KQED Radio Staff
Lauren Sommer
Associate Media Producer
Lauren Sommer is a radio reporter and multimedia producer for QUEST - KQED's multiplatform science and environmental series. At QUEST, she has hiked Sierra Nevada peaks, hunted for newts in the rain, and desperately tried to get her sea legs - all in the pursuit of good radio. Originally from the Bay Area, Lauren is a Cornell University Alumni with a background in environmental policy. Before joining KQED Lauren cruised bunny slopes as a ski instructor in Tahoe, California and ate croissants in France as a travel writer for Frommer's. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Adventure, Sierra magazine, Marketplace and NPR.
Stories (103 archives)
Regulators Vote on New Zero-Emission Targets
California regulators vote today on sweeping new rules to put more zero and near-zero-emission vehicles on the road over the next 15 years. The state's Air Resources Board wants to jump-start the market for cars that don't run on gasoline -- but automakers caution the plan depends on consumer acceptance.
California Pushes to Get Clean Cars on the Road
This week, California officials are voting on the toughest new regulations in the country to promote cleaner cars. If passed, by 2025, 15 percent of new cars and trucks sold every year in the state would have to be powered by batteries, hydrogen fuel cells or other technology that produces little or no air pollution. These kind of tough mandates have been tried before, but they failed. So is this finally the right time for the clean car?
Biofuels Breakthroughs
This week, the EPA unveiled a new interactive website that tracks greenhouse gas emissions across the country. It's a striking reminder alternative energy generation is still on its way up, after all these years of investment and research. But breakthrough developments are happening, right here in California.
Resolutions and the Science of Changing Habits
It's been a little more than a week since the New Year began, which means while some of us are sticking to our resolutions, others may have already given up. Changing behavior is no easy task, but one Stanford professor has developed a new technique. He says not to worry about New Year's goals. Instead, we should focus on tiny habits.
Porpoises Return to San Francisco Bay
Something that has been missing in San Francisco Bay for 60 years appears to be making a comeback. Harbor porpoises are showing up in growing numbers -- and researchers are trying to understand just why they're returning.
