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"title": "Don't Think Heat Pumps Are Sexy? Time to Listen to This Slow Jam",
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"content": "\u003cp>You know what’s hot but also cool? R&B music. You know what else is? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1981511/how-the-unassuming-heat-pump-can-stave-off-warming\">Heat pumps\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A pair of Berkeley musicians set out to prove it by combining the two in a sultry, catchy slow jam called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.hotmike.com/heat-pump.html\">(I’m Your) Heat Pump\u003c/a>”—and the unlikely song delivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(I’m Your) Heat Pump” is full of delightful double entendres, with the heat pump playing the role of both lover and steady, dependable appliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you want it hot, I’m hot for you, when you want it cool, I’m cool witchu, babe,” croons singer Will Hammond Jr., in a line that will surely earworm its way into your head. “Cause I can do it all for you, baby, all you got to do is turn me on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with being surprisingly catchy, the song educates listeners about the heat pump: how it fights climate change, how heat pumps work, and why you might consider the heating and cooling device.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can listen to the song here:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1746273273&color=0053a4&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_teaser=false\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#song\">Why write a song about heat pumps?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#heatpump\">What’s a heat pump?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#climatesolution\">Why do heat pumps matter as a climate solution?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#cost\">How much do heat pumps cost?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#info\">What else should I know about heat pumps?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"song\">\u003c/a>Why write a song about heat pumps?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“People can mistakenly think that maybe [heat pumps] are a little boring. Maybe they’re a little humdrum,” said Mike Roberts, a part-time musician and part-time music teacher. But, he said, they aren’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want people to know that heat pumps are actually very exciting,” Roberts said. They are “such a great way for us as individuals to make a difference with the climate and to improve our lives at the same time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roberts converted his furnace, water heater, stove and clothes dryer — the most common gas-powered appliances — to electric appliances a few years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s been such a fan of home electrification since then that he volunteers with the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://switchison.org/\">The Switch Is On\u003c/a>, which facilitates home electrification. He had joked before that he’d like to write music about electrification. And then he did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first lyrics he wrote were, “I’m your heat pump,” Roberts said. “And I just started laughing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roberts recruited his bandmate and music publisher, Will Hammond Jr., to sing the ballad with his deep and resonant voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991928\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991928 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bandmates Will Hammond Jr. (left) and Mike Roberts at Roberts’s home in Berkeley on Mar. 13, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I had the ghost of Barry White sort of talking to me like, ‘Come on, man, you can do this,’” Hammond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both musicians wanted the song to be more than funny; they wanted it to actually tell people about heat pumps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like edutainment,” Hammond said. “We’re educating people, but we’re also entertaining them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think there’s a lot of appetite in the climate space right now for a little bit of fun,” Roberts said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"heatpump\">\u003c/a>What’s a heat pump?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A heat pump can warm or cool a home, serving the same role as a furnace and air conditioner all rolled into one. The difference is that most furnaces use gas, while a heat pump uses electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat pumps can also warm and cool water, like a water heater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the technology sounds strange, you may be surprised to know that you likely already have a type of heat pump in your home. This is how your refrigerator works.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"climatesolution\">\u003c/a>Why do heat pumps matter as a climate solution?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The largest source of emissions in your home comes from heating and cooling your indoor air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat pumps are \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-heat-pumps/how-a-heat-pump-works\">three to five times more efficient than gas furnaces\u003c/a> and can \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421522000386\">cut a home’s carbon pollution by 40%–50%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=science_1981511 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS60056_023_KQED_HomeElectrificationOakland_11072022-qut-1020x680.jpg']California’s grid is constantly getting greener as more zero-carbon and clean energy sources come online. And the state has\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/07/22/governor-newsom-calls-for-bold-actions-to-move-faster-toward-climate-goals/\"> the goal of installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030\u003c/a> — which would save millions of pounds of CO2.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"cost\">\u003c/a>How much do heat pumps cost?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Heat pumps tend to be more expensive than gas furnaces but less expensive than the price of a gas furnace and an air conditioning unit combined (and heat pumps do both things).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether a new build or an upgrade to an existing home, \u003ca href=\"https://apppack-app-tech-reporting-prod-privates3bucket-z0onruvirqb2.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Heat_Pump_HVAC_Retrofit_Cost_Drivers_v4W3bW0_kiFU8k4.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIASLLU4AX2FB6R7KFU&Signature=yGZT7rLoaJ7%2BRNLitrtUIa35LWM%3D&x-amz-security-token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjENT%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIDuu23RY5qtWEH25BKaYSOEaWzz1KxBLDbTY3oVyraq4AiEAxwp7Dhf0PmNINjscaVg6F8RAJp6K8C%2FqKYFi9%2F3uJ8QqvgQI3f%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARAGGgwxNjE4NDMyNTA2NzYiDFqtIb9jZcB%2FpgTqSCqSBMbA6qw4M1r8zkkA14FsfYZ9uuZY%2F95sBuPy3eEUZ8Rzp6PN1ZRLeuZu2pQsJuTjh8D1Gl5x2IYSiFgLTab4%2FiAzkOGbaifO3WXCmZB6DEHpJFyj%2BGcvoLrzDGKRk%2BRi312XMpGr0Oa8Lc6BvQXhwUlkXlzNyZbncs9KkGs%2FfyCAZbxC5xQ6BjHmZEH7H%2FlCPFGCyTCvaOGkgkiIWjrn1Xn0zZ4xJVVhZv7q%2BqxkHu9mIPo731fF5BoLVlDGwqs%2FkjS%2BlU0nyI1tsujjM3rJLlSDYamJYZ033H8eyatr0Viuyz5qZzNKfEARMcmRyDLduwyHvtORObJ3W9zJjDV3FObT3F6pVdMxcJBCykTHq1SY9GUfr7y1djCZnD%2B92cGh6WgZudJvF4mZwO6PtrWX5QeHFh9vADLaYYFtzu%2FAEzylrlYOdnd%2BRnBWhxCuRZWOkmn8A%2Fqw3d6jKu2pyMIg8GAU8srPNXslMJZWVfpYFr%2BL9sdRBYmNfy%2BxKDHchlzVGOC4GXBWp6ZorlkiJU8cCYruNjlL3uzOxxbgTdTrIfkor1rdw9Jv%2FnfohdQAMccOLcOmHdq6oTHLS74kP0vBn91kPYttUP8aSAA3skL3KURQh2LFEObVgZXHGCY4Hm6%2BfBtR5cKS1LJHmZ4ngl3VWMjXNrTkFzfrt0q4pVEswMlTw6lsHNmwNo0ahEuDTYV2VXyAMNus4q8GOqYBu6bjwn5L3uFxMMCVQWEjSXUCyqWG089lLC97XuE487rinw9Y%2B0CYSn9RbV4MdY6na2VLd1CjrLR%2BVFQsVn%2BvwU9NmxOTtwEyjhC5e8oG3nUUEDtMx29jA8prRXyNiZ28GmX4AbuOnOdHgNRl77FF%2BEJieTIUlgxHc4tfQa14Ai11xO%2FQCxKD5hNh95pNoCB8X9UdtJtk3o%2Fsty3BB7V21EhyInpLcw%3D%3D&Expires=1711408848\">the average installation project costs roughly $13,000 to $23,000 in California (PDF)\u003c/a>. This, of course, varies widely based on home size, the type of heat pump you purchase, and whether you need to upgrade any other aspects of your electrical system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are state and federal programs to help defray the cost. You can search for incentives through \u003ca href=\"https://incentives.switchison.org/residents/incentives?state=CA\">The Switch Is On\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://homes.rewiringamerica.org/calculator\">Rewiring America\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The federal Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, also includes a $2,000 tax credit for heat pumps and an additional $11,500 in rebates for low- and moderate-income households.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"info\">\u003c/a>What else should I know about heat pumps?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say exactly how a heat pump will affect your monthly bills. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2024/benefits-of-heat-pumps-detailed-in-new-nrel-report.html\">The majority of Americans see a drop in their energy bills by using a heat pump\u003c/a>, but in many cases, the high upfront costs of the appliance cancel out savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some heat pump critics say the appliance isn’t up to the task of warming a home when it’s sub-zero outside. A heat pump gets less efficient in extreme cold, but many models still operate well, even \u003ca href=\"https://www.mncee.org/cold-climate-air-source-heat-pump-final-report\">as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>–\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roberts and Hammond don’t think their song will start a revolution, but they hope you’ll think of that humdrum, dependable appliance a little differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not that I think this song alone is going to make people run out and replace their gas furnace with a heat pump,” Roberts said. “But I’m hoping this is just going to create a good feeling. ‘Heat pumps are very cool. I don’t know why I think they’re so cool or sexy, but I’ll look into it.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You know what’s hot but also cool? R&B music. You know what else is? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1981511/how-the-unassuming-heat-pump-can-stave-off-warming\">Heat pumps\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A pair of Berkeley musicians set out to prove it by combining the two in a sultry, catchy slow jam called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.hotmike.com/heat-pump.html\">(I’m Your) Heat Pump\u003c/a>”—and the unlikely song delivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(I’m Your) Heat Pump” is full of delightful double entendres, with the heat pump playing the role of both lover and steady, dependable appliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you want it hot, I’m hot for you, when you want it cool, I’m cool witchu, babe,” croons singer Will Hammond Jr., in a line that will surely earworm its way into your head. “Cause I can do it all for you, baby, all you got to do is turn me on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with being surprisingly catchy, the song educates listeners about the heat pump: how it fights climate change, how heat pumps work, and why you might consider the heating and cooling device.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can listen to the song here:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1746273273&color=0053a4&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_teaser=false\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#song\">Why write a song about heat pumps?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#heatpump\">What’s a heat pump?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#climatesolution\">Why do heat pumps matter as a climate solution?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#cost\">How much do heat pumps cost?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#info\">What else should I know about heat pumps?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"song\">\u003c/a>Why write a song about heat pumps?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“People can mistakenly think that maybe [heat pumps] are a little boring. Maybe they’re a little humdrum,” said Mike Roberts, a part-time musician and part-time music teacher. But, he said, they aren’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want people to know that heat pumps are actually very exciting,” Roberts said. They are “such a great way for us as individuals to make a difference with the climate and to improve our lives at the same time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roberts converted his furnace, water heater, stove and clothes dryer — the most common gas-powered appliances — to electric appliances a few years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s been such a fan of home electrification since then that he volunteers with the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://switchison.org/\">The Switch Is On\u003c/a>, which facilitates home electrification. He had joked before that he’d like to write music about electrification. And then he did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first lyrics he wrote were, “I’m your heat pump,” Roberts said. “And I just started laughing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roberts recruited his bandmate and music publisher, Will Hammond Jr., to sing the ballad with his deep and resonant voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991928\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991928 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240313-HEATPUMPSONG-KSM-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bandmates Will Hammond Jr. (left) and Mike Roberts at Roberts’s home in Berkeley on Mar. 13, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I had the ghost of Barry White sort of talking to me like, ‘Come on, man, you can do this,’” Hammond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both musicians wanted the song to be more than funny; they wanted it to actually tell people about heat pumps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like edutainment,” Hammond said. “We’re educating people, but we’re also entertaining them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think there’s a lot of appetite in the climate space right now for a little bit of fun,” Roberts said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"heatpump\">\u003c/a>What’s a heat pump?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A heat pump can warm or cool a home, serving the same role as a furnace and air conditioner all rolled into one. The difference is that most furnaces use gas, while a heat pump uses electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat pumps can also warm and cool water, like a water heater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the technology sounds strange, you may be surprised to know that you likely already have a type of heat pump in your home. This is how your refrigerator works.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"climatesolution\">\u003c/a>Why do heat pumps matter as a climate solution?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The largest source of emissions in your home comes from heating and cooling your indoor air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat pumps are \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-heat-pumps/how-a-heat-pump-works\">three to five times more efficient than gas furnaces\u003c/a> and can \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421522000386\">cut a home’s carbon pollution by 40%–50%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>California’s grid is constantly getting greener as more zero-carbon and clean energy sources come online. And the state has\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/07/22/governor-newsom-calls-for-bold-actions-to-move-faster-toward-climate-goals/\"> the goal of installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030\u003c/a> — which would save millions of pounds of CO2.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"cost\">\u003c/a>How much do heat pumps cost?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Heat pumps tend to be more expensive than gas furnaces but less expensive than the price of a gas furnace and an air conditioning unit combined (and heat pumps do both things).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether a new build or an upgrade to an existing home, \u003ca href=\"https://apppack-app-tech-reporting-prod-privates3bucket-z0onruvirqb2.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Heat_Pump_HVAC_Retrofit_Cost_Drivers_v4W3bW0_kiFU8k4.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIASLLU4AX2FB6R7KFU&Signature=yGZT7rLoaJ7%2BRNLitrtUIa35LWM%3D&x-amz-security-token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjENT%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIDuu23RY5qtWEH25BKaYSOEaWzz1KxBLDbTY3oVyraq4AiEAxwp7Dhf0PmNINjscaVg6F8RAJp6K8C%2FqKYFi9%2F3uJ8QqvgQI3f%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARAGGgwxNjE4NDMyNTA2NzYiDFqtIb9jZcB%2FpgTqSCqSBMbA6qw4M1r8zkkA14FsfYZ9uuZY%2F95sBuPy3eEUZ8Rzp6PN1ZRLeuZu2pQsJuTjh8D1Gl5x2IYSiFgLTab4%2FiAzkOGbaifO3WXCmZB6DEHpJFyj%2BGcvoLrzDGKRk%2BRi312XMpGr0Oa8Lc6BvQXhwUlkXlzNyZbncs9KkGs%2FfyCAZbxC5xQ6BjHmZEH7H%2FlCPFGCyTCvaOGkgkiIWjrn1Xn0zZ4xJVVhZv7q%2BqxkHu9mIPo731fF5BoLVlDGwqs%2FkjS%2BlU0nyI1tsujjM3rJLlSDYamJYZ033H8eyatr0Viuyz5qZzNKfEARMcmRyDLduwyHvtORObJ3W9zJjDV3FObT3F6pVdMxcJBCykTHq1SY9GUfr7y1djCZnD%2B92cGh6WgZudJvF4mZwO6PtrWX5QeHFh9vADLaYYFtzu%2FAEzylrlYOdnd%2BRnBWhxCuRZWOkmn8A%2Fqw3d6jKu2pyMIg8GAU8srPNXslMJZWVfpYFr%2BL9sdRBYmNfy%2BxKDHchlzVGOC4GXBWp6ZorlkiJU8cCYruNjlL3uzOxxbgTdTrIfkor1rdw9Jv%2FnfohdQAMccOLcOmHdq6oTHLS74kP0vBn91kPYttUP8aSAA3skL3KURQh2LFEObVgZXHGCY4Hm6%2BfBtR5cKS1LJHmZ4ngl3VWMjXNrTkFzfrt0q4pVEswMlTw6lsHNmwNo0ahEuDTYV2VXyAMNus4q8GOqYBu6bjwn5L3uFxMMCVQWEjSXUCyqWG089lLC97XuE487rinw9Y%2B0CYSn9RbV4MdY6na2VLd1CjrLR%2BVFQsVn%2BvwU9NmxOTtwEyjhC5e8oG3nUUEDtMx29jA8prRXyNiZ28GmX4AbuOnOdHgNRl77FF%2BEJieTIUlgxHc4tfQa14Ai11xO%2FQCxKD5hNh95pNoCB8X9UdtJtk3o%2Fsty3BB7V21EhyInpLcw%3D%3D&Expires=1711408848\">the average installation project costs roughly $13,000 to $23,000 in California (PDF)\u003c/a>. This, of course, varies widely based on home size, the type of heat pump you purchase, and whether you need to upgrade any other aspects of your electrical system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are state and federal programs to help defray the cost. You can search for incentives through \u003ca href=\"https://incentives.switchison.org/residents/incentives?state=CA\">The Switch Is On\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://homes.rewiringamerica.org/calculator\">Rewiring America\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The federal Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, also includes a $2,000 tax credit for heat pumps and an additional $11,500 in rebates for low- and moderate-income households.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"info\">\u003c/a>What else should I know about heat pumps?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say exactly how a heat pump will affect your monthly bills. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2024/benefits-of-heat-pumps-detailed-in-new-nrel-report.html\">The majority of Americans see a drop in their energy bills by using a heat pump\u003c/a>, but in many cases, the high upfront costs of the appliance cancel out savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some heat pump critics say the appliance isn’t up to the task of warming a home when it’s sub-zero outside. A heat pump gets less efficient in extreme cold, but many models still operate well, even \u003ca href=\"https://www.mncee.org/cold-climate-air-source-heat-pump-final-report\">as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>–\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roberts and Hammond don’t think their song will start a revolution, but they hope you’ll think of that humdrum, dependable appliance a little differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not that I think this song alone is going to make people run out and replace their gas furnace with a heat pump,” Roberts said. “But I’m hoping this is just going to create a good feeling. ‘Heat pumps are very cool. I don’t know why I think they’re so cool or sexy, but I’ll look into it.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "California's 'Normal' Winter and High Snowpack Could Curb Wildfire Risk, Prevent Drought",
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"content": "\u003cp>The California snowpack is glistening white at more than 100% of the average for this time of year — and meteorologists forecast a storm this weekend could deepen it even more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The snowpack could grow by as much as 2 feet at the highest elevations as a typical winter-like storm passes over the Sierra Nevada as soon as Friday and lasts through Sunday, said National Weather Service Sacramento meteorologist Dakari Anderson.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist, UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab\"]‘If these storms pan out, we could go from 100% of our April 1 average to potentially above that. We’re in a good spot.”[/pullquote]Water managers consider California’s snowpack as a frozen reservoir that plays a significant role in providing water to farms and cities as it slowly melts into reservoirs, rivers and streams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The storm won’t be like anything we saw in the last few storms,” Anderson said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11977803/storm-barrels-down-on-sierra-as-blizzard-conditions-close-tahoe-resorts\">of weather patterns that piled as much as 12 feet of snow in parts of the Sierra\u003c/a>. “Overall, we are looking at above-normal amounts of snow across the Sierra because of what happened in February.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, California’s snowpack is \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action\">100% of the average for this time of year and 104% of the average of the April 1 snowpack\u003c/a>, which is the timeframe water managers look to as an indicator of potential water supply for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If these storms pan out, we could go from 100% of our April 1 average to potentially above that,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. “We’re in a good spot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/1769708214788981173\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without the coming storm, California is on track to have an average snow year, which is a big deal because residents are used to bouncing back and forth between extremes: droughts, when Californians conserve water, and extremely wet years when the flood risk is highest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s infrequent that we actually get somewhat of a normal winter, and so far, it’s shaped up to be just that,” he said. “It’s that thing that we really want to aspire to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Significant snow years can increase flood risk as it melts into rivers and streams, but Schwartz and state officials said it is hard to tell if flooding will happen this year because of the snowpack melting. What could cause flooding is if spring heatwaves melt snow rapidly.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"David Rizzardo, manager, California Department of Water Resources hydrology section\"]‘The question now is how the snowpack translates into snowmelt and how much runoff reaches our reservoirs during the spring and summer.’[/pullquote]“The question now is how the snowpack translates into snowmelt and how much runoff reaches our reservoirs during the spring and summer,” said David Rizzardo, California Department of Water Resources hydrology section manager. “It is still possible that snowmelt runoff will be below average if we don’t see much added to the snowpack this month.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of a heatwave, Alan Rhoades, a Lawrence Berkeley National Lab atmospheric scientist, is aware that the\u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/ocean-temperature-hit-record-high-february-2024-eu-scientists-say-2024-03-07/#:~:text=Ocean%20temperature%20hit%20record%20high%20in%20February%202024%2C%20EU%20scientists%20say,-By%20Gloria%20Dickie&text=LONDON%2C%20March%207%20(Reuters),(C3S)%20said%20on%20Thursday.\"> world’s oceans have experienced a year of unprecedented heat\u003c/a>. He said temperatures are way outside the normal range globally, which could impact the snowpack locally. The ocean temperature can significantly alter how much or how little rain or snow falls over the Sierra and how warm or cold the region is.[aside label='More on Climate Change' tag='climate-change']“With our snowpack, things like heat waves are something to keep in mind; they could lead to a potential ripening of the snow and an abrupt melt,” he said. “As we’re moving into a climate-changed world, we’re starting to see these heat waves start to occur more frequently in late spring and early summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The positive news is that now that the state has had two wet winters, \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain\">its reservoir storage is above average\u003c/a>, meaning the threat of drought is virtually zero heading into the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a similar story for wildfire risk with two back-to-back wet years. UC Berkeley’s Schwartz doesn’t expect much fire danger at higher elevations because the forest is covered in thick snow, preventing brush and grasses from growing fast. The concern, he said, is primarily at lower elevations where rain has been more predominant in recent storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s always a concern during an above-average year down at the lower elevations, where grasses and shrubs experience a burst of growth as the temperatures warm up and then die off in the summer heat,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Water managers consider California’s snowpack as a frozen reservoir that plays a significant role in providing water to farms and cities as it slowly melts into reservoirs, rivers and streams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The storm won’t be like anything we saw in the last few storms,” Anderson said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11977803/storm-barrels-down-on-sierra-as-blizzard-conditions-close-tahoe-resorts\">of weather patterns that piled as much as 12 feet of snow in parts of the Sierra\u003c/a>. “Overall, we are looking at above-normal amounts of snow across the Sierra because of what happened in February.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, California’s snowpack is \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action\">100% of the average for this time of year and 104% of the average of the April 1 snowpack\u003c/a>, which is the timeframe water managers look to as an indicator of potential water supply for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If these storms pan out, we could go from 100% of our April 1 average to potentially above that,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. “We’re in a good spot.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Even without the coming storm, California is on track to have an average snow year, which is a big deal because residents are used to bouncing back and forth between extremes: droughts, when Californians conserve water, and extremely wet years when the flood risk is highest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s infrequent that we actually get somewhat of a normal winter, and so far, it’s shaped up to be just that,” he said. “It’s that thing that we really want to aspire to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Significant snow years can increase flood risk as it melts into rivers and streams, but Schwartz and state officials said it is hard to tell if flooding will happen this year because of the snowpack melting. What could cause flooding is if spring heatwaves melt snow rapidly.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘The question now is how the snowpack translates into snowmelt and how much runoff reaches our reservoirs during the spring and summer.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The question now is how the snowpack translates into snowmelt and how much runoff reaches our reservoirs during the spring and summer,” said David Rizzardo, California Department of Water Resources hydrology section manager. “It is still possible that snowmelt runoff will be below average if we don’t see much added to the snowpack this month.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of a heatwave, Alan Rhoades, a Lawrence Berkeley National Lab atmospheric scientist, is aware that the\u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/ocean-temperature-hit-record-high-february-2024-eu-scientists-say-2024-03-07/#:~:text=Ocean%20temperature%20hit%20record%20high%20in%20February%202024%2C%20EU%20scientists%20say,-By%20Gloria%20Dickie&text=LONDON%2C%20March%207%20(Reuters),(C3S)%20said%20on%20Thursday.\"> world’s oceans have experienced a year of unprecedented heat\u003c/a>. He said temperatures are way outside the normal range globally, which could impact the snowpack locally. The ocean temperature can significantly alter how much or how little rain or snow falls over the Sierra and how warm or cold the region is.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“With our snowpack, things like heat waves are something to keep in mind; they could lead to a potential ripening of the snow and an abrupt melt,” he said. “As we’re moving into a climate-changed world, we’re starting to see these heat waves start to occur more frequently in late spring and early summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The positive news is that now that the state has had two wet winters, \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain\">its reservoir storage is above average\u003c/a>, meaning the threat of drought is virtually zero heading into the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a similar story for wildfire risk with two back-to-back wet years. UC Berkeley’s Schwartz doesn’t expect much fire danger at higher elevations because the forest is covered in thick snow, preventing brush and grasses from growing fast. The concern, he said, is primarily at lower elevations where rain has been more predominant in recent storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s always a concern during an above-average year down at the lower elevations, where grasses and shrubs experience a burst of growth as the temperatures warm up and then die off in the summer heat,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Can California's Climate Bond Weather the Storm of State Deficits?",
"headTitle": "Can California’s Climate Bond Weather the Storm of State Deficits? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>California lawmakers are negotiating the details of two major bills that would put what they intended to be a more than $15 billion climate bond in front of voters in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, as the state’s deficit has ballooned, lawmakers say its bonding capacity is shrinking simultaneously. Voters have only tepidly approved a mental health bond in the form of Proposition 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Put all this together and it all but guarantees the efficacy of a climate bond will shrink as the Legislature negotiates the details over the coming months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A group of 150 nature and environmental justice-oriented groups is pressing Gov. Gavin Newsom to consider a climate bond of at least $10 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo)\"]‘With limited bonding capacity, we must now carefully prioritize the types of investments to include within any such bond to ensure that Californians can weather the storm of climate change.’[/pullquote]But key legislators like Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo), a co-author of AB 1567, acknowledged in interviews with KQED that it might be much smaller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With limited bonding capacity, we must now carefully prioritize the types of investments to include within any such bond to ensure that Californians can weather the storm of climate change,” Papan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two climate-related bond bills would fund similar projects and solutions, from infusing cash into equity-oriented programs to adding funds to clean energy projects to addressing wildfire risk, drought, flooding, sea-level rise and extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislative Analyst’s office projects \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4850?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email\">California’s deficit is in the ballpark of $73 billion, \u003c/a>and the state’s overall economy has limited its capacity to take out bonds. As a result, lawmakers told KQED California might have to limit its bonds in November to $16 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s cash flow problems and limited borrowing potential present a funding puzzle for lawmakers who want not just to put climate bonds on the ballot. Other lawmakers are vying for the same funds to pay for investing in offshore \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2208\">wind\u003c/a> infrastructure, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1657\">housing\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB28\">education\u003c/a> bonds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers are negotiating behind closed doors, alongside the governor’s office, and could potentially combine the two bills into one climate bond. They maintain that climate spending remains a key priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The data is clear: The impacts caused by climate change continue to worsen every year,” said state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) in an email. He is the lead author of \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB867\">SB 867\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, lawmakers have yet to agree on how big the bond act could be. They could wait for Newsom to outline his spending priorities in the May revision of the state’s budget. The Legislature has a deadline of June 27 to put a bond on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979095/proposition-1-opponents-concede-mental-health-ballot-measure-is-likely-to-pass\">The likely narrow passage of Proposition 1\u003c/a> — which would issue $6.38 billion in bonds to build supportive housing and residential treatment facilities — is a two-sided indicator of how a climate bond could go this fall, Papan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could mean that Californians are willing to take on additional bonds, but it could also shrink the state’s funding capacity for new bonds even further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom asked lawmakers last year to develop a “climate resilience bond to increase and sustain investments in our climate initiatives.” However, the governor’s office said it would not comment on the current legislation that is pending.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A considerably smaller climate bond\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), the lead author on AB 1567, said he is working with at least 25 lawmakers to back the idea of a climate bond over the next two months. He said the final bill would “look different” and that his team is working on two alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A reduction in the bond would allow us to stay the course and make significant investments in some of these programs that we see are working with emission reductions and cleaning up pollution,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), co-author of SB 867, said a final bond would be “considerably” smaller and should focus on urgent priorities. Sea-level rise is one of the most prominent issues in his district, which runs from Daly City to Mountain View. San Mateo County, through its Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District, is actively preparing for this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve identified \u003ca href=\"https://oneshoreline.org/projects/\">billions of dollars of projects\u003c/a> that need to happen,” he said of designs for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985919/san-mateo-county-proposes-off-shore-doors-to-combat-sea-level-rise\">Venice-like wall within the bay in Burlingame\u003c/a> to protect a business corridor from sea-level rise and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1973805/climate-solutions-in-east-palo-alto\">new levees in places like East Palo Alto\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not all of them could be funded through this bond, but this bond could be a start,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Josh Quigley, policy manager, Save the Bay\"]‘It’s key that there is funding in the climate bond for coastal resilience. Our infrastructure is likely to be overwhelmed in the coming years and is going to need upgrades.’[/pullquote]Josh Quigley, policy manager with the environmental nonprofit Save the Bay, said his group is working on sea-level rise and restoration projects up and down the Bay Area, like restoring 100,000 acres of tidal marsh across the region, that are waiting for funding to continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s key that there is funding in the climate bond for coastal resilience,” he said. “Our infrastructure is likely to be overwhelmed in the coming years and is going to need upgrades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even with competing bonds and the state deficits, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), co-author of AB 1567, said a $10 billion bond is possible. He said Californians will vote to support a climate bond because they “are living the consequences right now in our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my district, we face the threats of that wildfire and significant flooding; virtually no corner of the state is now immune from the impacts of climate change,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A bond for environmental justice\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Environmental groups want the state to focus on programs and funding directly benefiting human health and the environment. They also want at least 40% of the total investments to go toward disadvantaged communities in urban and rural areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11969301,news_11972196,news_11970742\"]Assemblymember Garcia said he is working to incorporate the coalition’s requests, but he does not think that the amount they’ve asked for is realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think where folks will be disappointed is that it won’t reflect $10 billion, but nonetheless, will see a significant investment to the policy and the programs that have been outlined [by] our friends in the environmental justice community,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elle Chen, senior policy and campaign manager for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, said the group is bracing for a lot less spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that number might have to come down, but I think it is a negotiating point,” Chen said. “If that becomes a reality, we will have to go back to the drawing board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sona Mohnot, director of climate resilience at the Greenlining Institute, said climate programs focused on supporting communities of color are often the first on the chopping block. For example, Newsom previously zeroed out funding for the Transformative Climate Communities program and did not allocate any funding to it in this year’s proposed budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Abraham Mendoza, policy manager, Community Water Center\"]‘It’s really important to make sure the communities who are already feeling the brunt of climate change and the impacts of the changing environment are still being prioritized and getting the resources they need.’[/pullquote]That program is for community-led neighborhood projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide the community with health, environmental, and economic benefits. Mohnot said a dozen communities already have planning grants but need funding to make their “transformative climate visions a reality.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we’re trying to create a more resilient, more equitable California, then we have to invest in our communities that need those resources the most, especially in budget deficit years,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Abraham Mendoza, policy manager with the Community Water Center, said he would like a climate bond to include funds for safe drinking water and flood protection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really important to make sure the communities who are already feeling the brunt of climate change and the impacts of the changing environment are still being prioritized and getting the resources they need,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>‘This is going to be a continuous challenge’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies has its own priorities, and has requested $8 billion from a climate bond to pay \u003ca href=\"https://www.acwa.com/resources/acwas-infrastructure-bond-priorities/\">for a slew of water projects, including storage, flood protection, water recycling, dam safety, sustainable groundwater and water conservation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This funding is needed because California is experiencing weather whiplash because of climate change,” said Cindy Tuck, the group’s deputy executive director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California director, Environmental Defense Fund\"]‘This is going to be a continuous challenge for us to act at the scale that scientists say is required to turn the tide on climate change. Lawmakers need to understand that climate change is not waiting for us to decide when it is convenient to take action.’[/pullquote]Organizations like Save the Redwoods League, run by Sam Hodder, would like to see the climate bond heavily focus on land conservation because “our most important ally in building climate resilience in California is going to grow from our nature-based solutions,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though a climate bond would help fill the gap in the budget deficit in the short term, it won’t fulfill the long-term investment needed to adapt to the changing climate, said Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California director of the Environmental Defense Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to be a continuous challenge for us to act at the scale that scientists say is required to turn the tide on climate change,” she said. “Lawmakers need to understand that climate change is not waiting for us to decide when it is convenient to take action.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Creasman, chief executive officer at California Environmental Voters, said many Californians would vote for a climate bond, especially if it’s the only option for continuing projects that would directly protect their lives and homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are issues that poll high across demographics and party lines,” she said. “Folks care about clean air and water. They care about clean energy, and they care about being protected against these disasters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California lawmakers are negotiating the details of two major bills that would put what they intended to be a more than $15 billion climate bond in front of voters in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, as the state’s deficit has ballooned, lawmakers say its bonding capacity is shrinking simultaneously. Voters have only tepidly approved a mental health bond in the form of Proposition 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Put all this together and it all but guarantees the efficacy of a climate bond will shrink as the Legislature negotiates the details over the coming months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A group of 150 nature and environmental justice-oriented groups is pressing Gov. Gavin Newsom to consider a climate bond of at least $10 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But key legislators like Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo), a co-author of AB 1567, acknowledged in interviews with KQED that it might be much smaller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With limited bonding capacity, we must now carefully prioritize the types of investments to include within any such bond to ensure that Californians can weather the storm of climate change,” Papan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two climate-related bond bills would fund similar projects and solutions, from infusing cash into equity-oriented programs to adding funds to clean energy projects to addressing wildfire risk, drought, flooding, sea-level rise and extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislative Analyst’s office projects \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4850?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email\">California’s deficit is in the ballpark of $73 billion, \u003c/a>and the state’s overall economy has limited its capacity to take out bonds. As a result, lawmakers told KQED California might have to limit its bonds in November to $16 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s cash flow problems and limited borrowing potential present a funding puzzle for lawmakers who want not just to put climate bonds on the ballot. Other lawmakers are vying for the same funds to pay for investing in offshore \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2208\">wind\u003c/a> infrastructure, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1657\">housing\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB28\">education\u003c/a> bonds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers are negotiating behind closed doors, alongside the governor’s office, and could potentially combine the two bills into one climate bond. They maintain that climate spending remains a key priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The data is clear: The impacts caused by climate change continue to worsen every year,” said state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) in an email. He is the lead author of \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB867\">SB 867\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, lawmakers have yet to agree on how big the bond act could be. They could wait for Newsom to outline his spending priorities in the May revision of the state’s budget. The Legislature has a deadline of June 27 to put a bond on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979095/proposition-1-opponents-concede-mental-health-ballot-measure-is-likely-to-pass\">The likely narrow passage of Proposition 1\u003c/a> — which would issue $6.38 billion in bonds to build supportive housing and residential treatment facilities — is a two-sided indicator of how a climate bond could go this fall, Papan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could mean that Californians are willing to take on additional bonds, but it could also shrink the state’s funding capacity for new bonds even further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom asked lawmakers last year to develop a “climate resilience bond to increase and sustain investments in our climate initiatives.” However, the governor’s office said it would not comment on the current legislation that is pending.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A considerably smaller climate bond\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), the lead author on AB 1567, said he is working with at least 25 lawmakers to back the idea of a climate bond over the next two months. He said the final bill would “look different” and that his team is working on two alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A reduction in the bond would allow us to stay the course and make significant investments in some of these programs that we see are working with emission reductions and cleaning up pollution,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), co-author of SB 867, said a final bond would be “considerably” smaller and should focus on urgent priorities. Sea-level rise is one of the most prominent issues in his district, which runs from Daly City to Mountain View. San Mateo County, through its Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District, is actively preparing for this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve identified \u003ca href=\"https://oneshoreline.org/projects/\">billions of dollars of projects\u003c/a> that need to happen,” he said of designs for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985919/san-mateo-county-proposes-off-shore-doors-to-combat-sea-level-rise\">Venice-like wall within the bay in Burlingame\u003c/a> to protect a business corridor from sea-level rise and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1973805/climate-solutions-in-east-palo-alto\">new levees in places like East Palo Alto\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not all of them could be funded through this bond, but this bond could be a start,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Josh Quigley, policy manager with the environmental nonprofit Save the Bay, said his group is working on sea-level rise and restoration projects up and down the Bay Area, like restoring 100,000 acres of tidal marsh across the region, that are waiting for funding to continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s key that there is funding in the climate bond for coastal resilience,” he said. “Our infrastructure is likely to be overwhelmed in the coming years and is going to need upgrades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even with competing bonds and the state deficits, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), co-author of AB 1567, said a $10 billion bond is possible. He said Californians will vote to support a climate bond because they “are living the consequences right now in our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my district, we face the threats of that wildfire and significant flooding; virtually no corner of the state is now immune from the impacts of climate change,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A bond for environmental justice\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Environmental groups want the state to focus on programs and funding directly benefiting human health and the environment. They also want at least 40% of the total investments to go toward disadvantaged communities in urban and rural areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Assemblymember Garcia said he is working to incorporate the coalition’s requests, but he does not think that the amount they’ve asked for is realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think where folks will be disappointed is that it won’t reflect $10 billion, but nonetheless, will see a significant investment to the policy and the programs that have been outlined [by] our friends in the environmental justice community,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elle Chen, senior policy and campaign manager for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, said the group is bracing for a lot less spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that number might have to come down, but I think it is a negotiating point,” Chen said. “If that becomes a reality, we will have to go back to the drawing board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sona Mohnot, director of climate resilience at the Greenlining Institute, said climate programs focused on supporting communities of color are often the first on the chopping block. For example, Newsom previously zeroed out funding for the Transformative Climate Communities program and did not allocate any funding to it in this year’s proposed budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘It’s really important to make sure the communities who are already feeling the brunt of climate change and the impacts of the changing environment are still being prioritized and getting the resources they need.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That program is for community-led neighborhood projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide the community with health, environmental, and economic benefits. Mohnot said a dozen communities already have planning grants but need funding to make their “transformative climate visions a reality.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we’re trying to create a more resilient, more equitable California, then we have to invest in our communities that need those resources the most, especially in budget deficit years,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Abraham Mendoza, policy manager with the Community Water Center, said he would like a climate bond to include funds for safe drinking water and flood protection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really important to make sure the communities who are already feeling the brunt of climate change and the impacts of the changing environment are still being prioritized and getting the resources they need,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>‘This is going to be a continuous challenge’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies has its own priorities, and has requested $8 billion from a climate bond to pay \u003ca href=\"https://www.acwa.com/resources/acwas-infrastructure-bond-priorities/\">for a slew of water projects, including storage, flood protection, water recycling, dam safety, sustainable groundwater and water conservation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This funding is needed because California is experiencing weather whiplash because of climate change,” said Cindy Tuck, the group’s deputy executive director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘This is going to be a continuous challenge for us to act at the scale that scientists say is required to turn the tide on climate change. Lawmakers need to understand that climate change is not waiting for us to decide when it is convenient to take action.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Organizations like Save the Redwoods League, run by Sam Hodder, would like to see the climate bond heavily focus on land conservation because “our most important ally in building climate resilience in California is going to grow from our nature-based solutions,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though a climate bond would help fill the gap in the budget deficit in the short term, it won’t fulfill the long-term investment needed to adapt to the changing climate, said Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California director of the Environmental Defense Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to be a continuous challenge for us to act at the scale that scientists say is required to turn the tide on climate change,” she said. “Lawmakers need to understand that climate change is not waiting for us to decide when it is convenient to take action.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Creasman, chief executive officer at California Environmental Voters, said many Californians would vote for a climate bond, especially if it’s the only option for continuing projects that would directly protect their lives and homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are issues that poll high across demographics and party lines,” she said. “Folks care about clean air and water. They care about clean energy, and they care about being protected against these disasters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Bay Area Researchers Find Oil and Gas Companies’ Methane Output Surpasses EPA Reports",
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"content": "\u003cp>The oil and gas industry may be emitting about three times the amount of climate-warming methane as government estimates show, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07117-5\">new study in Nature\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Methane is the main component of natural gas, and it is also produced when extracting crude oil. Methane is among the greenhouse gasses heating the planet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/video/whats-deal-methane#:~:text=Due%20to%20its%20structure%2C%20methane,years%20after%20it%20is%20released.\">and it is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study’s researchers used airplanes to gather 986,238 measurements of methane emissions from six domestic oil and gas production areas. The data include about half the country’s onshore oil production and 29% of natural gas production. Then, researchers combined that aerial data with information from sites on the ground, including wells, compressor stations, gas processing plants and pipelines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers, from Stanford University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and other organizations, estimate that an average of 2.95% of gas the industry produces leaks into the air as methane. The authors said that’s nearly three times EPA estimates of 1.01%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific measurements varied from a low of less than 1%, or about what the Environmental Protection Agency estimates, at a site in Pennsylvania to a high of nearly 10% in New Mexico. Researchers found the higher percentages of methane released generally had something in common.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are places where production is mostly focusing on oil,” said Evan Sherwin, a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who conducted the research as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University. But oil and gas often come out of the ground together, and if there wasn’t a way to transport the less-valuable gas to where it could be sold, leaks were higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Pennsylvania, by contrast, drillers are focused on producing natural gas, and very little of the methane is wasted there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That complicates an argument many in the industry have made, generally in opposition to tighter government regulations on methane.\u003ca href=\"https://www.ipaa.org/methane/\"> They say drillers have an incentive to capture gas leaks\u003c/a> so they can sell the fossil fuel. But that’s not always possible if the industry hasn’t built the pipelines and other infrastructure to get the gas to consumers. In this study, researchers estimate the industry releases about 6.2 million tons of methane a year, valued at $1.08 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The findings echo \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2215275120\">other studies\u003c/a> that also conclude the EPA’s estimates are too low. Getting accurate measurements is important because the U.S. is among the countries pledging to cut methane pollution as one of its key climate goals. To achieve that, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/12/02/1216401828/epa-aims-to-slash-the-oil-industrys-climate-warming-methane-pollution\">EPA issued rules\u003c/a> for slashing the industry’s methane emissions in December. Those rules \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-challenges-us-epa-limits-oil-gas-industry-methane-emissions-2024-03-09/\">now face a legal challenge\u003c/a> from Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Methane from human activities is responsible for \u003ca href=\"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/methane-emissions-are-driving-climate-change-heres-how-reduce-them\">about a third of the rise in global temperatures\u003c/a> since the start of the Industrial Revolution. The oil industry is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#methane\">second-largest source of human-caused methane\u003c/a> after agriculture. While \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#methane\">U.S. methane emissions have generally declined in recent decades\u003c/a>, the world is not on track to meet its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While governments and the industry have routinely undercounted methane emissions, that may be changing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last year, more countries joined the \u003ca href=\"https://www.globalmethanepledge.org/news/highlights-2023-global-methane-pledge-ministerial\">U.S. and European Union-led Global Methane Pledge\u003c/a> to cut emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. More than 155 countries have signed the pledge, representing nearly half the world’s human-caused methane emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the ability to measure methane pollution is improving rapidly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s night and day, even compared to five or six years ago,” Sherwin said. In the past, collecting data was done mostly on the ground and was labor intensive. But now, he said, airplanes and satellites are able to gather much more information in a shorter amount of time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/03/05/1235694992/a-new-satellite-will-track-climate-warming-pollution-heres-why-thats-a-big-deal\">Earlier this month,\u003c/a> the Environmental Defense Fund led the launch of \u003ca href=\"https://www.methanesat.org/\">MethaneSAT\u003c/a>, which will circle the Earth 15 times a day, looking for methane from the oil and gas industry. It joins other projects, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-mission-excels-at-spotting-greenhouse-gas-emission-sources\">one from NASA\u003c/a>, that give researchers and the public a better understanding of the extent of the methane pollution problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Emissions of methane from fossil fuel operations remain unacceptably high,” said Tim Gould, chief economist at the International Energy Agency, during a Tuesday call with reporters. The organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2024\">Global Methane Tracker\u003c/a> shows methane from the energy sector was near the record high level in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite that, the IEA concludes that if countries fully implement existing pledges on methane reductions, that would make significant progress toward achieving global climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“2024 could mark a turning point, and policies are starting to be put into place. Greater transparency is coming. Awareness is spreading, and we have enhanced ability to track large leaks and act quickly to shut them down,” Gould said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould said he hopes to have good news to share, about a \u003cem>reduction \u003c/em>in methane emissions, next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Oil+and+gas+companies+emit+more+climate-warming+methane+than+EPA+reports&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The oil and gas industry may be emitting about three times the amount of climate-warming methane as government estimates show, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07117-5\">new study in Nature\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Methane is the main component of natural gas, and it is also produced when extracting crude oil. Methane is among the greenhouse gasses heating the planet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/video/whats-deal-methane#:~:text=Due%20to%20its%20structure%2C%20methane,years%20after%20it%20is%20released.\">and it is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study’s researchers used airplanes to gather 986,238 measurements of methane emissions from six domestic oil and gas production areas. The data include about half the country’s onshore oil production and 29% of natural gas production. Then, researchers combined that aerial data with information from sites on the ground, including wells, compressor stations, gas processing plants and pipelines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers, from Stanford University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and other organizations, estimate that an average of 2.95% of gas the industry produces leaks into the air as methane. The authors said that’s nearly three times EPA estimates of 1.01%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific measurements varied from a low of less than 1%, or about what the Environmental Protection Agency estimates, at a site in Pennsylvania to a high of nearly 10% in New Mexico. Researchers found the higher percentages of methane released generally had something in common.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are places where production is mostly focusing on oil,” said Evan Sherwin, a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who conducted the research as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University. But oil and gas often come out of the ground together, and if there wasn’t a way to transport the less-valuable gas to where it could be sold, leaks were higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Pennsylvania, by contrast, drillers are focused on producing natural gas, and very little of the methane is wasted there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That complicates an argument many in the industry have made, generally in opposition to tighter government regulations on methane.\u003ca href=\"https://www.ipaa.org/methane/\"> They say drillers have an incentive to capture gas leaks\u003c/a> so they can sell the fossil fuel. But that’s not always possible if the industry hasn’t built the pipelines and other infrastructure to get the gas to consumers. In this study, researchers estimate the industry releases about 6.2 million tons of methane a year, valued at $1.08 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The findings echo \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2215275120\">other studies\u003c/a> that also conclude the EPA’s estimates are too low. Getting accurate measurements is important because the U.S. is among the countries pledging to cut methane pollution as one of its key climate goals. To achieve that, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/12/02/1216401828/epa-aims-to-slash-the-oil-industrys-climate-warming-methane-pollution\">EPA issued rules\u003c/a> for slashing the industry’s methane emissions in December. Those rules \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-challenges-us-epa-limits-oil-gas-industry-methane-emissions-2024-03-09/\">now face a legal challenge\u003c/a> from Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Methane from human activities is responsible for \u003ca href=\"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/methane-emissions-are-driving-climate-change-heres-how-reduce-them\">about a third of the rise in global temperatures\u003c/a> since the start of the Industrial Revolution. The oil industry is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#methane\">second-largest source of human-caused methane\u003c/a> after agriculture. While \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#methane\">U.S. methane emissions have generally declined in recent decades\u003c/a>, the world is not on track to meet its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While governments and the industry have routinely undercounted methane emissions, that may be changing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last year, more countries joined the \u003ca href=\"https://www.globalmethanepledge.org/news/highlights-2023-global-methane-pledge-ministerial\">U.S. and European Union-led Global Methane Pledge\u003c/a> to cut emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. More than 155 countries have signed the pledge, representing nearly half the world’s human-caused methane emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the ability to measure methane pollution is improving rapidly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s night and day, even compared to five or six years ago,” Sherwin said. In the past, collecting data was done mostly on the ground and was labor intensive. But now, he said, airplanes and satellites are able to gather much more information in a shorter amount of time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/03/05/1235694992/a-new-satellite-will-track-climate-warming-pollution-heres-why-thats-a-big-deal\">Earlier this month,\u003c/a> the Environmental Defense Fund led the launch of \u003ca href=\"https://www.methanesat.org/\">MethaneSAT\u003c/a>, which will circle the Earth 15 times a day, looking for methane from the oil and gas industry. It joins other projects, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-mission-excels-at-spotting-greenhouse-gas-emission-sources\">one from NASA\u003c/a>, that give researchers and the public a better understanding of the extent of the methane pollution problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Emissions of methane from fossil fuel operations remain unacceptably high,” said Tim Gould, chief economist at the International Energy Agency, during a Tuesday call with reporters. The organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2024\">Global Methane Tracker\u003c/a> shows methane from the energy sector was near the record high level in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite that, the IEA concludes that if countries fully implement existing pledges on methane reductions, that would make significant progress toward achieving global climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“2024 could mark a turning point, and policies are starting to be put into place. Greater transparency is coming. Awareness is spreading, and we have enhanced ability to track large leaks and act quickly to shut them down,” Gould said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould said he hopes to have good news to share, about a \u003cem>reduction \u003c/em>in methane emissions, next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Oil+and+gas+companies+emit+more+climate-warming+methane+than+EPA+reports&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>I’m concerned about how our climate is changing. My son is not growing up on the planet of my childhood. As a science reporter, I’ve covered climate-related issues for over a decade. Yet, there is still so much more for me to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why I’m launching a climate book club with KQED Science and Forum, our flagship morning call-in show. I want a refresher on the basics of climate change, where the most promising solutions lie, and how we can work to make the future better. And I want people to talk with. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Katharine Hayhoe, author, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope\"]‘But we can’t give in to despair. We have to go out and actively look for the hope that we need, that will inspire us to act. And that hope begins with a conversation today.’[/pullquote] Katharine Hayhoe, author of \u003cem>Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope\u003c/em>, said about climate change, “The number one thing we can do is the exact thing that we’re not doing: talk about it.” There are so many smart, well-researched climate books that I know will be interesting and impactful. Yet I haven’t read them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Can you relate?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Find support, accountability and people to talk to in our book club. Will you join us?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Who is behind it?\u003c/strong> Danielle Venton, science reporter, and Francesca Fenzi, Forum digital community producer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991816\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991816\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francesca Fenzi and Danielle Venton\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is it?\u003c/strong> We’ll read a climate book every few months throughout 2024. You can join an online discussion group via \u003ca href=\"https://discord.gg/kqedforum\">Forum’s community on Discord\u003c/a>. (If you are new to the social media platform, read step-by-step instructions at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/forum\">kqed.org/forum\u003c/a>.) Then join us for a live discussion, sometimes with the book author or with journalists and climate experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Where and when is it?\u003c/strong> We’ll post discussion topics on Discord for our first book starting March 18, with new topics every week. On May 8, we’ll have our first live conversation about the book with KQED climate reporter Laura Klivans. (More details about that will be posted at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/live\">KQED.org/live\u003c/a> in the coming weeks.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Which book? \u003c/strong>We’re starting with \u003cem>Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation To Build a Sustainable Planet \u003c/em>by Hannah Ritchie. This book is “for anyone who finds it difficult to believe in a better future,” the \u003cem>Times of London\u003c/em> review said. Ritchie is a data scientist and researcher at Oxford University. Her goal is to convince her readers that there’s a lot the average person can do to make sure the planet our children inherit is healthier than the one we were born into. Grab your copy now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Who is it for? \u003c/strong>People who want a better climate future and need a little hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>I’m concerned about how our climate is changing. My son is not growing up on the planet of my childhood. As a science reporter, I’ve covered climate-related issues for over a decade. Yet, there is still so much more for me to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why I’m launching a climate book club with KQED Science and Forum, our flagship morning call-in show. I want a refresher on the basics of climate change, where the most promising solutions lie, and how we can work to make the future better. And I want people to talk with. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Katharine Hayhoe, author of \u003cem>Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope\u003c/em>, said about climate change, “The number one thing we can do is the exact thing that we’re not doing: talk about it.” There are so many smart, well-researched climate books that I know will be interesting and impactful. Yet I haven’t read them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Can you relate?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Find support, accountability and people to talk to in our book club. Will you join us?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Who is behind it?\u003c/strong> Danielle Venton, science reporter, and Francesca Fenzi, Forum digital community producer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991816\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991816\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240311-FENZI-VENTON-DIPTYCH-MD-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francesca Fenzi and Danielle Venton\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is it?\u003c/strong> We’ll read a climate book every few months throughout 2024. You can join an online discussion group via \u003ca href=\"https://discord.gg/kqedforum\">Forum’s community on Discord\u003c/a>. (If you are new to the social media platform, read step-by-step instructions at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/forum\">kqed.org/forum\u003c/a>.) Then join us for a live discussion, sometimes with the book author or with journalists and climate experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Where and when is it?\u003c/strong> We’ll post discussion topics on Discord for our first book starting March 18, with new topics every week. On May 8, we’ll have our first live conversation about the book with KQED climate reporter Laura Klivans. (More details about that will be posted at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/live\">KQED.org/live\u003c/a> in the coming weeks.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Which book? \u003c/strong>We’re starting with \u003cem>Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation To Build a Sustainable Planet \u003c/em>by Hannah Ritchie. This book is “for anyone who finds it difficult to believe in a better future,” the \u003cem>Times of London\u003c/em> review said. Ritchie is a data scientist and researcher at Oxford University. Her goal is to convince her readers that there’s a lot the average person can do to make sure the planet our children inherit is healthier than the one we were born into. Grab your copy now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Who is it for? \u003c/strong>People who want a better climate future and need a little hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "u-s-navy-acknowledges-rising-toxic-groundwater-threat-at-sf-superfund-site",
"title": "US Navy Acknowledges Rising Toxic Groundwater Threat at SF Superfund Site",
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"headTitle": "US Navy Acknowledges Rising Toxic Groundwater Threat at SF Superfund Site | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The U.S. Navy, for the first time, has acknowledged what Bay Area climate scientists and residents have asked the agency to look into for years: that in just over a decade, potentially toxic groundwater could surface at a San Francisco Superfund site partly because of human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every five years, the agency reviews the cleanup of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard next to the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. The agency studied how climate effects — sea-level rise, groundwater rise and storm surge — could impact the cleanup of one of the nation’s largest and most complicated Superfund sites. The Navy finished the review in November and \u003ca href=\"https://www.bracpmo.navy.mil/Library/Announcements/Display/Article/3653648/former-nsy-hunters-point-fifth-cercla-five-year-review-draft/\">released it to the public in late January.\u003c/a> The details of the climate review were buried deep in a 566-page document, and KQED is reporting on them for the first time. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Arieann Harrison, founder and CEO, Marie Harrison Community Foundation\"]‘The five-year review based on sea-level rise confirms some of our collective concerns in Bayview-Hunters Point.’[/pullquote]The Navy found that in 2035, contaminated groundwater from heavy metals and “low-level radiological objects” — steeping in the water like a tea bag — could surface in an area of the site called “Parcel D-1,” which the Navy used for ship repair, maintenance and radiological research. The Navy capped this area with asphalt to keep any remaining pollution underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy’s assessment said heavy metals in permanent groundwater could surface in five other places by 2065.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The five-year review based on sea-level rise confirms some of our collective concerns in Bayview-Hunters Point,” said Arieann Harrison, founder and CEO of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, an environmental justice group serving the Bayview community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to take more work to reach the goal of creating a safe environment for us all,” she added in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy also found that a 100-year storm surge in 2035 could cause flooding in some areas. By 2065, “a 100-year storm surge would impact portions of all parcels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report raises fresh questions about the city’s plans to build thousands of homes on what is an exceedingly complex and ongoing cleanup effort. When finished, \u003ca href=\"https://sfocii.org/projects/hunters-point-shipyard-candlestick-point-2/overview\">the 693-acre Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project — which the Superfund site is part of — could have more than 10,000 housing units\u003c/a>. The development would include two new waterfront neighborhoods with housing, retail, and over 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1993px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. A dark blue shaded areas show where flooding could occur from storms in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"1993\" height=\"909\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1.jpg 1993w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-800x365.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-1020x465.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-768x350.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-1536x701.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-1920x876.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1993px) 100vw, 1993px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the blue-shaded areas depict how a 100-year storm event could temporarily flood a portion of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area climate scientists, like UC Berkeley’s Kristina Hill, have sounded the alarm for years that anthropogenic climate change causing rising seas will push up groundwater levels and mix with contaminants with the possibility of coming in contact with people and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly two years ago, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979658/poorly-prepared-sf-civil-grand-jury-slams-city-for-not-protecting-residents-from-toxic-contamination\">the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury issued a report alerting the public to the fact that groundwater rise \u003c/a>— a result of seas rising in response to global emissions melting ice caps and expanding oceans — could significantly impact the site in the coming decades. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Sara Miles, a member of the grand jury behind the report\"]‘We feel vindicated that the Navy thinks this is a serious threat that needs to be looked at and also that they understand that it’s imminent.’[/pullquote]“We feel vindicated that the Navy thinks this is a serious threat that needs to be looked at and also that they understand that it’s imminent,” said Sara Miles, a member of the grand jury behind the report. “This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed before there’s a land transfer, not to mention any more housing being built in those areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Pound, a base realignment and closure environmental coordinator with the Navy, defended the agency’s work to prepare the site for one of San Francisco’s most ambitious development projects in a generation. He said the Navy is taking a proactive approach to how rising seas could affect the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Navy has not only considered climate change at Hunters Point for many years, but it has already developed some infrastructure at the Shipyard to prepare for future sea-level rise,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy has armored and extended part of the site with a seawall and a landfill cap to protect against a 100-year storm and three feet of sea-level rise. Based on the two sea-level rise projections, the Navy, working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory agencies, will develop timelines for the Navy’s ongoing site-specific evaluations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EPA oversees the cleanup of Superfund sites and is studying the Navy’s latest review filing, along with California environmental agencies, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Pound said it could be finalized by this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>San Francisco leaders respond\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mayor London Breed \u003ca href=\"https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2021_2022/Hunters%20Point%20Response_MYR_081122.pdf\">did not agree with some of the Civil Grand Jury’s findings and recommendations\u003c/a> from 2022. In a statement, her office said the city is working with the Navy “to proactively ensure that all the actors responsible for the clean-up process are using remediation best practices so that the community’s health is, and remains, protected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton represents the Hunters Point area. His office declined an interview for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991764\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1993px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991764\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Dark blue circles are randomly spread out across the land showcasing where groundwater could be within three feet of the surface in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"1993\" height=\"909\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1.jpg 1993w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-800x365.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-1020x465.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-768x350.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-1536x701.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-1920x876.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1993px) 100vw, 1993px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the dark blue circles show where groundwater could rise to within 3 feet of the surface at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Public Health wrote that the agency is conducting an in-depth analysis of the five-year review, including the section on climate impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, the Navy found nearly two dozen samples at the site contaminated by Strontium-90, a radioactive isotope that can cause cancer. In September 2018, the agency recovered a radioactive deck marker, more than a decade after the federal government declared the area safe and free of radioactive waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985646/radioactive-object-found-at-san-franciscos-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-raises-new-concerns\">Last December, the Navy said it detected another piece of radioactive material\u003c/a> — a chip of glass smaller than a dime — during routine testing at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located next to a historically Black neighborhood where more than 35,000 people live, the Tetris-shaped 866-acre shipyard comprises concrete docking bays and abandoned buildings that jut out of San Francisco’s southeast shoreline. In the middle of the last century, the Navy used the site to decontaminate ships after atomic bomb tests, a process that contaminated the soil with radionuclides, heavy metals and petroleum fuels, among other toxic compounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The whole area could be flooded’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Residents, environmental advocates and climate scientists applaud the Navy for studying how climate change could alter the site. However, they said environmental agencies should require the Navy to conduct a more thorough cleanup before any developer builds housing on the old shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeff Weitzel was on the civil grand jury that advised the city to look further into how groundwater rise will likely surface contamination at the shipyard. He said he was surprised the Navy looked at time horizons so near into the future and wished the agency would have considered a century ahead because homes built on the site would sit vulnerable for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Dark blue circles are randomly spread out across the land showcasing where groundwater could emerge above the land surface in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"952\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-800x381.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1020x486.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-768x366.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1536x731.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1920x914.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the circled light blue areas depict where groundwater could emerge above ground at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If they look 100 years in the future, it might look two to four times as alarming,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weitzel also notes that the Navy’s study looks separately at flooding from storms, groundwater, and rising sea levels. He said a composite view is needed to understand actual vulnerability clearly. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Jeff Weitzel, civil grand jury member who advised the city\"]‘If they look 100 years in the future, it might look two to four times as alarming.’[/pullquote]“The whole area could be flooded; that’s what those maps are showing,” he said. “If we’re talking about building an entire community in that area, that has to be taken into account. There are all these chemicals under this soil, and we don’t know how they might be sneaking out. It’s very alarming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai, who tests the bodies of Bayview-Hunters Point residents to determine if they’ve been exposed to contamination through her Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation, the Navy’s findings are “devastating.” She said the city should question whether it is a good idea to build on the site with contamination still in the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Navy did go the extra mile in projecting climate change, and I think that they offered a more sensitive and respectful analysis of the protectiveness of the most dangerously contaminated parcels,” she said. “The bottom line is that the Navy is telling you the shipyard, in its current state, is not fully protective of human health and the environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991775\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991775\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai displays a map of Bayview Hunters Point at her office in Bayview, San Francisco, on Feb. 25, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Porter Sumchai has screened more than 150 residents and found elevated levels of contaminants like uranium, plutonium and radioactive potassium — some of which she notes can cause cancer in people when exposed to them over a period of time. Her next step is to create a toxic registry of the around 35,000 people who live within a one-mile perimeter of the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most of the clustering we are seeing is within the half-mile perimeter of the base,” she said. “The longer people have lived close to the base, the more significant their body burdens are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Water brings it all together’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hill has spent much of the past decade deciphering how human-caused climate change will push up groundwater and come in contact with contamination in soil. Her findings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983106/map-more-than-5000-toxic-sites-along-sf-bay-are-threatened-by-rising-groundwater-new-study-finds\">showcase as many as 5,000 toxic sites in the Bay Area alone are at risk of inundation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In reading the Navy’s review, the Institute for Urban and Regional Development director at UC Berkeley commends the agency for “looking at the issue at all” but said its methods were not granular enough. She said the Navy’s analysis is missing an understanding of how water moves. [aside label='More on Climate Change' tag='climate-change']The Navy assumed that a certain level of sea-level rise would push up groundwater unilaterally “as if it’s carved out of wood or ice” to see where it touches land or comes within three feet of the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m concerned that there might be places where contaminants could flow off their site towards other parcels and certainly towards the bay,” Hill said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water moves differently based on topography, and because much of the soil on site is fill material, she said it is hard to know how the water will move. She suggests the Navy study each part of the site to decipher how surface water and groundwater will shift as seas rise and storms become more intense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Water brings it all together,” she said. “I would definitely hesitate about whether this land is ready for housing because they haven’t done a reasonably comprehensive study considering how groundwater moves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy said it plans to evaluate how contaminants could move in water using “more sophisticated groundwater modeling.” [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Kristina Hill, climate scientist, UC Berkeley\"]‘This isn’t an unsolvable problem where there’s already housing built. … It takes one family to suffer impacts, and everyone will regret not doing a better study.’[/pullquote]The agency will also look at the latest sea-level rise guidance from California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. The first study would prioritize the 2035 scenario where “groundwater is first projected to rise above the current land surface.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Hill said the way to get around the troubles with contaminated groundwater is simple: remove all the contaminated soil or “treat them on-site with a fast enough process that it’ll be clean by the time the ocean gets there, or the groundwater gets up to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This isn’t an unsolvable problem where there’s already housing built,” she said.” So, why not clean it up? It takes one family to suffer impacts, and everyone will regret not doing a better study.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy plans to discuss the climate portion of the review at the Hunters Point Shipyard Citizens Advisory Committee meeting on March 25 and is holding a community workshop on April 22. The last day for public comment on the Navy’s review is March 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The U.S. Navy, for the first time, has acknowledged what Bay Area climate scientists and residents have asked the agency to look into for years: that in just over a decade, potentially toxic groundwater could surface at a San Francisco Superfund site partly because of human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every five years, the agency reviews the cleanup of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard next to the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. The agency studied how climate effects — sea-level rise, groundwater rise and storm surge — could impact the cleanup of one of the nation’s largest and most complicated Superfund sites. The Navy finished the review in November and \u003ca href=\"https://www.bracpmo.navy.mil/Library/Announcements/Display/Article/3653648/former-nsy-hunters-point-fifth-cercla-five-year-review-draft/\">released it to the public in late January.\u003c/a> The details of the climate review were buried deep in a 566-page document, and KQED is reporting on them for the first time. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘The five-year review based on sea-level rise confirms some of our collective concerns in Bayview-Hunters Point.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Navy found that in 2035, contaminated groundwater from heavy metals and “low-level radiological objects” — steeping in the water like a tea bag — could surface in an area of the site called “Parcel D-1,” which the Navy used for ship repair, maintenance and radiological research. The Navy capped this area with asphalt to keep any remaining pollution underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy’s assessment said heavy metals in permanent groundwater could surface in five other places by 2065.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The five-year review based on sea-level rise confirms some of our collective concerns in Bayview-Hunters Point,” said Arieann Harrison, founder and CEO of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, an environmental justice group serving the Bayview community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to take more work to reach the goal of creating a safe environment for us all,” she added in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy also found that a 100-year storm surge in 2035 could cause flooding in some areas. By 2065, “a 100-year storm surge would impact portions of all parcels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report raises fresh questions about the city’s plans to build thousands of homes on what is an exceedingly complex and ongoing cleanup effort. When finished, \u003ca href=\"https://sfocii.org/projects/hunters-point-shipyard-candlestick-point-2/overview\">the 693-acre Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project — which the Superfund site is part of — could have more than 10,000 housing units\u003c/a>. The development would include two new waterfront neighborhoods with housing, retail, and over 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1993px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. A dark blue shaded areas show where flooding could occur from storms in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"1993\" height=\"909\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1.jpg 1993w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-800x365.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-1020x465.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-768x350.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-1536x701.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-1-1-1920x876.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1993px) 100vw, 1993px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the blue-shaded areas depict how a 100-year storm event could temporarily flood a portion of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area climate scientists, like UC Berkeley’s Kristina Hill, have sounded the alarm for years that anthropogenic climate change causing rising seas will push up groundwater levels and mix with contaminants with the possibility of coming in contact with people and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly two years ago, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979658/poorly-prepared-sf-civil-grand-jury-slams-city-for-not-protecting-residents-from-toxic-contamination\">the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury issued a report alerting the public to the fact that groundwater rise \u003c/a>— a result of seas rising in response to global emissions melting ice caps and expanding oceans — could significantly impact the site in the coming decades. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘We feel vindicated that the Navy thinks this is a serious threat that needs to be looked at and also that they understand that it’s imminent.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We feel vindicated that the Navy thinks this is a serious threat that needs to be looked at and also that they understand that it’s imminent,” said Sara Miles, a member of the grand jury behind the report. “This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed before there’s a land transfer, not to mention any more housing being built in those areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Pound, a base realignment and closure environmental coordinator with the Navy, defended the agency’s work to prepare the site for one of San Francisco’s most ambitious development projects in a generation. He said the Navy is taking a proactive approach to how rising seas could affect the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Navy has not only considered climate change at Hunters Point for many years, but it has already developed some infrastructure at the Shipyard to prepare for future sea-level rise,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy has armored and extended part of the site with a seawall and a landfill cap to protect against a 100-year storm and three feet of sea-level rise. Based on the two sea-level rise projections, the Navy, working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory agencies, will develop timelines for the Navy’s ongoing site-specific evaluations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EPA oversees the cleanup of Superfund sites and is studying the Navy’s latest review filing, along with California environmental agencies, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Pound said it could be finalized by this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>San Francisco leaders respond\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mayor London Breed \u003ca href=\"https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2021_2022/Hunters%20Point%20Response_MYR_081122.pdf\">did not agree with some of the Civil Grand Jury’s findings and recommendations\u003c/a> from 2022. In a statement, her office said the city is working with the Navy “to proactively ensure that all the actors responsible for the clean-up process are using remediation best practices so that the community’s health is, and remains, protected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton represents the Hunters Point area. His office declined an interview for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991764\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1993px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991764\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Dark blue circles are randomly spread out across the land showcasing where groundwater could be within three feet of the surface in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"1993\" height=\"909\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1.jpg 1993w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-800x365.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-1020x465.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-768x350.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-1536x701.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-2-1-1920x876.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1993px) 100vw, 1993px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the dark blue circles show where groundwater could rise to within 3 feet of the surface at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Public Health wrote that the agency is conducting an in-depth analysis of the five-year review, including the section on climate impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, the Navy found nearly two dozen samples at the site contaminated by Strontium-90, a radioactive isotope that can cause cancer. In September 2018, the agency recovered a radioactive deck marker, more than a decade after the federal government declared the area safe and free of radioactive waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985646/radioactive-object-found-at-san-franciscos-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-raises-new-concerns\">Last December, the Navy said it detected another piece of radioactive material\u003c/a> — a chip of glass smaller than a dime — during routine testing at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located next to a historically Black neighborhood where more than 35,000 people live, the Tetris-shaped 866-acre shipyard comprises concrete docking bays and abandoned buildings that jut out of San Francisco’s southeast shoreline. In the middle of the last century, the Navy used the site to decontaminate ships after atomic bomb tests, a process that contaminated the soil with radionuclides, heavy metals and petroleum fuels, among other toxic compounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The whole area could be flooded’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Residents, environmental advocates and climate scientists applaud the Navy for studying how climate change could alter the site. However, they said environmental agencies should require the Navy to conduct a more thorough cleanup before any developer builds housing on the old shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeff Weitzel was on the civil grand jury that advised the city to look further into how groundwater rise will likely surface contamination at the shipyard. He said he was surprised the Navy looked at time horizons so near into the future and wished the agency would have considered a century ahead because homes built on the site would sit vulnerable for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg\" alt=\"Two side by side aerial maps of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Dark blue circles are randomly spread out across the land showcasing where groundwater could emerge above the land surface in 2035 and 2065.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"952\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-800x381.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1020x486.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-768x366.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1536x731.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/240306-HUNTERS-POINT-NAVAL-SHIPYARD-GRAPHIC-MD-3-1920x914.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a changing climate, the circled light blue areas depict where groundwater could emerge above ground at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by 2035 and 2065. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of U.S. Navy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If they look 100 years in the future, it might look two to four times as alarming,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weitzel also notes that the Navy’s study looks separately at flooding from storms, groundwater, and rising sea levels. He said a composite view is needed to understand actual vulnerability clearly. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The whole area could be flooded; that’s what those maps are showing,” he said. “If we’re talking about building an entire community in that area, that has to be taken into account. There are all these chemicals under this soil, and we don’t know how they might be sneaking out. It’s very alarming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai, who tests the bodies of Bayview-Hunters Point residents to determine if they’ve been exposed to contamination through her Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation, the Navy’s findings are “devastating.” She said the city should question whether it is a good idea to build on the site with contamination still in the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Navy did go the extra mile in projecting climate change, and I think that they offered a more sensitive and respectful analysis of the protectiveness of the most dangerously contaminated parcels,” she said. “The bottom line is that the Navy is telling you the shipyard, in its current state, is not fully protective of human health and the environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991775\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991775\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/034_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai displays a map of Bayview Hunters Point at her office in Bayview, San Francisco, on Feb. 25, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Porter Sumchai has screened more than 150 residents and found elevated levels of contaminants like uranium, plutonium and radioactive potassium — some of which she notes can cause cancer in people when exposed to them over a period of time. Her next step is to create a toxic registry of the around 35,000 people who live within a one-mile perimeter of the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most of the clustering we are seeing is within the half-mile perimeter of the base,” she said. “The longer people have lived close to the base, the more significant their body burdens are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Water brings it all together’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hill has spent much of the past decade deciphering how human-caused climate change will push up groundwater and come in contact with contamination in soil. Her findings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983106/map-more-than-5000-toxic-sites-along-sf-bay-are-threatened-by-rising-groundwater-new-study-finds\">showcase as many as 5,000 toxic sites in the Bay Area alone are at risk of inundation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In reading the Navy’s review, the Institute for Urban and Regional Development director at UC Berkeley commends the agency for “looking at the issue at all” but said its methods were not granular enough. She said the Navy’s analysis is missing an understanding of how water moves. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Navy assumed that a certain level of sea-level rise would push up groundwater unilaterally “as if it’s carved out of wood or ice” to see where it touches land or comes within three feet of the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m concerned that there might be places where contaminants could flow off their site towards other parcels and certainly towards the bay,” Hill said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water moves differently based on topography, and because much of the soil on site is fill material, she said it is hard to know how the water will move. She suggests the Navy study each part of the site to decipher how surface water and groundwater will shift as seas rise and storms become more intense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Water brings it all together,” she said. “I would definitely hesitate about whether this land is ready for housing because they haven’t done a reasonably comprehensive study considering how groundwater moves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy said it plans to evaluate how contaminants could move in water using “more sophisticated groundwater modeling.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘This isn’t an unsolvable problem where there’s already housing built. … It takes one family to suffer impacts, and everyone will regret not doing a better study.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The agency will also look at the latest sea-level rise guidance from California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. The first study would prioritize the 2035 scenario where “groundwater is first projected to rise above the current land surface.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Hill said the way to get around the troubles with contaminated groundwater is simple: remove all the contaminated soil or “treat them on-site with a fast enough process that it’ll be clean by the time the ocean gets there, or the groundwater gets up to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This isn’t an unsolvable problem where there’s already housing built,” she said.” So, why not clean it up? It takes one family to suffer impacts, and everyone will regret not doing a better study.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Navy plans to discuss the climate portion of the review at the Hunters Point Shipyard Citizens Advisory Committee meeting on March 25 and is holding a community workshop on April 22. The last day for public comment on the Navy’s review is March 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "San Mateo, Contra Costa Pause Natural Gas Bans for New Buildings",
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"content": "\u003cp>Contra Costa County this week halted enforcement of building codes requiring that new construction be all-electric, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/planning/update-reach-code-enforcement\">San Mateo County\u003c/a> halted enforcement of its similar code earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The indefinite pauses follow a January ruling by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/berkeley-gas-ban-18585687.php\">U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invalidating a city of Berkeley ordinance\u003c/a> that prohibited natural gas hookups in all new residential and commercial buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s after the legality of the ordinance was challenged by the California Restaurant Association, arguing that cities and counties are overstepping their authority \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11946999/court-strikes-down-berkeleys-landmark-ban-on-natural-gas-in-new-construction\">in violation of a nearly 50-year-old law\u003c/a> authorizing federal officials to set national efficiency standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This ruling is final for Berkeley unless the Supreme Court chooses to review the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County supervisors \u003ca href=\"https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/8536/All--Electric-Buildings\">adopted the original ordinance in June 2022.\u003c/a> It required new construction of all residential, hotel, office and retail buildings to be all-electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a press release, Contra Costa County representatives said their all-electric requirement prohibited the installation of gas plumbing in new buildings, which is similar to Berkeley’s ordinance. The county was “therefore suspending this requirement in response to the Ninth Circuit’s decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Contra Costa County remains committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels in buildings and continues to support the construction of new buildings using all-electric technologies,” Federal D. Glover, chair of that county’s Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. We are eager to identify new and innovative ways to continue to pursue our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the lawsuit challenging Berkeley’s ban, officials from several other Bay Area counties, including San Francisco and Sonoma, still enforce their codes for all-electric new construction (Sonoma’s only applies to residential dwellings).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Napa County is still considering its own code update, which would incentivize new electric construction. It would also require builders to put vehicle charging ports in new homes and choose between going all-electric or installing a solar and battery system. The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the plan next month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates for cutting gas from buildings argue that requiring all-electric construction reduces costs, indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/building-decarbonization\">Roughly a quarter\u003c/a> of California’s emissions come from buildings and the energy used to power them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley was the first city in the nation to pass such a ban on natural gas hookups in new construction, which went into effect in 2020. Nearly 100 other cities and counties have since followed suit, and it remains unclear how many will continue to enforce their codes in light of the recent court ruling.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Contra Costa County this week halted enforcement of building codes requiring that new construction be all-electric, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/planning/update-reach-code-enforcement\">San Mateo County\u003c/a> halted enforcement of its similar code earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The indefinite pauses follow a January ruling by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/berkeley-gas-ban-18585687.php\">U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invalidating a city of Berkeley ordinance\u003c/a> that prohibited natural gas hookups in all new residential and commercial buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s after the legality of the ordinance was challenged by the California Restaurant Association, arguing that cities and counties are overstepping their authority \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11946999/court-strikes-down-berkeleys-landmark-ban-on-natural-gas-in-new-construction\">in violation of a nearly 50-year-old law\u003c/a> authorizing federal officials to set national efficiency standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This ruling is final for Berkeley unless the Supreme Court chooses to review the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa County supervisors \u003ca href=\"https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/8536/All--Electric-Buildings\">adopted the original ordinance in June 2022.\u003c/a> It required new construction of all residential, hotel, office and retail buildings to be all-electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a press release, Contra Costa County representatives said their all-electric requirement prohibited the installation of gas plumbing in new buildings, which is similar to Berkeley’s ordinance. The county was “therefore suspending this requirement in response to the Ninth Circuit’s decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Contra Costa County remains committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels in buildings and continues to support the construction of new buildings using all-electric technologies,” Federal D. Glover, chair of that county’s Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. We are eager to identify new and innovative ways to continue to pursue our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the lawsuit challenging Berkeley’s ban, officials from several other Bay Area counties, including San Francisco and Sonoma, still enforce their codes for all-electric new construction (Sonoma’s only applies to residential dwellings).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Napa County is still considering its own code update, which would incentivize new electric construction. It would also require builders to put vehicle charging ports in new homes and choose between going all-electric or installing a solar and battery system. The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the plan next month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates for cutting gas from buildings argue that requiring all-electric construction reduces costs, indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/building-decarbonization\">Roughly a quarter\u003c/a> of California’s emissions come from buildings and the energy used to power them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley was the first city in the nation to pass such a ban on natural gas hookups in new construction, which went into effect in 2020. Nearly 100 other cities and counties have since followed suit, and it remains unclear how many will continue to enforce their codes in light of the recent court ruling.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "wildfires-are-killing-californias-ancient-giants-can-seedlings-save-the-species",
"title": "Wildfires Are Killing California's Ancient Giants. Can Seedlings Save the Species?",
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"content": "\u003cp>On a late autumn day, a team of forestry workers spreads out among the burned trunks of giant sequoia trees. The 1,000-year-old trees in the grove are dead but still standing, killed in an extreme wildfire that raced through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the shadow of one of the trees, the crew gets to work, pulling tiny, 4-inch seedlings out of bags clipped to their belts and tucking them into the dirt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wish it some luck, and that’s it,” says Micah Craig of the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, standing back to look at the young sequoia. He then grabs another seedling, part of a historic planting effort that the National Park Service hopes will be enough to preserve one of the world’s most iconic species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991564\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991564 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ecologists estimate that up to 14,000 sequoias have been killed in recent wildfires, a shocking number for a species that was thought to survive most fires. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over only two years, about one-fifth of all giant sequoias have been killed in extreme wildfires in California. The numbers shocked ecologists since the enormous trees can live more than 2,000 years and have evolved to live with frequent, low-intensity fires in the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent fires have burned bigger and more intensely than sequoias are accustomed to, a result of the way humans have changed the forest. After the 2020 and 2021 fires, scientists watched the sequoia groves to see if the next generation of trees is emerging to replace their lost parents. In some places, seedlings are filling the forest floor. In others, fewer are emerging from the burned soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The smaller numbers of seedlings concerned scientists and the National Park Service. So, in a historic step, the agency, for the first time, has begun replanting some severely burned areas. With a life span of thousands of years, the new seedlings will grow up in a climate that’s rapidly changing. So, park officials are bringing in seedlings from other sequoia groves, ones that may have the genetic tools to handle a more hostile future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991565\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991565\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"1305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-800x803.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-1020x1024.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-160x161.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-768x771.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With so many ancient trees killed, the National Park Service has sprouted hundreds of sequoia seedlings to replant the severely burned areas, along with other species normally found there like white fir and sugar pines. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The project has run into opposition. A handful of conservation groups are suing to halt the effort, arguing that such intervention shouldn’t occur in an area designated as federal wilderness and that the sequoia trees could possibly regenerate adequately on their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate is one occurring on public lands across the country as the impacts of climate change get worse. Land managers face a key question: As humans take an increasing toll on natural landscapes, how far should we go to fix it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991551\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991551\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sequoia National Park was created in 1890 to protect the mammoth trees for the public. Along with Kings Canyon National Park, the two parks are home to about 40% of all sequoias. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A carpet of green\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hopeful signs have emerged in the wake of the KNP Complex Fire, which tore through Sequoia National Park in 2021. The forest floor is still scorched black, but in some areas, thousands of lime-green sequoia seedlings have sprung up a few inches high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s awesome,” says Christy Brigham, chief of resources management and science at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “This is what has happened for millennia.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lifecycle of sequoias is bound to fire. The massive trees, often 15 feet around, are protected from the heat by a thick, shaggy bark. Their lowest branches are far from the forest floor, reducing the chances they’ll ignite when smaller trees burn. And when a fire’s heat rises, the sequoias’ cones open up, releasing thousands of seeds. Those seeds sprout quickly in the newly cleared soil below their parent trees. Most of the seedlings will die, eventually leaving only one or two giant trees centuries from now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991566\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991566 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-768x253.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some areas of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks show a carpet of green — thousands of sequoia seedlings poking a few inches above the ground. In more severely burned areas, there are fewer emerging from the soil. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Lots of bad things are going to happen to these,” Brigham says, looking down at the carpet of green. “Another fire, fire after fire, before they get that big. Dead trees are going to fall on them. So they make a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>High above, the thousand-year-old sequoias in this part of Redwood Mountain Grove are still alive, their broccoli-shaped tops still green. The fire burned at low or moderate intensity here because the forest floor was relatively clear of brush and other vegetation that could burn. National Park Service crews had previously done prescribed burns, purposely using fire to remove the dry, dead fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991567\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991567\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sequoia trees are susceptible to heat and drought, conditions that are expected to get more extreme as the climate keeps changing. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Gates of Mordor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Farther down the trail, it’s a different story. Many of the giant sequoias have little or no green foliage left, their bare, jagged branches rising high above the rest of the forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have now arrived at the location we call the Gates of Mordor,” Brigham says. “These trees are not coming back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The KNP Complex Fire roared up this sequoia grove in less than a day. Fire crews made a last-ditch effort to save some of the enormous trees, clearing the vegetation around them as the flames moved in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was horrible,” Brigham says. “I don’t think I’ve cried so much in my entire life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991568\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smaller pines and other trees, killed in California’s extreme droughts, acted as kindling in recent wildfires, fueling the intense burning. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The forest here was primed to burn. Historically, the Sierra Nevada saw regular low-grade wildfires caused by lightning strikes and set by Native American tribes \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along\">who shaped the landscape through controlled burning\u003c/a>. But for the last century, humans have extinguished wildfires, allowing dead and dry vegetation to build up on the forest floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Extreme drought, exacerbated by climate change, has also led to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1088646\">millions of smaller trees dying\u003c/a> in recent years. Water-stressed pines and other trees were more vulnerable to attacks from bark beetles. Researchers found that the \u003ca href=\"https://news.uci.edu/2023/09/25/uc-irvine-scientists-reveal-what-fuels-wildfires-in-sierra-nevada-mountains/\">dead trees acted as kindling, contributing to the extreme heat\u003c/a> and intensity of the KNP Complex Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with two other extreme fires in 2020–21, between \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/2021-fire-season-impacts-to-giant-sequoias.htm\">13% and 19% of all giant sequoias were killed\u003c/a>, up to more than 14,000 trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991569\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/following1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christy Brigham walks through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have never seen anything like this in giant sequoia,” Brigham says. “Large giant sequoias, before now, survived wildfire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With so many giant trees gone, teams from several federal agencies turned to another key issue: the next generation of sequoias. They surveyed how many seedlings are growing below the burned trees. \u003ca href=\"https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/5433/\">Two\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/5457/\">studies\u003c/a> from scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey found that some of the severely burned areas have lower densities of sequoia seedlings compared to the numbers found after previous fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brigham says it’s possible that too many sequoia cones and their seeds burned up in the fire. But with fewer adult trees left alive to make seeds in the future, there’s a risk some of this sequoia grove won’t come back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These parks were in part established to conserve sequoias,” Brigham says. “What would it mean for that mission if we did nothing here?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991570\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991570\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mules and horses are stationed at a trailhead to help transport seedlings deep into the park. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A replanting effort begins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the late afternoon, a line of mules winds its way through the burned sequoia grove. On their backs, they carry boxes of sequoia seedlings deep into the backcountry. A crew from the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps takes the seedlings on the last steps of their journey, searching for planting spots that offer some protection from the upcoming summer heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Planting sequoias, that’s a legacy thing. Something we were all stoked to do that will transcend after us,” says crew member Micah Craig.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991571\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-800x367.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-1020x468.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-768x352.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Micah Craig and a team from the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps replant sequoia seedlings. Some are from groves already experiencing hotter, drier conditions, which could give them a better shot at withstanding climate change. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most of these sequoia seedlings were grown from seeds collected from this same grove. But 20% come from seeds collected from other groves. Sequoia seedlings are vulnerable to heat and drought, conditions that will get more extreme as the climate keeps changing. With that in mind, managers selected seeds from groves at lower elevations that already naturally live in hotter conditions. The idea is to increase the genetic diversity in case those trees are better adapted to a hotter, drier future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the ability to give this grove a little bit of a bigger toolkit for adapting to changing conditions, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Brigham says. “We’re asking a lot of these trees to survive for 400 years, 1,000 years, and they can do it, but let’s give them a little help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991572\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991572\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mule train delivers boxes of sequoia seedlings through shrubs that have sprung up in the wake of the KNP Complex Fire. Sequoia seedlings do best in the first few years after a fire when there’s little vegetation to shade them out. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The technique, known as “assisted gene flow,” has been used in a handful of cases already to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2110559118\">help coral survive a hotter climate\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanforests.org/article/the-race-to-save-the-whitebark-pine/\">whitebark pine trees resist disease\u003c/a>. It’s part of a larger toolkit land managers are beginning to consider as ecosystems struggle to keep up with climate change. The National Park Service has developed a new framework for considering when to intervene, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/resistacceptdirect.htm\">“resist, accept, or direct\u003c/a>,” acknowledging that some ecosystems will need help to resist changes, while in others, change may be inevitable.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lawsuit filed to stop replanting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A group of four conservation groups \u003ca href=\"https://wildernesswatch.org/lawsuit-filed-to-protect-seki\">is suing to halt the project\u003c/a>, contending that because the sequoia groves are protected under the federal Wilderness Act, a higher level of intervention isn’t appropriate. They argue that having wilderness protection means the land should remain untouched, even if that means losing sequoias there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to allow nature some places where human beings aren’t trying to be the managers, aren’t trying to be the gardeners,” says George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, one of the groups that filed suit. “Because we’re the ones that messed it up, it doesn’t flow that we’re the ones to fix it. That’s that sort of arrogance of humanism, if you will. That’s when we need to learn to step back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1991573\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wilderness Act specifies that protected areas should be “untrammeled by man.” That framing has frustrated Native American tribes in California, which shaped the landscape for millennia with cultural, or prescribed, burning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Park Service doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits. But \u003ca href=\"https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=342&projectID=107200&documentID=131953\">in public documents\u003c/a>, it responded that language in the Wilderness Act mandates that the land be “protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions,” and the act doesn’t infringe on the agency’s responsibility to preserve the ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The conservation groups’ lawsuit also contends that sequoias in severely burned areas could regenerate on their own. Sequoia seedlings tend to do best in places that have burned more intensely since it clears out vegetation that shades the forest floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not worried about it because the system is massively and redundantly resilient to these sorts of disturbances,” says Chad Hanson, director of the John Muir Project, another group that joined the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991574\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991574\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“These parks were in part established to conserve sequoias,” says Christy Brigham of the National Park Service. “What would it mean for that mission if we did nothing here?” \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hanson contends that any number of sequoia seedlings, no matter how low, is adequate for the groves to endure into the future. However, numerous scientific studies show that sequoia seedlings have high rates of mortality over the first few centuries of life, with more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47941096#page/20/mode/1up\">90% dying in the first 20 years alone\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In proposing the project, the National Park Service says climate change poses an even greater risk that sequoia seedlings will struggle to get established. Hanson says he’d prefer that the park service monitor the seedlings’ survival before making a decision to replant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I would say is if they start dying at high levels, which is inconsistent with the data we’ve had up until this point, then I would have to evaluate my assumptions and maybe would need to do something there,” Hanson says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991575\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991575\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Light streams through the trees in Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The debate is a sign of the increasingly complex decisions land managers are facing in a hotter climate. In the face of unprecedented impacts, the risk of losing species only worsens. Managers have to weigh bigger and bigger human interventions if they seek to preserve what’s left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brigham says that as one of the largest and longest-living species on the planet, giant sequoia trees are forcing that conversation to happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You cannot look at them without thinking about 1,000 years in the future,” Brigham says. “They demand better of us. And I think we need that. We need those species that are being impacted by climate change that we love to be, like, hey, I think you can do better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Wildfires+are+killing+California%27s+ancient+giants.+Can+seedlings+save+the+species%3F&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Extreme wildfires have destroyed about one-fifth of all giant sequoia trees. To safeguard their future, the National Park Service is planting seedlings that could better survive a hotter climate.",
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"title": "Wildfires Are Killing California's Ancient Giants. Can Seedlings Save the Species? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On a late autumn day, a team of forestry workers spreads out among the burned trunks of giant sequoia trees. The 1,000-year-old trees in the grove are dead but still standing, killed in an extreme wildfire that raced through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the shadow of one of the trees, the crew gets to work, pulling tiny, 4-inch seedlings out of bags clipped to their belts and tucking them into the dirt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wish it some luck, and that’s it,” says Micah Craig of the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, standing back to look at the young sequoia. He then grabs another seedling, part of a historic planting effort that the National Park Service hopes will be enough to preserve one of the world’s most iconic species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991564\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991564 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9999_custom-97507e99af8b762a4029b26d5427f402a20fca1d-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ecologists estimate that up to 14,000 sequoias have been killed in recent wildfires, a shocking number for a species that was thought to survive most fires. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over only two years, about one-fifth of all giant sequoias have been killed in extreme wildfires in California. The numbers shocked ecologists since the enormous trees can live more than 2,000 years and have evolved to live with frequent, low-intensity fires in the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent fires have burned bigger and more intensely than sequoias are accustomed to, a result of the way humans have changed the forest. After the 2020 and 2021 fires, scientists watched the sequoia groves to see if the next generation of trees is emerging to replace their lost parents. In some places, seedlings are filling the forest floor. In others, fewer are emerging from the burned soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The smaller numbers of seedlings concerned scientists and the National Park Service. So, in a historic step, the agency, for the first time, has begun replanting some severely burned areas. With a life span of thousands of years, the new seedlings will grow up in a climate that’s rapidly changing. So, park officials are bringing in seedlings from other sequoia groves, ones that may have the genetic tools to handle a more hostile future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991565\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991565\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"1305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-800x803.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-1020x1024.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-160x161.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/triptych-copy_custom-aba63a380fe8b5154c5bbefa59a5d34391c14706-s1300-c85-768x771.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With so many ancient trees killed, the National Park Service has sprouted hundreds of sequoia seedlings to replant the severely burned areas, along with other species normally found there like white fir and sugar pines. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The project has run into opposition. A handful of conservation groups are suing to halt the effort, arguing that such intervention shouldn’t occur in an area designated as federal wilderness and that the sequoia trees could possibly regenerate adequately on their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate is one occurring on public lands across the country as the impacts of climate change get worse. Land managers face a key question: As humans take an increasing toll on natural landscapes, how far should we go to fix it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991551\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991551\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0143-4701444110d81d883803d7f55e030103ea55df99-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sequoia National Park was created in 1890 to protect the mammoth trees for the public. Along with Kings Canyon National Park, the two parks are home to about 40% of all sequoias. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A carpet of green\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hopeful signs have emerged in the wake of the KNP Complex Fire, which tore through Sequoia National Park in 2021. The forest floor is still scorched black, but in some areas, thousands of lime-green sequoia seedlings have sprung up a few inches high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s awesome,” says Christy Brigham, chief of resources management and science at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “This is what has happened for millennia.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lifecycle of sequoias is bound to fire. The massive trees, often 15 feet around, are protected from the heat by a thick, shaggy bark. Their lowest branches are far from the forest floor, reducing the chances they’ll ignite when smaller trees burn. And when a fire’s heat rises, the sequoias’ cones open up, releasing thousands of seeds. Those seeds sprout quickly in the newly cleared soil below their parent trees. Most of the seedlings will die, eventually leaving only one or two giant trees centuries from now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991566\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991566 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/sap_1_custom-3e6531fb937b4d33bb53fd0ded107ff441cb96f7-s1300-c85-768x253.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some areas of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks show a carpet of green — thousands of sequoia seedlings poking a few inches above the ground. In more severely burned areas, there are fewer emerging from the soil. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Lots of bad things are going to happen to these,” Brigham says, looking down at the carpet of green. “Another fire, fire after fire, before they get that big. Dead trees are going to fall on them. So they make a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>High above, the thousand-year-old sequoias in this part of Redwood Mountain Grove are still alive, their broccoli-shaped tops still green. The fire burned at low or moderate intensity here because the forest floor was relatively clear of brush and other vegetation that could burn. National Park Service crews had previously done prescribed burns, purposely using fire to remove the dry, dead fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991567\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991567\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0097_custom-4221da9369a4b356244c27dca988397cdbe1d694-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sequoia trees are susceptible to heat and drought, conditions that are expected to get more extreme as the climate keeps changing. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Gates of Mordor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Farther down the trail, it’s a different story. Many of the giant sequoias have little or no green foliage left, their bare, jagged branches rising high above the rest of the forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have now arrived at the location we call the Gates of Mordor,” Brigham says. “These trees are not coming back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The KNP Complex Fire roared up this sequoia grove in less than a day. Fire crews made a last-ditch effort to save some of the enormous trees, clearing the vegetation around them as the flames moved in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was horrible,” Brigham says. “I don’t think I’ve cried so much in my entire life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991568\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0086_custom-25e1a08104985a1944cd691c3b94db2c2791b3f0-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smaller pines and other trees, killed in California’s extreme droughts, acted as kindling in recent wildfires, fueling the intense burning. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The forest here was primed to burn. Historically, the Sierra Nevada saw regular low-grade wildfires caused by lightning strikes and set by Native American tribes \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along\">who shaped the landscape through controlled burning\u003c/a>. But for the last century, humans have extinguished wildfires, allowing dead and dry vegetation to build up on the forest floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Extreme drought, exacerbated by climate change, has also led to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1088646\">millions of smaller trees dying\u003c/a> in recent years. Water-stressed pines and other trees were more vulnerable to attacks from bark beetles. Researchers found that the \u003ca href=\"https://news.uci.edu/2023/09/25/uc-irvine-scientists-reveal-what-fuels-wildfires-in-sierra-nevada-mountains/\">dead trees acted as kindling, contributing to the extreme heat\u003c/a> and intensity of the KNP Complex Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with two other extreme fires in 2020–21, between \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/2021-fire-season-impacts-to-giant-sequoias.htm\">13% and 19% of all giant sequoias were killed\u003c/a>, up to more than 14,000 trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991569\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/following1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christy Brigham walks through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have never seen anything like this in giant sequoia,” Brigham says. “Large giant sequoias, before now, survived wildfire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With so many giant trees gone, teams from several federal agencies turned to another key issue: the next generation of sequoias. They surveyed how many seedlings are growing below the burned trees. \u003ca href=\"https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/5433/\">Two\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/5457/\">studies\u003c/a> from scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey found that some of the severely burned areas have lower densities of sequoia seedlings compared to the numbers found after previous fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brigham says it’s possible that too many sequoia cones and their seeds burned up in the fire. But with fewer adult trees left alive to make seeds in the future, there’s a risk some of this sequoia grove won’t come back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These parks were in part established to conserve sequoias,” Brigham says. “What would it mean for that mission if we did nothing here?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991570\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991570\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9920_custom-51f8b8e47a06557d1b51bf3d56ece980a640df23-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mules and horses are stationed at a trailhead to help transport seedlings deep into the park. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A replanting effort begins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the late afternoon, a line of mules winds its way through the burned sequoia grove. On their backs, they carry boxes of sequoia seedlings deep into the backcountry. A crew from the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps takes the seedlings on the last steps of their journey, searching for planting spots that offer some protection from the upcoming summer heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Planting sequoias, that’s a legacy thing. Something we were all stoked to do that will transcend after us,” says crew member Micah Craig.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991571\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-800x367.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-1020x468.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/dip2_custom-73668552806d16ffb0c6dacae938e5f448bd74e8-s1300-c85-768x352.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Micah Craig and a team from the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps replant sequoia seedlings. Some are from groves already experiencing hotter, drier conditions, which could give them a better shot at withstanding climate change. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most of these sequoia seedlings were grown from seeds collected from this same grove. But 20% come from seeds collected from other groves. Sequoia seedlings are vulnerable to heat and drought, conditions that will get more extreme as the climate keeps changing. With that in mind, managers selected seeds from groves at lower elevations that already naturally live in hotter conditions. The idea is to increase the genetic diversity in case those trees are better adapted to a hotter, drier future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the ability to give this grove a little bit of a bigger toolkit for adapting to changing conditions, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Brigham says. “We’re asking a lot of these trees to survive for 400 years, 1,000 years, and they can do it, but let’s give them a little help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991572\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991572\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a9959-2_custom-e9b7b11a792ea7cf1dc6e8b853ed55ebbbfb0a4d-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mule train delivers boxes of sequoia seedlings through shrubs that have sprung up in the wake of the KNP Complex Fire. Sequoia seedlings do best in the first few years after a fire when there’s little vegetation to shade them out. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The technique, known as “assisted gene flow,” has been used in a handful of cases already to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2110559118\">help coral survive a hotter climate\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanforests.org/article/the-race-to-save-the-whitebark-pine/\">whitebark pine trees resist disease\u003c/a>. It’s part of a larger toolkit land managers are beginning to consider as ecosystems struggle to keep up with climate change. The National Park Service has developed a new framework for considering when to intervene, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/resistacceptdirect.htm\">“resist, accept, or direct\u003c/a>,” acknowledging that some ecosystems will need help to resist changes, while in others, change may be inevitable.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lawsuit filed to stop replanting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A group of four conservation groups \u003ca href=\"https://wildernesswatch.org/lawsuit-filed-to-protect-seki\">is suing to halt the project\u003c/a>, contending that because the sequoia groves are protected under the federal Wilderness Act, a higher level of intervention isn’t appropriate. They argue that having wilderness protection means the land should remain untouched, even if that means losing sequoias there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to allow nature some places where human beings aren’t trying to be the managers, aren’t trying to be the gardeners,” says George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, one of the groups that filed suit. “Because we’re the ones that messed it up, it doesn’t flow that we’re the ones to fix it. That’s that sort of arrogance of humanism, if you will. That’s when we need to learn to step back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1991573\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a9967_custom-bd62b7ff8767a0ef8b596749df9464c66cc5b2af-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wilderness Act specifies that protected areas should be “untrammeled by man.” That framing has frustrated Native American tribes in California, which shaped the landscape for millennia with cultural, or prescribed, burning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Park Service doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits. But \u003ca href=\"https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=342&projectID=107200&documentID=131953\">in public documents\u003c/a>, it responded that language in the Wilderness Act mandates that the land be “protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions,” and the act doesn’t infringe on the agency’s responsibility to preserve the ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The conservation groups’ lawsuit also contends that sequoias in severely burned areas could regenerate on their own. Sequoia seedlings tend to do best in places that have burned more intensely since it clears out vegetation that shades the forest floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not worried about it because the system is massively and redundantly resilient to these sorts of disturbances,” says Chad Hanson, director of the John Muir Project, another group that joined the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991574\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991574\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/0b6a0009_custom-fc1a11c18f2b2a5a05261042cce54f2e69a42616-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“These parks were in part established to conserve sequoias,” says Christy Brigham of the National Park Service. “What would it mean for that mission if we did nothing here?” \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hanson contends that any number of sequoia seedlings, no matter how low, is adequate for the groves to endure into the future. However, numerous scientific studies show that sequoia seedlings have high rates of mortality over the first few centuries of life, with more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47941096#page/20/mode/1up\">90% dying in the first 20 years alone\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In proposing the project, the National Park Service says climate change poses an even greater risk that sequoia seedlings will struggle to get established. Hanson says he’d prefer that the park service monitor the seedlings’ survival before making a decision to replant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I would say is if they start dying at high levels, which is inconsistent with the data we’ve had up until this point, then I would have to evaluate my assumptions and maybe would need to do something there,” Hanson says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991575\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991575\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1300\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85.jpg 1300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/d9a0176-2_custom-564d5e3fb2efba9cd39533185311d638efd8c740-s1300-c85-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Light streams through the trees in Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. \u003ccite>(Ryan Kellman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The debate is a sign of the increasingly complex decisions land managers are facing in a hotter climate. In the face of unprecedented impacts, the risk of losing species only worsens. Managers have to weigh bigger and bigger human interventions if they seek to preserve what’s left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brigham says that as one of the largest and longest-living species on the planet, giant sequoia trees are forcing that conversation to happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You cannot look at them without thinking about 1,000 years in the future,” Brigham says. “They demand better of us. And I think we need that. We need those species that are being impacted by climate change that we love to be, like, hey, I think you can do better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Wildfires+are+killing+California%27s+ancient+giants.+Can+seedlings+save+the+species%3F&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>California oil and gas regulators have formally released \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Pages/Oil,-Gas,-and-Geothermal-Rulemaking-and-Laws.aspx\">their plan\u003c/a> to phase out fracking three years after essentially halting new permits for the practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Documents/1.%20WST%20Text%20of%20the%20Regulation.pdf\">wrote that they would not approve (PDF)\u003c/a> applications for permits for well stimulation treatments like fracking to “\u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Documents/3.%20WST%20Initial%20Statement%20of%20Reasons.pdf\">prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources (PDF)\u003c/a>” in addition to protecting public health and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/04/23/governor-newsom-takes-action-to-phase-out-oil-extraction-in-california/\">in a statement in 2021\u003c/a> when he initiated regulatory action to phase out new fracking permits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hydraulic fracturing injects liquids, mostly water, underground at high pressure to extract oil or gas. Oil companies say fracking has been done safely for years under state regulation and that a ban should come from the Legislature, not a state agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Chirag Bhakta, California director, Food & Water Watch\"]‘Fracking is a very dangerous, climate-change-accelerating, water-polluting, earthquake-causing process. … We’re really happy that California is finally taking the formal steps to officially ban some fracking in the state.’[/pullquote]“These things truly exceed the limits of CalGEM’s legal authority,” said Kevin Slagle, vice president of strategy and communications at the Western States Petroleum Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Slagle said the policy would include trade-offs for the state’s energy supplies. “They have been rapidly shrinking under this administration. And when you shrink supplies, that typically means higher costs for consumers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, environmental groups say fracking pollutes groundwater and the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fracking is a very dangerous, climate-change-accelerating, water-polluting, earthquake-causing process,” said Chirag Bhakta, California director at the environmental group Food & Water Watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really happy that California is finally taking the formal steps to officially ban some fracking in the state,” Bhakta said. But he said the proposed regulations do not address other widely-used well-stimulation methods such as steam injection fracking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This move will likely rekindle a longstanding debate over whether to continue producing oil in Kern County, where most of the state’s fracking occurs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Documents/4.%20WST%20Standardized%20Regulatory%20Impact%20Assessment.pdf\">State analysis (PDF)\u003c/a> said the new plan would hurt the county’s economy and significantly lower their property tax revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Maricruz Ramirez, a community organizer with the nonprofit Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, who is based in Kern County, applauded the move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fracking has long posed a threat to public health, clean air, and water. Banning it in California prioritizes communities over the oil industry, especially in Kern County,” Ramirez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has not approved fracking permits in the last three years, and oil and gas representatives say the state agency has overstepped its authority and that a ban on fracking should be in the hands of the Legislature instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The public can comment on the proposal until 11:50 p.m. on March 27. Comments can be submitted by email to calgemregulations@conservation.ca.gov or by mail to the Department of Conservation, 715 P Street, MS 19-07 Sacramento, CA 95814, ATTN: Well Stimulation Permitting Phase-Out.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. on March 26. You can register \u003ca href=\"https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9zermeFDRJGhlZLJpLZrAA\">here\u003c/a> or join by telephone:\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003cem>404-443-6397 (English), \u003c/em>\u003cem>877-336-1831 (English), Conf Code: 148676 \u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>888-455-1820 (Español), Código: 3167375\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California oil and gas regulators have formally released \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Pages/Oil,-Gas,-and-Geothermal-Rulemaking-and-Laws.aspx\">their plan\u003c/a> to phase out fracking three years after essentially halting new permits for the practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Documents/1.%20WST%20Text%20of%20the%20Regulation.pdf\">wrote that they would not approve (PDF)\u003c/a> applications for permits for well stimulation treatments like fracking to “\u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Documents/3.%20WST%20Initial%20Statement%20of%20Reasons.pdf\">prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources (PDF)\u003c/a>” in addition to protecting public health and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/04/23/governor-newsom-takes-action-to-phase-out-oil-extraction-in-california/\">in a statement in 2021\u003c/a> when he initiated regulatory action to phase out new fracking permits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hydraulic fracturing injects liquids, mostly water, underground at high pressure to extract oil or gas. Oil companies say fracking has been done safely for years under state regulation and that a ban should come from the Legislature, not a state agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“These things truly exceed the limits of CalGEM’s legal authority,” said Kevin Slagle, vice president of strategy and communications at the Western States Petroleum Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Slagle said the policy would include trade-offs for the state’s energy supplies. “They have been rapidly shrinking under this administration. And when you shrink supplies, that typically means higher costs for consumers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, environmental groups say fracking pollutes groundwater and the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fracking is a very dangerous, climate-change-accelerating, water-polluting, earthquake-causing process,” said Chirag Bhakta, California director at the environmental group Food & Water Watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really happy that California is finally taking the formal steps to officially ban some fracking in the state,” Bhakta said. But he said the proposed regulations do not address other widely-used well-stimulation methods such as steam injection fracking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This move will likely rekindle a longstanding debate over whether to continue producing oil in Kern County, where most of the state’s fracking occurs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Documents/4.%20WST%20Standardized%20Regulatory%20Impact%20Assessment.pdf\">State analysis (PDF)\u003c/a> said the new plan would hurt the county’s economy and significantly lower their property tax revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Maricruz Ramirez, a community organizer with the nonprofit Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, who is based in Kern County, applauded the move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fracking has long posed a threat to public health, clean air, and water. Banning it in California prioritizes communities over the oil industry, especially in Kern County,” Ramirez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has not approved fracking permits in the last three years, and oil and gas representatives say the state agency has overstepped its authority and that a ban on fracking should be in the hands of the Legislature instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The public can comment on the proposal until 11:50 p.m. on March 27. Comments can be submitted by email to calgemregulations@conservation.ca.gov or by mail to the Department of Conservation, 715 P Street, MS 19-07 Sacramento, CA 95814, ATTN: Well Stimulation Permitting Phase-Out.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. on March 26. You can register \u003ca href=\"https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9zermeFDRJGhlZLJpLZrAA\">here\u003c/a> or join by telephone:\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003cem>404-443-6397 (English), \u003c/em>\u003cem>877-336-1831 (English), Conf Code: 148676 \u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>888-455-1820 (Español), Código: 3167375\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "California Solar Customers, Industry Brace for Impact of Reduced State Incentives",
"headTitle": "California Solar Customers, Industry Brace for Impact of Reduced State Incentives | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Caitlin Quinn remembers seeing the first solar panels go up in Petaluma City Schools as a high school student. The panels helped “normalize” green energy and were a learning opportunity, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Quinn is the school district’s board president, where she is exploring opportunities to install more solar. Already, solar energy accounts for between about 40% and 70% of energy use per campus. But she’s worried that a state decision to reduce rooftop solar incentives could drive up costs and hurt the district’s efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Is it better to keep investing in solar when it saves less money or pay our teachers enough so they can afford to live in Sonoma County?” she said. “These are not decisions we want to be making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Caitlin Quinn, board president, Petaluma City Schools\"]‘Is it better to keep investing in solar when it saves less money or pay our teachers enough so they can afford to live in Sonoma County? These are not decisions we want to be making.’[/pullquote]Starting Valentine’s Day, a controversial new rate will take effect across California, reducing the cost savings of installing solar for customers with more than one electric meter, a category that includes many schools, apartment buildings and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New customers will be credited about 80% less for the energy they produce and sell back to the grid, according to solar advocates. Additionally, most non-residential customers with more than one meter will be charged for the electricity they consume at full retail price, even during the sunny hours when their equipment is generating power. Meanwhile, the solar energy they generate is sold back to their provider at a reduced rate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, the California Public Utilities Commission assumes that electricity generated by solar homes is used on-site and doesn’t require customers to be charged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solar advocates said that these changes will further drive down demand for solar, putting additional strain on an industry that has suffered since a similar policy went into effect for homeowners last April. These changes could also threaten the state’s efforts to meet its goal of 100% clean power by 2045, solar advocates said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is sabotaging its clean energy goals with this decision,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC, on the other hand, described the changes as an effort to “modernize” solar regulations. (The regulatory agency did not respond to questions sent by KQED and instead directed the publication to two \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M520/K893/520893708.PDF\">press\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/energy-division/documents/net-energy-metering-nem/nemrevisit/vnem-pd-fact-sheet-update-111323.pdf\">releases [PDFs]\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11963769,news_11969614,science_1985611\"]The commission has in the past argued that the reduced rates better reflect the true value that solar customers provide to the grid and could temper the state’s soaring electricity bills, which are some of the highest in the country. The changes are also designed to incentivize customers to install battery storage, which could bolster grid reliability, the commission said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Energy experts said these goals have merit: “In order to achieve our renewable goals, we need to build a lot of solar, period,” said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “But we need to make sure we do it in a way that’s fair and equitable for all Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara said the previous rates did not reflect the cost solar customers impose on the grid by using it as a “giant battery” — feeding power into it in the daytime and taking it out at night. He said the old incentives shifted costs onto customers without solar, contributing to rate increases, which disproportionately affect Californians with lower incomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Commission officials’ rationale has not appeased the broad coalition of groups that assembled to oppose the new regulations, which regulators unanimously approved in November and are taking effect after a 90-day grace period. Climate advocacy groups, farmers, school districts and elected officials all \u003ca href=\"https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/california-makes-it-harder-for-schools-farms-and-rental-housing-to-go-solar\">wrote\u003c/a> to regulators in advance of the decision, detailing the ways the changes would hurt their ability to install solar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Unified School District Board President Sam Davis said the district’s goal of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2030 and completing new school construction and renovation with high environmental standards is a “no-brainer.” But the new rates, he said, will make it harder to afford additional solar panels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels very hypocritical,” he said of the state’s latest policy change. “We say we’re about building a green economy and addressing climate change, but then we’re not supporting school districts’ ability to put in green infrastructure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reduced incentives could also exacerbate the challenges facing California’s strained solar industry. The California Solar and Storage Association estimates that about 17,000 solar workers lost their jobs by the end of 2023 after a similar rate structure went into effect for single-meter customers in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These layoffs are continuing into the New Year. San Francisco-based solar company Sunrun, one of the largest solar installers in the country, laid off 88 workers in California in January, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act filings. This follows the company laying off roughly 1,000 direct employees in California in the second half of 2023, according to Sunrun’s vice president of public policy, Walker Wright.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Sam Davis, board president, Oakland Unified School District\"]‘It feels very hypocritical. We say we’re about building a green economy and addressing climate change, but then we’re not supporting school districts’ ability to put in green infrastructure.’[/pullquote]Del Chiaro said the latest decision would especially affect solar businesses that specialize in commercial installations, which she estimates constitute about a third of California’s solar industry. She anticipates that the industry will see layoffs rise again in the summer after these companies work through the backlog of projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve decimated that market going forward,” she said, adding that she is concerned about the impact the decision will have on the state’s climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These climate concerns were shared by the school district officials and others who have spoken out against the changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC \u003ca href=\"https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/california-ups-renewables-target-again-with-new-plan-to-add-85gw-by-2035\">aims\u003c/a> to add about 86,000 megawatts of electric resources to the grid by 2035, which would more than double the state’s existing capacity. Of that total, the plan calls for about 39,000 megawatts of solar power and 28,000 megawatts of battery storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara, the Stanford researcher, was more reserved in his judgment. He said the state needed to set a rate structure that incentivized more storage, but it is not yet clear whether they struck the right balance between promoting increased storage and energy generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s too soon to know,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was reported in partnership with \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://biglocalnews.org/content/about/\">\u003cem>Big Local News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Stanford University.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Caitlin Quinn remembers seeing the first solar panels go up in Petaluma City Schools as a high school student. The panels helped “normalize” green energy and were a learning opportunity, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Quinn is the school district’s board president, where she is exploring opportunities to install more solar. Already, solar energy accounts for between about 40% and 70% of energy use per campus. But she’s worried that a state decision to reduce rooftop solar incentives could drive up costs and hurt the district’s efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Is it better to keep investing in solar when it saves less money or pay our teachers enough so they can afford to live in Sonoma County?” she said. “These are not decisions we want to be making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Starting Valentine’s Day, a controversial new rate will take effect across California, reducing the cost savings of installing solar for customers with more than one electric meter, a category that includes many schools, apartment buildings and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New customers will be credited about 80% less for the energy they produce and sell back to the grid, according to solar advocates. Additionally, most non-residential customers with more than one meter will be charged for the electricity they consume at full retail price, even during the sunny hours when their equipment is generating power. Meanwhile, the solar energy they generate is sold back to their provider at a reduced rate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, the California Public Utilities Commission assumes that electricity generated by solar homes is used on-site and doesn’t require customers to be charged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solar advocates said that these changes will further drive down demand for solar, putting additional strain on an industry that has suffered since a similar policy went into effect for homeowners last April. These changes could also threaten the state’s efforts to meet its goal of 100% clean power by 2045, solar advocates said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is sabotaging its clean energy goals with this decision,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC, on the other hand, described the changes as an effort to “modernize” solar regulations. (The regulatory agency did not respond to questions sent by KQED and instead directed the publication to two \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M520/K893/520893708.PDF\">press\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/energy-division/documents/net-energy-metering-nem/nemrevisit/vnem-pd-fact-sheet-update-111323.pdf\">releases [PDFs]\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The commission has in the past argued that the reduced rates better reflect the true value that solar customers provide to the grid and could temper the state’s soaring electricity bills, which are some of the highest in the country. The changes are also designed to incentivize customers to install battery storage, which could bolster grid reliability, the commission said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Energy experts said these goals have merit: “In order to achieve our renewable goals, we need to build a lot of solar, period,” said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “But we need to make sure we do it in a way that’s fair and equitable for all Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara said the previous rates did not reflect the cost solar customers impose on the grid by using it as a “giant battery” — feeding power into it in the daytime and taking it out at night. He said the old incentives shifted costs onto customers without solar, contributing to rate increases, which disproportionately affect Californians with lower incomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Commission officials’ rationale has not appeased the broad coalition of groups that assembled to oppose the new regulations, which regulators unanimously approved in November and are taking effect after a 90-day grace period. Climate advocacy groups, farmers, school districts and elected officials all \u003ca href=\"https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/california-makes-it-harder-for-schools-farms-and-rental-housing-to-go-solar\">wrote\u003c/a> to regulators in advance of the decision, detailing the ways the changes would hurt their ability to install solar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Unified School District Board President Sam Davis said the district’s goal of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2030 and completing new school construction and renovation with high environmental standards is a “no-brainer.” But the new rates, he said, will make it harder to afford additional solar panels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels very hypocritical,” he said of the state’s latest policy change. “We say we’re about building a green economy and addressing climate change, but then we’re not supporting school districts’ ability to put in green infrastructure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reduced incentives could also exacerbate the challenges facing California’s strained solar industry. The California Solar and Storage Association estimates that about 17,000 solar workers lost their jobs by the end of 2023 after a similar rate structure went into effect for single-meter customers in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These layoffs are continuing into the New Year. San Francisco-based solar company Sunrun, one of the largest solar installers in the country, laid off 88 workers in California in January, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act filings. This follows the company laying off roughly 1,000 direct employees in California in the second half of 2023, according to Sunrun’s vice president of public policy, Walker Wright.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘It feels very hypocritical. We say we’re about building a green economy and addressing climate change, but then we’re not supporting school districts’ ability to put in green infrastructure.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Del Chiaro said the latest decision would especially affect solar businesses that specialize in commercial installations, which she estimates constitute about a third of California’s solar industry. She anticipates that the industry will see layoffs rise again in the summer after these companies work through the backlog of projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve decimated that market going forward,” she said, adding that she is concerned about the impact the decision will have on the state’s climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These climate concerns were shared by the school district officials and others who have spoken out against the changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC \u003ca href=\"https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/california-ups-renewables-target-again-with-new-plan-to-add-85gw-by-2035\">aims\u003c/a> to add about 86,000 megawatts of electric resources to the grid by 2035, which would more than double the state’s existing capacity. Of that total, the plan calls for about 39,000 megawatts of solar power and 28,000 megawatts of battery storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara, the Stanford researcher, was more reserved in his judgment. He said the state needed to set a rate structure that incentivized more storage, but it is not yet clear whether they struck the right balance between promoting increased storage and energy generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s too soon to know,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was reported in partnership with \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://biglocalnews.org/content/about/\">\u003cem>Big Local News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Stanford University.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "From Richmond to Gaza: Bay Area Environmentalists Speak Out Against the War",
"headTitle": "From Richmond to Gaza: Bay Area Environmentalists Speak Out Against the War | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>It has been more than 120 days now since the start of Israel’s bombing of Gaza, following an attack by Hamas that began on Oct. 7.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The death toll in Gaza is now more than \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-02-05-2024-dd005061f9925525c56ea460ab5c9e77#:~:text=The%20offensive%20in%20Gaza%20that,ruled%20territory's%20Health%20Ministry%20reported.\">27,400 people\u003c/a> — NPR reports that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/01/14/1224674017/100-days-of-war-23-000-killed-in-gaza-with-over-60-of-homes-destroyed\">most of the dead are women and children, citing Gaza health officials\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-1-26-2024-49a168140cbca3778095e8fb437aba37\">Approximately 1,200 people in Israel have been killed since the beginning of this tragedy\u003c/a>.[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"gaza\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 25, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-10-25/california-city-first-in-nation-to-support-palestinians-in-gaza-with-resolution-accusing-israel-of-ethnic-cleansing\">Richmond city council was the first city in the U.S. to call for a Gaza cease-fire resolution\u003c/a>. In late November, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968400/oakland-city-council-set-to-vote-on-gaza-cease-fire-resolution\">Oakland’s leaders voted unanimously on their own resolution\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971971/san-francisco-is-considering-a-gaza-cease-fire-resolution-what-is-a-resolution\">followed by supervisors in San Francisco\u003c/a>. While much of the debate around these measures has centered on the horrors of the war and the loss of life, Bay Area’s climate and environmental leaders — both in the streets and in elected positions — have been at the center of the push for these solidarity resolutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two Bay Area environmental organizations — the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Communities for Better Environment (CBE) in Richmond — were integral in organizing the effort in Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They argued that on top of the loss of life, war has tremendous impacts on our climate and environment. “Global militaries are the world’s largest industrial polluters,” said Keala Uchoa, Richmond youth organizer at CBE in Richmond, pointing to a recent study that shows that \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/emissions-gaza-israel-hamas-war-climate-change\">militaries account for almost 5.5% of global greenhouse emissions annually\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991349\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991349 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Three activists wearing white masks hold up a black banner that reads "No more California money for Israel's crimes." \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-1920x1277.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keala Uchoa and others stand behind a banner that reads ‘Ceasefire Now.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of APEN)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>People in Gaza are already vulnerable to the effects of climate change, she argued, \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021RG000762\">and live in a region that is warming twice as fast as the global average\u003c/a>. On top of that, bombs are destroying farmland and carbon sinks like forests that purify the air. “All of those things compound to create a very deadly climate [and] environmental situation,” Uchoa added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Hayward Councilmember George Syrop\"]“Why do we spend years and millions of taxpayer dollars trying to fight climate change, just to have Israel’s bombs that we pay for emit more CO2 than 20 countries combined, accelerating an unlivable future for all of us.”[/pullquote]On Jan. 23, the Hayward City Council voted to divest its shares of companies with ties to Israel, including Caterpillar, Chevron, Hyundai and Intel. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/hayward-divest-shares-four-companies-business-18628705.php\">Hayward is the first city in the Bay Area to take such a measure\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Syrop lobbied for it and made an environmental case. “Why do we spend years and millions of taxpayer dollars trying to fight climate change, just to have Israel’s bombs that we pay for emit more CO2 than 20 countries combined, accelerating an unlivable future for all of us,” he said, \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4684768\">referring to a recent estimate led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientists calculated the carbon emissions from aircraft, tanks and fuel from other vehicles and emissions generated from the manufacturing and detonation of bombs, artillery and rockets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As Hayward being a climate forward city, I don’t know why we’re investing in Chevron in the first place,” Syrop said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From Richmond to Gaza: fighting for environmental justice\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Richmond resident Katherine Lee comes from a family of refugees who fled the Laotian War.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her family’s history is one reason she joined in organizing for the call for a cease-fire back in October. Those experiences are “very real for what’s happening in Palestine,” too, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee is a senior Richmond youth organizer at APEN. Her family’s history is only part of it. Lee grew up around the Chevron refinery in Richmond, one of the largest polluters in the state, breathing the fumes it releases into the air. “It’s just a constant thing in our environment that we have to really fight [for],” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chevron is also \u003ca href=\"https://israel.chevron.com/en/our-businesses\">one of the largest energy companies to work in Israel\u003c/a>, bringing the government \u003ca href=\"https://israel.chevron.com/en/our-businesses/natural-gas\">billions of dollars in revenue annually\u003c/a>. APEN has called for a \u003ca href=\"https://bdsmovement.net/news/bds-movement-calls-for-consumer-boycott-chevron-branded-gas-stations\">boycott of Chevron\u003c/a> locally, saying it is a fight for the environmental rights of both Richmond residents and Palestinians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility released nearly 3 million metric tons of planet-warming gas emissions in 2022, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/greenhouse-gas-emissions-18531155.php\">analysis from the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollutants released by refineries can cause \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524223/\">respiratory problems and chronic health issues.\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://clear.ucsf.edu/reach\">A UCSF-led community health assessment of Richmond found\u003c/a> that the childhood asthma rate in Richmond is \u003ca href=\"https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5207\">double the national average\u003c/a>. People with existing heart or lung disease, diabetes, older adults, children, and people of lower socio-economic status have a greater risk of particle pollution health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991347\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991347 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman holds a microphone and wears a yellow sweatshirt. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katherine Lee, APEN youth organizer, speaks at an action. \u003ccite>(Jen Rocha)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our local fights for environmental justice and destabilizing Chevron and ultimately decommissioning the refinery are connected to international solidarity work with Indigenous people, including the Indigenous people of Palestine,” Uchoa said. “There’s a sacred relationship between Indigenous people and the land that they belong to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not only are we losing thousands and thousands of human beings, but we’re also losing so many knowledge bearers of the land and of culture. And the land is feeling that,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Feb. 3, hundreds of protesters marched in front of the Chevron facility in Richmond to call for a cease-fire in Gaza and for the company to divest from Israel. They’re asking for the public to boycott Chevron fuel until they do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement responding to the protest, Chevron said it respects the rights of individuals to express their viewpoints peacefully.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aisha Mansour is Palestinian from a small village called Al-Walaja in the West Bank. She currently lives in Oakland, but some of her family still reside in Palestine. Mansour was one of the “Bay Bridge 78” protesters who \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/dozens-of-protesters-stop-traffic-on-bay-bridge/3373428/\">shut down the westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge on Nov. 16, demanding a cease-fire\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Aisha Mansour, communications director, Honor the Earth\"]“They got it. They got that it was bigger than them. And that was amazing.”[/pullquote]“That was an amazingly powerful day. Not just because of what we’re able to accomplish, but also just the massive amount of support from people that we were able to feel,” said Mansour, communications director at Honor the Earth, an Indigenous-led environmental organization known for their advocacy against fossil fuel pipelines. “I didn’t expect it. I thought people would be frustrated, maybe rightfully so. But they got it. They got that it was bigger than them. And that was amazing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mansour is motivated, in part, by the impact the war has had on her community. In December, she attended a funeral for seven people killed by a bomb in Gaza, family members of one of her Palestinian community members in the Bay Area. “Our families are being killed,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991343\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1170px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2.jpg 1170w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aisha Mansour speaks at a Bay Bridge 78 press conference in San Francisco in December. \u003ccite>(Savannah Kuang)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Legacies of past war and conflicts\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The environmental impacts of war often lead to the displacement of people, whether it’s in Gaza, where Palestinians are relocating to the south of the territory, or Vietnam, Iraq and Ukraine. “You have the immediate contamination of the sites where fighting occurs,” said Logan Hennessy, a professor in the School of Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University. “But then you also have the exodus of people. And the exodus also creates other environmental issues and problems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Ukraine, Russian attacks on industrial sites, including factories, fuel depots, and nuclear power facilities with potential radioactive waste storage, \u003ca href=\"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/toxic-legacy-ukraine-war\">could result in water contamination that might linger for decades or even centuries\u003c/a>, said Hennessy, who teaches classes on international development and resource justice, as well as forest ecology and conservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Keala Uchoa, Richmond youth organizer, CBE in Richmond\"]“Our local fights for environmental justice and destabilizing Chevron and ultimately decommissioning the refinery are connected to international solidarity work with Indigenous people, including the Indigenous people of Palestine.”[/pullquote]The U.S. used chemicals such as Agent Orange in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia during the Vietnam War to defoliate millions of acres of forests and farmland. This was not only harmful to the environment, it \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594243/\">also could have caused cancer, birth disorders, and life-threatening health complications\u003c/a> for generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similarly, Israel’s use of \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/12/11/israel-us-white-phosphorus-lebanon/\">white phosphorus in the recent bombardment in Gaza\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/white-phosphorus\">not only burns the flesh of humans it touches\u003c/a>, but these chemicals will contaminate the soil for decades and are also an air pollutant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the case of Gaza, these displacements can strain vital resources like food, water and medicine as millions of Palestinians relocate. “You have a second wave of environmental impacts that then have cascading effects,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It makes sense that organizing efforts for moving towards better, cleaner, and more just environments here in the Bay Area have solidarity with other communities facing similar problems anywhere, Hennessy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not going to achieve any kind of progress, environmentally speaking, in terms of climate change by just focusing on only local issues,” he added. “The movement here for environmental justice is deeply connected to any kind of continued environmental impact we see anywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991352\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991352 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with a white mask on stands in front of a black banner and infront of a sign that says cease fire now. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Ayesha-Abbasi-state-organizer-1920x1277.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ayesha Abbasi, APEN state organizer holding up a banner that reads ‘Ceasefire Now.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of APEN)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>History of Bay Area environmental movements against war\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Environmental organizations, such as APEN, have been involved in anti-war efforts long before the war in Gaza. The group made activism against what they described as former President George Bush’s “war agenda” in Iraq and Afghanistan central to their environmental campaigns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"http://archive.apen4ej.org/download/2002%20APEN%20annual%20report.pdf\">annual report from the organization about the Iraq war in 2003 (PDF)\u003c/a> stated that APEN’s “longer-term agenda for environmental justice that ensures basic needs such as housing are met, that rights of workers, women, girls, are valued and addressed, decision-making rests in the many, rather than an elite few. Our work is both global and local.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Logan Hennessy, professor, School of Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University\"]“The movement here for environmental justice is deeply connected to any kind of continued environmental impact we see anywhere.”[/pullquote]\u003ca href=\"http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/sayno/endorsers.html\">A few other Bay Area environmental organizations opposed the Iraq War\u003c/a>, including San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://podersf.org/\">People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economical Rights (PODER)\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://treesfoundation.org/partner-groups/bay-area-coalition-for-headwaters/\">Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://dhventures.com/West_about_us.htm\">West County Toxics Coalition\u003c/a> in Contra Costa County, and more. In 2008, \u003ca href=\"https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/05/25/18502090.php\">these organizations participated in anti-war protests at Chevron in San Ramon\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/sayno/sierraclubpresident.html\">Sierra Club opposed an invasion of Iraq in 2003\u003c/a>. While Bay Area environmental organizations like APEN and CBE are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, noting the destruction the war is causing to humans and the environment, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/california\">Sierra Club in California\u003c/a> has not taken any stance on the matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been incredibly disappointing to see the continued silence of some of the bigger green organizations like Sierra Club and others that have a really strong influence in Washington,” said Ayesha Abbasi, state organizer at APEN.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Club in California did not respond to an email asking for a statement about the war.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Abbasi, ensuring that everyone can live in a healthy environment where they can thrive should be the vision for the future, “whether it’s in Palestine or Richmond,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Bay Area’s climate and environmental leaders — both in the streets and in elected positions — have been at the center of the push for cease-fire resolutions. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It has been more than 120 days now since the start of Israel’s bombing of Gaza, following an attack by Hamas that began on Oct. 7.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The death toll in Gaza is now more than \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-02-05-2024-dd005061f9925525c56ea460ab5c9e77#:~:text=The%20offensive%20in%20Gaza%20that,ruled%20territory's%20Health%20Ministry%20reported.\">27,400 people\u003c/a> — NPR reports that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/01/14/1224674017/100-days-of-war-23-000-killed-in-gaza-with-over-60-of-homes-destroyed\">most of the dead are women and children, citing Gaza health officials\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-1-26-2024-49a168140cbca3778095e8fb437aba37\">Approximately 1,200 people in Israel have been killed since the beginning of this tragedy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 25, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-10-25/california-city-first-in-nation-to-support-palestinians-in-gaza-with-resolution-accusing-israel-of-ethnic-cleansing\">Richmond city council was the first city in the U.S. to call for a Gaza cease-fire resolution\u003c/a>. In late November, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968400/oakland-city-council-set-to-vote-on-gaza-cease-fire-resolution\">Oakland’s leaders voted unanimously on their own resolution\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971971/san-francisco-is-considering-a-gaza-cease-fire-resolution-what-is-a-resolution\">followed by supervisors in San Francisco\u003c/a>. While much of the debate around these measures has centered on the horrors of the war and the loss of life, Bay Area’s climate and environmental leaders — both in the streets and in elected positions — have been at the center of the push for these solidarity resolutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two Bay Area environmental organizations — the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Communities for Better Environment (CBE) in Richmond — were integral in organizing the effort in Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They argued that on top of the loss of life, war has tremendous impacts on our climate and environment. “Global militaries are the world’s largest industrial polluters,” said Keala Uchoa, Richmond youth organizer at CBE in Richmond, pointing to a recent study that shows that \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/emissions-gaza-israel-hamas-war-climate-change\">militaries account for almost 5.5% of global greenhouse emissions annually\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991349\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991349 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Three activists wearing white masks hold up a black banner that reads "No more California money for Israel's crimes." \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Keala-Uchoa-and-others-stand-behind-ceasefire-now-banner-1920x1277.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keala Uchoa and others stand behind a banner that reads ‘Ceasefire Now.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of APEN)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>People in Gaza are already vulnerable to the effects of climate change, she argued, \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021RG000762\">and live in a region that is warming twice as fast as the global average\u003c/a>. On top of that, bombs are destroying farmland and carbon sinks like forests that purify the air. “All of those things compound to create a very deadly climate [and] environmental situation,” Uchoa added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“Why do we spend years and millions of taxpayer dollars trying to fight climate change, just to have Israel’s bombs that we pay for emit more CO2 than 20 countries combined, accelerating an unlivable future for all of us.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On Jan. 23, the Hayward City Council voted to divest its shares of companies with ties to Israel, including Caterpillar, Chevron, Hyundai and Intel. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/hayward-divest-shares-four-companies-business-18628705.php\">Hayward is the first city in the Bay Area to take such a measure\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Syrop lobbied for it and made an environmental case. “Why do we spend years and millions of taxpayer dollars trying to fight climate change, just to have Israel’s bombs that we pay for emit more CO2 than 20 countries combined, accelerating an unlivable future for all of us,” he said, \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4684768\">referring to a recent estimate led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientists calculated the carbon emissions from aircraft, tanks and fuel from other vehicles and emissions generated from the manufacturing and detonation of bombs, artillery and rockets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As Hayward being a climate forward city, I don’t know why we’re investing in Chevron in the first place,” Syrop said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From Richmond to Gaza: fighting for environmental justice\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Richmond resident Katherine Lee comes from a family of refugees who fled the Laotian War.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her family’s history is one reason she joined in organizing for the call for a cease-fire back in October. Those experiences are “very real for what’s happening in Palestine,” too, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee is a senior Richmond youth organizer at APEN. Her family’s history is only part of it. Lee grew up around the Chevron refinery in Richmond, one of the largest polluters in the state, breathing the fumes it releases into the air. “It’s just a constant thing in our environment that we have to really fight [for],” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chevron is also \u003ca href=\"https://israel.chevron.com/en/our-businesses\">one of the largest energy companies to work in Israel\u003c/a>, bringing the government \u003ca href=\"https://israel.chevron.com/en/our-businesses/natural-gas\">billions of dollars in revenue annually\u003c/a>. APEN has called for a \u003ca href=\"https://bdsmovement.net/news/bds-movement-calls-for-consumer-boycott-chevron-branded-gas-stations\">boycott of Chevron\u003c/a> locally, saying it is a fight for the environmental rights of both Richmond residents and Palestinians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facility released nearly 3 million metric tons of planet-warming gas emissions in 2022, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/greenhouse-gas-emissions-18531155.php\">analysis from the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollutants released by refineries can cause \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524223/\">respiratory problems and chronic health issues.\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://clear.ucsf.edu/reach\">A UCSF-led community health assessment of Richmond found\u003c/a> that the childhood asthma rate in Richmond is \u003ca href=\"https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5207\">double the national average\u003c/a>. People with existing heart or lung disease, diabetes, older adults, children, and people of lower socio-economic status have a greater risk of particle pollution health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991347\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991347 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman holds a microphone and wears a yellow sweatshirt. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Katherine-Lee-APEN-youth-organizer-speaks-at-Padilla-action-credit-Jen-Rocha--1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katherine Lee, APEN youth organizer, speaks at an action. \u003ccite>(Jen Rocha)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our local fights for environmental justice and destabilizing Chevron and ultimately decommissioning the refinery are connected to international solidarity work with Indigenous people, including the Indigenous people of Palestine,” Uchoa said. “There’s a sacred relationship between Indigenous people and the land that they belong to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not only are we losing thousands and thousands of human beings, but we’re also losing so many knowledge bearers of the land and of culture. And the land is feeling that,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Feb. 3, hundreds of protesters marched in front of the Chevron facility in Richmond to call for a cease-fire in Gaza and for the company to divest from Israel. They’re asking for the public to boycott Chevron fuel until they do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement responding to the protest, Chevron said it respects the rights of individuals to express their viewpoints peacefully.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aisha Mansour is Palestinian from a small village called Al-Walaja in the West Bank. She currently lives in Oakland, but some of her family still reside in Palestine. Mansour was one of the “Bay Bridge 78” protesters who \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/dozens-of-protesters-stop-traffic-on-bay-bridge/3373428/\">shut down the westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge on Nov. 16, demanding a cease-fire\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“They got it. They got that it was bigger than them. And that was amazing.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“That was an amazingly powerful day. Not just because of what we’re able to accomplish, but also just the massive amount of support from people that we were able to feel,” said Mansour, communications director at Honor the Earth, an Indigenous-led environmental organization known for their advocacy against fossil fuel pipelines. “I didn’t expect it. I thought people would be frustrated, maybe rightfully so. But they got it. They got that it was bigger than them. And that was amazing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mansour is motivated, in part, by the impact the war has had on her community. In December, she attended a funeral for seven people killed by a bomb in Gaza, family members of one of her Palestinian community members in the Bay Area. “Our families are being killed,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991343\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1170px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1170\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2.jpg 1170w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/02/Aisha-Mansour-2-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aisha Mansour speaks at a Bay Bridge 78 press conference in San Francisco in December. \u003ccite>(Savannah Kuang)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Legacies of past war and conflicts\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The environmental impacts of war often lead to the displacement of people, whether it’s in Gaza, where Palestinians are relocating to the south of the territory, or Vietnam, Iraq and Ukraine. “You have the immediate contamination of the sites where fighting occurs,” said Logan Hennessy, a professor in the School of Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University. “But then you also have the exodus of people. And the exodus also creates other environmental issues and problems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Ukraine, Russian attacks on industrial sites, including factories, fuel depots, and nuclear power facilities with potential radioactive waste storage, \u003ca href=\"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/toxic-legacy-ukraine-war\">could result in water contamination that might linger for decades or even centuries\u003c/a>, said Hennessy, who teaches classes on international development and resource justice, as well as forest ecology and conservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/sayno/endorsers.html\">A few other Bay Area environmental organizations opposed the Iraq War\u003c/a>, including San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://podersf.org/\">People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economical Rights (PODER)\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://treesfoundation.org/partner-groups/bay-area-coalition-for-headwaters/\">Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://dhventures.com/West_about_us.htm\">West County Toxics Coalition\u003c/a> in Contra Costa County, and more. In 2008, \u003ca href=\"https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/05/25/18502090.php\">these organizations participated in anti-war protests at Chevron in San Ramon\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/sayno/sierraclubpresident.html\">Sierra Club opposed an invasion of Iraq in 2003\u003c/a>. While Bay Area environmental organizations like APEN and CBE are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, noting the destruction the war is causing to humans and the environment, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/california\">Sierra Club in California\u003c/a> has not taken any stance on the matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been incredibly disappointing to see the continued silence of some of the bigger green organizations like Sierra Club and others that have a really strong influence in Washington,” said Ayesha Abbasi, state organizer at APEN.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Club in California did not respond to an email asking for a statement about the war.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Abbasi, ensuring that everyone can live in a healthy environment where they can thrive should be the vision for the future, “whether it’s in Palestine or Richmond,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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},
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"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
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"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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},
"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
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"source": "pbs"
},
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