pollution.

Caribbean Islands Are The Biggest Plastic Polluters Per Capita In The World

In 2016, global plastic waste amounted to some 242 million metric tons. Of this, 137 million tonnes (or more than 57%) originated in East Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Central Asia and North America, much of which made its way into the ocean.

Fire and hail push insurers to rethink climate change risks

By the time David Kaisel got back from selling his flour at a farmers' market, a wildfire in California's Capay Valley had burnt both his tractor and the shipping container where he kept some tools. His insurer is set to pay out a sixth of his losses.

5 things to know about the heat 'blobs' threatening oceans

Ocean heat wave “blobs” are emerging in the world’s oceans, posing a serious threat to marine life. The heat waves have been reported recently near both California and Uruguay, according The Washington Post. Marine heat waves have also been observed near Australia.

Contaminated tap water could lead to 100,000 cases of cancer in the US if people drink it their whole lives. Here's how worried you should be

A study from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found that contaminants in US drinking water could lead to nearly 100,000 cases of cancer among people who drink it for a lifetime.

Plastic pollution has entered fossil record, says study

A new study has found that plastic pollution is being deposited into the fossil record, with deposits increasing exponentially since 1945.

Southern California Ocean Temperature Breaks 103-Year Record For September

Southern California waters, famous for being much cooler than Atlantic Ocean waters, are warming up. Scientists recorded a temperature of 78.3 degrees Thursday in the water off Scripps Pier in La Jolla – the warmest September temperature recorded since 1916.

Serenity, now: Where to find a quiet spot amid the bustle of L.A.

A couple of times a week, I find myself in the early morning hours alone on a quiet bluff over the Pacific Ocean at the Korean Friendship Bell not far from my home in San Pedro. I love these stolen moments of quiet, but it never occurred to me that my brain did too.

As the climate crisis worsens, cities turn to parks

City parks have long been a place for urban residents surrounded by the gray of asphalt and concrete to get a small dose of green. As cities increasingly feel the impacts of rising seas and temperatures, city planners are rethinking the roles of urban parks.

Ocean heatwave known as 'The Blob' is warming up the West Coast – and endangering animals

A mass of warm water extending from Baja California in Mexico all the way to Alaska and the Bering Sea could result in death for many sea lions and salmon, as well as toxic algae blooms that can poison mussels, crabs and other sea life.

Opinion: California’s Largest Landowner Can Achieve Environmental Justice

Every year, the state Lands Commission makes decisions that impact the lives of millions of Californians and over 150 indigenous nations. This little-known agency manages more than four million acres of the state’s public lands. From managing oil and gas leases along the coast, to overseeing development in the vicinity of the Tijuana River in the south, and Goose Lake in the north, the commission’s decisions have consequences that last for generations.

With Ocean Noise Increasing, Scientists Explore Relief for Marine Life

Each year, the level of sound caused by humans increases in the world’s oceans. This noise—from a host of sources, including shipping, military exercises, and oil and gas industry activity—disturbs marine life, including fish, sea turtles, invertebrates, and mammals.

More than ever, our clothes are made of plastic. Just washing them can pollute the oceans.

It’s no secret that too many of the plastic products we use end up in the ocean. But you might not be aware of one major source of that pollution: our clothes.

Lack of drinkable water continues to threaten Florence victims

As North Carolina continues to recover from the devastation and flooding caused by Hurricane Florence, many residents lack access to clean drinking water.

'It's hyped up': climate change skeptics in the path of Hurricane Florence

Scientists say global warming is behind severe storms but many who face them don’t think humans are the problem

CSUN Project Hopes to Transform Health & Nutrition in Canoga Park

Members of the Canoga Park community building a community garden, one of several projects launched as part of Champions for Change. Photo courtesy of Viridiana Ortiz.

Plastic straw ban? Cigarette butts are the single greatest source of ocean trash

Cigarette butts have long been the single most collected item on the world’s beaches, with a total of more than 60 million collected over 32 years.

Islanders in Kenya build recycled plastic boat to highlight pollution

LAMU, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyan islanders have built a boat made entirely of recycled plastic collected during clean-ups of the ocean to highlight the growing menace of plastic waste that ends up in the sea.

Dam breach at Duke Energy plant sparks new concerns of contamination in North Carolina

Prior to Hurricane Florence’s arrival in the Carolinas, concerns were raised about the environmental and health risks of the storm. There was fear that torrential rain may flood power plants, industrial sites or animal-manure lagoons, causing toxic waste to threaten drinking water.

Trump condemned over plans to allow drilling near national parks

President’s ‘energy first’ agenda means vast tracts of public land up for sale – without proper consultation, critics say

Climate change influencing poisonous snake bites in California

Scientists recently put this belief to a test. A new study examined 20 years of documented bites in California correlating weather patterns and climate changes.

Hope Grows At The Once 'Magical' Site Of LA's South Central Farm

Los Angeles residents want to bring back a 14-acre community garden that once served more than 300 low-income families. The South Central Farmers Restoration Committee has filed a lawsuit to stop proposed development of the tract.

Helping Communities Benefit from California’s Climate Investments

California is investing a lot of money, from a variety of sources, in finding ways to slow climate change and improve the environment. The state legislature has also recognized that those investments need to benefit everyone in California.

California’s cap-and-trade air quality benefits go mostly out of state

During the first three years of California’s 5-year-old cap-and-trade program, the bulk of the greenhouse gas reductions occurred out of state, which means that state residents did not see the benefits of improved air quality from presumed reductions in harmful co-pollutants, such as particulate matter, according to a new study led by UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University researchers.

The Giant Plastic Whale That Inspired a UN Youth Ocean Summit

The first United Nations Children’s Clean Ocean Summit took place in Austria this summer. The children created a whale sculpture using ocean debris to build awareness about the ocean pollution crisis facing us all.

50 Facts That Will Make You Stop Using Plastic

Plastic is not only killing marine animals and ecosystems, but countless studies show it’s hazardous to human health. These shocking statistics may encourage you to rethink single-use plastic products.

Youth in California’s Central Valley are reclaiming region's activist roots

Decades after civil rights icons Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta brought worldwide attention to the plight of farm workers in California’s Central Valley, a new generation of activists are making an impact in the region — with the focus now on the myriad issues facing young people and efforts to get them involved in civic affairs.

SoCal Gas agrees to $119.5-million settlement for Aliso Canyon methane leak — biggest in U.S. history

A $119.5-million settlement announced Wednesday of claims stemming from the Aliso Canyon gas leak marks the biggest action yet to deal with the health effects and climate damage of the largest release of methane in U.S. history.

The Green Jobs Revolution Needs to Include All of Us

few years ago, Adan Anguiano was in prison. Now he has a career installing solar panels in East Los Angeles.

Women, Climate Change and the rise of Eco-Feminism

Climate Justice acknowledges that climate change has a bigger impact on disadvantaged people, as well as economically disadvantaged countries in the Global South. Advocates for Climate Justice also highlight that climate change disproportionately affects those who contribute the least to it.

Green Upgrade: How California Is Pioneering ‘Energy Justice’

California has the world’s fourth largest greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, which raises billions of dollars for the state. An innovative project is directing some of that revenue to bringing renewable power and energy efficiency to some of the state’s most disadvantaged communities.

Yosemite Closed Indefinitely As California Fires Grow To Largest In History: Map And Update

The scope of California's fires is unprecedented and has resulted in the closure of Yosemite National Park as firefighters battle 17 large fires, one of which is the largest fire in California's history.

Giant Trap Is Deployed to Catch Plastic Littering the Pacific Ocean

A multimillion-dollar floating boom designed to corral plastic debris littering the Pacific Ocean deployed from San Francisco Bay on Saturday as part of a larger high-stakes and ambitious undertaking.

Only One-Eighth of the Ocean is Free of Human Impact

Thirteen percent of the world’s oceans is considered marine wilderness—crucial areas of water mostly undisturbed by humans where biodiversity is able to flourish.

WALNUT CREEK’S WATERS OF JUSTICE

The story of Walnut Creek isn’t just about a river coming back to life — it’s about a community reclaiming its voice.

Social Justice and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Opponents of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline have warned of possible harm to the environment and challenged Dominion’s right to take private property for this purpose.

Climate justice and economy: Demands at NYC’s Puerto Rican Day Parade

Under cloudy skies with an intermittent drizzle, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican people and their allies turned out for the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. But this year was special: It celebrated the rich, proud tradition of the Puerto Rican people whose homeland has been devastated by hurricane Maria.

Flushing your contact lenses down the drain is adding plastic waste to oceans

Add millions of used contact lenses to the plastic waste that's finding its way into oceans and lakes.sA new study released Sunday estimates that these slippery transparent discs, vital to the vision of an estimated 45 million Americans, are often flushed into the sewer instead of placed in the trash or recycled.

Climate Defenders Mobilizing for 3rd People’s Climate March

Call it the "People's Climate March, Part III." On Saturday, Sept. 8, thousands of people are expected to converge on the streets of San Francisco to demand that government leaders commit to ending all new fossil fuel projects and accelerating the move toward renewable energy

3 Ways Cities Can Protect Low-Income Residents From Climate Change

Climate impacts often fall disproportionately and unfairly on society’s most vulnerable, but cities are uniquely well-positioned to do something about these inequities by taking innovative climate action.

California Takes Steps to Expand Solar Opportunities For Low-Income and Environmental Justice Communities

Solar industry, renewable energy and environmental justice organizations and advocates applauded a decision today by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that will increase opportunities for low-income households to go solar, lower their utility bills, and participate in the state's growing clean energy economy.

Climate Change Has Doubled the Frequency of Ocean Heat Waves

Ocean heatwaves will become more frequent and extreme as the climate warms, scientists report on August 15 in Nature. These episodes of intense heat could disrupt marine food webs and reshape biodiversity in the world’s oceans.

Healthy Soil is Ground Zero for Environmental Justice in Farm Communities

n California’s San Joaquin Valley—home to many of the nation’s largest fruit, nut, and vegetable operations—agricultural soils have been sterilized and depleted of natural fertility.

More than 2 billion people lack safe drinking water. That number will only grow.

Freshwater is crucial for drinking, washing, growing food, producing energy and just about every other aspect of modern life. Yet more than 2 billion of Earth’s 7.6 billion inhabitants lack clean drinking water at home, available on demand.

The Trump administration scrubs climate change info from websites. These two have survived.

Reports of climate science being scrubbed from U.S. government websites arrived early in President Donald Trump’s tenure. And the hits keep coming. From the Environmental Protection Agency, to the Energy Department, to the State Department and beyond, references to climate change, greenhouse gases and clean energy keep disappearing.

Local youth invited to get free eye exams at Pogo Park’s Elm Playlot

Pogo Park is partnering with Vision to Learn to provide low-income children from ages 4-18, with free eye exams and prescription glasses.

CBE ADVOCATES FOR A JUST TRANSITION FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO BUILDING A NEW HEALTHIER AND THRIVING ECONOMY

CBE has worked to build a healthy Richmond for over 20 years. Richmond is a working class community, predominantly people of color, and it’s been impacted by decades of environmental blight and economic divestment. Richmond is home to the 3,000 acre Chevron Oil refinery – the largest polluter in the area and the top greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter in the state.

The world's top 10 battles for environmental justice

The Environmental Justice Atlas is an international collaboration that tracks land and energy conflicts around the world. Researcher Julie Snorek from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain reports.

Less than half of US school districts test drinking water for lead: Report

Only 43 percent of school districts in the United States test for lead in drinking water used by students in 2016 or 2017, according to a federal government report released Tuesday.