window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"science_1979813": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979813",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979813",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979812,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1920
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-2048x1536.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1536
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-1536x1152.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/ap21225040432668-ba8705470e5fae95858bca73a3e213c6d9237f1d-768x576.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
}
},
"publishDate": 1657302579,
"modified": 1657303146,
"caption": "Katherine Morgan wipes sweat from her forehead while walking to work in high temperatures on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, in Portland, Ore. People have headed to cooling centers as the Pacific Northwest began sweltering under another major, multiday heat wave. ",
"description": "Katherine Morgan wipes sweat from her forehead while walking to work in high temperatures on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, in Portland, Ore. People have headed to cooling centers as the Pacific Northwest began sweltering under another major, multiday heat wave. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)",
"title": "heat, climate",
"credit": "Nathan Howard/AP",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A woman with coffee skin presses the back of her hand to her forehead as she walks along a sidewalk in a record-breaking heat wave. She's wearing wire-frame glasses with a black top and a black t-shirt, and carrying a cream-colored tote bag over her shoulder.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1984388": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1984388",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1984388",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/2100-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1695498035,
"modified": 1695498035,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "2100",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979622": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979622",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979622",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979614,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/011_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1656016077,
"modified": 1657054704,
"caption": "Arieann Harrison, founder of the Marie Harrison Foundation, leads a community effort in Bayview-Hunters Point to protect the neighborhood from toxic contamination due to sea level rise.",
"description": "Arieann Harrison, founder of the Marie Harrison Foundation, leads a community effort in Bayview-Hunters Point to protect the neighborhood from toxic contamination due to sea level rise.",
"title": "Bayview-Hunters Point",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": ": A middle-aged Black woman stands on a sidewalk, with two Victorian-style homes visible at an angle behind her, one gray, one white, both with a set of steps leading up from the sidewalk to a first floor. She has long black twists past her elbows and wears a red headband and a red velour jacket over a Black t-shirt with a circular logo in white print that says \"Can We Live.\"",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979808": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979808",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979808",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979658,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/07/RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1656713539,
"modified": 1656715457,
"caption": "Arieann Harrison prepares to speak during a rally at San Francisco City Hall in response to the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury report on the contamination of the Hunters Point shipyard.",
"description": null,
"title": "RS56468_20220603_HuntersPointBayviewContamination-14 (1)",
"credit": "Amaya Edwards/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A Black woman with long black braids is wearing a purple shirt that reads 'Can we Live.' People are standing on the cement steps of San Francisco City Hall holding signs about environmental justice for the neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979784": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979784",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979784",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979779,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-160x99.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 99
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1190
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-1020x632.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 632
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-1536x952.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 952
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-800x496.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 496
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS57028_GettyImages-659168798-qut-768x476.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 476
}
},
"publishDate": 1656626197,
"modified": 1656633658,
"caption": "The coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant is seen on March 28, 2016, outside Delta, Utah. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Coal Industry Hopes For A Boost As Trump Rolls Back Obama-Era Regulations",
"credit": "George Frey/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Black smoke exits a tall grey smokestack.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979564": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979564",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979564",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979560,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56647_DSCF7611-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1655751114,
"modified": 1655751810,
"caption": "Cal Fire is struggling to focus on fire mitigation while also protecting communities from historic wildfires. ",
"description": null,
"title": "RS56647_DSCF7611-qut",
"credit": "The California Newsroom",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979075": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979075",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979075",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979033,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54990_GettyImages-1357937189-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1649281701,
"modified": 1649376021,
"caption": "Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum, speaks on a panel discussion during the 23rd World Petroleum Congress conference in December 2021 in Houston. The \ncongress returned to the United States for the first time in over 30 years, and was hosted in Houston, where government leaders, ministers of energy, C-suite executives and speakers from around the world gathered to discuss advancements and issues facing the oil and gas industry.",
"description": "Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum, speaks on a panel discussion during the 23rd World Petroleum Congress conference in December 2021 in Houston, Texas. The 23rd World Petroleum Congress returned to the United States for the first time in over 30 years, and was hosted in Houston, where government leaders, ministers of energy, C-suite executives and expert speakers from all around the world gathered to discuss advancements and issues facing the oil and gas industry. ",
"title": "Occidental Petroleum",
"credit": "Brandon Bell/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "An older woman in a navy blue suit jacket and white shirt is at the far right of the photo. She has dark blond hair and is looking a woman in a blurred foreground to the left. The woman featured in the photograph is the CEO of Occidental Petroleum, Vicki Hollub.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979123": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979123",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979123",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979092,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS55014_GettyImages-1356445057-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1649374105,
"modified": 1649380656,
"caption": "'The Maze' — the freeway interchange east of the Bay Bridge — and part of the old Oakland Army Base are seen from this drone view in West Oakland on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. ",
"description": null,
"title": "West Oakland Drone View",
"credit": "Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979081": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979081",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979081",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1979080,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1123
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-1020x573.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 573
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-1536x862.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 862
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-1920x1078.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1078
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-800x449.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 449
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1-768x431.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 431
}
},
"publishDate": 1649283112,
"modified": 1649284127,
"caption": "The report finds the world's energy supply needs to shift to renewable sources, like this solar farm in Karnataka, India, but it's not happening fast enough.",
"description": "The report finds the world's energy supply needs to shift to renewable sources, like this solar farm in Karnataka, India, but it's not happening fast enough.",
"title": "gettyimages-1346220386_custom-4cba153a179e343e9f88c3207a5b01a4a11b0eca-1",
"credit": "Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A dark-chocolate skinned man wearing blue shorts and a yellow shirt walks past a gleaming array of solar panels that fills a vast field of yellow-green grass, far out to the horizon. The photo is a solar farm in Karnataka, India.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1979048": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1979048",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979048",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1978994,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-160x98.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 98
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1175
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-1020x624.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 624
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-1536x940.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 940
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-800x490.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 490
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS54984_GettyImages-1387839830-qut-768x470.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 470
}
},
"publishDate": 1649196821,
"modified": 1649205578,
"caption": "A farmer riding a tractor cleans out the weeds in an old vine zinfandel vineyard on March 22, 2022, near Healdsburg. After record winter rainfall battered the North Coast last year in October and December, Mother Nature's water spigot went dry, with January, February and March being the driest period on record. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Spring Arrives in Sonoma County Amid Drought",
"credit": "George Rose/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A man drives a blue tractor through a field of brown grape vines, a cloud a dust billows behind him.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1978975": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1978975",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1978975",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1977806,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54970_GettyImages-1237121316-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1648838190,
"modified": 1648857625,
"caption": "Blended feedstock compost is loaded onto a tractor trailer to be delivered to a customer at the Recology Blossom Valley Organics compost facility on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Lamont. ",
"description": null,
"title": "On January 1, Californians will be asked to comply with a watershed new law that requires them to separate organic waste lawn cuttings, leaves, banana peels, coffee grounds, egg shells and more from the rest of their trash. The green and food matte",
"credit": "Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A frontal view of a white semi, with a yellow bulldozer beside it dumping a load of white compost into its trailer, which is sending up a cloud of compost dust. The sky is blue behind them, with low, dark gray hills of maybe dirt of their other side.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1978866": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1978866",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1978866",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1978852,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1648324470,
"modified": 1648489436,
"caption": "Students of all ages march during a strike for climate and migrant justice in San Francisco, on March 25, 2022.",
"description": null,
"title": "RS54746_20220325-IMG_8013-qut",
"credit": "Amaya Edwards/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_science_1979812": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1979812",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1979812",
"name": "Rebecca Hersher",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1979779": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1979779",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1979779",
"name": "Nadia Lopez \u003cbr />CalMatters\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1979560": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1979560",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1979560",
"name": "Scott Rodd (CapRadio) and Danielle Venton (KQED)",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1979033": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1979033",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1979033",
"name": "Nicholas Kusnetz",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1979080": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1979080",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1979080",
"name": "Lauren Sommer",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1978852": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1978852",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1978852",
"name": "Kevin Stark, María Fernanda Bernal and Amaya Edwards",
"isLoading": false
},
"rdillon": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11495",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11495",
"found": true
},
"name": "Raquel Maria Dillon",
"firstName": "Raquel Maria",
"lastName": "Dillon",
"slug": "rdillon",
"email": "rdillon@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": "Raquel Maria Dillon was a reporter and host for KQED News. Previously, she produced the daily statewide California Report, edited newscasts, and covered health and education stories. Before returning to the Bay Area in 2016, she worked in Los Angeles as a wire reporter and one-woman-band video journalist for the Associated Press, where she shot, edited and reported breaking news and features across the West. Her work has appeared online and in print around the globe, and also on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Here and Now, Marketplace, On The Media, and Studio 360. She previously edited and mentored up-and-coming reporters at KALW, produced social videos for Timeline.com, and was a local TV news videographer for KTVU and digital producer for KNTV. She got her start as a Radio News Trainee at KQED, produced a weekly public affairs roundtable show for OPB, and covered health and politics at New Hampshire Public Radio. She has a BA in political science from Barnard College and a MA in video journalism from UC Berkeley, where she was awarded the Faith Fancher Scholarship and a Student Emmy. She has received numerous local awards from the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8e02ae982913d0950df605910267c1b?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "RaquelMDillon",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Raquel Maria Dillon | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8e02ae982913d0950df605910267c1b?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8e02ae982913d0950df605910267c1b?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/rdillon"
},
"thailye": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11501",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11501",
"found": true
},
"name": "Teodros Hailye",
"firstName": "Teodros",
"lastName": "Hailye",
"slug": "thailye",
"email": "thailye@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Information Designer",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bfb755f5a66ebaccd414e310b7d7c94a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "science",
"roles": []
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Teodros Hailye | KQED",
"description": "Information Designer",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bfb755f5a66ebaccd414e310b7d7c94a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bfb755f5a66ebaccd414e310b7d7c94a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/thailye"
},
"eromero": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11746",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11746",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ezra David Romero",
"firstName": "Ezra David",
"lastName": "Romero",
"slug": "eromero",
"email": "eromero@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "Climate Reporter",
"bio": "Ezra David Romero is a climate reporter for KQED News. He covers the absence and excess of water in the Bay Area — think sea level rise, flooding and drought. For nearly a decade he’s covered how warming temperatures are altering the lives of Californians. He’s reported on farmers worried their pistachio trees aren’t getting enough sleep, families desperate for water, scientists studying dying giant sequoias, and alongside firefighters containing wildfires. His work has appeared on local stations across California and nationally on public radio shows like Morning Edition, Here and Now, All Things Considered and Science Friday. ",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c76404d287c10ed40224227551ac36e24352c7306f106632caf6fead76f8801f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "ezraromero",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ezra David Romero | KQED",
"description": "Climate Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c76404d287c10ed40224227551ac36e24352c7306f106632caf6fead76f8801f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c76404d287c10ed40224227551ac36e24352c7306f106632caf6fead76f8801f?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/eromero"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"science_category_climate": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_31",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "31",
"score": 11.058992
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33,
"slug": "climate",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Climate",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "science",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 31
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/science?category=climate",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 31
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"science_1979812": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979812",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979812",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1657303627000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1657303627,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Researchers Can Now Explain How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Weather",
"headTitle": "Researchers Can Now Explain How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Weather | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Chances are, if you live on Earth, you’ve experienced some strange, or downright dangerous, weather in the last few years. Maybe it was a heat wave that was hotter and longer than you’d ever experienced. Or a thunderstorm that dropped a scary amount of rain. Or a powerful hurricane that seemed to materialize overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change is part of that story. Extreme weather is more likely as the Earth gets hotter. But such sweeping statements can feel impersonal, when really what you want to know is: has climate change affected \u003cem>me\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have some extreme weather disaster, and people want to know: Did climate change flood my house? Did climate change make it so hot that my power went out?” says Michael Wehner, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who studies how climate change influences extreme weather. “Those are good questions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, scientists can answer those questions with more and more certainty. For some types of weather, it’s become possible to say exactly how much worse it was because of climate change. Or that without global warming, the disaster would not have happened at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Climate change makes every heat wave worse\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Heat waves have the clearest connection to global warming. “It seems obvious that as the global climate warms, heat waves would also warm,” says Wehner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how much warmer, exactly?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists have quantified that. “For garden variety heat waves – like the hottest day of the year, or the hottest day every 10 years – in the U.S., climate change has increased that heat wave’s temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit,” Wehner explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can see those extra degrees in action when heat records fall over and over. Millions of people living in \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/06/11/heat-wave-southwest-california-east/\">more than a dozen cities\u003c/a> in the Western U.S. and Texas experienced record-breaking temperatures during a heat wave this June. Many cities, such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Houston, set new heat records almost every summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But scientists can go even further, using supercomputers and advanced statistics to analyze the most extreme heat waves, like the one that killed hundreds of people in Canada and the Pacific Northwest in 2021. Temperatures reached 120 degrees in parts of Canada, and hit 115 degrees in Oregon and Washington.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When scientists analyzed how climate change affected that heat wave, they found something startling. “It was virtually impossible without climate change,” says Wehner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another way to say that? Climate change caused last summer’s extreme heat wave.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Most scientists communicate with statistics. That has upsides and downsides\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Climate scientists tend to stay away from the word “cause.” They opt instead for numbers that explain exactly how likely an extreme weather event was, compared to a world before humans started burning large quantities of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many scientists are aware that, for the public, those numbers might not mean much.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We could say [the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave] was a 1 in 1000 year event in today’s climate. Or that it was about 150 times more likely today than it was in a preindustrial climate, ” says Luke Harrington, a senior research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand who studies climate change and extreme weather. “But that’s probably not useful [if you want] to understand that [the heat wave] was basically not going to happen in a preindustrial world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wehner points out that, for more common types of dangerous weather, more detailed numbers can be helpful because they tell people how often they’ll need to cope with certain events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, imagine there’s a thunderstorm that drops a lot more rain than usual and floods your house. In the past, such a storm would have been very rare – a once in a lifetime event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists might study that storm and find it was 10 times more likely to happen because of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that event is 10 times more likely, that means it’s going to happen once every 7 years,” instead of once in a lifetime, explains Wehner. In other words, weather that once was very rare is now happening regularly. And knowing that can help people plan for the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>In the future, climate change information may be part of regular weather forecasts\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The research methods that make this possible are very new, in the scheme of things. In general, science moves slowly. But the science of finding climate fingerprints in individual weather disasters has gone from infancy to maturity in less than 20 years, in part because of the enormous demand for information about how global warming is changing our lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a clear demand for this from the public,” says Wehner. He says the research techniques have advanced to the point where people with less academic training could do the work. “Just like weather forecasting, you could hire professionals to do this,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The satellite weather service for the European Union is \u003ca href=\"https://climate.copernicus.eu/prototype-extreme-events-and-attribution-service\">piloting such a service\u003c/a>, which would analyze how much climate change contributed to individual weather events in Europe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That would free up time for climate scientists to focus on the most pressing questions that still remain about extreme weather and global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Some types of weather are harder for scientists to study\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some types of weather are so complex that it is still difficult for scientists to pinpoint the influence of climate change on individual events, even if the overall connection to climate change is well-understood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, wildfires are getting more widespread and intense as the Earth gets hotter. Global warming dries out plants and soil and makes hot and dry weather conditions more likely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But scientists aren’t able to say exactly how much worse, or more likely, a specific wildfire was because of global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s partly because humans can play such an active role in where fires start and how large they get. Most wildfires are started by humans – for example, by a campfire, power line or even a rogue cigarette. Human land management dictates how much vegetation such as trees, shrubs or grass is available to feed the fire. And firefighters influence how large the fire gets and where it burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any fire has so many factors going on, and only some of them are closely related to the climate,” says Megan Kirchmeier-Young, a research scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada who studies extreme weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attributing individual hurricanes to climate change is also difficult. Hurricanes are both complex and relatively rare compared to other types of extreme weather – especially since only a small fraction of the storms that form actually make landfall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That small data set makes it difficult to compare the effects of storms that happen today, with global warming, to storms that happened before humans caused global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, in many cases scientists are able to quantify the effect of climate change on hurricane rain. Researchers found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/11/14/666946363/houston-got-hammered-by-hurricane-harvey-and-its-buildings-are-partly-to-blame\">climate change caused up to 15% \u003c/a>more rain to fall during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29379-1\">Another study looked at the entire 2020 hurricane season\u003c/a> and found that climate change increased extreme rain by 10% for the season as a whole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But researchers are still figuring out how climate change causes other changes in hurricanes, says Jill Trepanier, who studies climate change and tropical cyclones at Louisiana State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, hurricanes are getting more powerful, and storms are more likely to rapidly intensify. Warmer ocean water is generally to blame for both phenomena, but scientists don’t understand what’s happening well enough to say that a specific storm was “x” amount more powerful, or intensified “y” percent, more quickly because of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t say ‘This is the reason they rapidly intensify.’ We haven’t solved that problem,” she says. “That’s something we’re still working on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2022 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=Researchers+can+now+explain+how+climate+change+is+affecting+your+weather&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1378,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 35
},
"modified": 1704846233,
"excerpt": "For decades, it was impossible to say that a specific weather event was caused, or even made worse, by climate change. But advanced research methods are changing that.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "For decades, it was impossible to say that a specific weather event was caused, or even made worse, by climate change. But advanced research methods are changing that.",
"title": "Researchers Can Now Explain How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Weather | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Researchers Can Now Explain How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Weather",
"datePublished": "2022-07-08T11:07:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:23:53-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "researchers-can-now-explain-how-climate-change-is-affecting-your-weather",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1107814440&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprStoryDate": "Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:30:14 -0400",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:15:48 -0400",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2022/07/07/1107814440/researchers-can-now-explain-how-climate-change-is-affecting-your-weather?ft=nprml&f=1107814440",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2022/07/20220706_atc_climate_change_causes_disasters.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=257&story=1107814440&ft=nprml&f=1107814440",
"nprImageAgency": "AP",
"source": "NPR",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/11110243381-461b7d.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=257&story=1107814440&ft=nprml&f=1107814440",
"nprStoryId": "1107814440",
"nprByline": "Rebecca Hersher",
"sticky": false,
"nprImageCredit": "Nathan Howard",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:15:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1979812/researchers-can-now-explain-how-climate-change-is-affecting-your-weather",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2022/07/20220706_atc_climate_change_causes_disasters.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=257&story=1107814440&ft=nprml&f=1107814440",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Chances are, if you live on Earth, you’ve experienced some strange, or downright dangerous, weather in the last few years. Maybe it was a heat wave that was hotter and longer than you’d ever experienced. Or a thunderstorm that dropped a scary amount of rain. Or a powerful hurricane that seemed to materialize overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change is part of that story. Extreme weather is more likely as the Earth gets hotter. But such sweeping statements can feel impersonal, when really what you want to know is: has climate change affected \u003cem>me\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have some extreme weather disaster, and people want to know: Did climate change flood my house? Did climate change make it so hot that my power went out?” says Michael Wehner, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who studies how climate change influences extreme weather. “Those are good questions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, scientists can answer those questions with more and more certainty. For some types of weather, it’s become possible to say exactly how much worse it was because of climate change. Or that without global warming, the disaster would not have happened at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Climate change makes every heat wave worse\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Heat waves have the clearest connection to global warming. “It seems obvious that as the global climate warms, heat waves would also warm,” says Wehner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how much warmer, exactly?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists have quantified that. “For garden variety heat waves – like the hottest day of the year, or the hottest day every 10 years – in the U.S., climate change has increased that heat wave’s temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit,” Wehner explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can see those extra degrees in action when heat records fall over and over. Millions of people living in \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/06/11/heat-wave-southwest-california-east/\">more than a dozen cities\u003c/a> in the Western U.S. and Texas experienced record-breaking temperatures during a heat wave this June. Many cities, such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Houston, set new heat records almost every summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But scientists can go even further, using supercomputers and advanced statistics to analyze the most extreme heat waves, like the one that killed hundreds of people in Canada and the Pacific Northwest in 2021. Temperatures reached 120 degrees in parts of Canada, and hit 115 degrees in Oregon and Washington.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When scientists analyzed how climate change affected that heat wave, they found something startling. “It was virtually impossible without climate change,” says Wehner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another way to say that? Climate change caused last summer’s extreme heat wave.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Most scientists communicate with statistics. That has upsides and downsides\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Climate scientists tend to stay away from the word “cause.” They opt instead for numbers that explain exactly how likely an extreme weather event was, compared to a world before humans started burning large quantities of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many scientists are aware that, for the public, those numbers might not mean much.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We could say [the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave] was a 1 in 1000 year event in today’s climate. Or that it was about 150 times more likely today than it was in a preindustrial climate, ” says Luke Harrington, a senior research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand who studies climate change and extreme weather. “But that’s probably not useful [if you want] to understand that [the heat wave] was basically not going to happen in a preindustrial world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wehner points out that, for more common types of dangerous weather, more detailed numbers can be helpful because they tell people how often they’ll need to cope with certain events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, imagine there’s a thunderstorm that drops a lot more rain than usual and floods your house. In the past, such a storm would have been very rare – a once in a lifetime event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists might study that storm and find it was 10 times more likely to happen because of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that event is 10 times more likely, that means it’s going to happen once every 7 years,” instead of once in a lifetime, explains Wehner. In other words, weather that once was very rare is now happening regularly. And knowing that can help people plan for the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>In the future, climate change information may be part of regular weather forecasts\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The research methods that make this possible are very new, in the scheme of things. In general, science moves slowly. But the science of finding climate fingerprints in individual weather disasters has gone from infancy to maturity in less than 20 years, in part because of the enormous demand for information about how global warming is changing our lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a clear demand for this from the public,” says Wehner. He says the research techniques have advanced to the point where people with less academic training could do the work. “Just like weather forecasting, you could hire professionals to do this,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The satellite weather service for the European Union is \u003ca href=\"https://climate.copernicus.eu/prototype-extreme-events-and-attribution-service\">piloting such a service\u003c/a>, which would analyze how much climate change contributed to individual weather events in Europe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That would free up time for climate scientists to focus on the most pressing questions that still remain about extreme weather and global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Some types of weather are harder for scientists to study\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some types of weather are so complex that it is still difficult for scientists to pinpoint the influence of climate change on individual events, even if the overall connection to climate change is well-understood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, wildfires are getting more widespread and intense as the Earth gets hotter. Global warming dries out plants and soil and makes hot and dry weather conditions more likely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But scientists aren’t able to say exactly how much worse, or more likely, a specific wildfire was because of global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s partly because humans can play such an active role in where fires start and how large they get. Most wildfires are started by humans – for example, by a campfire, power line or even a rogue cigarette. Human land management dictates how much vegetation such as trees, shrubs or grass is available to feed the fire. And firefighters influence how large the fire gets and where it burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any fire has so many factors going on, and only some of them are closely related to the climate,” says Megan Kirchmeier-Young, a research scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada who studies extreme weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attributing individual hurricanes to climate change is also difficult. Hurricanes are both complex and relatively rare compared to other types of extreme weather – especially since only a small fraction of the storms that form actually make landfall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That small data set makes it difficult to compare the effects of storms that happen today, with global warming, to storms that happened before humans caused global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, in many cases scientists are able to quantify the effect of climate change on hurricane rain. Researchers found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/11/14/666946363/houston-got-hammered-by-hurricane-harvey-and-its-buildings-are-partly-to-blame\">climate change caused up to 15% \u003c/a>more rain to fall during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29379-1\">Another study looked at the entire 2020 hurricane season\u003c/a> and found that climate change increased extreme rain by 10% for the season as a whole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But researchers are still figuring out how climate change causes other changes in hurricanes, says Jill Trepanier, who studies climate change and tropical cyclones at Louisiana State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, hurricanes are getting more powerful, and storms are more likely to rapidly intensify. Warmer ocean water is generally to blame for both phenomena, but scientists don’t understand what’s happening well enough to say that a specific storm was “x” amount more powerful, or intensified “y” percent, more quickly because of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t say ‘This is the reason they rapidly intensify.’ We haven’t solved that problem,” she says. “That’s something we’re still working on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2022 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=Researchers+can+now+explain+how+climate+change+is+affecting+your+weather&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979812/researchers-can-now-explain-how-climate-change-is-affecting-your-weather",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1979812"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_16",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_4414",
"science_2184",
"science_365"
],
"featImg": "science_1979813",
"label": "source_science_1979812"
},
"science_1979645": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979645",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979645",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1657004488000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1657004488,
"format": "aside",
"title": "See a Map of Bay Area Hazardous Sites at Risk From Rising Seas",
"headTitle": "See a Map of Bay Area Hazardous Sites at Risk From Rising Seas | KQED",
"content": "\u003ch5>Bay Area Hazardous Sites and 2100 Sea Level Rise\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 90%\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: small\">\u003cem>Click the arrow to view the map legend. Use your mouse to move the map. Use the + and – signs to zoom in and out. Click on the dots to view details. Click on the magnifying glass to search for a specific address. Areas marked by circles show the impact of rising seas and groundwater together, while squares show groundwater impacts only. Sources: Climate Central, UCLA, UC Berkeley, USGS\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=3e86f6c8e421434984af53fe450e9b3c&extent=-122.5783,37.3195,-121.8292,37.9367&home=true&zoom=true&scale=true&search=true&searchextent=false&details=true&legend=true&active_panel=legend&disable_scroll=true&theme=light\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 900 hazardous sites — power plants, sewage treatment plants, refineries, cleanup areas and other facilities — across California could be inundated with ocean water and groundwater by the end of the century, according to climate scientists at UCLA and UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Climate change is presenting new risks that can lead to excess releases of hazardous materials from these highly industrialized parts of our coastline,” said UCLA’s Lara Cushing. “Our analysis also shows that communities of color are much more likely to live near one of these risk sites, as are lower-income communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cushing and UC Berkeley’s Rachel Morello-Frosch, both environmental health scientists, last year launched an interactive tool, \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home?authuser=0\">Toxic Tides\u003c/a>, mapping California’s hazardous sites that could be inundated by sea level rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first iteration of the project looked at middle-of-the-line climate scenarios based on models used by the\u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-4-sea-level-rise-and-implications-for-low-lying-islands-coasts-and-communities/\"> Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After hearing feedback from shoreline residents and local officials in a series of virtual community workshops that the work was informative but didn’t estimate the riskiest scenarios, \u003ca href=\"http://www.opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">the scientists have updated their project with a more extreme scenario\u003c/a> in which ice sheets in \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/antarctic-ice-shelves-are-shattering-how-fast-will-seas-rise\">West Antarctica collapse\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If this occurs, San Francisco Bay could rise by 10.1 feet by 2100.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Differences in scientific modeling scenarios before the year 2050 are minor, but they diverge significantly after mid-century. The results depend on greenhouse gas emissions, which human beings will determine by the rate they burn fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was important to consider the worst-case scenario because, unfortunately, our leaders, especially at the federal level, have not risen to the challenge of addressing climate change,” said Cushing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers also used federal groundwater data to examine how rising ocean water would drive freshwater up from the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The research highlights the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and a cluster of other hazardous sites in the San Francisco neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point. And dozens of power plants, refineries, landfills and other industrial sites line communities like East Palo Alto, Richmond, Oakland and San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Sea level rise] can enhance the risk of groundwater encroachment, particularly in sites where there are toxic contaminants in the soil, or even in the groundwater,” said Morello-Frosch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is especially important to understand, she said, for places where toxic contamination is in \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-04/documents/a_citizens_guide_to_capping.pdf\">soil with a cap — often made of concrete, clay or strong plastic-like materials\u003c/a> — holding it in place to protect the public and the environment. The problem with these caps: Rising groundwater from below could eat away at the pollution, spread it to other areas or bring that contaminated water aboveground, exposing people and San Francisco Bay itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientist’s findings showcase significant risk. But they note that understanding the effect of sea level rise and groundwater encroachment on each hazardous facility will take site-specific data. This could include the level of contamination, the depth of groundwater, any existing caps, or sea walls and other protective measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important to develop these tools because you want to get all of this data together in one place,” Morello-Frosch said. “There needs to be some coordinated effort to begin to respond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Data sources\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Toxic Tides team provided KQED with \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/extreme-scenarios?authuser=0\">the map’s data layers\u003c/a>, which feature the high-risk aversion scenario for sea level rise as described in \u003ca href=\"http://www.opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">the latest state guidance\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5bd9f318e4b0b3fc5cec20ed\">Groundwater data\u003c/a> originates from the U.S. Geological Survey. The data layer shows 3 meters (9.8 feet), which corresponds most closely to the degree of sea level rise for the high-risk aversion scenario.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flood risk projections are based on rising sea levels, tides and storm surge. Site-specific details about groundwater contamination are not included in these findings. Scientists derived hazardous site data from federal databases that track landfills, toxic cleanup sites, refineries, sewage treatment plants and other sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The databases include the U.S. EPA Facility Registry Service, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s U.S. Energy Atlas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center, and the Enverus database of oil and gas well permits. The authors say “a lack of groundwater data coupled with imprecise estimates of facility boundaries may lead to potential underestimates of the number of at-risk facilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The findings do not include an exhaustive list of all potentially contaminated sites, like underground storage tanks or other industrial sites with contamination. Find more information on the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s \u003ca href=\"https://explorer.adaptingtorisingtides.org/home\"> Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer \u003c/a> or the San Francisco Baykeeper \u003ca href=\"https://baykeeper.org/shoreview/pollution.html\"> Sea Level Rise and Pollution Risk to the Bay \u003c/a> website.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": true,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 879,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [
"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html"
],
"paragraphCount": 21
},
"modified": 1704846235,
"excerpt": "Hundreds of refineries, cleanup areas and other hazardous sites across California could be inundated with ocean water and groundwater by the end of the century.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Hundreds of refineries, cleanup areas and other hazardous sites across California could be inundated with ocean water and groundwater by the end of the century.",
"title": "See a Map of Bay Area Hazardous Sites at Risk From Rising Seas | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "See a Map of Bay Area Hazardous Sites at Risk From Rising Seas",
"datePublished": "2022-07-05T00:01:28-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:23:55-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "see-a-map-of-hazardous-sites-at-risk-from-rising-seas",
"status": "publish",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Climate Change",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/1979645/see-a-map-of-hazardous-sites-at-risk-from-rising-seas",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ch5>Bay Area Hazardous Sites and 2100 Sea Level Rise\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 90%\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: small\">\u003cem>Click the arrow to view the map legend. Use your mouse to move the map. Use the + and – signs to zoom in and out. Click on the dots to view details. Click on the magnifying glass to search for a specific address. Areas marked by circles show the impact of rising seas and groundwater together, while squares show groundwater impacts only. Sources: Climate Central, UCLA, UC Berkeley, USGS\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=3e86f6c8e421434984af53fe450e9b3c&extent=-122.5783,37.3195,-121.8292,37.9367&home=true&zoom=true&scale=true&search=true&searchextent=false&details=true&legend=true&active_panel=legend&disable_scroll=true&theme=light\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 900 hazardous sites — power plants, sewage treatment plants, refineries, cleanup areas and other facilities — across California could be inundated with ocean water and groundwater by the end of the century, according to climate scientists at UCLA and UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Climate change is presenting new risks that can lead to excess releases of hazardous materials from these highly industrialized parts of our coastline,” said UCLA’s Lara Cushing. “Our analysis also shows that communities of color are much more likely to live near one of these risk sites, as are lower-income communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cushing and UC Berkeley’s Rachel Morello-Frosch, both environmental health scientists, last year launched an interactive tool, \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home?authuser=0\">Toxic Tides\u003c/a>, mapping California’s hazardous sites that could be inundated by sea level rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first iteration of the project looked at middle-of-the-line climate scenarios based on models used by the\u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-4-sea-level-rise-and-implications-for-low-lying-islands-coasts-and-communities/\"> Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After hearing feedback from shoreline residents and local officials in a series of virtual community workshops that the work was informative but didn’t estimate the riskiest scenarios, \u003ca href=\"http://www.opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">the scientists have updated their project with a more extreme scenario\u003c/a> in which ice sheets in \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/antarctic-ice-shelves-are-shattering-how-fast-will-seas-rise\">West Antarctica collapse\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If this occurs, San Francisco Bay could rise by 10.1 feet by 2100.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Differences in scientific modeling scenarios before the year 2050 are minor, but they diverge significantly after mid-century. The results depend on greenhouse gas emissions, which human beings will determine by the rate they burn fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was important to consider the worst-case scenario because, unfortunately, our leaders, especially at the federal level, have not risen to the challenge of addressing climate change,” said Cushing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers also used federal groundwater data to examine how rising ocean water would drive freshwater up from the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The research highlights the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and a cluster of other hazardous sites in the San Francisco neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point. And dozens of power plants, refineries, landfills and other industrial sites line communities like East Palo Alto, Richmond, Oakland and San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Sea level rise] can enhance the risk of groundwater encroachment, particularly in sites where there are toxic contaminants in the soil, or even in the groundwater,” said Morello-Frosch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is especially important to understand, she said, for places where toxic contamination is in \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-04/documents/a_citizens_guide_to_capping.pdf\">soil with a cap — often made of concrete, clay or strong plastic-like materials\u003c/a> — holding it in place to protect the public and the environment. The problem with these caps: Rising groundwater from below could eat away at the pollution, spread it to other areas or bring that contaminated water aboveground, exposing people and San Francisco Bay itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientist’s findings showcase significant risk. But they note that understanding the effect of sea level rise and groundwater encroachment on each hazardous facility will take site-specific data. This could include the level of contamination, the depth of groundwater, any existing caps, or sea walls and other protective measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important to develop these tools because you want to get all of this data together in one place,” Morello-Frosch said. “There needs to be some coordinated effort to begin to respond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Data sources\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Toxic Tides team provided KQED with \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/extreme-scenarios?authuser=0\">the map’s data layers\u003c/a>, which feature the high-risk aversion scenario for sea level rise as described in \u003ca href=\"http://www.opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">the latest state guidance\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5bd9f318e4b0b3fc5cec20ed\">Groundwater data\u003c/a> originates from the U.S. Geological Survey. The data layer shows 3 meters (9.8 feet), which corresponds most closely to the degree of sea level rise for the high-risk aversion scenario.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flood risk projections are based on rising sea levels, tides and storm surge. Site-specific details about groundwater contamination are not included in these findings. Scientists derived hazardous site data from federal databases that track landfills, toxic cleanup sites, refineries, sewage treatment plants and other sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The databases include the U.S. EPA Facility Registry Service, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s U.S. Energy Atlas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center, and the Enverus database of oil and gas well permits. The authors say “a lack of groundwater data coupled with imprecise estimates of facility boundaries may lead to potential underestimates of the number of at-risk facilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The findings do not include an exhaustive list of all potentially contaminated sites, like underground storage tanks or other industrial sites with contamination. Find more information on the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s \u003ca href=\"https://explorer.adaptingtorisingtides.org/home\"> Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer \u003c/a> or the San Francisco Baykeeper \u003ca href=\"https://baykeeper.org/shoreview/pollution.html\"> Sea Level Rise and Pollution Risk to the Bay \u003c/a> website.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979645/see-a-map-of-hazardous-sites-at-risk-from-rising-seas",
"authors": [
"11746",
"11501"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_2873",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_5178",
"science_194",
"science_4859",
"science_206"
],
"featImg": "science_1984388",
"label": "source_science_1979645"
},
"science_1979614": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979614",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979614",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1657004476000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination",
"title": "For These Black Bayview-Hunters Point Residents, Reparations Include Safeguarding Against Rising, Toxic Contamination",
"publishDate": 1657004476,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "For These Black Bayview-Hunters Point Residents, Reparations Include Safeguarding Against Rising, Toxic Contamination | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series, “Sacrifice Zones: Bay Area Shoreline Communities Reimagining Their Homes in the Face of the Climate Emergency.” The project looks at communities of color facing the worst of rising seas and fighting to thrive. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/reparations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more of KQED’s reparations coverage.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arieann Harrison accepted her calling at her mother’s funeral, sitting in St. John Missionary Baptist Church in the San Francisco shoreline community of Bayview-Hunters Point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You find out a lot about yourself at a funeral,” said Harrison. Her mother, Marie Harrison, passed away in 2019 at 71 from lung disease. Harrison says her mom believed the illness was tied to pollution from a nearby shipyard, where she once worked and lived close to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At St. John’s, person after person shared reasons why they valued Harrison’s mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She organized, marched and protested for decades, pushing for a shipyard cleanup — even chaining herself to the fence outside the site. Marie Harrison famously said to neighbors, officials and anyone who would listen, “We’ll never surrender.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison realized it was time to stand on her mother’s shoulders, taking on her legacy of advocacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I learned in that moment is that love is an action word,” she said. She’s since launched the \u003ca href=\"https://www.canwelive.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marie Harrison Community Foundation, whose focus is environmental justice\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.Cleanup&id=0902722#bkground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The shipyard is now a Superfund site\u003c/a>, one of the country’s most polluted places. The 866-acre area is a jigsaw slab of concrete docking bays and abandoned buildings jutting out of the southeast shoreline of San Francisco. The site butts up against the community of Bayview-Hunters Point, where more than 35,000 people live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marie Harrison fought for a cleanup. Her daughter’s struggle is arguably more difficult, as climate change and sea level rise threaten to flood the area. Scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm about rising bay water pushing freshwater up from belowground, uncorking chemicals from the shipyard before spilling into homes and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just one natural disaster away from something we can never come back from,” said Harrison, who lives in the neighborhood and works helping military veterans and unhoused people find housing and recovery programs in San Francisco. “This is not a game.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three years after her mother’s death, Harrison, who is in her mid-50s, is pressing officials for the strongest possible cleanup of the site to ensure the community isn’t exposed to toxic waste. She’s helping lead an effort to document how living near the Superfund site may have exposed residents — many of whom are people of color — to toxics, by testing for contaminants in their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979686\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979686 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Blue bay water lies in the foreground with white apartments rising up a green hillside. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apartment buildings in Hunters Point sit behind the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco on March 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>People of color, all around the bay and the globe,\u003ca href=\"https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/8/15/racial-disparities-and-climate-change#:~:text=Communities%20of%20color%20are%20disproportionately,waste%20are%20people%20of%20color.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> are disproportionately victimized by the effects of climate change\u003c/a>. Harrison is one of the many Black women who are increasingly focused on climate justice and are \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/opinion/black-women-leaders-climate-movement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">leading the modern environmental movement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Climate justice is a real thing. Sea level rise is real,” she said. “This is the opportunity to stand up and do the right thing by the people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her advocacy also now includes a call for reparations for descendants of enslaved people, saying the tendrils of slavery are still very alive today in this historically Black neighborhood. Racist housing policies siloed Black and brown people in this part of San Francisco, where she says they were exposed to contaminants from the Superfund site; repair is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The worst contaminants you can imagine’\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch5>Bayview-Hunters Point Hazardous Sites and 2100 Sea Level Rise\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 90%\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: small\">\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Click the arrow to view the map legend. Use your mouse to move the map. Use the + and – signs to zoom in and out. Click on the dots to view details. Click on the magnifying glass to search for a specific address. Areas marked by circles show the impact of rising seas and groundwater together, while squares show groundwater impacts only. Sources: Climate Central, UCLA, UC Berkeley, USGS.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=a1084b48e926492da63630c2c003ccc6&extent=-122.4351,37.6958,-122.3415,37.7728&home=true&zoom=true&previewImage=false&scale=true&search=true&searchextent=false&details=true&legend=true&active_panel=legend&disable_scroll=true&theme=light\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, communities of color are\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-11-30/toxic-tides-sea-level-rise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> five times more likely than the general population to live within a half mile of polluted places\u003c/a> like San Francisco’s shipyard, \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to an analysis\u003c/a> by environmental health scientists from UCLA and UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers predict these same spots could flood from rising seas in the coming decades; they launched a statewide mapping project last year called Toxic Tides, to \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">identify hazardous places along the state’s shoreline\u003c/a>. They’ve studied a less-understood threat: Rising seas flood over the top of the land and also push in underneath, propelling any buried contamination toward the surface. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979092/how-rising-sea-levels-could-push-up-a-toxic-soup-into-bay-area-neighborhoods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Groundwater could rise as far as 3 miles inland from the edge of San Francisco Bay.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers identified as many as 900 power plants, cleanup sites, refineries and other places in California that could experience flooding from sea level rise or groundwater spreading into neighborhoods — sometimes both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">California’s latest guidance report on sea level rise\u003c/a> says bay waters may rise more than 10 feet by the end of the century and nearly 3 feet by 2050 in the most extreme scenarios. The leading cause of climate change is humans burning fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Hunters Point Superfund site is one of those hazardous sites. In the middle of the last century, the U.S. Navy decontaminated ships after atomic bomb tests and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/decommissioning/complex/hunters-point-naval-shipyard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">established the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory at the shipyard\u003c/a>. This process contaminated the soil with radionuclides, heavy metals and petroleum fuels, among other toxic compounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area scientists say that before rising tides flood aboveground, bay waters will press inward under the surface of the land, pushing up the groundwater, spreading buried contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Hunters Point Superfund site is expected to experience monthly flooding by the end of the century,” said UCLA’s Lara Cushing, who created the mapping project with UC Berkeley’s Rachel Morello-Frosch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Superfund site is partially cleaned up. With the oversight of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the \u003ca href=\"https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.redevelop&id=0902722\">Navy is preparing for the eventual development of research institutions, parks and thousands of homes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Morello-Frosch says any cleanup that caps toxic contamination likely won’t be good enough as the bay presses groundwater upward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you start having groundwater encroachment, those caps of legacy sites can be breached,” she noted. “So it can come up, and it can move to different areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cole Burchiel, a field investigator for the environmental watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper, is worried that rising groundwater levels will harm human and aquatic life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re dealing with some of the worst contaminants you can imagine — lead, arsenic, radioactive isotopes,” he said. “They will infiltrate existing infrastructure. We’re talking sewer lines, water supply lines — and that has a direct impact on people’s homes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979625\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Tall pine trees fill the foreground, while in the distance is a large, flat industrial area, with cranes in the distance. The top half of the photo is a deep blue sky.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard from the housing development above it on Feb. 25, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘We’re tired of begging for our lives’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/deliverable_documents/2878295719/Final_HPNS%20FYR.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Every five years the Navy examines progress on the shipyard’s cleanup.\u003c/a> The last study, completed in 2020, said they “have adequately addressed all exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s office denied multiple requests for an interview for this story. The city said in an emailed statement that it’s conducting a study with Bay Area climate scientists on how sea level rise will affect groundwater, and they’re seeking funding to study how sea level rise could affect known contaminated sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A May report released by the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury reprimands city and Navy officials, saying they have not accounted for the serious risk that rising groundwater could have here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Aside from some glimmers of awareness at regulatory agencies, groundwater rise has not yet been meaningfully considered in the cleanup at the Hunters Point Shipyard,” \u003ca href=\"https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2021_2022/2022%20CGJ%20Report_Buried%20Problems%20and%20a%20Buried%20Process%20-%20The%20Hunters%20Point%20Naval%20Shipyard%20in%20a%20Time%20of%20Climate%20Change.pdf\">the grand jury wrote\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, whose district includes Bayview-Hunters Point, \u003ca href=\"https://sfgov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5688190&GUID=B80E7D1A-48DC-4E89-96F6-9BF9C8493F1E&Options=Advanced&Search=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">requested a hearing on the jury report\u003c/a>. But his office declined repeated requests for an interview. In an emailed statement, he said he is aware of the longstanding issue of radioactive contamination and is working with all the agencies involved in the cleanup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he acknowledged that “the effect of sea level rise and groundwater rise has not been studied” for the Hunters Point Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison organized a June rally in front of City Hall to highlight the findings. Wearing a bright purple shirt with “CAN WE LIVE” printed on the front and speaking into a megaphone, she said the city needs to prepare Bayview-Hunters Point for the effects of sea level rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to invite our mayor, who we love, to show us that she loves us back,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said reparations are necessary to create an equitable future for Bayview-Hunters Point and its Black and brown residents who will be disproportionately harmed by climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://antievictionmap.com/bayview-hunters-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Government agencies redlined Black people into the neighborhood now dominated by polluting industries.\u003c/a> As a result, residents live near toxic sites and face potentially deadly impacts from climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979753\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979753\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-800x600.jpg\" alt='A Black woman in a red coat and red leggings speaks at a rally, holding up a map showing contaminated areas of the former Hunters Point naval shipyard. To the right of the photo, helping hold up the map, is a Black woman in black leggings, white running shoes and a purple t-shirt reading \"Can We Live.\" In the background is a group of Black people attending the rally, dressed in denim or khaki pants and a range of colors of shirts, from blue to red plaid. The rally is in front of a tall white fence.' width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai explains her map of which contaminants are found at which locations at the Hunters Point Superfund site, during a rally on February 12, 2022 in Bayview-Hunters Point. \u003ccite>(Annelise Finney/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’re tired of begging for our lives,” Harrison told KQED. “I holla for reparations because that’s paying for crimes against humanity. You can bet your bottom dollar we’re gonna need long-term care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906054/it-means-to-repair-what-you-should-know-about-reparations-for-black-californians\">California’s task force on reparations is deep in a conversation on how to repair the centuries of oppression\u003c/a> endured by descendants of the enslaved on a statewide level. San Francisco’s African American Reparations Advisory Committee is exploring how the city can repair the harm its discriminatory policies have caused to Black homeownership, access to schools and availability of health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayview-Hunters Point residents regularly attend the meetings of San Francisco’s advisory committee to express their concerns. Lonnie Mason said at a January session that the city is not giving enough attention to the historically Black area of San Francisco. He was born and raised in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our health risks within the community are very deep,” he said. “It goes way back. We know what time it is when it comes to Hunters Point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Reparations mean preparing for sea level rise\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For longtime Bayview-Hunters Point residents like Tonia Randell, city leaders have taken way too long to demonstrate they value people of color in this neighborhood, \u003ca href=\"https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one of the most polluted parts of San Francisco, according to a state environmental analysis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have all the utilities here,” she said, noting the neighborhood is home to \u003ca href=\"https://www.recology.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Recology\u003c/a>; the city’s sewage treatment plant; and other waste facilities. “We still have the garbage dump here. Why is it all in our area? Because they don’t value us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ce.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/mcarrasquillo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UC Berkeley professor Maya Carrasquillo\u003c/a> says it’s not unusual for Black people to feel left out of plans to improve residents’ lives, even if they are represented by Black city officials. Carrasquillo, who identifies racially as a Black American and ethnically as an Afro-Latina, is a civil and environmental engineering professor focused on environmental justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says Black people in power would argue they advocate for all Black residents, but decisions made by those in control often center communities of affluence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is still a distinct difference of how we value Black and brown lives across class barriers,” she said. “When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ it is all Black lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979619\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979619 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A black woman with a turquoise shirt and hair pulled back into a tight bun. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai is documenting the toxic load in Bayview-Hunters Point residents. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Carrasquillo says Bayview-Hunters Point deserves the same kind of investment that wealthy neighborhoods of San Francisco receive. If that doesn’t happen, lower-income people of color will suffer disproportionately as the world warms and the bay rises. She says San Francisco and other cities should invite the people who will be the most harmed by rising tides to decide their own future by including them in every aspect of climate adaptation plans. That is an act of reparation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s actually at stake here are people’s lives,” she added. “We need to make sure that people are not at the risk of death, if we really say that their lives matter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘That set my hair on fire’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To seize the attention of city leaders, residents are documenting their health conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A map of Bayview-Hunters Point lies on the wood desk in Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai’s office. It’s filled with red, blue, black, yellow and white pushpins — they look like ants piled up on a piece of food. Each pin represents a person whom she tested and found to have high levels of a toxic chemical in their body at that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Toxic chemicals] have no role in the human body, and there is no justification for any of them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979636\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979636 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A map of San Francisco's east side with clusters of yellow, blue, white and red pushpins.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pushpins on a map show where the elements arsenic, gadolinium, manganese and vanadium were found in tests of Bayview-Hunters Point residents. Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai is conducting the urine tests and correlating the results with residents’ illnesses. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2018, the state announced that \u003ca href=\"https://ce.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/mcarrasquillo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a radioactive object was found near new condos in the community\u003c/a> in an area the city and numerous government agencies said was cleaned up. For Porter Sumchai, that was the last straw.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, she began testing residents who volunteered to have their urine examined for toxic contaminants. The 70-year-old physician is the founder and medical director of the \u003ca href=\"https://hunters-point-community-biomonitoring-program.business.site/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s now tested and retested more than 100 residents for toxic elements like lead, mercury and arsenic, and for elevated levels of natural elements that people need, like iron and zinc. Porter Sumchai said she recently tested a woman in her 40s and found uranium at dangerously high levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That set my hair on fire,” she said. “I had never seen anything like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison was tested in 2021. Porter Sumchai found cadmium, copper, manganese and other contaminants in her body at levels she described as “very dangerous.” The contaminants could cause damage to the brain, heart, kidney, liver and lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am retaining fluid, have muscle tightness, tingling in my feet and my hair is falling out of my head like a cancer patient,” she said, pointing to the test results on her office computer. “It doesn’t look like it because my wig is really cute.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On that day she wore long, black braids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials with the San Francisco Department of Public Health told KQED in an emailed statement that the agency is “committed to protecting and promoting the health of those in the Bayview-Hunters Point” neighborhood, but wouldn’t comment directly on Porter Sumchai’s testing, saying the agency did not have a “subject matter expert.” They deferred comment to state health officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979754\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979754\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The results of Arieann Harrison’s tests for toxic elements her body is carrying are displayed on her computer in the Bayview on March 2, 2022. Bright red bars show high levels of lead, mercury, cadmium and thallium, among others. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Public Health told KQED in an email that it is “aware” of the community testing, but “has not been directly provided any test results from those samples.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_ej_sfhh_community_health_status_assessment.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The city conducted a community health survey in 2006\u003c/a> that found “cancer is a major cause of years of life lost in Bayview Hunters Point,” and “African-American women and men have the highest mortality rates of any other racial/ethnic group for several major cancers.” But the city did not look at whether buried toxic contamination at the shipyard contributed to any health problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Timur Durrani, a UCSF physician who is not involved with Porter Sumchai’s effort, said the tests are cause for a wider-scale survey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://profiles.ucsf.edu/timur.durrani\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Durrani, who provides care for acutely poisoned patients\u003c/a> at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, cautioned that to understand the full extent of the problem, a comprehensive evaluation of the exposure and the community is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What it sounds like is the community wants to be heard,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Porter Sumchai submits her data on cancers and toxic contamination to the California Cancer Registry. She is compiling her own — the Hunters Point Community Toxic Registry — and hopes to gather enough evidence documenting a relationship between illness and toxic exposure to use in a structured legal settlement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more evidence we collect, the more pins we place in this map,” she said. “I do think, ultimately, there is going to be a recovery for this community. It’s just in the stars.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But any recovery takes hard work. Porter Sumchai and Harrison’s work is practical, methodical and deliberate. Climate change adds extreme urgency to their effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the June protest on the steps of City Hall, Harrison invited Porter Sumchai to speak on her findings. Rallying the crowd, she called her “a woman who has been fighting since Day One. I like to call her my second mother.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People in Bayview-Hunters Point are being treated like canaries in the coal mine for an impending catastrophe that will impact the entire city,” Porter Sumchai said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayview-Hunters Point residents are facing a life-or-death crisis, she said, but she promised to fight, even if city leaders don’t act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then she quoted Marie Harrison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll never surrender,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/afinney\">Annelise Finney\u003c/a> contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Rising bay waters will move in under the surface of the land, pushing up groundwater and likely spreading buried toxic contamination to neighborhoods surrounding the Hunters Point Superfund site.\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738271505,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": true,
"iframeSrcs": [
"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html"
],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 74,
"wordCount": 3106
},
"headData": {
"title": "For These Black Bayview-Hunters Point Residents, Reparations Include Safeguarding Against Rising, Toxic Contamination | KQED",
"description": "Rising bay waters will move in under the surface of the land, pushing up groundwater and likely spreading buried toxic contamination to neighborhoods surrounding the Hunters Point Superfund site.\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "For These Black Bayview-Hunters Point Residents, Reparations Include Safeguarding Against Rising, Toxic Contamination",
"datePublished": "2022-07-05T00:01:16-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-01-30T13:11:45-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Sea Level Rise",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/f143f583-bc69-4e87-8fa5-aeaf01213dbb/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series, “Sacrifice Zones: Bay Area Shoreline Communities Reimagining Their Homes in the Face of the Climate Emergency.” The project looks at communities of color facing the worst of rising seas and fighting to thrive. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/reparations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more of KQED’s reparations coverage.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arieann Harrison accepted her calling at her mother’s funeral, sitting in St. John Missionary Baptist Church in the San Francisco shoreline community of Bayview-Hunters Point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You find out a lot about yourself at a funeral,” said Harrison. Her mother, Marie Harrison, passed away in 2019 at 71 from lung disease. Harrison says her mom believed the illness was tied to pollution from a nearby shipyard, where she once worked and lived close to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At St. John’s, person after person shared reasons why they valued Harrison’s mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She organized, marched and protested for decades, pushing for a shipyard cleanup — even chaining herself to the fence outside the site. Marie Harrison famously said to neighbors, officials and anyone who would listen, “We’ll never surrender.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison realized it was time to stand on her mother’s shoulders, taking on her legacy of advocacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I learned in that moment is that love is an action word,” she said. She’s since launched the \u003ca href=\"https://www.canwelive.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marie Harrison Community Foundation, whose focus is environmental justice\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.Cleanup&id=0902722#bkground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The shipyard is now a Superfund site\u003c/a>, one of the country’s most polluted places. The 866-acre area is a jigsaw slab of concrete docking bays and abandoned buildings jutting out of the southeast shoreline of San Francisco. The site butts up against the community of Bayview-Hunters Point, where more than 35,000 people live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marie Harrison fought for a cleanup. Her daughter’s struggle is arguably more difficult, as climate change and sea level rise threaten to flood the area. Scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm about rising bay water pushing freshwater up from belowground, uncorking chemicals from the shipyard before spilling into homes and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just one natural disaster away from something we can never come back from,” said Harrison, who lives in the neighborhood and works helping military veterans and unhoused people find housing and recovery programs in San Francisco. “This is not a game.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three years after her mother’s death, Harrison, who is in her mid-50s, is pressing officials for the strongest possible cleanup of the site to ensure the community isn’t exposed to toxic waste. She’s helping lead an effort to document how living near the Superfund site may have exposed residents — many of whom are people of color — to toxics, by testing for contaminants in their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979686\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979686 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Blue bay water lies in the foreground with white apartments rising up a green hillside. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/RS54637_024_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apartment buildings in Hunters Point sit behind the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco on March 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>People of color, all around the bay and the globe,\u003ca href=\"https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/8/15/racial-disparities-and-climate-change#:~:text=Communities%20of%20color%20are%20disproportionately,waste%20are%20people%20of%20color.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> are disproportionately victimized by the effects of climate change\u003c/a>. Harrison is one of the many Black women who are increasingly focused on climate justice and are \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/opinion/black-women-leaders-climate-movement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">leading the modern environmental movement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Climate justice is a real thing. Sea level rise is real,” she said. “This is the opportunity to stand up and do the right thing by the people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her advocacy also now includes a call for reparations for descendants of enslaved people, saying the tendrils of slavery are still very alive today in this historically Black neighborhood. Racist housing policies siloed Black and brown people in this part of San Francisco, where she says they were exposed to contaminants from the Superfund site; repair is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The worst contaminants you can imagine’\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch5>Bayview-Hunters Point Hazardous Sites and 2100 Sea Level Rise\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 90%\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: small\">\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Click the arrow to view the map legend. Use your mouse to move the map. Use the + and – signs to zoom in and out. Click on the dots to view details. Click on the magnifying glass to search for a specific address. Areas marked by circles show the impact of rising seas and groundwater together, while squares show groundwater impacts only. Sources: Climate Central, UCLA, UC Berkeley, USGS.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=a1084b48e926492da63630c2c003ccc6&extent=-122.4351,37.6958,-122.3415,37.7728&home=true&zoom=true&previewImage=false&scale=true&search=true&searchextent=false&details=true&legend=true&active_panel=legend&disable_scroll=true&theme=light\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, communities of color are\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-11-30/toxic-tides-sea-level-rise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> five times more likely than the general population to live within a half mile of polluted places\u003c/a> like San Francisco’s shipyard, \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to an analysis\u003c/a> by environmental health scientists from UCLA and UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers predict these same spots could flood from rising seas in the coming decades; they launched a statewide mapping project last year called Toxic Tides, to \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">identify hazardous places along the state’s shoreline\u003c/a>. They’ve studied a less-understood threat: Rising seas flood over the top of the land and also push in underneath, propelling any buried contamination toward the surface. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979092/how-rising-sea-levels-could-push-up-a-toxic-soup-into-bay-area-neighborhoods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Groundwater could rise as far as 3 miles inland from the edge of San Francisco Bay.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers identified as many as 900 power plants, cleanup sites, refineries and other places in California that could experience flooding from sea level rise or groundwater spreading into neighborhoods — sometimes both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">California’s latest guidance report on sea level rise\u003c/a> says bay waters may rise more than 10 feet by the end of the century and nearly 3 feet by 2050 in the most extreme scenarios. The leading cause of climate change is humans burning fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Hunters Point Superfund site is one of those hazardous sites. In the middle of the last century, the U.S. Navy decontaminated ships after atomic bomb tests and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/decommissioning/complex/hunters-point-naval-shipyard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">established the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory at the shipyard\u003c/a>. This process contaminated the soil with radionuclides, heavy metals and petroleum fuels, among other toxic compounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area scientists say that before rising tides flood aboveground, bay waters will press inward under the surface of the land, pushing up the groundwater, spreading buried contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Hunters Point Superfund site is expected to experience monthly flooding by the end of the century,” said UCLA’s Lara Cushing, who created the mapping project with UC Berkeley’s Rachel Morello-Frosch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Superfund site is partially cleaned up. With the oversight of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the \u003ca href=\"https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.redevelop&id=0902722\">Navy is preparing for the eventual development of research institutions, parks and thousands of homes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Morello-Frosch says any cleanup that caps toxic contamination likely won’t be good enough as the bay presses groundwater upward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you start having groundwater encroachment, those caps of legacy sites can be breached,” she noted. “So it can come up, and it can move to different areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cole Burchiel, a field investigator for the environmental watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper, is worried that rising groundwater levels will harm human and aquatic life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re dealing with some of the worst contaminants you can imagine — lead, arsenic, radioactive isotopes,” he said. “They will infiltrate existing infrastructure. We’re talking sewer lines, water supply lines — and that has a direct impact on people’s homes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979625\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Tall pine trees fill the foreground, while in the distance is a large, flat industrial area, with cranes in the distance. The top half of the photo is a deep blue sky.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS53940_004_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard from the housing development above it on Feb. 25, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘We’re tired of begging for our lives’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/deliverable_documents/2878295719/Final_HPNS%20FYR.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Every five years the Navy examines progress on the shipyard’s cleanup.\u003c/a> The last study, completed in 2020, said they “have adequately addressed all exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s office denied multiple requests for an interview for this story. The city said in an emailed statement that it’s conducting a study with Bay Area climate scientists on how sea level rise will affect groundwater, and they’re seeking funding to study how sea level rise could affect known contaminated sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A May report released by the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury reprimands city and Navy officials, saying they have not accounted for the serious risk that rising groundwater could have here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Aside from some glimmers of awareness at regulatory agencies, groundwater rise has not yet been meaningfully considered in the cleanup at the Hunters Point Shipyard,” \u003ca href=\"https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2021_2022/2022%20CGJ%20Report_Buried%20Problems%20and%20a%20Buried%20Process%20-%20The%20Hunters%20Point%20Naval%20Shipyard%20in%20a%20Time%20of%20Climate%20Change.pdf\">the grand jury wrote\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, whose district includes Bayview-Hunters Point, \u003ca href=\"https://sfgov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5688190&GUID=B80E7D1A-48DC-4E89-96F6-9BF9C8493F1E&Options=Advanced&Search=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">requested a hearing on the jury report\u003c/a>. But his office declined repeated requests for an interview. In an emailed statement, he said he is aware of the longstanding issue of radioactive contamination and is working with all the agencies involved in the cleanup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he acknowledged that “the effect of sea level rise and groundwater rise has not been studied” for the Hunters Point Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison organized a June rally in front of City Hall to highlight the findings. Wearing a bright purple shirt with “CAN WE LIVE” printed on the front and speaking into a megaphone, she said the city needs to prepare Bayview-Hunters Point for the effects of sea level rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to invite our mayor, who we love, to show us that she loves us back,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said reparations are necessary to create an equitable future for Bayview-Hunters Point and its Black and brown residents who will be disproportionately harmed by climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://antievictionmap.com/bayview-hunters-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Government agencies redlined Black people into the neighborhood now dominated by polluting industries.\u003c/a> As a result, residents live near toxic sites and face potentially deadly impacts from climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979753\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979753\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-800x600.jpg\" alt='A Black woman in a red coat and red leggings speaks at a rally, holding up a map showing contaminated areas of the former Hunters Point naval shipyard. To the right of the photo, helping hold up the map, is a Black woman in black leggings, white running shoes and a purple t-shirt reading \"Can We Live.\" In the background is a group of Black people attending the rally, dressed in denim or khaki pants and a range of colors of shirts, from blue to red plaid. The rally is in front of a tall white fence.' width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/IMG_7892-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai explains her map of which contaminants are found at which locations at the Hunters Point Superfund site, during a rally on February 12, 2022 in Bayview-Hunters Point. \u003ccite>(Annelise Finney/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’re tired of begging for our lives,” Harrison told KQED. “I holla for reparations because that’s paying for crimes against humanity. You can bet your bottom dollar we’re gonna need long-term care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906054/it-means-to-repair-what-you-should-know-about-reparations-for-black-californians\">California’s task force on reparations is deep in a conversation on how to repair the centuries of oppression\u003c/a> endured by descendants of the enslaved on a statewide level. San Francisco’s African American Reparations Advisory Committee is exploring how the city can repair the harm its discriminatory policies have caused to Black homeownership, access to schools and availability of health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayview-Hunters Point residents regularly attend the meetings of San Francisco’s advisory committee to express their concerns. Lonnie Mason said at a January session that the city is not giving enough attention to the historically Black area of San Francisco. He was born and raised in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our health risks within the community are very deep,” he said. “It goes way back. We know what time it is when it comes to Hunters Point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Reparations mean preparing for sea level rise\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For longtime Bayview-Hunters Point residents like Tonia Randell, city leaders have taken way too long to demonstrate they value people of color in this neighborhood, \u003ca href=\"https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one of the most polluted parts of San Francisco, according to a state environmental analysis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have all the utilities here,” she said, noting the neighborhood is home to \u003ca href=\"https://www.recology.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Recology\u003c/a>; the city’s sewage treatment plant; and other waste facilities. “We still have the garbage dump here. Why is it all in our area? Because they don’t value us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ce.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/mcarrasquillo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UC Berkeley professor Maya Carrasquillo\u003c/a> says it’s not unusual for Black people to feel left out of plans to improve residents’ lives, even if they are represented by Black city officials. Carrasquillo, who identifies racially as a Black American and ethnically as an Afro-Latina, is a civil and environmental engineering professor focused on environmental justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says Black people in power would argue they advocate for all Black residents, but decisions made by those in control often center communities of affluence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is still a distinct difference of how we value Black and brown lives across class barriers,” she said. “When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ it is all Black lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979619\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979619 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A black woman with a turquoise shirt and hair pulled back into a tight bun. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/028_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai is documenting the toxic load in Bayview-Hunters Point residents. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Carrasquillo says Bayview-Hunters Point deserves the same kind of investment that wealthy neighborhoods of San Francisco receive. If that doesn’t happen, lower-income people of color will suffer disproportionately as the world warms and the bay rises. She says San Francisco and other cities should invite the people who will be the most harmed by rising tides to decide their own future by including them in every aspect of climate adaptation plans. That is an act of reparation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s actually at stake here are people’s lives,” she added. “We need to make sure that people are not at the risk of death, if we really say that their lives matter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘That set my hair on fire’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To seize the attention of city leaders, residents are documenting their health conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A map of Bayview-Hunters Point lies on the wood desk in Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai’s office. It’s filled with red, blue, black, yellow and white pushpins — they look like ants piled up on a piece of food. Each pin represents a person whom she tested and found to have high levels of a toxic chemical in their body at that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Toxic chemicals] have no role in the human body, and there is no justification for any of them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979636\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979636 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A map of San Francisco's east side with clusters of yellow, blue, white and red pushpins.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/06/012_KQED_BayviewBloodTesting_02252022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pushpins on a map show where the elements arsenic, gadolinium, manganese and vanadium were found in tests of Bayview-Hunters Point residents. Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai is conducting the urine tests and correlating the results with residents’ illnesses. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2018, the state announced that \u003ca href=\"https://ce.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/mcarrasquillo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a radioactive object was found near new condos in the community\u003c/a> in an area the city and numerous government agencies said was cleaned up. For Porter Sumchai, that was the last straw.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, she began testing residents who volunteered to have their urine examined for toxic contaminants. The 70-year-old physician is the founder and medical director of the \u003ca href=\"https://hunters-point-community-biomonitoring-program.business.site/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s now tested and retested more than 100 residents for toxic elements like lead, mercury and arsenic, and for elevated levels of natural elements that people need, like iron and zinc. Porter Sumchai said she recently tested a woman in her 40s and found uranium at dangerously high levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That set my hair on fire,” she said. “I had never seen anything like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison was tested in 2021. Porter Sumchai found cadmium, copper, manganese and other contaminants in her body at levels she described as “very dangerous.” The contaminants could cause damage to the brain, heart, kidney, liver and lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am retaining fluid, have muscle tightness, tingling in my feet and my hair is falling out of my head like a cancer patient,” she said, pointing to the test results on her office computer. “It doesn’t look like it because my wig is really cute.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On that day she wore long, black braids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials with the San Francisco Department of Public Health told KQED in an emailed statement that the agency is “committed to protecting and promoting the health of those in the Bayview-Hunters Point” neighborhood, but wouldn’t comment directly on Porter Sumchai’s testing, saying the agency did not have a “subject matter expert.” They deferred comment to state health officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979754\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979754\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/06/RS54031_004_KQED_BayviewAriannHarrison_03022022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The results of Arieann Harrison’s tests for toxic elements her body is carrying are displayed on her computer in the Bayview on March 2, 2022. Bright red bars show high levels of lead, mercury, cadmium and thallium, among others. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Public Health told KQED in an email that it is “aware” of the community testing, but “has not been directly provided any test results from those samples.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_ej_sfhh_community_health_status_assessment.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The city conducted a community health survey in 2006\u003c/a> that found “cancer is a major cause of years of life lost in Bayview Hunters Point,” and “African-American women and men have the highest mortality rates of any other racial/ethnic group for several major cancers.” But the city did not look at whether buried toxic contamination at the shipyard contributed to any health problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Timur Durrani, a UCSF physician who is not involved with Porter Sumchai’s effort, said the tests are cause for a wider-scale survey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://profiles.ucsf.edu/timur.durrani\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Durrani, who provides care for acutely poisoned patients\u003c/a> at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, cautioned that to understand the full extent of the problem, a comprehensive evaluation of the exposure and the community is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What it sounds like is the community wants to be heard,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Porter Sumchai submits her data on cancers and toxic contamination to the California Cancer Registry. She is compiling her own — the Hunters Point Community Toxic Registry — and hopes to gather enough evidence documenting a relationship between illness and toxic exposure to use in a structured legal settlement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more evidence we collect, the more pins we place in this map,” she said. “I do think, ultimately, there is going to be a recovery for this community. It’s just in the stars.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But any recovery takes hard work. Porter Sumchai and Harrison’s work is practical, methodical and deliberate. Climate change adds extreme urgency to their effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the June protest on the steps of City Hall, Harrison invited Porter Sumchai to speak on her findings. Rallying the crowd, she called her “a woman who has been fighting since Day One. I like to call her my second mother.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People in Bayview-Hunters Point are being treated like canaries in the coal mine for an impending catastrophe that will impact the entire city,” Porter Sumchai said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayview-Hunters Point residents are facing a life-or-death crisis, she said, but she promised to fight, even if city leaders don’t act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then she quoted Marie Harrison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll never surrender,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/afinney\">Annelise Finney\u003c/a> contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_46",
"science_31",
"science_40",
"science_43",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_4417",
"science_4414"
],
"featImg": "science_1979622",
"label": "source_science_1979614"
},
"science_1979658": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979658",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979658",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1656745267000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "science"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1656745267,
"format": "standard",
"title": "'Poorly Prepared': SF Civil Grand Jury Slams City for Not Protecting Residents From Toxic Contamination",
"headTitle": "‘Poorly Prepared’: SF Civil Grand Jury Slams City for Not Protecting Residents From Toxic Contamination | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Standing atop the Polk Street steps of San Francisco City Hall, Arieann Harrison chanted into a megaphone alongside other Bayview-Hunters Point residents, begging city officials to value their lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I say, ‘Can we,’ you say, ‘Live,’” Harrison called out. “Can we!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Live!” the crowd shouted back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally earlier this month followed a report from the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury that confirmed what Bayview-Hunters Point residents have been saying: The city is not acting on — is barely even thinking about — how sea level rise could surface legacy toxic contamination, spreading it in neighborhoods near the World War II-era naval shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to invite our mayor — who we love — to show us that she loves us back,” said Harrison. As the founder of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, she fights for people’s health in this part of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report said in blunt and emphatic language that neither the city, nor the Navy, nor any agency involved in Hunters Point has accounted for the severe risk that human-caused climate change poses to the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='medium' align='right' citation='Arieann Harrison, founder, Marie Harrison Community Foundation'] ‘I want to invite our mayor — who we love — to show us that she loves us back.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jury “found that rising groundwater in the Shipyard could interact in dangerous ways with future infrastructure, and with hazardous toxins the Navy plans to leave buried in the soil. We wanted to know if this new science and these risks had been taken into account by the City, by OCII [the San Francisco Office of Community Infrastructure and Investment], or by the Navy and its regulators. We found that they had not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jurors wrote that the city is “poorly prepared” to protect the health and safety of Bayview-Hunters Point residents, and “cannot cut corners in an era of climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Harrison and others who live in the neighborhood around the shipyard, the report validated their message to city officials: that the threats from toxic contamination and climate change are real and demand lasting solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to secure the future for us as residents and for our kids,” said Harrison. “I am a mother. I am a grandmother. And I want them to not live through a legacy of toxicity. I don’t want them to worry about all the things they have to worry about in our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The toxic legacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979781\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979781\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-800x450.png\" alt=\"A photo illustration with torn up pieces of white and grey pieces of paper. Each has an excerpt from a report from the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-1020x574.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Portions of the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury report ‘Buried Problems and a Buried Process: The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in a Time of Climate Change.’ \u003ccite>(Sarah Khalida Mohamad/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The bayshore edge of Bayview-Hunters Point is one of the most polluted areas of the entire San Francisco shoreline. The former Navy shipyard, located on the city’s southeast shoreline, is an 866-acre federal Superfund site, a location the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has designated as highly contaminated with hazardous waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the middle of the last century, the Navy decontaminated ships there after atomic bomb tests and established the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory. Research and other activities contaminated the soil with radionuclides, heavy metals, and petroleum fuels, among other toxic compounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Superfund site has been partially cleaned up. With the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Navy is continuing the cleanup, preparing it for the eventual development of a sweeping new neighborhood with mixed-use construction of businesses, research institutions and thousands of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists say the problem is that the cleanup didn’t prepare the site for the worst of rising tides. The Navy’s most recent report on the cleanup describes how, at many sites, toxic contamination that’s buried in the soil is held in place with a cap — often made of concrete, clay or strong plastic-like materials. The problem: Rising sea levels both flood on top of the land and press inward under the surface, pushing up the groundwater underneath this buried contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley scientist Rachel Morello-Frosch says caps over toxic contamination may not hold as the bay presses groundwater upward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you start having groundwater encroachment, those caps of legacy sites can be breached,” she noted. “So it can come up, and it can move to different areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As groundwater rises, the buried pollution can spread throughout the community, exposing people and the bay to contaminants.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>An ‘impenetrable system’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979681\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979681\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A sliver of greenish blue baywater in the foreground. Giant silver metal cranes sit upon a rock levee. Behind the cranes is an apartment laden hill. The mostly white apartments appear to be multiple stories.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apartment buildings in Hunters Point are seen through gantry cranes from San Francisco Bay on March 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LeBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report is an indictment of the city and the regulatory agencies overseeing what happens at the Hunters Point Superfund site — that is, the Navy, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report says lack of attention, inaccessible documents, technical language and poor communication among the agencies involved in cleanup at the Superfund site leave residents of Bayview-Hunters Point and the city unacceptably vulnerable to contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 citizens who don’t work in government. They serve for a year to investigate and issue reports on significant local government actions or, as they make clear in this case, government lack of action.\u003cbr>\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='medium' align='left' citation='San Francisco Civil Grand Jury']‘Aside from some glimmers of awareness at regulatory agencies, groundwater rise has not yet been meaningfully considered in the cleanup at the Hunters Point Shipyard.’[/pullquote]\u003c/span>“The Jury believes that the essence of the City’s disconnect from the Shipyard cleanup lies in the lack of attention paid to it by leaders throughout the City,” the jurors wrote. “Aside from some glimmers of awareness at regulatory agencies, groundwater rise has not yet been meaningfully considered in the cleanup at the Hunters Point Shipyard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Furthermore, the jurors wrote that city leaders have not paid much attention to the cleanup itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Despite the enormous stakes of the process governing the Shipyard cleanup,” the report says, “there is little understanding of the process throughout the City, or even that the City can influence this process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To come to their conclusions, the members of the grand jury read reams and reams of documents, some of which they said were “impenetrable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jurors wrote that because reports on the cleanup are “arcane and very difficult to understand,” it was hard for them to determine what work the Navy had completed. As a result, they wrote, “the cleanup governance process is inaccessible, even invisible” to city leaders or citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hidden inside this impenetrable system, [the agencies in charge of the cleanup] are engaging with important questions that concern anyone who might someday live in the Shipyard,” the jurors wrote. “They should certainly concern the leaders of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report offers seven recommendations for San Francisco leaders. Among them:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fund an independent study about how groundwater rise could affect toxic contamination in the soil at the Superfund site, under multiple sea level rise scenarios.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Create a permanent Hunters Point Shipyard Cleanup Oversight Committee to examine and question decisions about the cleanup, and communicate requests to the Navy and oversight agencies.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>For that committee, by March 1, 2023, prepare a report on its recommendations based on the groundwater study and deliver that report to the Board of Supervisors, the mayor and the Department of Public Health.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“This is a solvable problem,” the jurors wrote. “And there is still hope that groundwater rise will be addressed in the Shipyard before it is too late.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>City officials respond \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979668\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 634px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979668 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/map-bvhp.jpg\" alt=\"Two maps of the San Francisco neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point side by side. One shows where current groundwater is at and the other shows where groundwater will move to with four feet of sea level rise. The darker the color the closer to the surface the groudnwater is.\" width=\"634\" height=\"764\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/map-bvhp.jpg 634w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/map-bvhp-160x193.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco officials say they are studying where groundwater rise could happen across the city. But the civil grand jury found they aren’t examining how that rise could affect toxic contamination in Bayview-Hunters Point. \u003ccite>(City and County of San Francisco Civil Grand Jury report 'Buried Problems and a Buried Process: The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in a Time of Climate Change')\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor London Breed and District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton denied requests for an interview for this story. City staff emailed a statement that said officials welcome the report and will carefully consider the recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The email pointed to a study the city is working on in collaboration with scientists from Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute. That study will evaluate how sea level rise will affect flooding and groundwater. A preliminary summary of the study says that sea level rise can push up groundwater as far as three miles inland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city also noted it intends to conduct a study analyzing “known contaminated sites and the potential for rising groundwater to mobilize contaminants.” But the city hasn’t found funding for that study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the grand jury report says the study underway won’t be adequate to guide critical decisions about protecting residents in Bayview-Hunters Point. “The City urgently needs better, more detailed predictions of how groundwater will react to sea level rise at this site,” they wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jurors got a preview of the study; the example foreshadows 4 feet of sea level rise — less than half of the end-of-the-century, worst-case scenario laid out in \u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">the state’s sea level rise guidance\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1628,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 35
},
"modified": 1704846238,
"excerpt": "The report said the city is not prepared for how toxic contamination could spread in the neighborhood when sea level rise meets the Superfund site.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The report said the city is not prepared for how toxic contamination could spread in the neighborhood when sea level rise meets the Superfund site.",
"title": "'Poorly Prepared': SF Civil Grand Jury Slams City for Not Protecting Residents From Toxic Contamination | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "'Poorly Prepared': SF Civil Grand Jury Slams City for Not Protecting Residents From Toxic Contamination",
"datePublished": "2022-07-02T00:01:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:23:58-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "poorly-prepared-sf-civil-grand-jury-slams-city-for-not-protecting-residents-from-toxic-contamination",
"status": "publish",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"path": "/science/1979658/poorly-prepared-sf-civil-grand-jury-slams-city-for-not-protecting-residents-from-toxic-contamination",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Standing atop the Polk Street steps of San Francisco City Hall, Arieann Harrison chanted into a megaphone alongside other Bayview-Hunters Point residents, begging city officials to value their lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I say, ‘Can we,’ you say, ‘Live,’” Harrison called out. “Can we!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Live!” the crowd shouted back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally earlier this month followed a report from the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury that confirmed what Bayview-Hunters Point residents have been saying: The city is not acting on — is barely even thinking about — how sea level rise could surface legacy toxic contamination, spreading it in neighborhoods near the World War II-era naval shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to invite our mayor — who we love — to show us that she loves us back,” said Harrison. As the founder of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, she fights for people’s health in this part of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report said in blunt and emphatic language that neither the city, nor the Navy, nor any agency involved in Hunters Point has accounted for the severe risk that human-caused climate change poses to the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": " ‘I want to invite our mayor — who we love — to show us that she loves us back.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Arieann Harrison, founder, Marie Harrison Community Foundation",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jury “found that rising groundwater in the Shipyard could interact in dangerous ways with future infrastructure, and with hazardous toxins the Navy plans to leave buried in the soil. We wanted to know if this new science and these risks had been taken into account by the City, by OCII [the San Francisco Office of Community Infrastructure and Investment], or by the Navy and its regulators. We found that they had not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jurors wrote that the city is “poorly prepared” to protect the health and safety of Bayview-Hunters Point residents, and “cannot cut corners in an era of climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Harrison and others who live in the neighborhood around the shipyard, the report validated their message to city officials: that the threats from toxic contamination and climate change are real and demand lasting solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to secure the future for us as residents and for our kids,” said Harrison. “I am a mother. I am a grandmother. And I want them to not live through a legacy of toxicity. I don’t want them to worry about all the things they have to worry about in our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The toxic legacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979781\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979781\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-800x450.png\" alt=\"A photo illustration with torn up pieces of white and grey pieces of paper. Each has an excerpt from a report from the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-1020x574.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Grand-Jury-Bayview-Hunters-Point-4.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Portions of the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury report ‘Buried Problems and a Buried Process: The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in a Time of Climate Change.’ \u003ccite>(Sarah Khalida Mohamad/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The bayshore edge of Bayview-Hunters Point is one of the most polluted areas of the entire San Francisco shoreline. The former Navy shipyard, located on the city’s southeast shoreline, is an 866-acre federal Superfund site, a location the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has designated as highly contaminated with hazardous waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the middle of the last century, the Navy decontaminated ships there after atomic bomb tests and established the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory. Research and other activities contaminated the soil with radionuclides, heavy metals, and petroleum fuels, among other toxic compounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Superfund site has been partially cleaned up. With the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Navy is continuing the cleanup, preparing it for the eventual development of a sweeping new neighborhood with mixed-use construction of businesses, research institutions and thousands of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists say the problem is that the cleanup didn’t prepare the site for the worst of rising tides. The Navy’s most recent report on the cleanup describes how, at many sites, toxic contamination that’s buried in the soil is held in place with a cap — often made of concrete, clay or strong plastic-like materials. The problem: Rising sea levels both flood on top of the land and press inward under the surface, pushing up the groundwater underneath this buried contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley scientist Rachel Morello-Frosch says caps over toxic contamination may not hold as the bay presses groundwater upward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you start having groundwater encroachment, those caps of legacy sites can be breached,” she noted. “So it can come up, and it can move to different areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As groundwater rises, the buried pollution can spread throughout the community, exposing people and the bay to contaminants.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>An ‘impenetrable system’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979681\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979681\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A sliver of greenish blue baywater in the foreground. Giant silver metal cranes sit upon a rock levee. Behind the cranes is an apartment laden hill. The mostly white apartments appear to be multiple stories.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS54624_012_KQED_BaykeeperBayviewHuntersPoint_03082022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apartment buildings in Hunters Point are seen through gantry cranes from San Francisco Bay on March 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LeBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report is an indictment of the city and the regulatory agencies overseeing what happens at the Hunters Point Superfund site — that is, the Navy, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report says lack of attention, inaccessible documents, technical language and poor communication among the agencies involved in cleanup at the Superfund site leave residents of Bayview-Hunters Point and the city unacceptably vulnerable to contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 citizens who don’t work in government. They serve for a year to investigate and issue reports on significant local government actions or, as they make clear in this case, government lack of action.\u003cbr>\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Aside from some glimmers of awareness at regulatory agencies, groundwater rise has not yet been meaningfully considered in the cleanup at the Hunters Point Shipyard.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "left",
"citation": "San Francisco Civil Grand Jury",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>“The Jury believes that the essence of the City’s disconnect from the Shipyard cleanup lies in the lack of attention paid to it by leaders throughout the City,” the jurors wrote. “Aside from some glimmers of awareness at regulatory agencies, groundwater rise has not yet been meaningfully considered in the cleanup at the Hunters Point Shipyard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Furthermore, the jurors wrote that city leaders have not paid much attention to the cleanup itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Despite the enormous stakes of the process governing the Shipyard cleanup,” the report says, “there is little understanding of the process throughout the City, or even that the City can influence this process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To come to their conclusions, the members of the grand jury read reams and reams of documents, some of which they said were “impenetrable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jurors wrote that because reports on the cleanup are “arcane and very difficult to understand,” it was hard for them to determine what work the Navy had completed. As a result, they wrote, “the cleanup governance process is inaccessible, even invisible” to city leaders or citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hidden inside this impenetrable system, [the agencies in charge of the cleanup] are engaging with important questions that concern anyone who might someday live in the Shipyard,” the jurors wrote. “They should certainly concern the leaders of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report offers seven recommendations for San Francisco leaders. Among them:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fund an independent study about how groundwater rise could affect toxic contamination in the soil at the Superfund site, under multiple sea level rise scenarios.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Create a permanent Hunters Point Shipyard Cleanup Oversight Committee to examine and question decisions about the cleanup, and communicate requests to the Navy and oversight agencies.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>For that committee, by March 1, 2023, prepare a report on its recommendations based on the groundwater study and deliver that report to the Board of Supervisors, the mayor and the Department of Public Health.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“This is a solvable problem,” the jurors wrote. “And there is still hope that groundwater rise will be addressed in the Shipyard before it is too late.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>City officials respond \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979668\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 634px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979668 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/map-bvhp.jpg\" alt=\"Two maps of the San Francisco neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point side by side. One shows where current groundwater is at and the other shows where groundwater will move to with four feet of sea level rise. The darker the color the closer to the surface the groudnwater is.\" width=\"634\" height=\"764\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/map-bvhp.jpg 634w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/map-bvhp-160x193.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco officials say they are studying where groundwater rise could happen across the city. But the civil grand jury found they aren’t examining how that rise could affect toxic contamination in Bayview-Hunters Point. \u003ccite>(City and County of San Francisco Civil Grand Jury report 'Buried Problems and a Buried Process: The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in a Time of Climate Change')\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor London Breed and District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton denied requests for an interview for this story. City staff emailed a statement that said officials welcome the report and will carefully consider the recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The email pointed to a study the city is working on in collaboration with scientists from Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute. That study will evaluate how sea level rise will affect flooding and groundwater. A preliminary summary of the study says that sea level rise can push up groundwater as far as three miles inland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city also noted it intends to conduct a study analyzing “known contaminated sites and the potential for rising groundwater to mobilize contaminants.” But the city hasn’t found funding for that study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the grand jury report says the study underway won’t be adequate to guide critical decisions about protecting residents in Bayview-Hunters Point. “The City urgently needs better, more detailed predictions of how groundwater will react to sea level rise at this site,” they wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jurors got a preview of the study; the example foreshadows 4 feet of sea level rise — less than half of the end-of-the-century, worst-case scenario laid out in \u003ca href=\"https://opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/agenda_items/20180314/Item3_Exhibit-A_OPC_SLR_Guidance-rd3.pdf\">the state’s sea level rise guidance\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979658/poorly-prepared-sf-civil-grand-jury-slams-city-for-not-protecting-residents-from-toxic-contamination",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_39",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_4417",
"science_4859",
"science_554",
"science_5183",
"science_206"
],
"featImg": "science_1979808",
"label": "science"
},
"science_1979779": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979779",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979779",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1656629681000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1656629681,
"format": "standard",
"title": "California Climate Rules Won't Be Undercut by Supreme Court's Ruling, Experts Say",
"headTitle": "California Climate Rules Won’t Be Undercut by Supreme Court’s Ruling, Experts Say | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1530_n758.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to drastically limit the power of the federal Environmental Protection Agency to regulate planet-warming emissions\u003c/a> upsets environmentalists, but experts say it doesn’t necessarily pose a threat to California’s ability to maintain its own stringent greenhouse gas reduction rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 6-3 vote in the West Virginia v. EPA decision marks a significant change in how the federal EPA can exercise power to address climate change, making it clear that without approval from Congress, the agency is limited in how it can set national standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bigger question now is how the ruling could affect the control all federal agencies have in imposing regulations and how states like California — which have historically taken a stronger approach to tackling climate change — could be affected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s Air Resources Board, which oversees the state’s efforts to reduce air pollution, told CalMatters the agency agrees that the state’s policies and regulatory agencies now play an even more critical role in the fight against climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several experts say the ruling would not hinder the state’s efforts. Still, California’s efforts alone can’t solve a global problem, said attorney Sean Donahue, whose firm, Donahue, Goldberg & Littleton, wrote a brief in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has its own state laws that are regulating carbon dioxide emissions, so in that respect, it matters less to California directly,” Donahue said. “However, we’re all affected by climate change. California is doing a lot to try to reduce its own emissions, but we won’t have a safe climate unless everybody pitches in, and the federal government’s efforts are really important there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s authority to independently set stronger tailpipe emissions standards than those of the federal government was granted half a century ago, when Congress passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/evolution-clean-air-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Clean Air Act in 1970\u003c/a>. The law included special conditions for California to help the state address its severe smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some experts worry that Thursday’s ruling could lead federal agencies to take a more cautious and less effective approach to addressing major threats to public health and safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The opinion takes away one of the EPA’s tools to address climate change going forward,” said UCLA law professor Blake Emerson. “But the broader significance is that it’s going to provide a precedent for both the Supreme Court itself and the lower courts to strike down federal regulations, both with regards to the environment and with regards to market regulation and public health and safety if those courts think that the agency has taken a really major policy position.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='Climate Change Coverage' tag='climate-change']Cara Horowitz, co-executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law, agreed, adding that “regulations that affect significant swaths of the economy that are not explicitly authorized by Congress with very specific and clear statutory language, are especially vulnerable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several state leaders on Thursday maintained that California would continue to lead the nation in setting its own rules to reduce emissions, affirming that the ruling would not impede the state’s efforts to combat climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s ruling makes it even more imperative that California and other states succeed in our efforts to combat the climate crisis,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “California will remain the tentpole for this movement with record investments and aggressive policies to reduce pollution, to protect people from extreme weather, and to leave our children and grandchildren a world that’s better off than we found it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta called the Supreme Court’s decision “misguided and gravely disappointing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are running out of time in the fight against climate change, and we need all levels of government working together to take action before it’s too late,” he said in a statement.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>“In California, we have strong programs in place to address climate change, and we will not go backwards. With the future of our planet at stake, our commitment to tackling the climate crisis cannot waver.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 731,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 16
},
"modified": 1704846242,
"excerpt": "The US Supreme Court's decision to limit federal environmental protection rules will have little to no effect on California's carbon-reduction policies, according to experts — and state leaders say they are doubling down on their climate commitment.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The US Supreme Court's decision to limit federal environmental protection rules will have little to no effect on California's carbon-reduction policies, according to experts — and state leaders say they are doubling down on their climate commitment.",
"title": "California Climate Rules Won't Be Undercut by Supreme Court's Ruling, Experts Say | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California Climate Rules Won't Be Undercut by Supreme Court's Ruling, Experts Say",
"datePublished": "2022-06-30T15:54:41-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:02-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-climate-rules-wont-be-undercut-by-supreme-courts-ruling-experts-say",
"status": "publish",
"sourceUrl": "https://calmatters.org/",
"nprByline": "Nadia Lopez \u003cbr />CalMatters\u003cbr>",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "CalMatters",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"path": "/science/1979779/california-climate-rules-wont-be-undercut-by-supreme-courts-ruling-experts-say",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1530_n758.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to drastically limit the power of the federal Environmental Protection Agency to regulate planet-warming emissions\u003c/a> upsets environmentalists, but experts say it doesn’t necessarily pose a threat to California’s ability to maintain its own stringent greenhouse gas reduction rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 6-3 vote in the West Virginia v. EPA decision marks a significant change in how the federal EPA can exercise power to address climate change, making it clear that without approval from Congress, the agency is limited in how it can set national standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bigger question now is how the ruling could affect the control all federal agencies have in imposing regulations and how states like California — which have historically taken a stronger approach to tackling climate change — could be affected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s Air Resources Board, which oversees the state’s efforts to reduce air pollution, told CalMatters the agency agrees that the state’s policies and regulatory agencies now play an even more critical role in the fight against climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several experts say the ruling would not hinder the state’s efforts. Still, California’s efforts alone can’t solve a global problem, said attorney Sean Donahue, whose firm, Donahue, Goldberg & Littleton, wrote a brief in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has its own state laws that are regulating carbon dioxide emissions, so in that respect, it matters less to California directly,” Donahue said. “However, we’re all affected by climate change. California is doing a lot to try to reduce its own emissions, but we won’t have a safe climate unless everybody pitches in, and the federal government’s efforts are really important there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s authority to independently set stronger tailpipe emissions standards than those of the federal government was granted half a century ago, when Congress passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/evolution-clean-air-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Clean Air Act in 1970\u003c/a>. The law included special conditions for California to help the state address its severe smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some experts worry that Thursday’s ruling could lead federal agencies to take a more cautious and less effective approach to addressing major threats to public health and safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The opinion takes away one of the EPA’s tools to address climate change going forward,” said UCLA law professor Blake Emerson. “But the broader significance is that it’s going to provide a precedent for both the Supreme Court itself and the lower courts to strike down federal regulations, both with regards to the environment and with regards to market regulation and public health and safety if those courts think that the agency has taken a really major policy position.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "Climate Change Coverage ",
"tag": "climate-change"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Cara Horowitz, co-executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law, agreed, adding that “regulations that affect significant swaths of the economy that are not explicitly authorized by Congress with very specific and clear statutory language, are especially vulnerable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several state leaders on Thursday maintained that California would continue to lead the nation in setting its own rules to reduce emissions, affirming that the ruling would not impede the state’s efforts to combat climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s ruling makes it even more imperative that California and other states succeed in our efforts to combat the climate crisis,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “California will remain the tentpole for this movement with record investments and aggressive policies to reduce pollution, to protect people from extreme weather, and to leave our children and grandchildren a world that’s better off than we found it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta called the Supreme Court’s decision “misguided and gravely disappointing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are running out of time in the fight against climate change, and we need all levels of government working together to take action before it’s too late,” he said in a statement.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>“In California, we have strong programs in place to address climate change, and we will not go backwards. With the future of our planet at stake, our commitment to tackling the climate crisis cannot waver.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979779/california-climate-rules-wont-be-undercut-by-supreme-courts-ruling-experts-say",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1979779"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_33",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_2080",
"science_2164"
],
"featImg": "science_1979784",
"label": "source_science_1979779"
},
"science_1979560": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979560",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979560",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1655794897000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "cal-fire-fumbles-key-responsibilities-to-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires-despite-historic-budget",
"title": "Cal Fire Fumbles Key Responsibilities to Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires Despite Historic Budget",
"publishDate": 1655794897,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Cal Fire Fumbles Key Responsibilities to Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires Despite Historic Budget | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Richard A. Wilson is worried about wildfires this summer, amid dry conditions, extreme temperatures, punishing winds and the amplification of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are very vulnerable,” the 90-year-old said while looking out the window of his house on Buck Mountain, part of a 3,000-acre cattle ranch spanning Mendocino and Trinity counties that has been in his family for 80 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson estimates about 70% of his land — the whole northern end, including grassland, and pine and Douglas fir timberland — has burned in recent years. It was hit by the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire and the 2020 August Complex Fire, both among the largest fires in state history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The scale of the fires covered the country in a way we hadn’t seen, in size or intensity,” Wilson recalled.[pullquote align='right' citation='Richard Wilson, former head of Cal Fire']‘Their business [now] is putting fires out. The bigger the fires, the more people they need to put the fires out. That’s a complete reverse of somebody trying to deal with the forest so if there is a fire, it doesn’t get out of control and burn the whole thing down.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wildfires in California have burned nearly 7 million acres in the last two years alone. It is not only the size of the fires but also the destruction that’s breathtaking. In just the 2021 fire season, the Dixie Fire destroyed the town of Greenville and the Caldor Fire devastated the foothills community of Grizzly Flats. Both were the first fires in modern state history to burn across the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, Wilson fears, will be dangerous, as well: “We are headed into a tenuous time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson is not just any worried landowner: He’s the former head of Cal Fire, the state department responsible for fighting wildfires and managing forestland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Cal Fire is broadly recognized as a leader in firefighting, Wilson says it is also partly to blame for the looming danger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he led the department in the 1990s, he claims it viewed caring for forest health as a primary mission. Foresters are trained to see wooded areas as living ecosystems, and know how to make them more fire-resilient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the years after his tenure, he says the culture changed. Firefighting, not forestry, became the route to advancement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And it’s now a fire department. A very good fire department. But it’s not a forestry department,” Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Cal Fire is at an inflection point: trying to return to a greater emphasis on fire mitigation and forest health, while still working to protect communities from historic and deadly wildfires. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature lavished the department with record amounts of money for prescribed burns, brush clearing and cutting fuel breaks. But money alone does not solve the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire has publicly signaled a commitment to rebalancing its priorities. But a monthslong investigation by The California Newsroom, a public media collaboration, found that the department continues to fumble key responsibilities related to forest management and wildfire mitigation, potentially leaving the state at greater risk of catastrophic fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The state set aside a record $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and forest health in 2021. However, Cal Fire’s forest management hiring remains stagnant, while its firefighting staffing has ballooned.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cal Fire is struggling to track wildfire prevention projects that experts say are desperately needed to protect communities from destructive wildfires. The department still can’t determine how many acres of work it completed and funded through grants in the fiscal year ending in June 2021.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cal Fire has taken years to implement laws passed by the state Legislature. A program, required under state law to bolster the prescribed-burn workforce, suffered nearly a year of delay. So far, only two burn bosses have been certified, slowing the pace of protective projects. Experts say this delay has caused a loss of opportunities to enact community-protecting work.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>For at least four years, Cal Fire has failed to send its annual report to the Legislature detailing the department’s fire prevention efforts. The report, required by law, is an inventory of Cal Fire’s efforts and helps lawmakers understand the state’s progress on protecting vulnerable communities.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire has increased its output during the past five years. It completed fire prevention work — directly or through grants — on 105,000 acres in the fiscal year that ended in June 2020. The department could not provide a more current total.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/8.12.20-CA-Shared-Stewardship-MOU.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tasked\u003c/a> Cal Fire, along with partners that control state and private land, with performing 500,000 acres of forest management and fire mitigation work every year by 2025. But progress toward that goal has been slow, in part because a key state program \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/04/12/newsom-hailed-this-critical-wildfire-prevention-program-two-years-on-it-hasnt-completed-a-single-project/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">failed to increase project completions\u003c/a>. [pullquote align='right' citation='Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler']‘Watching these fires get larger and more damaging since 2014, I sincerely recognize the need to change the way we do — and have changed the way that we do — business.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, Cal Fire’s Joe Tyler, who was appointed chief in March, said the department is making progress on improving forest health and protecting communities in advance of catastrophic fires by “investing in community preparedness and mitigation” and “continuing to do those fuels projects across the board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He points to this year’s creation of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/p24fmjyg/cwpm-news-release_2022.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation division\u003c/a>, which aims to “develop, prioritize and implement strategies and projects that create fire adapted communities and landscapes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Tyler said the longer, more extreme wildfire seasons — coupled with the pandemic — have left the department’s workforce “fatigued.” That has affected Cal Fire’s administrative, forest management and fire suppression capabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler also acknowledged the need to change Cal Fire’s culture so it focuses more on prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Watching these fires get larger and more damaging since 2014, I sincerely recognize the need to change the way we do — and have changed the way that we do — business,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire practitioners like Margo Robbins, executive director of the Cultural Fire Management Council, argue this change at Cal Fire is long overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that they have forgotten that forestry is part of their responsibility, quite frankly,” said Robbins, whose expertise is in setting intentional fires that benefit the landscape and can protect communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She noted that Cal Fire is “moving in the right direction” by boosting investment in fire mitigation and fuel reduction. And the department has helped accommodate cultural prescribed burning led by Native American communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But “they have a ways to go,” Robbins added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they would focus more on that management piece, I think we would be seeing a very different scenario on our landscapes and a very different scenario in terms of wildfires,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Rebranding the department, changing the culture\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979580\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1979580\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Firefighters in orange and yellow uniforms stand in front of a burning hillside.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-800x604.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-1020x770.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-768x580.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-1536x1160.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Firefighters from the State of California and the Orange County Fire Authority on a controlled burn in Crystal Cove State Park, June 27, 1998. \u003ccite>(Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back when Wilson ran Cal Fire in the 1990s, it was known by its official name: the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He says during those years he made sure foresters — who are trained in managing forest health — had a lot of say. He feels their voice has disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/jwpajqnx/foresters-and-directors.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">photo lineup of Cal Fire’s past executive roster\u003c/a> , Wilson is the last chief wearing a suit and tie. All subsequent chiefs are wearing uniforms with badges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their business [now] is putting fires out,” Wilson said. “The bigger the fires, the more people they need to put the fires out. That’s a complete reverse of somebody trying to deal with the forest so if there is a fire, it doesn’t get out of control and burn the whole thing down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new chief, Tyler, is a 30-year veteran of the department who previously oversaw aspects of Cal Fire’s firefighting and emergency response. He said he witnessed the culture change, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I recall far ago in my career, in the ’90s, where fuels treatment, fuels reduction, vegetation management was an extremely high priority of the department,” Tyler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979575\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979575\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-800x642.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"642\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-800x642.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-1020x818.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-160x128.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-768x616.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-1536x1232.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM.png 1588w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photoline up of Cal Fire’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/jwpajqnx/foresters-and-directors.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">executive roster\u003c/a> from 1990 to the present. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But then, with the onset of larger and more damaging fires, the department’s focus increasingly shifted to suppression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The name “Cal Fire” embodies this tension. In 2006, the Legislature passed a \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060AB1423\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">law\u003c/a> allowing The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to rebrand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the bill — including the department’s firefighters union — argued the change was “\u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22015888-ab-1423-assembly-bill-bill-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">necessary to reflect [the department’s] primary role as a fire-fighting agency.\u003c/a> ” But the department itself had opposed the legislation, worried that the new moniker would obscure its forest management mandate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These tensions are once again at the fore as California faces a new wildfire reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Record investment, few new fire-prevention hires\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Last year, Newsom and lawmakers allocated a record $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and forest management, with the bulk of it going to Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a record amount. As of April, about half of the $1.5 billion had been “committed” to specific projects and initiatives, \u003ca href=\"https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Forest-Stewardship/Wildfire-Resilience-Program/2022-04-29-Wildfire-Resilience-Budget-Report.pdf\">according\u003c/a> to a recent report from the Natural Resources Agency, which oversees Cal Fire. The state has up to seven years to spend the bulk of the investment; some money may have to be spent sooner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency says the committed money is going to good use. “We’ve launched over 550 new projects with that funding,” said Jessica Morse, deputy secretary for forest and wildland resilience with the Natural Resources Agency. “Which is pretty fast — for bureaucracy, from appropriation — within less than a year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of these projects are specific wildfire prevention and forest health efforts, according to a chart on the agency’s \u003ca href=\"https://resources.ca.gov/Initiatives/Forest-Stewardship/Wildfire-Resilience-Program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">website\u003c/a>. For example, the Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District is planning a 641-acre fuel break to protect the communities of Groveland and Big Oak Flat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A number of projects don’t turn dirt or remove dangerous brush. Some fund studies of mitigation techniques and vegetation types. Another pays a consulting firm half-a-million dollars to develop a communications strategy for the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of other projects are related to climate change resilience, but have no immediate connection to wildfires. For example, a $600,000 allocation will help the city of Glendale, in Los Angeles County, plant 500 trees within the most “tree-poor area of the City.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of that money would go to distributing pamphlets to urban property owners on “the benefits of trees and tree care,” the project description reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979578\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979578 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-800x541.png\" alt=\"Chart showing rising costs of responding to wildfires.\" width=\"800\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-800x541.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-1020x690.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-160x108.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-768x520.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM.png 1076w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">State spending on firefighting has more than tripled since 2005, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4457\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Legislative Analyst’s Office\u003c/a>. Despite recent increases, spending on resource management and fire prevention is still a small fraction of the total. \u003ccite>(LAO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In spite of last year’s investment, the bulk of Cal Fire’s overall spending remains focused on fire suppression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last three fiscal years, Cal Fire allocated nearly $8 billion for “fire protection,” according to figures provided by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, or LAO. That money is used “to attack fires quickly and aggressively … until the fire is under control,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebudget.ca.gov/2022-23/pdf/GovernorsBudget/3000/3540.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the department’s budget\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During those three years, the department allocated about $1.5 billion for “resource management,” which according to the department’s budget is for the “regulation of timber harvesting,” “coordination of climate and forest restoration” and “vegetation management projects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staffing and new hires also heavily favor fire suppression. In the last three years, “fire protection” positions jumped from 7,076 to 8,187, according to figures provided by the state Department of Finance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(In an interview, senior Cal Fire officials noted that some positions in the department’s “fire protection” division focus on fire prevention work. About 3% of the division’s staff are described as “fire prevention” positions, according to Department of Finance figures.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that same time period, Cal Fire’s “resource management” division increased by 31 positions to a total of 518 — despite the massive investment in forest health and wildfire mitigation last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Note: Every department’s budget includes staffing figures, but the Department of Finance cautioned that some of the numbers for Cal Fire in recent years needed to be updated. The Department of Finance provided updated, accurate figures in response to a request from The California Newsroom.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts acknowledge the need to ramp up fire suppression forces in the face of extreme wildfires. But they argue there needs to be a complementary increase in resource management hiring to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robbins, with the Cultural Fire Management Council, called the hiring disparity “startling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Looking at these numbers,” she said, “it is very obvious to me that they’re not putting as much focus as they should be on prevention as opposed to reactionary suppression.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Mason, vice president of policy and incentives with Pacific Forest Trust, a conservation group focused on sustainable forests, said the need for more resource management staffing is “substantial.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cal Fire needs dozens, if not hundreds, of additional people working on the resource management side of the organization,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added that Cal Fire can’t achieve forest sustainability alone, and should build up its workforce alongside other agencies focused on water resources, climate resilience and biodiversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One challenge, according to Morse with the Natural Resources Agency, is that last year’s historic investment in wildfire resilience is mostly one-time spending, meaning the agency cannot count on it in future budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because it’s not permanent funding, it’s hard to get permanent positions,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the money can be spent for up to seven years, Morse said. Some might have to be spent sooner. That would put a time limit on any positions created.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates like Robbins and Mason are pushing for \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacificforest.org/wildfire-resiliency-group-budget-letter/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at least $1 billion in annual\u003c/a> for the next five years — totaling a minimum of $5 billion — for wildfire resilience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979582\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979582 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A firefighter in a yellow uniform drips flame from a torch onto a pile of brush. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire crews conduct a prescribed burn as part of its vegetation management program in February 2020. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Struggling to track progress\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>An overarching initiative driving the state’s fire prevention efforts is an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/8.12.20-CA-Shared-Stewardship-MOU.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agreement\u003c/a> Newsom forged with the federal government in the summer of 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the plan, California and the U.S. Forest Service each committed to completing 500,000 acres of forest management work annually in the state by 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after signing the agreement, Newsom held a press conference in Butte County amid ruins of the North Complex Fire. Peering through the smoky air and clad in a vintage-style military jacket, he called the plan “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXga8CM_uuk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a significant milestone, a significant step forward\u003c/a> .”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(In 2018, in an \u003ca href=\"https://www.ca.gov/archive/gov39/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/5.10.18-Forest-EO.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">executive order\u003c/a>, former Gov. Jerry Brown set an annual 500,000-acre goal for California agencies, with a deadline of 2023, but Newsom’s agreement with the federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/06/29/gov-gavin-newsom-retreats-on-1-billion-wildfire-prevention-plan-ahead-of-meeting-with-president-biden/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pushed \u003c/a>the target back two years.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Measuring progress toward this goal is murky at best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Newsroom requested data on the number of fire prevention acres Cal Fire itself completed, or funded through grants, in recent years. The department provided a chart showing a steady increase in total acreage, reaching over 105,000 acres in the fiscal year ending in June 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Cal Fire is still figuring out the total number it completed and funded through grants between July 2020 and June 2021. And the department did not provide any data on the current fiscal year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To achieve its 500,000-acre goal, the state will count wildfire prevention work performed by Cal Fire, its grantees and private landowners, which can include large properties such as logging companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But currently, Cal Fire does not have a way to track work completed by many private landowners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It highlights something pretty basic, which is we need an accounting system that works,” said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist with University of California Cooperative Extension.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He notes that tabulating total fire mitigation acres is a limited method of measuring risk reduction. He and other experts advocate for a system that takes into consideration factors like proximity to vulnerable communities and topography. But quantifying total acres of completed work is a basic step toward a more sophisticated assessment system, according to Moritz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is aiming to develop an online dashboard to track progress on forest management and fire prevention work. The goal is to show “the public where these projects are occurring” by putting “all this data at their fingertips,” said Daniel Berlant, deputy director of the department’s newly created Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation division.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Newsom administration has come under \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/06/23/newsom-misled-the-public-about-wildfire-prevention-efforts-ahead-of-worst-fire-season-on-record/\">criticism in the past for overstating the state’s wildfire prevention accomplishments,\u003c/a> first uncovered in an investigation by The California Newsroom last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has teased the new system — an upgrade of its existing, inconsistent \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fegis.fire.ca.gov%2Farcgis%2Frest%2Fservices%2FCalMapper%2FCalMAPPER_Public%2FMapServer&source=sd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CalMAPPER\u003c/a> database — since last summer. But it hasn’t committed to a release date. At a meeting of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force last month, director Patrick Wright said it would offer “an initial flavor” of the dashboard in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An additional challenge stands in the way of measuring progress toward the 1 million acre goal. While the target seems straightforward, Cal Fire and the federal government haven’t arrived at an agreed-upon definition of what counts as an “acre.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are differing perspectives over which types of fuel reduction should be eligible. For example, if an area has to be hand-thinned prior to a prescribed burn, should that area be tallied twice? Is salvage-logging, the process of removing damaged trees after a fire, eligible? What if the federal and state governments work together on the same project — could they both count it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire says it has internal definitions of how to measure and count acres of forest management work. But an agreed-upon definition with the Forest Service remains elusive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, senior Cal Fire officials told The California Newsroom that the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force is taking the lead on crafting this definition. The task force is made up of representatives from the state and federal governments, tribal leaders and other groups that do forest health projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to make sure that we’re talking apples to apples,” Berlant said. When pressed, he and other senior officials did not provide a timeline for when that definition would be finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979583\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979583 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a helmet tosses a dead branch down a dry, yellow hill. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire crews cleared brush to create a fuel break in San Diego County. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A ‘messy, confusing process’ to certify ‘burn bosses’ and expand prescribed fire\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire’s prescribed fire guidebook says setting controlled, beneficial fire “is a key tool for the Department and its cooperators to use in reducing fuels at a landscape scale while improving ecosystem health in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the workforce needed to meaningfully scale up prescribed fire, and protect forests and communities, is still largely lacking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Usually “burn bosses” — those qualified to plan and lead controlled burns — need to work for many years for fire suppression agencies, such as Cal Fire or the U.S. Forest Service, to get enough experience for certification. But being so busy fighting fires for much of the year, they struggle to get many burns done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, burns remain a key strategy, and the state’s goal has been to increase the workforce. To that end, the Legislature passed a bill in 2018 meant to increase the number of people trained to run burns. The law created a state-led training and certification program called State-Certified Prescribed-Fire Burn Boss, or CA-RX. It signaled a shift in direction — and a hope that burn bosses who do not work for government agencies in suppression, but may work for nonprofits, will have more freedom to conduct burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, it took four years — until mid-April 2022 — for the first burn boss to be certified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emails obtained through a Public Records Act request make it clear that some Cal Fire unit chiefs, whose signoff was required to advance the certification process, did not fully support the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delays in issuing and signing paperwork prevented the certification of trainees for the better part of a year. For example, course participants were not issued training checklists known as “task books,” which are used to evaluate their abilities. And trainees suggest these delays may have come at a cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am deeply concerned that I have still not been issued a task book to finalize my CARX certification,” wrote trainee Will Harling, director of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, in an early January 2022 email to Cal Fire’s State Fire Training division. “This sense of urgency is shared by myself and others who have seen first-hand towns nearly wiped off the map in the time we have been waiting for this CARX certification process to be finalized, and have the skills and knowledge to safely implement prescribed burns that can help save homes and protect resources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harling wasn’t the only one to write in frustration to the division. In response to a December 2021 email from another trainee, Battalion Chief Mark Bisbee within Cal Fire’s State Fire Training division acknowledged the program’s problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I guess the best way to characterize this entire process is messy, confusing,” Bisbee wrote. “The next step is in flux because […] not all Unit Chiefs are on board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bisbee acknowledged in his email that the certification program “has been a very long, drawn out process,” but said he would continue to advocate for the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview in April, Bisbee said the slow start was partially due to only a few people being authorized to teach the program, but also to “bottlenecks within the bureaucracy.” While he said he saw progress within the department of accepting prescribed fire — which can be a hard adjustment for those trained only to put out fire — the paradigm shift was like a huge ship moving sideways: slow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also acknowledged the push from lawmakers to take a new direction: “Whether Cal Fire is ready or not, the legislation is saying this is what we need to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a legislative oversight hearing last December, Lenya Quinn-Davidson — a fire adviser with the University of California who helped write the legislation and the curriculum and who hosted the first course — told lawmakers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve missed a ton of opportunities for project implementation. There is a huge need for qualified burn bosses to plan and implement projects and to partner with the state and to partner with landowners. But without the state certification and the protections that it can provide, many of those folks are not willing to go out and do that work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quinn-Davidson wrote a \u003ca href=\"https://fireadaptednetwork.org/california-burn-boss-program-new-path-forward-or-dead-end-street/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">blog post \u003c/a>in mid-January about the delays in the certification process. Soon after it published, Cal Fire issued task books to almost all participants, according to a blog update. Will Harling confirmed receiving his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to see this work happen more quickly,” Quinn-Davidson told The California Newsroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matthew Reischman, Cal Fire’s deputy director of resource management, said he believes the program will prove a success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a new course for us, so there’s a lot of changes and things that we had to do to get it up and running,” he said. “It’s a process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Missing reports and safety inspections\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In some instances, The California Newsroom discovered, Cal Fire is altogether neglecting oversight requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For over a decade, the Legislature has mandated that the department file an annual report detailing its fire prevention activities for the previous year, and its plans for improving prevention efforts moving forward. The report is an inventory of the department’s accomplishments, and lawmakers rely on it to understand the state’s progress on protecting vulnerable communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But an exhaustive search by the State Library, carried out at The California Newsroom’s request, found that the department has not filed this report in at least four years. The library’s most recent copy covers fiscal year 2014-15. The state’s website for \u003ca href=\"https://agencyreports.ca.gov/rep13922308081004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agency reports\u003c/a> indicates the department may have filed a report for 2017, but the library does not have a copy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last two state budgets, the Legislature also required Cal Fire to file reports on grants awarded to local governments and nonprofits for fire prevention, including the number of applications received and grants awarded. The reports were due in February of this year, according to the state’s website for agency reports. A search by the State Library turned up no copies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire did not provide copies of the reports in response to an email request. In an interview, Berlant said “the reports are in the works,” adding the department took its responsibilities seriously but had been delayed by the pandemic and that “fighting fire in the middle of December, January, February — that becomes a bit of our priority.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chief Tyler said the department is actively working on completing them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I myself learned about those reports to the Legislature that are due, I put a task in my own calendar to start checking up on those to ensure that those are getting submitted timely,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some legislation lays out clear mandates for Cal Fire, other bills establish goals for the department to meet. For example, a law passed in 2019 set a goal for Cal Fire to inspect homes within its responsibility area once every three years. These inspections are designed to educate homeowners about dangers with vegetation near the home and structural vulnerabilities to wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Cal Fire is struggling to hit its inspection targets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4457\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2021 report\u003c/a> from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, “CalFire was not able to provide data on how many unique properties were inspected each year or how many properties had not been inspected within the past three years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result, the LAO concluded, “[I]t is unclear what share of properties have received recent inspections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department provided some information, and indicated some local Cal Fire units inspected 10% or fewer of their parcels each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berlant said the department is working to hit its goals and plans to hire more defensible space inspectors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will be working to not only increase those [inspection] numbers, but to make sure that those numbers are being reported to the public to see exactly where that work is being done,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moritz, the wildfire specialist with University of California Cooperative Extension, said the inspections are essential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly if Cal Fire was able to follow through and inspect 100% of the parcels that need it,” said Moritz, “presumably those inspections would lead to a great benefit, a great reduction in risk for both the firefighters and for the homeowners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire also is supposed to update fire hazard severity maps every five years, but they were last updated in 2007. The agency told CapRadio in December that \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/12/20/after-years-of-delays-calfire-says-updated-and-expanded-wildfire-hazard-maps-are-on-their-way/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the new ones would be released in the next few months\u003c/a> — at that time, ostensibly February or March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent interview, Cal Fire staff now says the new maps likely will roll out in the summer and fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The maps are “a really important tool that we have for smarter building and design of our communities, because the building codes are attached to those maps,” according to Moritz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delaying the map updates, Moritz said, could lead to places still being identified at a lower hazard level than they should be. “You could have building going on that would not be at the building codes that are necessary for the hazard in that location,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department’s modeling has struggled to keep pace with the conditions feeding California’s extreme wildfires. Berlant says the department is now using science that “tracks extreme wind events at a much smaller scale, so that we can better mirror conditions that we’ve been experiencing in these last couple of fire seasons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Cal Fire’s chief responds\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The California Newsroom presented Chief Tyler with its findings, and he expounded on ways he plans to change the culture and structure of Cal Fire. He also reiterated his belief that Cal Fire can — and under his leadership will — balance its firefighting and forestry responsibilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979588\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1979588\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a blue uniform stands at a podium in front of a bulldozer. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler speaks in Santa Rosa for Wildfire Preparedness Week, May 5, 2022. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For example, experts and practitioners in the world of fire resilience have told The California Newsroom they feel an inability to publicly criticize or offer scrutiny of Cal Fire for fear of damaging their relationship with the department, being cut out of grants or not getting their permits signed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler acknowledged this fear is a real problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That disappoints me,” he said. “I have heard that in the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his short time as chief, Tyler said he has been working to create an environment that welcomes open communication and collaboration. He said in his first weeks as the head of Cal Fire, he spent about six days a week soliciting input from stakeholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morse, with the state’s Natural Resources Agency, added that Cal Fire’s participation in the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force brought the department to the table with representatives from nongovernment organizations, tribes and local governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he’s open to some changes, Tyler stopped short of advocating for radical overhauls to the department’s structure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire uses a top-down organizational structure called the “incident command system.” This organizational model is often used by public agencies to manage emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler believes this structure is effective for fighting fires — and planning to prevent them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cal Fire is a very paramilitary organization,” the chief said. “You can use that system for applying anything to this organization, whether that be fuels reduction, vegetation management, prescribed fire or full suppression.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler also pushed back on \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">handing over fire prevention responsibilities\u003c/a> , such as prescribed burns and other mitigation efforts, to a cabinet-level position appointed by the governor — a proposal floated by one lawmaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do not believe that there is a need to split this department,” Tyler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He emphasized his expectation that, when firefighters “are not actively suppressing fires and going to emergencies, they are doing defensible space inspections, they are doing fuels reduction [and] they are investing in prescribed fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is important that these employees are doing the entire mission of the department,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The California Newsroom is a collaboration of public radio stations, NPR and CalMatters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "An investigation by The California Newsroom found that Cal Fire continues to mishandle key responsibilities related to forest management and wildfire mitigation.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1725576847,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 135,
"wordCount": 5414
},
"headData": {
"title": "Cal Fire Fumbles Key Responsibilities to Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires Despite Historic Budget | KQED",
"description": "An investigation by The California Newsroom found that Cal Fire continues to mishandle key responsibilities related to forest management and wildfire mitigation.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Cal Fire Fumbles Key Responsibilities to Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires Despite Historic Budget",
"datePublished": "2022-06-21T00:01:37-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-05T15:54:07-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "The California Newsroom",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Scott Rodd (CapRadio) and Danielle Venton (KQED)",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"path": "/science/1979560/cal-fire-fumbles-key-responsibilities-to-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires-despite-historic-budget",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Richard A. Wilson is worried about wildfires this summer, amid dry conditions, extreme temperatures, punishing winds and the amplification of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are very vulnerable,” the 90-year-old said while looking out the window of his house on Buck Mountain, part of a 3,000-acre cattle ranch spanning Mendocino and Trinity counties that has been in his family for 80 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson estimates about 70% of his land — the whole northern end, including grassland, and pine and Douglas fir timberland — has burned in recent years. It was hit by the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire and the 2020 August Complex Fire, both among the largest fires in state history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The scale of the fires covered the country in a way we hadn’t seen, in size or intensity,” Wilson recalled.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Their business [now] is putting fires out. The bigger the fires, the more people they need to put the fires out. That’s a complete reverse of somebody trying to deal with the forest so if there is a fire, it doesn’t get out of control and burn the whole thing down.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"align": "right",
"citation": "Richard Wilson, former head of Cal Fire",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wildfires in California have burned nearly 7 million acres in the last two years alone. It is not only the size of the fires but also the destruction that’s breathtaking. In just the 2021 fire season, the Dixie Fire destroyed the town of Greenville and the Caldor Fire devastated the foothills community of Grizzly Flats. Both were the first fires in modern state history to burn across the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, Wilson fears, will be dangerous, as well: “We are headed into a tenuous time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson is not just any worried landowner: He’s the former head of Cal Fire, the state department responsible for fighting wildfires and managing forestland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Cal Fire is broadly recognized as a leader in firefighting, Wilson says it is also partly to blame for the looming danger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he led the department in the 1990s, he claims it viewed caring for forest health as a primary mission. Foresters are trained to see wooded areas as living ecosystems, and know how to make them more fire-resilient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the years after his tenure, he says the culture changed. Firefighting, not forestry, became the route to advancement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And it’s now a fire department. A very good fire department. But it’s not a forestry department,” Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Cal Fire is at an inflection point: trying to return to a greater emphasis on fire mitigation and forest health, while still working to protect communities from historic and deadly wildfires. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature lavished the department with record amounts of money for prescribed burns, brush clearing and cutting fuel breaks. But money alone does not solve the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire has publicly signaled a commitment to rebalancing its priorities. But a monthslong investigation by The California Newsroom, a public media collaboration, found that the department continues to fumble key responsibilities related to forest management and wildfire mitigation, potentially leaving the state at greater risk of catastrophic fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The state set aside a record $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and forest health in 2021. However, Cal Fire’s forest management hiring remains stagnant, while its firefighting staffing has ballooned.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cal Fire is struggling to track wildfire prevention projects that experts say are desperately needed to protect communities from destructive wildfires. The department still can’t determine how many acres of work it completed and funded through grants in the fiscal year ending in June 2021.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cal Fire has taken years to implement laws passed by the state Legislature. A program, required under state law to bolster the prescribed-burn workforce, suffered nearly a year of delay. So far, only two burn bosses have been certified, slowing the pace of protective projects. Experts say this delay has caused a loss of opportunities to enact community-protecting work.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>For at least four years, Cal Fire has failed to send its annual report to the Legislature detailing the department’s fire prevention efforts. The report, required by law, is an inventory of Cal Fire’s efforts and helps lawmakers understand the state’s progress on protecting vulnerable communities.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire has increased its output during the past five years. It completed fire prevention work — directly or through grants — on 105,000 acres in the fiscal year that ended in June 2020. The department could not provide a more current total.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/8.12.20-CA-Shared-Stewardship-MOU.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tasked\u003c/a> Cal Fire, along with partners that control state and private land, with performing 500,000 acres of forest management and fire mitigation work every year by 2025. But progress toward that goal has been slow, in part because a key state program \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/04/12/newsom-hailed-this-critical-wildfire-prevention-program-two-years-on-it-hasnt-completed-a-single-project/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">failed to increase project completions\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Watching these fires get larger and more damaging since 2014, I sincerely recognize the need to change the way we do — and have changed the way that we do — business.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"align": "right",
"citation": "Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, Cal Fire’s Joe Tyler, who was appointed chief in March, said the department is making progress on improving forest health and protecting communities in advance of catastrophic fires by “investing in community preparedness and mitigation” and “continuing to do those fuels projects across the board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He points to this year’s creation of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/p24fmjyg/cwpm-news-release_2022.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation division\u003c/a>, which aims to “develop, prioritize and implement strategies and projects that create fire adapted communities and landscapes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Tyler said the longer, more extreme wildfire seasons — coupled with the pandemic — have left the department’s workforce “fatigued.” That has affected Cal Fire’s administrative, forest management and fire suppression capabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler also acknowledged the need to change Cal Fire’s culture so it focuses more on prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Watching these fires get larger and more damaging since 2014, I sincerely recognize the need to change the way we do — and have changed the way that we do — business,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire practitioners like Margo Robbins, executive director of the Cultural Fire Management Council, argue this change at Cal Fire is long overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that they have forgotten that forestry is part of their responsibility, quite frankly,” said Robbins, whose expertise is in setting intentional fires that benefit the landscape and can protect communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She noted that Cal Fire is “moving in the right direction” by boosting investment in fire mitigation and fuel reduction. And the department has helped accommodate cultural prescribed burning led by Native American communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But “they have a ways to go,” Robbins added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they would focus more on that management piece, I think we would be seeing a very different scenario on our landscapes and a very different scenario in terms of wildfires,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Rebranding the department, changing the culture\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979580\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1979580\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Firefighters in orange and yellow uniforms stand in front of a burning hillside.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-800x604.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-1020x770.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-768x580.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56650_GettyImages-567393319-qut-1536x1160.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Firefighters from the State of California and the Orange County Fire Authority on a controlled burn in Crystal Cove State Park, June 27, 1998. \u003ccite>(Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back when Wilson ran Cal Fire in the 1990s, it was known by its official name: the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He says during those years he made sure foresters — who are trained in managing forest health — had a lot of say. He feels their voice has disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/jwpajqnx/foresters-and-directors.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">photo lineup of Cal Fire’s past executive roster\u003c/a> , Wilson is the last chief wearing a suit and tie. All subsequent chiefs are wearing uniforms with badges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their business [now] is putting fires out,” Wilson said. “The bigger the fires, the more people they need to put the fires out. That’s a complete reverse of somebody trying to deal with the forest so if there is a fire, it doesn’t get out of control and burn the whole thing down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new chief, Tyler, is a 30-year veteran of the department who previously oversaw aspects of Cal Fire’s firefighting and emergency response. He said he witnessed the culture change, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I recall far ago in my career, in the ’90s, where fuels treatment, fuels reduction, vegetation management was an extremely high priority of the department,” Tyler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979575\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979575\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-800x642.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"642\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-800x642.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-1020x818.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-160x128.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-768x616.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM-1536x1232.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.49.08-PM.png 1588w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photoline up of Cal Fire’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/jwpajqnx/foresters-and-directors.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">executive roster\u003c/a> from 1990 to the present. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But then, with the onset of larger and more damaging fires, the department’s focus increasingly shifted to suppression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The name “Cal Fire” embodies this tension. In 2006, the Legislature passed a \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060AB1423\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">law\u003c/a> allowing The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to rebrand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the bill — including the department’s firefighters union — argued the change was “\u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22015888-ab-1423-assembly-bill-bill-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">necessary to reflect [the department’s] primary role as a fire-fighting agency.\u003c/a> ” But the department itself had opposed the legislation, worried that the new moniker would obscure its forest management mandate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These tensions are once again at the fore as California faces a new wildfire reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Record investment, few new fire-prevention hires\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Last year, Newsom and lawmakers allocated a record $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and forest management, with the bulk of it going to Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a record amount. As of April, about half of the $1.5 billion had been “committed” to specific projects and initiatives, \u003ca href=\"https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Forest-Stewardship/Wildfire-Resilience-Program/2022-04-29-Wildfire-Resilience-Budget-Report.pdf\">according\u003c/a> to a recent report from the Natural Resources Agency, which oversees Cal Fire. The state has up to seven years to spend the bulk of the investment; some money may have to be spent sooner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency says the committed money is going to good use. “We’ve launched over 550 new projects with that funding,” said Jessica Morse, deputy secretary for forest and wildland resilience with the Natural Resources Agency. “Which is pretty fast — for bureaucracy, from appropriation — within less than a year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of these projects are specific wildfire prevention and forest health efforts, according to a chart on the agency’s \u003ca href=\"https://resources.ca.gov/Initiatives/Forest-Stewardship/Wildfire-Resilience-Program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">website\u003c/a>. For example, the Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District is planning a 641-acre fuel break to protect the communities of Groveland and Big Oak Flat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A number of projects don’t turn dirt or remove dangerous brush. Some fund studies of mitigation techniques and vegetation types. Another pays a consulting firm half-a-million dollars to develop a communications strategy for the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of other projects are related to climate change resilience, but have no immediate connection to wildfires. For example, a $600,000 allocation will help the city of Glendale, in Los Angeles County, plant 500 trees within the most “tree-poor area of the City.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of that money would go to distributing pamphlets to urban property owners on “the benefits of trees and tree care,” the project description reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979578\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979578 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-800x541.png\" alt=\"Chart showing rising costs of responding to wildfires.\" width=\"800\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-800x541.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-1020x690.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-160x108.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM-768x520.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-1.14.20-PM.png 1076w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">State spending on firefighting has more than tripled since 2005, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4457\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Legislative Analyst’s Office\u003c/a>. Despite recent increases, spending on resource management and fire prevention is still a small fraction of the total. \u003ccite>(LAO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In spite of last year’s investment, the bulk of Cal Fire’s overall spending remains focused on fire suppression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last three fiscal years, Cal Fire allocated nearly $8 billion for “fire protection,” according to figures provided by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, or LAO. That money is used “to attack fires quickly and aggressively … until the fire is under control,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebudget.ca.gov/2022-23/pdf/GovernorsBudget/3000/3540.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the department’s budget\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During those three years, the department allocated about $1.5 billion for “resource management,” which according to the department’s budget is for the “regulation of timber harvesting,” “coordination of climate and forest restoration” and “vegetation management projects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staffing and new hires also heavily favor fire suppression. In the last three years, “fire protection” positions jumped from 7,076 to 8,187, according to figures provided by the state Department of Finance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(In an interview, senior Cal Fire officials noted that some positions in the department’s “fire protection” division focus on fire prevention work. About 3% of the division’s staff are described as “fire prevention” positions, according to Department of Finance figures.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that same time period, Cal Fire’s “resource management” division increased by 31 positions to a total of 518 — despite the massive investment in forest health and wildfire mitigation last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Note: Every department’s budget includes staffing figures, but the Department of Finance cautioned that some of the numbers for Cal Fire in recent years needed to be updated. The Department of Finance provided updated, accurate figures in response to a request from The California Newsroom.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts acknowledge the need to ramp up fire suppression forces in the face of extreme wildfires. But they argue there needs to be a complementary increase in resource management hiring to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robbins, with the Cultural Fire Management Council, called the hiring disparity “startling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Looking at these numbers,” she said, “it is very obvious to me that they’re not putting as much focus as they should be on prevention as opposed to reactionary suppression.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Mason, vice president of policy and incentives with Pacific Forest Trust, a conservation group focused on sustainable forests, said the need for more resource management staffing is “substantial.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cal Fire needs dozens, if not hundreds, of additional people working on the resource management side of the organization,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added that Cal Fire can’t achieve forest sustainability alone, and should build up its workforce alongside other agencies focused on water resources, climate resilience and biodiversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One challenge, according to Morse with the Natural Resources Agency, is that last year’s historic investment in wildfire resilience is mostly one-time spending, meaning the agency cannot count on it in future budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because it’s not permanent funding, it’s hard to get permanent positions,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the money can be spent for up to seven years, Morse said. Some might have to be spent sooner. That would put a time limit on any positions created.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates like Robbins and Mason are pushing for \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacificforest.org/wildfire-resiliency-group-budget-letter/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at least $1 billion in annual\u003c/a> for the next five years — totaling a minimum of $5 billion — for wildfire resilience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979582\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979582 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A firefighter in a yellow uniform drips flame from a torch onto a pile of brush. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56652_51207660423_ab9176b089_o-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire crews conduct a prescribed burn as part of its vegetation management program in February 2020. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Struggling to track progress\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>An overarching initiative driving the state’s fire prevention efforts is an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/8.12.20-CA-Shared-Stewardship-MOU.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agreement\u003c/a> Newsom forged with the federal government in the summer of 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the plan, California and the U.S. Forest Service each committed to completing 500,000 acres of forest management work annually in the state by 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after signing the agreement, Newsom held a press conference in Butte County amid ruins of the North Complex Fire. Peering through the smoky air and clad in a vintage-style military jacket, he called the plan “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXga8CM_uuk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a significant milestone, a significant step forward\u003c/a> .”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(In 2018, in an \u003ca href=\"https://www.ca.gov/archive/gov39/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/5.10.18-Forest-EO.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">executive order\u003c/a>, former Gov. Jerry Brown set an annual 500,000-acre goal for California agencies, with a deadline of 2023, but Newsom’s agreement with the federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/06/29/gov-gavin-newsom-retreats-on-1-billion-wildfire-prevention-plan-ahead-of-meeting-with-president-biden/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pushed \u003c/a>the target back two years.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Measuring progress toward this goal is murky at best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Newsroom requested data on the number of fire prevention acres Cal Fire itself completed, or funded through grants, in recent years. The department provided a chart showing a steady increase in total acreage, reaching over 105,000 acres in the fiscal year ending in June 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Cal Fire is still figuring out the total number it completed and funded through grants between July 2020 and June 2021. And the department did not provide any data on the current fiscal year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To achieve its 500,000-acre goal, the state will count wildfire prevention work performed by Cal Fire, its grantees and private landowners, which can include large properties such as logging companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But currently, Cal Fire does not have a way to track work completed by many private landowners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It highlights something pretty basic, which is we need an accounting system that works,” said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist with University of California Cooperative Extension.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He notes that tabulating total fire mitigation acres is a limited method of measuring risk reduction. He and other experts advocate for a system that takes into consideration factors like proximity to vulnerable communities and topography. But quantifying total acres of completed work is a basic step toward a more sophisticated assessment system, according to Moritz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is aiming to develop an online dashboard to track progress on forest management and fire prevention work. The goal is to show “the public where these projects are occurring” by putting “all this data at their fingertips,” said Daniel Berlant, deputy director of the department’s newly created Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation division.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Newsom administration has come under \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/06/23/newsom-misled-the-public-about-wildfire-prevention-efforts-ahead-of-worst-fire-season-on-record/\">criticism in the past for overstating the state’s wildfire prevention accomplishments,\u003c/a> first uncovered in an investigation by The California Newsroom last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has teased the new system — an upgrade of its existing, inconsistent \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fegis.fire.ca.gov%2Farcgis%2Frest%2Fservices%2FCalMapper%2FCalMAPPER_Public%2FMapServer&source=sd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CalMAPPER\u003c/a> database — since last summer. But it hasn’t committed to a release date. At a meeting of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force last month, director Patrick Wright said it would offer “an initial flavor” of the dashboard in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An additional challenge stands in the way of measuring progress toward the 1 million acre goal. While the target seems straightforward, Cal Fire and the federal government haven’t arrived at an agreed-upon definition of what counts as an “acre.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are differing perspectives over which types of fuel reduction should be eligible. For example, if an area has to be hand-thinned prior to a prescribed burn, should that area be tallied twice? Is salvage-logging, the process of removing damaged trees after a fire, eligible? What if the federal and state governments work together on the same project — could they both count it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire says it has internal definitions of how to measure and count acres of forest management work. But an agreed-upon definition with the Forest Service remains elusive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, senior Cal Fire officials told The California Newsroom that the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force is taking the lead on crafting this definition. The task force is made up of representatives from the state and federal governments, tribal leaders and other groups that do forest health projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to make sure that we’re talking apples to apples,” Berlant said. When pressed, he and other senior officials did not provide a timeline for when that definition would be finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979583\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979583 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a helmet tosses a dead branch down a dry, yellow hill. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56653_51342881697_e3f59cf6dd_o-1-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire crews cleared brush to create a fuel break in San Diego County. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A ‘messy, confusing process’ to certify ‘burn bosses’ and expand prescribed fire\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire’s prescribed fire guidebook says setting controlled, beneficial fire “is a key tool for the Department and its cooperators to use in reducing fuels at a landscape scale while improving ecosystem health in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the workforce needed to meaningfully scale up prescribed fire, and protect forests and communities, is still largely lacking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Usually “burn bosses” — those qualified to plan and lead controlled burns — need to work for many years for fire suppression agencies, such as Cal Fire or the U.S. Forest Service, to get enough experience for certification. But being so busy fighting fires for much of the year, they struggle to get many burns done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, burns remain a key strategy, and the state’s goal has been to increase the workforce. To that end, the Legislature passed a bill in 2018 meant to increase the number of people trained to run burns. The law created a state-led training and certification program called State-Certified Prescribed-Fire Burn Boss, or CA-RX. It signaled a shift in direction — and a hope that burn bosses who do not work for government agencies in suppression, but may work for nonprofits, will have more freedom to conduct burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, it took four years — until mid-April 2022 — for the first burn boss to be certified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emails obtained through a Public Records Act request make it clear that some Cal Fire unit chiefs, whose signoff was required to advance the certification process, did not fully support the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delays in issuing and signing paperwork prevented the certification of trainees for the better part of a year. For example, course participants were not issued training checklists known as “task books,” which are used to evaluate their abilities. And trainees suggest these delays may have come at a cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am deeply concerned that I have still not been issued a task book to finalize my CARX certification,” wrote trainee Will Harling, director of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, in an early January 2022 email to Cal Fire’s State Fire Training division. “This sense of urgency is shared by myself and others who have seen first-hand towns nearly wiped off the map in the time we have been waiting for this CARX certification process to be finalized, and have the skills and knowledge to safely implement prescribed burns that can help save homes and protect resources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harling wasn’t the only one to write in frustration to the division. In response to a December 2021 email from another trainee, Battalion Chief Mark Bisbee within Cal Fire’s State Fire Training division acknowledged the program’s problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I guess the best way to characterize this entire process is messy, confusing,” Bisbee wrote. “The next step is in flux because […] not all Unit Chiefs are on board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bisbee acknowledged in his email that the certification program “has been a very long, drawn out process,” but said he would continue to advocate for the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview in April, Bisbee said the slow start was partially due to only a few people being authorized to teach the program, but also to “bottlenecks within the bureaucracy.” While he said he saw progress within the department of accepting prescribed fire — which can be a hard adjustment for those trained only to put out fire — the paradigm shift was like a huge ship moving sideways: slow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also acknowledged the push from lawmakers to take a new direction: “Whether Cal Fire is ready or not, the legislation is saying this is what we need to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a legislative oversight hearing last December, Lenya Quinn-Davidson — a fire adviser with the University of California who helped write the legislation and the curriculum and who hosted the first course — told lawmakers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve missed a ton of opportunities for project implementation. There is a huge need for qualified burn bosses to plan and implement projects and to partner with the state and to partner with landowners. But without the state certification and the protections that it can provide, many of those folks are not willing to go out and do that work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quinn-Davidson wrote a \u003ca href=\"https://fireadaptednetwork.org/california-burn-boss-program-new-path-forward-or-dead-end-street/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">blog post \u003c/a>in mid-January about the delays in the certification process. Soon after it published, Cal Fire issued task books to almost all participants, according to a blog update. Will Harling confirmed receiving his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to see this work happen more quickly,” Quinn-Davidson told The California Newsroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matthew Reischman, Cal Fire’s deputy director of resource management, said he believes the program will prove a success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a new course for us, so there’s a lot of changes and things that we had to do to get it up and running,” he said. “It’s a process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Missing reports and safety inspections\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In some instances, The California Newsroom discovered, Cal Fire is altogether neglecting oversight requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For over a decade, the Legislature has mandated that the department file an annual report detailing its fire prevention activities for the previous year, and its plans for improving prevention efforts moving forward. The report is an inventory of the department’s accomplishments, and lawmakers rely on it to understand the state’s progress on protecting vulnerable communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But an exhaustive search by the State Library, carried out at The California Newsroom’s request, found that the department has not filed this report in at least four years. The library’s most recent copy covers fiscal year 2014-15. The state’s website for \u003ca href=\"https://agencyreports.ca.gov/rep13922308081004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agency reports\u003c/a> indicates the department may have filed a report for 2017, but the library does not have a copy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last two state budgets, the Legislature also required Cal Fire to file reports on grants awarded to local governments and nonprofits for fire prevention, including the number of applications received and grants awarded. The reports were due in February of this year, according to the state’s website for agency reports. A search by the State Library turned up no copies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire did not provide copies of the reports in response to an email request. In an interview, Berlant said “the reports are in the works,” adding the department took its responsibilities seriously but had been delayed by the pandemic and that “fighting fire in the middle of December, January, February — that becomes a bit of our priority.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chief Tyler said the department is actively working on completing them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I myself learned about those reports to the Legislature that are due, I put a task in my own calendar to start checking up on those to ensure that those are getting submitted timely,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some legislation lays out clear mandates for Cal Fire, other bills establish goals for the department to meet. For example, a law passed in 2019 set a goal for Cal Fire to inspect homes within its responsibility area once every three years. These inspections are designed to educate homeowners about dangers with vegetation near the home and structural vulnerabilities to wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Cal Fire is struggling to hit its inspection targets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4457\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2021 report\u003c/a> from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, “CalFire was not able to provide data on how many unique properties were inspected each year or how many properties had not been inspected within the past three years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result, the LAO concluded, “[I]t is unclear what share of properties have received recent inspections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department provided some information, and indicated some local Cal Fire units inspected 10% or fewer of their parcels each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berlant said the department is working to hit its goals and plans to hire more defensible space inspectors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will be working to not only increase those [inspection] numbers, but to make sure that those numbers are being reported to the public to see exactly where that work is being done,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moritz, the wildfire specialist with University of California Cooperative Extension, said the inspections are essential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly if Cal Fire was able to follow through and inspect 100% of the parcels that need it,” said Moritz, “presumably those inspections would lead to a great benefit, a great reduction in risk for both the firefighters and for the homeowners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire also is supposed to update fire hazard severity maps every five years, but they were last updated in 2007. The agency told CapRadio in December that \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/12/20/after-years-of-delays-calfire-says-updated-and-expanded-wildfire-hazard-maps-are-on-their-way/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the new ones would be released in the next few months\u003c/a> — at that time, ostensibly February or March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent interview, Cal Fire staff now says the new maps likely will roll out in the summer and fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The maps are “a really important tool that we have for smarter building and design of our communities, because the building codes are attached to those maps,” according to Moritz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delaying the map updates, Moritz said, could lead to places still being identified at a lower hazard level than they should be. “You could have building going on that would not be at the building codes that are necessary for the hazard in that location,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department’s modeling has struggled to keep pace with the conditions feeding California’s extreme wildfires. Berlant says the department is now using science that “tracks extreme wind events at a much smaller scale, so that we can better mirror conditions that we’ve been experiencing in these last couple of fire seasons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Cal Fire’s chief responds\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The California Newsroom presented Chief Tyler with its findings, and he expounded on ways he plans to change the culture and structure of Cal Fire. He also reiterated his belief that Cal Fire can — and under his leadership will — balance its firefighting and forestry responsibilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979588\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1979588\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a blue uniform stands at a podium in front of a bulldozer. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/06/RS56654_52052067027_34755aed5d_o-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler speaks in Santa Rosa for Wildfire Preparedness Week, May 5, 2022. \u003ccite>(Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For example, experts and practitioners in the world of fire resilience have told The California Newsroom they feel an inability to publicly criticize or offer scrutiny of Cal Fire for fear of damaging their relationship with the department, being cut out of grants or not getting their permits signed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler acknowledged this fear is a real problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That disappoints me,” he said. “I have heard that in the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his short time as chief, Tyler said he has been working to create an environment that welcomes open communication and collaboration. He said in his first weeks as the head of Cal Fire, he spent about six days a week soliciting input from stakeholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morse, with the state’s Natural Resources Agency, added that Cal Fire’s participation in the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force brought the department to the table with representatives from nongovernment organizations, tribes and local governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he’s open to some changes, Tyler stopped short of advocating for radical overhauls to the department’s structure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire uses a top-down organizational structure called the “incident command system.” This organizational model is often used by public agencies to manage emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler believes this structure is effective for fighting fires — and planning to prevent them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cal Fire is a very paramilitary organization,” the chief said. “You can use that system for applying anything to this organization, whether that be fuels reduction, vegetation management, prescribed fire or full suppression.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyler also pushed back on \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">handing over fire prevention responsibilities\u003c/a> , such as prescribed burns and other mitigation efforts, to a cabinet-level position appointed by the governor — a proposal floated by one lawmaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do not believe that there is a need to split this department,” Tyler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He emphasized his expectation that, when firefighters “are not actively suppressing fires and going to emergencies, they are doing defensible space inspections, they are doing fuels reduction [and] they are investing in prescribed fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is important that these employees are doing the entire mission of the department,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The California Newsroom is a collaboration of public radio stations, NPR and CalMatters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979560/cal-fire-fumbles-key-responsibilities-to-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires-despite-historic-budget",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1979560"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_3730"
],
"tags": [
"science_5194",
"science_4877",
"science_194",
"science_4414",
"science_4008",
"science_113"
],
"featImg": "science_1979564",
"label": "source_science_1979560"
},
"science_1979033": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979033",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979033",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1649682132000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1649682132,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Slick Business: Texas Oil Company Wants to Use California Clean Energy Credits to Extract More Oil",
"headTitle": "Slick Business: Texas Oil Company Wants to Use California Clean Energy Credits to Extract More Oil | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Occidental Petroleum is seeking to sell credits in California’s transportation carbon market to help finance the construction of what would be the world’s largest industrial carbon dioxide removal plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The operation would effectively invert what Occidental has done for a century, by taking carbon out of the air and sending it underground, even if on a relatively small scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s a twist. Occidental has said it plans to use some or most of the carbon dioxide it captures from the Texas plant to squeeze more petroleum out of the ground, by pumping it into aging oil fields. As a result, the California carbon market, which is meant to help lower the climate emissions of transportation in the state, could supply tens of millions of dollars to help extract more oil, thereby contributing more emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='small' align='right' citation='Danny Cullenward, CarbonPlan']‘There’s a holy war brewing in climate politics over these kinds of technologies and whether or not they’re a tool of the oil industry.’[/pullquote]Occidental’s plans raise one of environmental advocates’ biggest concerns about carbon removal technologies: that they will be used by oil companies to delay the far more urgent task of rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels. By allowing companies to sell credits for captured carbon dioxide used to produce oil, some advocates warn, California’s program is poised to do just that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, Chief Executive Vicki Hollub has said Occidental will expand oil production, rather than curtail it, using captured CO2 to produce what the company is audaciously branding as “net-zero oil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People familiar with Occidental’s plans say that accessing California’s transportation market is critical to financing the “direct air capture” plant, which the company has said would cost up to $1 billion and would initially pull half-a-million metric tons of the greenhouse gas out of the air every year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Occidental says it will break ground this year in West Texas, near Odessa. If the project is completed as planned, it would mark a quantum leap for a technology that some scientists and advocates say could play an important role in meeting climate targets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressed by a raft of climate disasters, regional and national governments across the globe are rushing to support carbon removal technologies. The bipartisan infrastructure bill that Congress passed last year included $3.5 billion to build direct air capture “hubs.” Meanwhile, New York and Washington, the European Union and others have enacted or are considering a range of possible incentives, from clean-fuel policies like California’s to government procurement programs for carbon dioxide removal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some environmental advocates say that many of the policies that are emerging, including California’s clean fuels market and a federal carbon capture tax credit, have been shaped by oil companies to their own advantage, diluting the climate benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a holy war brewing in climate politics over these kinds of technologies and whether or not they’re a tool of the oil industry,” said Danny Cullenward, the policy director at CarbonPlan, a nonprofit that analyzes the integrity of carbon removal efforts. Cullenward said incentives like California’s are beginning to shape a new field, “and I don’t think it’s an accident that we’re seeing deployment aligned with industry priorities. Deployment is not aligning around pure climate objectives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Getting to ‘net zero’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The case for carbon removal emerged from the uncertain math of climate models. When climate scientists have tried to model pathways that limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, nearly all of them have required some degree of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Many of the models require billions of tons of carbon removal per year by mid-century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When accounting for sectors like agriculture and long-haul shipping, scientists and governments simply haven’t figured out how to get all the way to zero emissions fast enough. That leaves carbon removal to provide the “net” in “net zero.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few if any scientists or experts think direct air capture technology alone can achieve that scale. Natural carbon removal like reforestation will need to play a large role, and there are a suite of other techniques, like converting waste biomass into charcoal that can be mixed into the soil or tinkering with seawater to enhance its absorption of CO2. But all these approaches have their limits, risks and drawbacks, and increasingly, many people say direct air capture should be part of the mix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1979076 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px.png\" alt=\"Graphic titled "How An Oil Company Plans to Pull Carbon from the Air." It's a cartoon overhead view of the plant Occidental proposes building, with arrows and text bubble indicating what the various buildings, silos, etc., do, and how everything is connected.\" width=\"750\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px.png 750w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px-160x149.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the largest existing direct air capture plant, built by the Swiss start-up Climeworks, which has not partnered with oil companies, removes only 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Even if Occidental can realize its direct air capture ambitions to eventually remove 1 million tons annually at its Texas plant, the benefit would be minuscule on a planetary scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The International Energy Agency has said direct air capture capacity must reach roughly 85 million tons by 2030, a feat that would still represent less than three-tenths of 1% of current global energy-related emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope, or prayer, is that capacity could rise sharply in the following two decades. By 2050, the Biden administration’s long-term strategy for reaching net-zero emissions is counting on direct air capture and other carbon removal technologies to make up nearly 10% of all emissions cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question now is whether the technology can be pursued in such a way that it doesn’t distract or detract from the urgent task of phasing out fossil fuels. And many advocates warn there’s little hope of achieving that goal if the emerging direct air capture industry is built by oil companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Seeking access to California’s market \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s low-carbon fuel standard, or LCFS, aims to lower the state’s transportation emissions by setting a statewide benchmark for the carbon intensity of its fuels. In order to sell gasoline or diesel, which fall above that mark, a refiner must buy credits, which companies generate by selling low-carbon fuels like biodiesel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2018, oil refineries and biofuels plants also have been allowed to install carbon capture equipment to effectively lower the carbon intensity of their fuels. Direct air capture plants do not need to sell any fuel at all — they can simply generate and sell credits by capturing and storing carbon dioxide. They cannot, however, sell the oil they extract with the CO2 they capture as a low-carbon fuel. Any of these operations can be located outside California, but refiners or biofuels plants must sell their fuel in the state to access its carbon market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The value of the credits fluctuates, but at the beginning of this year they averaged about $170 per metric ton of carbon dioxide, making the market extremely attractive for carbon capture and removal operations looking to cover their costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robert Zeller, vice president of technology at Occidental’s low-carbon business, said in an interview last month that his company was working with regulators in California to gain access to the LCFS market for the Texas direct air capture plant. He did not elaborate on whether the company plans to sell credits for captured CO2 that is used for oil production, as opposed to pure storage. Occidental declined to answer questions for this article.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the LCFS rules are clear: Companies are free to sell credits for carbon removal from the atmosphere, even if the carbon is used to extract more oil, and they are not required to account for the emissions that come from burning that oil when determining how many carbon credits they can sell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many environmental advocates say that system undermines the state’s larger climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Giving a carbon capture project the same number of credits whether or not it helps produce additional oil makes no sense as a climate mitigation or a carbon removal policy,” said Cullenward, the policy director at CarbonPlan, in an email. “It only makes sense as a carbon capture technology subsidy that actively privileges oil and gas production over climate-safe applications.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s equal treatment of carbon dioxide used for so-called “enhanced oil recovery” and that which is just stored is particularly problematic, Cullenward said, because each credit sold in the state represents an additional volume of gasoline or diesel that is burned in its cars and trucks. In other words, the removal comes instead of phasing out some amount of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeremy Martin, director of fuels policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said he thinks the state should “adjust” how it treats enhanced oil recovery. Like many environmental advocates who support carbon removal technologies, Martin said their promise is in helping address emissions from certain sectors, like aviation and heavy industry, that are extremely difficult or expensive to reduce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But I think it’s also really important not to lose sight of the fact that using these technologies to maximize emissions reduction as we’re transitioning off of petroleum, that’s what makes sense to us, that’s what our analysis supports,” Martin said. “It does not support using these technologies as an alternative to ramping down petroleum.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee for California’s Air Resources Board, which administers the LCFS, submitted draft comments recommending that enhanced oil recovery projects be barred from the system, warning that allowing them increases emissions and extends the life of “highly polluting facilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Duffy, a staffer at the board’s LCFS program, said in an interview that his agency had developed robust regulations to ensure that carbon dioxide storage is safe and well monitored, even when it is injected in oil fields, but that any emissions that come from the oil produced are “not part of the accounting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Occidental’s grand ambition \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At the CERAWeek energy conference last month in Houston, a couple of dozen men and women hailing mostly from the financial and energy sectors watched as Occidental unveiled a holographic animation of its direct air capture plant. The presentation showed a rectangular perimeter of giant fans sucking in vast volumes of virtual air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company has licensed technology from Carbon Engineering, a Canadian direct air capture start-up, that passes air over a mineral-laced liquid, which draws out the carbon. The display showed how this carbonated mineral would then be sent through a series of pipes and towers, which would mix it with another mineral before processing and heating it to eventually produce a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979112\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979112\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-800x596.png\" alt=\"An rendering of a plant to capture carbon from the air shows a long brown building running across the foreground, with large round fans inset along the roof of the building. The ground is brown and the sky is pale blue with puffy clouds.\" width=\"800\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-800x596.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-1020x760.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-160x119.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-768x572.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage.png 1062w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of a planned direct air capture plant in Texas that would initially pull 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air annually. Occidental Petroleum, which is planning to build the plant, would use some or most of the carbon dioxide it captures to pump more oil out of depleted reservoirs. \u003ccite>(Carbon Engineering)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The plant would be powered with a combination of renewable energy, generated specifically for its operation, and natural gas. Carbon Engineering’s designs include equipment to capture the emissions from burning the natural gas as part of the plant’s operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That morning, Hollub, Occidental’s CEO, told a ballroom full of people at the annual energy industry conference that “initially, this was solely a business focus for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s oil fields in the Permian Basin, beneath Texas and New Mexico, still hold about 2 billion barrels of oil, she said, but in order to pump the oil to the surface, Occidental must inject carbon dioxide into the reservoir to increase its pressure. That carbon dioxide had generally been mined from naturally occurring underground pools, but about a dozen years ago, Hollub said, they realized those pools were drying up. “There wasn’t sufficient CO2 to help us develop all of those reserves,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps carbon capture offered a solution, she recalled. Technologies to extract carbon dioxide from exhaust plumes had been used by industry for decades, and more recently, some scientists and companies had begun experimenting with ways to pull the gas straight from the air. Even when it is injected in oil fields, the vast majority of the carbon dioxide can be locked away underground, if it is monitored properly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For both approaches, the chief obstacle to scaling the technology is not technical but financial, so Occidental set about trying to help tip the scales, and in 2018, two key pieces fell into place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Washington, Congress passed an expansion of a federal tax credit for carbon capture and storage, which Hollub said her company worked on with then-Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a North Dakota Democrat and the bill’s sponsor. And in California, state regulators began allowing carbon capture and direct air capture plants to begin accessing its low-carbon fuels market, even if they were located outside the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both changes drew lobbying and support from Occidental and other oil companies. And because carbon capture or direct air capture projects can combine, or “stack,” the two credits, a new market emerged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To underscore the importance of the 2018 federal tax credit to his business, Zeller, the vice president at Occidental’s low-carbon business, told a CERAWeek panel, “That’s the reason I’m here today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a call with investors late last month, Hollub and other executives said the company would build 70 direct air capture plants by 2035. But central to this plan is a strategy to produce what Occidental calls “net-zero oil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over time, nearly all of the carbon dioxide injected for enhanced oil recovery can remain underground if it is monitored properly, and experts say it is possible to store more carbon dioxide than is emitted by the oil that’s produced. Compared to a conventional barrel of oil, the life-cycle emissions are substantially lower, and Hollub has made a spirited case for the environmental benefits of oil pumped with captured CO2, saying it is better than drilling new fields with new infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a March interview, Zeller said the company’s position has evolved, from focusing almost purely on producing oil to being open to other uses for the carbon dioxide. If a customer is willing to pay a premium to inject carbon dioxide for pure storage, he said, “sure, OK, we’ll do that.” If companies want to buy CO2 to make synthetic fuel, he said, “sure, no problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Zeller made it clear that Occidental’s plans haven’t strayed from oil, either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to be listening to the market, and people aren’t ready for net-zero oil, really, they’re not,” he said, adding, “They will be, because it is going to be a high-value, low-cost answer, and people just need to get past the emotions of it, and they will. They have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the last three weeks, Occidental has announced a flurry of activity around its direct air capture plans. Airbus, the European airplane manufacturer, said it would buy credits to remove 100,000 metric tons per year for four years from the Texas plant, coming on top of investments by United Airlines, Shopify and others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One week later, Occidental announced a deal with a South Korean refiner to buy up to 200,000 barrels of oil squeezed out of the ground with CO2 captured by the Texas plant. In a press release, the companies boasted of a milestone in emissions reduction efforts, an “affordable, scalable” way to work toward their own climate goals, by buying and selling net-zero oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pVpuCW682XuzAGmkurLDvW?domain=insideclimatenews.org\">\u003cem>InsideClimate News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. \u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/bJVSCXDM32FBx0oJiEwEOr?domain=insideclimatenews.org\">Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003cem>here.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2718,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 50
},
"modified": 1704846274,
"excerpt": "The oil company plans on removing carbon from the atmosphere and pumping it into the ground to extract more oil in the Permian Basin. Climate activists fear the fossil fuel industry will use this new technology as a cover for continuing to sell oil.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The oil company plans on removing carbon from the atmosphere and pumping it into the ground to extract more oil in the Permian Basin. Climate activists fear the fossil fuel industry will use this new technology as a cover for continuing to sell oil.",
"title": "Slick Business: Texas Oil Company Wants to Use California Clean Energy Credits to Extract More Oil | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Slick Business: Texas Oil Company Wants to Use California Clean Energy Credits to Extract More Oil",
"datePublished": "2022-04-11T06:02:12-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:34-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "slick-business-texas-oil-company-wants-to-use-california-clean-energy-credits-to-extract-more-oil",
"status": "publish",
"sourceUrl": "https://insideclimatenews.org/",
"nprByline": "Nicholas Kusnetz",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Inside Climate News",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"path": "/science/1979033/slick-business-texas-oil-company-wants-to-use-california-clean-energy-credits-to-extract-more-oil",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Occidental Petroleum is seeking to sell credits in California’s transportation carbon market to help finance the construction of what would be the world’s largest industrial carbon dioxide removal plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The operation would effectively invert what Occidental has done for a century, by taking carbon out of the air and sending it underground, even if on a relatively small scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s a twist. Occidental has said it plans to use some or most of the carbon dioxide it captures from the Texas plant to squeeze more petroleum out of the ground, by pumping it into aging oil fields. As a result, the California carbon market, which is meant to help lower the climate emissions of transportation in the state, could supply tens of millions of dollars to help extract more oil, thereby contributing more emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘There’s a holy war brewing in climate politics over these kinds of technologies and whether or not they’re a tool of the oil industry.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "small",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Danny Cullenward, CarbonPlan",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Occidental’s plans raise one of environmental advocates’ biggest concerns about carbon removal technologies: that they will be used by oil companies to delay the far more urgent task of rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels. By allowing companies to sell credits for captured carbon dioxide used to produce oil, some advocates warn, California’s program is poised to do just that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, Chief Executive Vicki Hollub has said Occidental will expand oil production, rather than curtail it, using captured CO2 to produce what the company is audaciously branding as “net-zero oil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People familiar with Occidental’s plans say that accessing California’s transportation market is critical to financing the “direct air capture” plant, which the company has said would cost up to $1 billion and would initially pull half-a-million metric tons of the greenhouse gas out of the air every year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Occidental says it will break ground this year in West Texas, near Odessa. If the project is completed as planned, it would mark a quantum leap for a technology that some scientists and advocates say could play an important role in meeting climate targets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressed by a raft of climate disasters, regional and national governments across the globe are rushing to support carbon removal technologies. The bipartisan infrastructure bill that Congress passed last year included $3.5 billion to build direct air capture “hubs.” Meanwhile, New York and Washington, the European Union and others have enacted or are considering a range of possible incentives, from clean-fuel policies like California’s to government procurement programs for carbon dioxide removal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some environmental advocates say that many of the policies that are emerging, including California’s clean fuels market and a federal carbon capture tax credit, have been shaped by oil companies to their own advantage, diluting the climate benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a holy war brewing in climate politics over these kinds of technologies and whether or not they’re a tool of the oil industry,” said Danny Cullenward, the policy director at CarbonPlan, a nonprofit that analyzes the integrity of carbon removal efforts. Cullenward said incentives like California’s are beginning to shape a new field, “and I don’t think it’s an accident that we’re seeing deployment aligned with industry priorities. Deployment is not aligning around pure climate objectives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Getting to ‘net zero’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The case for carbon removal emerged from the uncertain math of climate models. When climate scientists have tried to model pathways that limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, nearly all of them have required some degree of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Many of the models require billions of tons of carbon removal per year by mid-century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When accounting for sectors like agriculture and long-haul shipping, scientists and governments simply haven’t figured out how to get all the way to zero emissions fast enough. That leaves carbon removal to provide the “net” in “net zero.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few if any scientists or experts think direct air capture technology alone can achieve that scale. Natural carbon removal like reforestation will need to play a large role, and there are a suite of other techniques, like converting waste biomass into charcoal that can be mixed into the soil or tinkering with seawater to enhance its absorption of CO2. But all these approaches have their limits, risks and drawbacks, and increasingly, many people say direct air capture should be part of the mix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1979076 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px.png\" alt=\"Graphic titled "How An Oil Company Plans to Pull Carbon from the Air." It's a cartoon overhead view of the plant Occidental proposes building, with arrows and text bubble indicating what the various buildings, silos, etc., do, and how everything is connected.\" width=\"750\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px.png 750w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage750px-160x149.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the largest existing direct air capture plant, built by the Swiss start-up Climeworks, which has not partnered with oil companies, removes only 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Even if Occidental can realize its direct air capture ambitions to eventually remove 1 million tons annually at its Texas plant, the benefit would be minuscule on a planetary scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The International Energy Agency has said direct air capture capacity must reach roughly 85 million tons by 2030, a feat that would still represent less than three-tenths of 1% of current global energy-related emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope, or prayer, is that capacity could rise sharply in the following two decades. By 2050, the Biden administration’s long-term strategy for reaching net-zero emissions is counting on direct air capture and other carbon removal technologies to make up nearly 10% of all emissions cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question now is whether the technology can be pursued in such a way that it doesn’t distract or detract from the urgent task of phasing out fossil fuels. And many advocates warn there’s little hope of achieving that goal if the emerging direct air capture industry is built by oil companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Seeking access to California’s market \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s low-carbon fuel standard, or LCFS, aims to lower the state’s transportation emissions by setting a statewide benchmark for the carbon intensity of its fuels. In order to sell gasoline or diesel, which fall above that mark, a refiner must buy credits, which companies generate by selling low-carbon fuels like biodiesel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2018, oil refineries and biofuels plants also have been allowed to install carbon capture equipment to effectively lower the carbon intensity of their fuels. Direct air capture plants do not need to sell any fuel at all — they can simply generate and sell credits by capturing and storing carbon dioxide. They cannot, however, sell the oil they extract with the CO2 they capture as a low-carbon fuel. Any of these operations can be located outside California, but refiners or biofuels plants must sell their fuel in the state to access its carbon market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The value of the credits fluctuates, but at the beginning of this year they averaged about $170 per metric ton of carbon dioxide, making the market extremely attractive for carbon capture and removal operations looking to cover their costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robert Zeller, vice president of technology at Occidental’s low-carbon business, said in an interview last month that his company was working with regulators in California to gain access to the LCFS market for the Texas direct air capture plant. He did not elaborate on whether the company plans to sell credits for captured CO2 that is used for oil production, as opposed to pure storage. Occidental declined to answer questions for this article.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the LCFS rules are clear: Companies are free to sell credits for carbon removal from the atmosphere, even if the carbon is used to extract more oil, and they are not required to account for the emissions that come from burning that oil when determining how many carbon credits they can sell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many environmental advocates say that system undermines the state’s larger climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Giving a carbon capture project the same number of credits whether or not it helps produce additional oil makes no sense as a climate mitigation or a carbon removal policy,” said Cullenward, the policy director at CarbonPlan, in an email. “It only makes sense as a carbon capture technology subsidy that actively privileges oil and gas production over climate-safe applications.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s equal treatment of carbon dioxide used for so-called “enhanced oil recovery” and that which is just stored is particularly problematic, Cullenward said, because each credit sold in the state represents an additional volume of gasoline or diesel that is burned in its cars and trucks. In other words, the removal comes instead of phasing out some amount of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeremy Martin, director of fuels policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said he thinks the state should “adjust” how it treats enhanced oil recovery. Like many environmental advocates who support carbon removal technologies, Martin said their promise is in helping address emissions from certain sectors, like aviation and heavy industry, that are extremely difficult or expensive to reduce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But I think it’s also really important not to lose sight of the fact that using these technologies to maximize emissions reduction as we’re transitioning off of petroleum, that’s what makes sense to us, that’s what our analysis supports,” Martin said. “It does not support using these technologies as an alternative to ramping down petroleum.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee for California’s Air Resources Board, which administers the LCFS, submitted draft comments recommending that enhanced oil recovery projects be barred from the system, warning that allowing them increases emissions and extends the life of “highly polluting facilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Duffy, a staffer at the board’s LCFS program, said in an interview that his agency had developed robust regulations to ensure that carbon dioxide storage is safe and well monitored, even when it is injected in oil fields, but that any emissions that come from the oil produced are “not part of the accounting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Occidental’s grand ambition \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At the CERAWeek energy conference last month in Houston, a couple of dozen men and women hailing mostly from the financial and energy sectors watched as Occidental unveiled a holographic animation of its direct air capture plant. The presentation showed a rectangular perimeter of giant fans sucking in vast volumes of virtual air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company has licensed technology from Carbon Engineering, a Canadian direct air capture start-up, that passes air over a mineral-laced liquid, which draws out the carbon. The display showed how this carbonated mineral would then be sent through a series of pipes and towers, which would mix it with another mineral before processing and heating it to eventually produce a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979112\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1979112\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-800x596.png\" alt=\"An rendering of a plant to capture carbon from the air shows a long brown building running across the foreground, with large round fans inset along the roof of the building. The ground is brown and the sky is pale blue with puffy clouds.\" width=\"800\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-800x596.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-1020x760.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-160x119.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage-768x572.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/DirectAirCaptureStorage.png 1062w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of a planned direct air capture plant in Texas that would initially pull 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air annually. Occidental Petroleum, which is planning to build the plant, would use some or most of the carbon dioxide it captures to pump more oil out of depleted reservoirs. \u003ccite>(Carbon Engineering)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The plant would be powered with a combination of renewable energy, generated specifically for its operation, and natural gas. Carbon Engineering’s designs include equipment to capture the emissions from burning the natural gas as part of the plant’s operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That morning, Hollub, Occidental’s CEO, told a ballroom full of people at the annual energy industry conference that “initially, this was solely a business focus for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s oil fields in the Permian Basin, beneath Texas and New Mexico, still hold about 2 billion barrels of oil, she said, but in order to pump the oil to the surface, Occidental must inject carbon dioxide into the reservoir to increase its pressure. That carbon dioxide had generally been mined from naturally occurring underground pools, but about a dozen years ago, Hollub said, they realized those pools were drying up. “There wasn’t sufficient CO2 to help us develop all of those reserves,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps carbon capture offered a solution, she recalled. Technologies to extract carbon dioxide from exhaust plumes had been used by industry for decades, and more recently, some scientists and companies had begun experimenting with ways to pull the gas straight from the air. Even when it is injected in oil fields, the vast majority of the carbon dioxide can be locked away underground, if it is monitored properly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For both approaches, the chief obstacle to scaling the technology is not technical but financial, so Occidental set about trying to help tip the scales, and in 2018, two key pieces fell into place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Washington, Congress passed an expansion of a federal tax credit for carbon capture and storage, which Hollub said her company worked on with then-Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a North Dakota Democrat and the bill’s sponsor. And in California, state regulators began allowing carbon capture and direct air capture plants to begin accessing its low-carbon fuels market, even if they were located outside the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both changes drew lobbying and support from Occidental and other oil companies. And because carbon capture or direct air capture projects can combine, or “stack,” the two credits, a new market emerged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To underscore the importance of the 2018 federal tax credit to his business, Zeller, the vice president at Occidental’s low-carbon business, told a CERAWeek panel, “That’s the reason I’m here today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a call with investors late last month, Hollub and other executives said the company would build 70 direct air capture plants by 2035. But central to this plan is a strategy to produce what Occidental calls “net-zero oil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over time, nearly all of the carbon dioxide injected for enhanced oil recovery can remain underground if it is monitored properly, and experts say it is possible to store more carbon dioxide than is emitted by the oil that’s produced. Compared to a conventional barrel of oil, the life-cycle emissions are substantially lower, and Hollub has made a spirited case for the environmental benefits of oil pumped with captured CO2, saying it is better than drilling new fields with new infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a March interview, Zeller said the company’s position has evolved, from focusing almost purely on producing oil to being open to other uses for the carbon dioxide. If a customer is willing to pay a premium to inject carbon dioxide for pure storage, he said, “sure, OK, we’ll do that.” If companies want to buy CO2 to make synthetic fuel, he said, “sure, no problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Zeller made it clear that Occidental’s plans haven’t strayed from oil, either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to be listening to the market, and people aren’t ready for net-zero oil, really, they’re not,” he said, adding, “They will be, because it is going to be a high-value, low-cost answer, and people just need to get past the emotions of it, and they will. They have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the last three weeks, Occidental has announced a flurry of activity around its direct air capture plans. Airbus, the European airplane manufacturer, said it would buy credits to remove 100,000 metric tons per year for four years from the Texas plant, coming on top of investments by United Airlines, Shopify and others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One week later, Occidental announced a deal with a South Korean refiner to buy up to 200,000 barrels of oil squeezed out of the ground with CO2 captured by the Texas plant. In a press release, the companies boasted of a milestone in emissions reduction efforts, an “affordable, scalable” way to work toward their own climate goals, by buying and selling net-zero oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pVpuCW682XuzAGmkurLDvW?domain=insideclimatenews.org\">\u003cem>InsideClimate News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. \u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/bJVSCXDM32FBx0oJiEwEOr?domain=insideclimatenews.org\">Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003cem>here.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979033/slick-business-texas-oil-company-wants-to-use-california-clean-energy-credits-to-extract-more-oil",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1979033"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_33",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_2856",
"science_182",
"science_4414",
"science_952"
],
"featImg": "science_1979075",
"label": "source_science_1979033"
},
"science_1979092": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979092",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979092",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1649445241000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1649445241,
"format": "standard",
"title": "How Rising Sea Levels Could Push Up a 'Toxic Soup' Into Bay Area Neighborhoods",
"headTitle": "How Rising Sea Levels Could Push Up a ‘Toxic Soup’ Into Bay Area Neighborhoods | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Phoenix Armenta is worried about the future of neighborhoods along the edge of San Francisco Bay. Contaminated sites litter shoreline communities like West Oakland, where Armenta works as a community organizer. As climate change pushes bay water higher, floodwaters could mix with toxic pollution and threaten people’s health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='medium' align='left' citation='Phoenix Armenta']‘I’m concerned that water is going to get into people’s homes. They’ll be polluted with a toxic soup.\u003c/span>‘[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m concerned that water is going to get into people’s homes,” said Armenta, regional resilience manager for the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. “They’ll be polluted with a toxic soup.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two separate science groups have released updates to ongoing research exploring this threat for the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists and the state have well documented the potential impact of sea level rise on the California coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These researchers are examining an under-studied threat: rising ocean water driving fresh water up from the ground, which could move as far as three miles inland from the edge of the bay, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Pathways.SFEI_.Rising.Groundwater.pdf\">summary of ongoing work shared with KQED\u003c/a>.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1971660 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/12/KQEDSCIENCE_GRNDWTR.gif\" alt=\"An animated graphic shows how sea level rise will push groundwater up, with toxic results. The rising seawater pushes against salty groundwater, then fresh groundwater, then sewer, until it reaches basements and foundations.\" width=\"400\" height=\"720\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute forecast that groundwater will move into low-lying areas of San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Marin counties, potentially s\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">eeping past seawalls, flooding basements, overwhelming sewers and damaging building foundations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study is slated to be released in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists from UC Berkeley and UCLA are concerned that the groundwater will steep in toxic pollution before spreading into neighborhoods and the bay itself. They found that more than \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/extreme-scenarios?authuser=0\">900 toxic sites\u003c/a> could be affected by both sea level rise and groundwater rise across the state by the end of the century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Communities like West Oakland — which abuts one of the West Coast’s busiest ports and is bound by busy freeways — already are dealing with high levels of air pollution and other adverse health outcomes because of their proximity to industry and its waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armenta, who uses they pronouns, heads the \u003ca href=\"https://woeip.org/featured-work/oakland-shoreline-leadership-academy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oakland Shoreline Leadership Academy\u003c/a>, teaching students of all ages about the issues for shoreline communities — including sea level rise and contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The goal is to give the students “who want to be part of the solution” an understanding of local shoreline issues, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In Oakland, where there was redlining is exactly where all the toxic sites are. And exactly where all the sea level rise is going to happen,” Armenta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979181\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979181 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A black woman with green glasses and a black and white striped shirt sorts landscaping material using gloves and flanked by two young people.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Phoenix Armenta, program manager of the Oakland Shoreline Leadership Academy and an environmental justice organizer, leads interns on a shoreline restoration trip in partnership with Save the Bay on March 31, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Nicole Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Climate justice red flags\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley’s Rachel Morello-Frosch and UCLA’s Lara Cushing are the scientists behind the \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home?authuser=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toxic Tides\u003c/a> interactive tool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last November, they released a stunning finding: About 400 sites — power plants, sewage treatment plants, refineries, cleanup sites and others — across the state are at risk of inundation, based on various sea-level-rise scenarios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their latest analysis found more than double that could be affected statewide, if more extreme scenarios and additional groundwater are considered. The scientists say they don’t see signs that greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The global] response to reducing emissions is quite underwhelming,” Morello-Frosch said of international efforts to limit warming. “Some scientists in the climate change community may feel like that’s too much of a severe estimate, 10 feet of sea level rise, but it’s important to show when we’re thinking about land-use planning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The take-home message of their work is that climate change is presenting new risks that could lead to human exposure to hazardous materials all along the California coastline, with a high Bay Area concentration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 90%\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: small\">\u003cem>Use your mouse to move different directions on the map. Use the + and – signs to zoom in and out. Click on the magnifying glass at the bottom to search for a specific site. Click on each site for details. Click on the down arrow top right of the legend to remove it. Sources: UC Berkeley, UCLA\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://yangj90.carto.com/builder/0a968569-b1f7-4798-960a-a0998e0589e2/embed\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a historical central hub for commerce, the region has a legacy of contaminated sites from shipbuilding, computer chip manufacturing and other industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pair’s work raises major red flags regarding climate justice. Many of these places are neighborhoods of color, where residents are increasingly at risk from the effects of warming temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Communities of color are much more likely to live near one of these risk sites, as are lower-income communities or communities where English is not the primary language that’s spoken,” said Cushing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new analysis is innovative because it uses groundwater depth data from the U.S. Geological Survey alongside climate models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morello-Frosch says sea level rise will push groundwater up, “particularly in sites where there are toxic contaminants in the soil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re concerned that as seas rise, sites where contamination has been capped, partially cleaned up or never addressed could be disturbed, threatening Bay Area shoreline communities already fighting for pollution cleanups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientists say that local groundwater mapping and “deep assessments” are crucial steps to understand specific local threats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Communities can use this information to develop their own strategies at the local, county and statewide scales to begin to respond,” said Morello-Frosch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She added, “unlike a hurricane, which is happening right away, this is a very slow-moving storm that we do have time to respond to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Filling a data gap\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Alameda, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties are partnering with scientists from Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='medium' align='left' citation='Pathways Climate Institute, San Francisco Estuary Institute']‘Failure to acknowledge the threats, especially in underserved communities, could undermine the success of adapting to sea level rise adaptation plans.’\u003c/span>[/pullquote]The authors note that flooding has the “potential to damage building foundations, flood basements and other below grade structures, and to infiltrate and overwhelm sewers. Ultimately it may emerge aboveground as an urban flood hazard even before coastal floodwaters overtop the shoreline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also warn of “contaminants in the soil” entering buildings through sewer lines or other pathways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they released the two-page document describing the work, they are not commenting until the research is finished later this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientists are compiling and sorting through multiple datasets to understand the risk to infrastructure in low-lying areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They want to expand their work to all Bay Area counties, if they can find funding for the project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The memo says a “failure to acknowledge” the threats, especially in underserved communities, “could undermine the success of adapting to sea level rise and potentially threaten public health and the environment.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": true,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1189,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [
"https://yangj90.carto.com/builder/0a968569-b1f7-4798-960a-a0998e0589e2/embed"
],
"paragraphCount": 35
},
"modified": 1704846276,
"excerpt": "Climate change could lead to human exposure to hazardous materials all along the California coastline, but especially along the bay.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Climate change could lead to human exposure to hazardous materials all along the California coastline, but especially along the bay.",
"title": "How Rising Sea Levels Could Push Up a 'Toxic Soup' Into Bay Area Neighborhoods | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How Rising Sea Levels Could Push Up a 'Toxic Soup' Into Bay Area Neighborhoods",
"datePublished": "2022-04-08T12:14:01-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:36-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-rising-sea-levels-could-push-up-a-toxic-soup-into-bay-area-neighborhoods",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/0307aa38-12e8-47fe-9012-ae700124702a/audio.mp3",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Climate Change",
"path": "/science/1979092/how-rising-sea-levels-could-push-up-a-toxic-soup-into-bay-area-neighborhoods",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Phoenix Armenta is worried about the future of neighborhoods along the edge of San Francisco Bay. Contaminated sites litter shoreline communities like West Oakland, where Armenta works as a community organizer. As climate change pushes bay water higher, floodwaters could mix with toxic pollution and threaten people’s health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘I’m concerned that water is going to get into people’s homes. They’ll be polluted with a toxic soup.\u003c/span>‘",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "left",
"citation": "Phoenix Armenta",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m concerned that water is going to get into people’s homes,” said Armenta, regional resilience manager for the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. “They’ll be polluted with a toxic soup.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two separate science groups have released updates to ongoing research exploring this threat for the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists and the state have well documented the potential impact of sea level rise on the California coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These researchers are examining an under-studied threat: rising ocean water driving fresh water up from the ground, which could move as far as three miles inland from the edge of the bay, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Pathways.SFEI_.Rising.Groundwater.pdf\">summary of ongoing work shared with KQED\u003c/a>.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1971660 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/12/KQEDSCIENCE_GRNDWTR.gif\" alt=\"An animated graphic shows how sea level rise will push groundwater up, with toxic results. The rising seawater pushes against salty groundwater, then fresh groundwater, then sewer, until it reaches basements and foundations.\" width=\"400\" height=\"720\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute forecast that groundwater will move into low-lying areas of San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Marin counties, potentially s\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">eeping past seawalls, flooding basements, overwhelming sewers and damaging building foundations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study is slated to be released in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists from UC Berkeley and UCLA are concerned that the groundwater will steep in toxic pollution before spreading into neighborhoods and the bay itself. They found that more than \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/extreme-scenarios?authuser=0\">900 toxic sites\u003c/a> could be affected by both sea level rise and groundwater rise across the state by the end of the century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Communities like West Oakland — which abuts one of the West Coast’s busiest ports and is bound by busy freeways — already are dealing with high levels of air pollution and other adverse health outcomes because of their proximity to industry and its waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armenta, who uses they pronouns, heads the \u003ca href=\"https://woeip.org/featured-work/oakland-shoreline-leadership-academy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oakland Shoreline Leadership Academy\u003c/a>, teaching students of all ages about the issues for shoreline communities — including sea level rise and contamination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The goal is to give the students “who want to be part of the solution” an understanding of local shoreline issues, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In Oakland, where there was redlining is exactly where all the toxic sites are. And exactly where all the sea level rise is going to happen,” Armenta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979181\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979181 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A black woman with green glasses and a black and white striped shirt sorts landscaping material using gloves and flanked by two young people.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/Image-from-iOS-23-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Phoenix Armenta, program manager of the Oakland Shoreline Leadership Academy and an environmental justice organizer, leads interns on a shoreline restoration trip in partnership with Save the Bay on March 31, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Nicole Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Climate justice red flags\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley’s Rachel Morello-Frosch and UCLA’s Lara Cushing are the scientists behind the \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/toxictides/home?authuser=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toxic Tides\u003c/a> interactive tool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last November, they released a stunning finding: About 400 sites — power plants, sewage treatment plants, refineries, cleanup sites and others — across the state are at risk of inundation, based on various sea-level-rise scenarios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their latest analysis found more than double that could be affected statewide, if more extreme scenarios and additional groundwater are considered. The scientists say they don’t see signs that greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The global] response to reducing emissions is quite underwhelming,” Morello-Frosch said of international efforts to limit warming. “Some scientists in the climate change community may feel like that’s too much of a severe estimate, 10 feet of sea level rise, but it’s important to show when we’re thinking about land-use planning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The take-home message of their work is that climate change is presenting new risks that could lead to human exposure to hazardous materials all along the California coastline, with a high Bay Area concentration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 90%\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: small\">\u003cem>Use your mouse to move different directions on the map. Use the + and – signs to zoom in and out. Click on the magnifying glass at the bottom to search for a specific site. Click on each site for details. Click on the down arrow top right of the legend to remove it. Sources: UC Berkeley, UCLA\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://yangj90.carto.com/builder/0a968569-b1f7-4798-960a-a0998e0589e2/embed\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a historical central hub for commerce, the region has a legacy of contaminated sites from shipbuilding, computer chip manufacturing and other industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pair’s work raises major red flags regarding climate justice. Many of these places are neighborhoods of color, where residents are increasingly at risk from the effects of warming temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Communities of color are much more likely to live near one of these risk sites, as are lower-income communities or communities where English is not the primary language that’s spoken,” said Cushing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new analysis is innovative because it uses groundwater depth data from the U.S. Geological Survey alongside climate models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morello-Frosch says sea level rise will push groundwater up, “particularly in sites where there are toxic contaminants in the soil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re concerned that as seas rise, sites where contamination has been capped, partially cleaned up or never addressed could be disturbed, threatening Bay Area shoreline communities already fighting for pollution cleanups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientists say that local groundwater mapping and “deep assessments” are crucial steps to understand specific local threats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Communities can use this information to develop their own strategies at the local, county and statewide scales to begin to respond,” said Morello-Frosch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She added, “unlike a hurricane, which is happening right away, this is a very slow-moving storm that we do have time to respond to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Filling a data gap\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Alameda, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties are partnering with scientists from Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Failure to acknowledge the threats, especially in underserved communities, could undermine the success of adapting to sea level rise adaptation plans.’\u003c/span>",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "left",
"citation": "Pathways Climate Institute, San Francisco Estuary Institute",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The authors note that flooding has the “potential to damage building foundations, flood basements and other below grade structures, and to infiltrate and overwhelm sewers. Ultimately it may emerge aboveground as an urban flood hazard even before coastal floodwaters overtop the shoreline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also warn of “contaminants in the soil” entering buildings through sewer lines or other pathways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they released the two-page document describing the work, they are not commenting until the research is finished later this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scientists are compiling and sorting through multiple datasets to understand the risk to infrastructure in low-lying areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They want to expand their work to all Bay Area counties, if they can find funding for the project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The memo says a “failure to acknowledge” the threats, especially in underserved communities, “could undermine the success of adapting to sea level rise and potentially threaten public health and the environment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979092/how-rising-sea-levels-could-push-up-a-toxic-soup-into-bay-area-neighborhoods",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_856",
"science_194",
"science_4414",
"science_4859",
"science_5183",
"science_206"
],
"featImg": "science_1979123",
"label": "source_science_1979092"
},
"science_1979080": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1979080",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1979080",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1649290824000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1649290824,
"format": "standard",
"title": "It's Not Too Late To Stave Off the Climate Crisis, U.N. Report Finds. Here's How",
"headTitle": "It’s Not Too Late To Stave Off the Climate Crisis, U.N. Report Finds. Here’s How | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>The world still has time to avoid the most extreme dangers of climate change, but only if nations cut greenhouse gas pollution much faster from nearly every aspect of human activity, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/\">landmark international climate science report.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The technology and solutions are available to rein in emissions, but the world is rapidly running out of time to deploy them, the report notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s now or never,” says Jim Skea, professor of sustainable energy at Imperial College London and one of the co-chairs overseeing the report. “Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible. ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report issued on Monday is the latest by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/\">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u003c/a> (IPCC), a United Nations body that brings together the world’s researchers to assess the prevailing science on planetary warming. The new report looks at worldwide efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and recommends next steps to keep global average temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nations and industries need to make faster, deeper cuts to heat-trapping pollution. Average annual greenhouse gasses in the last decade were the highest in human history, which means the world is not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the report says. With warming beyond that level, the planet will see \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/08/1052198840/1-5-degrees-warming-climate-change\">increasingly dangerous heat waves, floods and storms\u003c/a> that would affect millions of people, especially the most vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a crucial near-term step, “substantial reduction” in the use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas would need to happen, the report finds. By 2050, low-carbon energy like solar and wind power will need to supply the majority of the world’s energy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say this report, part of a scientific assessment done roughly every seven years by the IPCC, is likely the last to be published while the key goal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/08/1052198840/1-5-degrees-warming-climate-change\">limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius\u003c/a> is still possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report’s final summary was adopted after marathon negotiations among the 195 member countries of the IPCC. Some countries wanted to see more support for fossil fuel use in developing countries, as well as larger demands on developed nations to reduce emissions. Industrialized nations are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses, with the United States being the largest polluter over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report builds on the dire warnings of two others also released in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/\">IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report\u003c/a>. The first documented how heat-trapping emissions from burning fossil fuels were the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/08/10/1026137992/3-things-to-know-about-what-scientists-say-about-our-future-climate\">“unequivocal” cause of rising temperatures\u003c/a>. The second, released in late February, showed how \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1082564304/billions-of-people-are-in-danger-from-climate-change-u-n-report-warns\">billions of people around the globe are at risk\u003c/a> of more extreme disasters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This latest report comes amidst a renewed push for oil and gas drilling, as the war in Ukraine drives a spike in oil prices. \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/news/global-co2-emissions-rebounded-to-their-highest-level-in-history-in-2021\">Carbon emissions already roared back\u003c/a> to their highest levels ever in 2021, rebounding after a decline during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech. “Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>#1 – Grow renewable energy. It’s cheap enough\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The report lays out what scientists consider to be the most effective steps to reducing emissions fast. The clearest is accelerating the use of renewable energy and cutting fossil fuels. The cost of solar energy has plummeted by 85 percent since 2010, according to the report. Batteries have fallen by the same amount, a key technology for storing solar and wind power so it can be used when it’s dark or the wind isn’t blowing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That makes low-carbon energy sources more economically viable than fossil fuels in many cases, the report finds. They also improve public health, since renewable energy doesn’t produce air pollution. Still, renewables are not being deployed fast enough, especially in developing countries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979083\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1979083\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a black coat with hood up and fur around the hood walks in the foreground on a snowy street. Houses line one side of the street, with electricity lines crisscrossing the sky. In the background are tall towers releasing white smoke, from coal-fired power plants. The photo was taken in Shanxi, China.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heat-trapping emissions from burning fossil fuels, like these coal-fired power plants in Shanxi, China, have rebounded after dropping during the pandemic. \u003ccite>(Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the world’s energy supply would need to reach net-zero as soon as 2050, which means if the sector is still producing emissions, those emissions are captured in some way before reaching the atmosphere. That’s because other areas, like heavy industry and transportation, would likely take longer to fully cut their emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Continuing the world’s existing fossil fuel energy projects at their current pace, as well as developing new ones, puts the energy sector nowhere near that necessary trajectory. The emissions from fossil fuel use would be almost double the amount needed to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And as renewable energy grows, trillions of dollars of fossil fuel infrastructure risks becoming “stranded”, or worthless, as governments shift to cleaner energy sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The sobering conclusion is that, although we have all the tools we need, emissions would need to decrease immediately and at a much larger scale than they have been,” Stephanie Roe, one of the lead authors of the IPCC report and Global Climate and Energy Lead Scientist at the World Wildlife Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>#2 – We’ll probably need to suck carbon emissions out of the air\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even if the world rapidly transforms where its energy comes from, some aspects of modern life will take longer to shift from fossil fuel use, like airplanes, shipping and heavy industry. Gas-powered cars being bought today will also remain on the road for potentially decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New technology could eventually transition those industries and vehicles away from fossil fuels. But the delay means that to avoid extreme warming, countries and companies will likely have to remove some of the carbon dioxide emissions that are already in the atmosphere, the report finds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most tried and tested method uses Mother Nature. Plants and soils are carbon sponges. So restoring forests and wetlands can help soak up emissions, providing a relatively low cost way of making up for emissions from other sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report also points to more cutting-edge approaches, like using technology to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/01/11/1071282973/as-carbon-removal-gains-traction-economists-imagine-a-new-market-to-save-the-pla\">suck carbon emissions directly from the air\u003c/a>. That process could potentially use large amounts of energy, which would negate its climate usefulness. Some climate activists also worry it could amount to a free pass for the fossil fuel industry to keep operating and pumping out greenhouse gas emissions. The technology has a long way to go before it could make a large impact on the atmosphere, the report concludes.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>#3 – Your decisions matter to slowing climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Changing the way humans work, live and eat in cities and buildings can have a major impact on reducing emissions, as much as 40 to 70 percent in some of those sectors, the report finds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report is not just talking about recycling. \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/06/18/877460056/minneapolis-has-a-bold-plan-to-tackle-racial-inequity-now-it-has-to-follow-throu\">Redesigning and zoning cities\u003c/a> so people live closer to where they work and can walk and bike could reduce transportation emissions by as much as a third, the report says. Electric cars that are charged with renewable energy from the grid would reduce fossil fuel use. Making buildings more energy efficient and using renewable energy like solar has a decades-long impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With many cities around the world still growing and urbanizing, building in a sustainable way is especially important in developing countries, the report finds. Cities are vulnerable to flooding and air pollution, as well as extreme heat waves made worse by the way pavement absorbs heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a really amazing role that we can play, not just as consumers, but also as professionals,” Roe says. “If you’re a builder, if you’re an urban planner, if you’re an influencer or a role model, you have a role to play. And it’s not about individual actions necessarily. It’s about individual actions that make cascading impacts across society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2022 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=It%27s+not+too+late+to+stave+off+the+climate+crisis%2C+U.N.+report+finds.+Here%27s+how&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1377,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 26
},
"modified": 1704846278,
"excerpt": "The good news is that the world has solutions and technology to slow climate change. The bad news is that time is running out.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The good news is that the world has solutions and technology to slow climate change. The bad news is that time is running out.",
"title": "It's Not Too Late To Stave Off the Climate Crisis, U.N. Report Finds. Here's How | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "It's Not Too Late To Stave Off the Climate Crisis, U.N. Report Finds. Here's How",
"datePublished": "2022-04-06T17:20:24-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:38-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "its-not-too-late-to-stave-off-the-climate-crisis-u-n-report-finds-heres-how",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1090577162&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprStoryDate": "Mon, 04 Apr 2022 12:20:00 -0400",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Tue, 05 Apr 2022 00:53:56 -0400",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2022/04/04/1090577162/climate-change-un-ipcc-report?ft=nprml&f=1090577162",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2022/04/20220404_atc_its_not_too_late_to_stave_off_the_climate_crisis_un_report_finds_heres_how.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=267&p=2&story=1090577162&ft=nprml&f=1090577162",
"nprImageAgency": "Getty Images",
"source": "NPR",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/11090920023-64c4bb.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=267&p=2&story=1090577162&ft=nprml&f=1090577162",
"nprStoryId": "1090577162",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.npr.org/",
"nprByline": "Lauren Sommer",
"sticky": false,
"nprImageCredit": "Abhishek Chinnappa",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Tue, 05 Apr 2022 00:55:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1979080/its-not-too-late-to-stave-off-the-climate-crisis-u-n-report-finds-heres-how",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2022/04/20220404_atc_its_not_too_late_to_stave_off_the_climate_crisis_un_report_finds_heres_how.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=267&p=2&story=1090577162&ft=nprml&f=1090577162",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The world still has time to avoid the most extreme dangers of climate change, but only if nations cut greenhouse gas pollution much faster from nearly every aspect of human activity, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/\">landmark international climate science report.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The technology and solutions are available to rein in emissions, but the world is rapidly running out of time to deploy them, the report notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s now or never,” says Jim Skea, professor of sustainable energy at Imperial College London and one of the co-chairs overseeing the report. “Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible. ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report issued on Monday is the latest by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/\">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u003c/a> (IPCC), a United Nations body that brings together the world’s researchers to assess the prevailing science on planetary warming. The new report looks at worldwide efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and recommends next steps to keep global average temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nations and industries need to make faster, deeper cuts to heat-trapping pollution. Average annual greenhouse gasses in the last decade were the highest in human history, which means the world is not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the report says. With warming beyond that level, the planet will see \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/08/1052198840/1-5-degrees-warming-climate-change\">increasingly dangerous heat waves, floods and storms\u003c/a> that would affect millions of people, especially the most vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a crucial near-term step, “substantial reduction” in the use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas would need to happen, the report finds. By 2050, low-carbon energy like solar and wind power will need to supply the majority of the world’s energy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say this report, part of a scientific assessment done roughly every seven years by the IPCC, is likely the last to be published while the key goal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/08/1052198840/1-5-degrees-warming-climate-change\">limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius\u003c/a> is still possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report’s final summary was adopted after marathon negotiations among the 195 member countries of the IPCC. Some countries wanted to see more support for fossil fuel use in developing countries, as well as larger demands on developed nations to reduce emissions. Industrialized nations are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses, with the United States being the largest polluter over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report builds on the dire warnings of two others also released in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/\">IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report\u003c/a>. The first documented how heat-trapping emissions from burning fossil fuels were the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/08/10/1026137992/3-things-to-know-about-what-scientists-say-about-our-future-climate\">“unequivocal” cause of rising temperatures\u003c/a>. The second, released in late February, showed how \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1082564304/billions-of-people-are-in-danger-from-climate-change-u-n-report-warns\">billions of people around the globe are at risk\u003c/a> of more extreme disasters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This latest report comes amidst a renewed push for oil and gas drilling, as the war in Ukraine drives a spike in oil prices. \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/news/global-co2-emissions-rebounded-to-their-highest-level-in-history-in-2021\">Carbon emissions already roared back\u003c/a> to their highest levels ever in 2021, rebounding after a decline during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech. “Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>#1 – Grow renewable energy. It’s cheap enough\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The report lays out what scientists consider to be the most effective steps to reducing emissions fast. The clearest is accelerating the use of renewable energy and cutting fossil fuels. The cost of solar energy has plummeted by 85 percent since 2010, according to the report. Batteries have fallen by the same amount, a key technology for storing solar and wind power so it can be used when it’s dark or the wind isn’t blowing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That makes low-carbon energy sources more economically viable than fossil fuels in many cases, the report finds. They also improve public health, since renewable energy doesn’t produce air pollution. Still, renewables are not being deployed fast enough, especially in developing countries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979083\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1979083\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a black coat with hood up and fur around the hood walks in the foreground on a snowy street. Houses line one side of the street, with electricity lines crisscrossing the sky. In the background are tall towers releasing white smoke, from coal-fired power plants. The photo was taken in Shanxi, China.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/gettyimages-500863126_custom-0634ff2e7e155b049fdd7eb297ae84627a04e7e2-1-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heat-trapping emissions from burning fossil fuels, like these coal-fired power plants in Shanxi, China, have rebounded after dropping during the pandemic. \u003ccite>(Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the world’s energy supply would need to reach net-zero as soon as 2050, which means if the sector is still producing emissions, those emissions are captured in some way before reaching the atmosphere. That’s because other areas, like heavy industry and transportation, would likely take longer to fully cut their emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Continuing the world’s existing fossil fuel energy projects at their current pace, as well as developing new ones, puts the energy sector nowhere near that necessary trajectory. The emissions from fossil fuel use would be almost double the amount needed to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And as renewable energy grows, trillions of dollars of fossil fuel infrastructure risks becoming “stranded”, or worthless, as governments shift to cleaner energy sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The sobering conclusion is that, although we have all the tools we need, emissions would need to decrease immediately and at a much larger scale than they have been,” Stephanie Roe, one of the lead authors of the IPCC report and Global Climate and Energy Lead Scientist at the World Wildlife Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>#2 – We’ll probably need to suck carbon emissions out of the air\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even if the world rapidly transforms where its energy comes from, some aspects of modern life will take longer to shift from fossil fuel use, like airplanes, shipping and heavy industry. Gas-powered cars being bought today will also remain on the road for potentially decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New technology could eventually transition those industries and vehicles away from fossil fuels. But the delay means that to avoid extreme warming, countries and companies will likely have to remove some of the carbon dioxide emissions that are already in the atmosphere, the report finds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most tried and tested method uses Mother Nature. Plants and soils are carbon sponges. So restoring forests and wetlands can help soak up emissions, providing a relatively low cost way of making up for emissions from other sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report also points to more cutting-edge approaches, like using technology to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/01/11/1071282973/as-carbon-removal-gains-traction-economists-imagine-a-new-market-to-save-the-pla\">suck carbon emissions directly from the air\u003c/a>. That process could potentially use large amounts of energy, which would negate its climate usefulness. Some climate activists also worry it could amount to a free pass for the fossil fuel industry to keep operating and pumping out greenhouse gas emissions. The technology has a long way to go before it could make a large impact on the atmosphere, the report concludes.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>#3 – Your decisions matter to slowing climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Changing the way humans work, live and eat in cities and buildings can have a major impact on reducing emissions, as much as 40 to 70 percent in some of those sectors, the report finds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report is not just talking about recycling. \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/06/18/877460056/minneapolis-has-a-bold-plan-to-tackle-racial-inequity-now-it-has-to-follow-throu\">Redesigning and zoning cities\u003c/a> so people live closer to where they work and can walk and bike could reduce transportation emissions by as much as a third, the report says. Electric cars that are charged with renewable energy from the grid would reduce fossil fuel use. Making buildings more energy efficient and using renewable energy like solar has a decades-long impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With many cities around the world still growing and urbanizing, building in a sustainable way is especially important in developing countries, the report finds. Cities are vulnerable to flooding and air pollution, as well as extreme heat waves made worse by the way pavement absorbs heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a really amazing role that we can play, not just as consumers, but also as professionals,” Roe says. “If you’re a builder, if you’re an urban planner, if you’re an influencer or a role model, you have a role to play. And it’s not about individual actions necessarily. It’s about individual actions that make cascading impacts across society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2022 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=It%27s+not+too+late+to+stave+off+the+climate+crisis%2C+U.N.+report+finds.+Here%27s+how&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1979080/its-not-too-late-to-stave-off-the-climate-crisis-u-n-report-finds-heres-how",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1979080"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_4414"
],
"featImg": "science_1979081",
"label": "source_science_1979080"
},
"science_1978994": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1978994",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1978994",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1649250028000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1649250028,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Punishing Bay Area Drought Prompts Calls for Major Water Rethink",
"headTitle": "Punishing Bay Area Drought Prompts Calls for Major Water Rethink | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Each morning for months, Amelia Morán Ceja has peered out her window, searching Sonoma’s wine country for dark clouds or the residue of rain on the leaves of her grapevines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her searching has proved futile, and now she’s worried as California faces its third consecutive summer with drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dry conditions threaten her thirsty vines at Ceja Vineyards and elevate the risk from fire and heat waves. The triple threat is a “perfect storm during harvest,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smoke from wildfires can ruin a year’s worth of wine and is harmful to the health of harvesters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cejavineyards.com/about/amelia-moran-ceja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ceja\u003c/a> is banking that last October and December’s heavy storms filled aquifers below her vineyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nonetheless, we’re still conserving,” she said. “We literally only water the vines when they need it, and it’s barely a couple of gallons of water at most.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ceja is just one example of the millions of Bay Area residents learning to live with seemingly perpetual dry times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='medium' align='right' citation='Brian Garcia, NWS Bay Area']‘We are looking at the driest start to a calendar year in recorded history.\u003c/span>‘[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s snowpack is far below average again this year. Less than 31% of the snowpack remains, and state reservoirs are about 48% full. Millions of Bay Area residents rely on this water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have less snow than we did last year,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of the state’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting section. “California’s only received about half the amount of rainfall recorded in comparison to 2013, which ended up turning into the driest calendar year on record.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s traditional rainy season is over, and California’s summer forecast looks to be hotter than average. Meteorologists expect a heat wave this week, which poses a critical threat to what’s left of the snowpack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/1511040977628110849\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The odds of any rain or snow making a dent in the drought are “slim to none,” said Brian Garcia, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service located in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are looking at the driest start to a calendar year in recorded history,” he said, referring to records that date back to the mid-1800s.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Megadrought bakes the West\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Regionally, the American Southwest is in the grips of a \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/megadrought-southwestern-north-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22-year megadrought\u003c/a>, the worst in recorded history and the driest since at least the year 800, according to a new analysis of tree ring records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It will take several wet years to end the drought cycle, said UCLA hydroclimatologist Park Williams, the study’s lead author.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without climate change, \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/megadrought-southwestern-north-america\">the past 22 years would have probably still been the driest period in 300 years\u003c/a>,” Williams noted in a release. “But it wouldn’t be holding a candle to the megadroughts of the 1500s, 1200s, or 1100s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The burning of fossil fuels — the lead driver of climate change — must be stopped, or quickly shifted away from, according to the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/04/04/1090577162/climate-change-un-ipcc-report\">UN climate report\u003c/a>, in order for the world to reach its goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Warming beyond that point will mean even more severe droughts, water scarcity and increased wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bay Area drought deepens\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With around 8 million residents across nine counties, each part of the Bay Area is grappling with the drought differently. To the south and north, Santa Cruz and Mendocino counties are similarly affected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the multiyear drought ending in 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown mandated that all residents curb water use by 25% — a goal that Californians nearly met.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This time around, people are less adherent. Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked for a 15% water reduction, but urban water users saved less than half of that from June to January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977229/healdsburg-cut-its-water-use-in-half-whats-in-the-citys-secret-water-saving-sauce\">some cities, like Healdsburg, saved more than 50%\u003c/a> last summer and fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s administration is entrusting local water agencies to impose restrictions, compelling them to save water through a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">late\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">March\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">executive\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979001\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979001 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds a hollow blue pole that when pierces the ground tells how much water is in snow in a certain spot. Blue skies and green mountains in the distance. A patch of snow in view. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting unit uses a tape measure to pinpoint the next measuring location during the fourth media snow survey of the 2022 season. \u003ccite>(Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What we learned from the last drought is, it’s really important to listen to locals,” said Jared Blumenfeld, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, on a recent press call. “We live in a state that has many different hydrological zones, many different water usage scenarios, and that the one-size-fits-all doesn’t really work in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The order presses major water retailers and agencies to conserve an average of 10%-20% come June. More than half of the state’s urban water providers don’t yet have restrictions to provide this kind of savings, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, state leaders are touting efforts to build new dams, reinstalling the drought salinity barrier in the delta — literally a pile of rocks blocking saltwater from tainting the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. They also are granting millions of dollars in drought aid and using innovative climate forecasting models to inform how they manage reservoirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We get to expand the time horizon of our decision-making,” said Nicholas Malasavage, chief of the operations and readiness division at the San Francisco District of the Army Corps of Engineers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When there are two weeks of dry weather, and we got a lot of water coming into the lake, we don’t need to make space for the next storm because there isn’t one,” he added of efforts to better manage reservoirs in Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Digging out of a hole. Again.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Local water leaders will decide how deep restrictions should cut in the upcoming weeks. At 10%, San Francisco and parts of the East Bay have the lowest conservation targets in the Bay Area. Cities in the North Bay like Sonoma and Healdsburg are at 20% or higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janet Pauli, who co-manages the water district at the eastern headwaters of the Russian River in Mendocino County — which is reliant on rain — says the creeks that feed into the river are already dry. Valley pastures are browning and fire-scarred trees on the hills surround the agriculture basin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pauli says it looked similar last year when crops “were dramatically impacted — pears and vineyards,” she said. “We’re certainly not looking forward to going through this again this year. But it looks as if we’re moving in that direction pretty quickly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Further south in Sonoma County, the region’s largest reservoir, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/current-water-supply-levels\">Lake Sonoma, is 60% full\u003c/a> but has less water than last April.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='medium' align='left' citation='Janet Pauli, co-chair, Potter Valley Irrigation District']‘We’re certainly not looking forward to going through this again this year. But it looks as if we’re moving in that direction pretty quickly.\u003c/span>‘[/pullquote]“We have a huge hole we got to dig out of,” said Brad Sherwood, spokesperson for Sonoma Water. “It’s almost like Groundhog’s Day in the situation that we’re facing in Sonoma County.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South of Sonoma, Marin County got a stroke of luck this past rainy season when two atmospheric rivers parked themselves over the county, dumping more than 40 inches of rain, said Adriane Mertens, spokesperson for Marin Water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1975556\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1975556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A white-haired woman in blue flannel and blue jeans leans on a cement bridge with a river and greenery behind her. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Janet Pauli, with the Potter Valley Irrigation District, says farmers are already feeling the impacts of drought. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before those two brief, very wet storms, the county was contemplating emergency desalination or piping water from elsewhere over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Now their reservoirs are filled to 91%, a two-year water supply, Mertens said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were projecting to deplete our local reservoir supplies by summer of this year,” she said. “The rain was a gift.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 70 miles south of Marin in Santa Clara County, the drought scenario is more dire — and a lot dryer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water supplies for the South Bay are particularly precarious because local reservoirs are only a quarter full — the largest, Anderson Reservoir, is out of commission for seismic retrofitting for the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials expect that Valley Water, which supplies water to around 2 million people, won’t receive any of the imports it typically relies on, except for what’s absolutely necessary for health and safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Normally, more than half of the county’s water originates from the Sierra Nevada snowpack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valley Water put in place a 15% mandatory water restriction last June, but residents have not met the target, said John Varela, Valley Water chief pro tem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Since then, through January 2022, residents, businesses and farmers reduced overall water usage by only 8%,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost no measurable rain has landed on San Jose this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water restrictions could intensify in Santa Clara County, said the water supplier’s spokesperson Matt Keller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can hope for rain, but you know hope is not enough — we have to take action,” he said. “Everything is on the table heading into the summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That could mean boosting mandatory water restrictions or increasing penalties for water wasters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Jose Water already charges residential customers $7.13 for each 748-gallon unit of water used over their limit, but the restrictions don’t apply to businesses. Ninety percent of the agency’s customers are residential, said Liann Walborsky, director of corporate communications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mother Nature has not been very helpful,” she said of the lack of rain this winter. Customers used 2% more water in February than before the drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going in the wrong direction,” she said. “We’ve had people focus on outside irrigation. It’s very hard to cut water use inside your house because that starts to affect your quality of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Nibbling around the edge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Restricting water and limiting flows to farms, parks or golf courses are quick ways to deal with the drought, but they are not long-term solutions. If restrictions are overused, they can lose their desired effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water experts like Susan Leal say we need to stop nibbling around the edges and rethink how California and the Bay Area use water. Twelve years ago, she co-authored the book “\u003ca href=\"https://www.susanleal.com/books/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Running Out of Water\u003c/a>,” and raised remedies for the very crisis the state is in today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe we will still be able to deliver water to people, but they’ll have to use less of it,” she said. The climate whiplash the state experienced this past year — flooding rains followed by months of dry conditions — stresses the state’s water system, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We may get to the point where we have to start subsidizing water because the cost of recycled water is going to be much more expensive,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979019\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979019 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"An Asian man in a white polo shirt holds a beaker full of water that's been filtered. A system of tubes behind him.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Associate Engineer Zachary Helsley holds a beaker of treated wastewater at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center in San Jose on Sept. 23, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LeBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Leal was once the general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. She wants the state to invest billions in cleaning wastewater for drinking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recycled water encompasses only a small fraction of the state’s water supply; the majority is in Southern California. Valley Water pledged to double the amount of water it recycles over the next decade, but even that would only augment 10% of its supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we don’t actually put some dough into it now, it won’t happen,” Leal said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It can take decades to change or build infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Close the loop so we don’t depend on snowpack\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/newshaajami\">Newsha\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/newshaajami\">Ajami\u003c/a> studies water in the West as the chief development officer for research at the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She says water agencies will have to start valuing people over a revenue based model.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we shift this mindset, eventually these utilities [will] survive these new realities they’re facing with climate change,” she said. “If they don’t, then eventually they will fall apart. Because every drought leads to a reduction in demand.”\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='medium' align='left' citation='Newsha Ajami, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory']‘If we shift this mindset, eventually these utilities can become an entity that can survive these new realities they’re facing with climate change. If they don’t, then eventually they will fall apart.’\u003c/span>[/pullquote]Ajami would like to see agencies split operational costs among all customers equally, while having people cover the energy costs necessary to get their water to them. This would make the price of water more equitable, she says, and allow water agencies to flourish instead of merely remaining afloat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It separates people who are actually mindful from the people who use more and put a lot more pressure on the system,” she said. “If you and I live in the same building, and I’m using 10 units of water, and you’re using two, I’m putting a lot more demand on the system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, co-authored a bill that aims to \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1469\">decouple California water agency sales and revenue\u003c/a>. He wants to incentivize water conservation and force water utilities to restructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to make sure that we’re decoupling water use from profits, because otherwise, we get perverse incentives,” he said. “We want people to use less water. And so decoupling helps us achieve that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the bill doesn’t pass this year, Becker and Ajami believe it’s doing something good: It’s rethinking how California uses water. Their hope is that these ideas become reality.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2409,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 64
},
"modified": 1704846281,
"excerpt": "Each part of the Bay Area is grappling with the drought differently.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Each part of the Bay Area is grappling with the drought differently.",
"title": "Punishing Bay Area Drought Prompts Calls for Major Water Rethink | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Punishing Bay Area Drought Prompts Calls for Major Water Rethink",
"datePublished": "2022-04-06T06:00:28-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:41-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "punishing-bay-area-drought-prompts-calls-for-major-water-rethink",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/2d2bbb3a-05c9-4725-b347-ae6a012a4a05/audio.mp3",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Drought",
"path": "/science/1978994/punishing-bay-area-drought-prompts-calls-for-major-water-rethink",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Each morning for months, Amelia Morán Ceja has peered out her window, searching Sonoma’s wine country for dark clouds or the residue of rain on the leaves of her grapevines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her searching has proved futile, and now she’s worried as California faces its third consecutive summer with drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dry conditions threaten her thirsty vines at Ceja Vineyards and elevate the risk from fire and heat waves. The triple threat is a “perfect storm during harvest,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smoke from wildfires can ruin a year’s worth of wine and is harmful to the health of harvesters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cejavineyards.com/about/amelia-moran-ceja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ceja\u003c/a> is banking that last October and December’s heavy storms filled aquifers below her vineyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nonetheless, we’re still conserving,” she said. “We literally only water the vines when they need it, and it’s barely a couple of gallons of water at most.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ceja is just one example of the millions of Bay Area residents learning to live with seemingly perpetual dry times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘We are looking at the driest start to a calendar year in recorded history.\u003c/span>‘",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Brian Garcia, NWS Bay Area",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s snowpack is far below average again this year. Less than 31% of the snowpack remains, and state reservoirs are about 48% full. Millions of Bay Area residents rely on this water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have less snow than we did last year,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of the state’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting section. “California’s only received about half the amount of rainfall recorded in comparison to 2013, which ended up turning into the driest calendar year on record.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s traditional rainy season is over, and California’s summer forecast looks to be hotter than average. Meteorologists expect a heat wave this week, which poses a critical threat to what’s left of the snowpack.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1511040977628110849"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The odds of any rain or snow making a dent in the drought are “slim to none,” said Brian Garcia, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service located in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are looking at the driest start to a calendar year in recorded history,” he said, referring to records that date back to the mid-1800s.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Megadrought bakes the West\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Regionally, the American Southwest is in the grips of a \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/megadrought-southwestern-north-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22-year megadrought\u003c/a>, the worst in recorded history and the driest since at least the year 800, according to a new analysis of tree ring records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It will take several wet years to end the drought cycle, said UCLA hydroclimatologist Park Williams, the study’s lead author.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without climate change, \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/megadrought-southwestern-north-america\">the past 22 years would have probably still been the driest period in 300 years\u003c/a>,” Williams noted in a release. “But it wouldn’t be holding a candle to the megadroughts of the 1500s, 1200s, or 1100s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The burning of fossil fuels — the lead driver of climate change — must be stopped, or quickly shifted away from, according to the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/04/04/1090577162/climate-change-un-ipcc-report\">UN climate report\u003c/a>, in order for the world to reach its goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Warming beyond that point will mean even more severe droughts, water scarcity and increased wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bay Area drought deepens\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With around 8 million residents across nine counties, each part of the Bay Area is grappling with the drought differently. To the south and north, Santa Cruz and Mendocino counties are similarly affected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the multiyear drought ending in 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown mandated that all residents curb water use by 25% — a goal that Californians nearly met.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This time around, people are less adherent. Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked for a 15% water reduction, but urban water users saved less than half of that from June to January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977229/healdsburg-cut-its-water-use-in-half-whats-in-the-citys-secret-water-saving-sauce\">some cities, like Healdsburg, saved more than 50%\u003c/a> last summer and fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s administration is entrusting local water agencies to impose restrictions, compelling them to save water through a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">late\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">March\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">executive\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/\">order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979001\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979001 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds a hollow blue pole that when pierces the ground tells how much water is in snow in a certain spot. Blue skies and green mountains in the distance. A patch of snow in view. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/KJ2_0563-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting unit uses a tape measure to pinpoint the next measuring location during the fourth media snow survey of the 2022 season. \u003ccite>(Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What we learned from the last drought is, it’s really important to listen to locals,” said Jared Blumenfeld, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, on a recent press call. “We live in a state that has many different hydrological zones, many different water usage scenarios, and that the one-size-fits-all doesn’t really work in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The order presses major water retailers and agencies to conserve an average of 10%-20% come June. More than half of the state’s urban water providers don’t yet have restrictions to provide this kind of savings, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, state leaders are touting efforts to build new dams, reinstalling the drought salinity barrier in the delta — literally a pile of rocks blocking saltwater from tainting the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. They also are granting millions of dollars in drought aid and using innovative climate forecasting models to inform how they manage reservoirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We get to expand the time horizon of our decision-making,” said Nicholas Malasavage, chief of the operations and readiness division at the San Francisco District of the Army Corps of Engineers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When there are two weeks of dry weather, and we got a lot of water coming into the lake, we don’t need to make space for the next storm because there isn’t one,” he added of efforts to better manage reservoirs in Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Digging out of a hole. Again.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Local water leaders will decide how deep restrictions should cut in the upcoming weeks. At 10%, San Francisco and parts of the East Bay have the lowest conservation targets in the Bay Area. Cities in the North Bay like Sonoma and Healdsburg are at 20% or higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janet Pauli, who co-manages the water district at the eastern headwaters of the Russian River in Mendocino County — which is reliant on rain — says the creeks that feed into the river are already dry. Valley pastures are browning and fire-scarred trees on the hills surround the agriculture basin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pauli says it looked similar last year when crops “were dramatically impacted — pears and vineyards,” she said. “We’re certainly not looking forward to going through this again this year. But it looks as if we’re moving in that direction pretty quickly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Further south in Sonoma County, the region’s largest reservoir, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/current-water-supply-levels\">Lake Sonoma, is 60% full\u003c/a> but has less water than last April.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘We’re certainly not looking forward to going through this again this year. But it looks as if we’re moving in that direction pretty quickly.\u003c/span>‘",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "left",
"citation": "Janet Pauli, co-chair, Potter Valley Irrigation District",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We have a huge hole we got to dig out of,” said Brad Sherwood, spokesperson for Sonoma Water. “It’s almost like Groundhog’s Day in the situation that we’re facing in Sonoma County.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South of Sonoma, Marin County got a stroke of luck this past rainy season when two atmospheric rivers parked themselves over the county, dumping more than 40 inches of rain, said Adriane Mertens, spokesperson for Marin Water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1975556\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1975556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A white-haired woman in blue flannel and blue jeans leans on a cement bridge with a river and greenery behind her. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/IMG_3530-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Janet Pauli, with the Potter Valley Irrigation District, says farmers are already feeling the impacts of drought. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before those two brief, very wet storms, the county was contemplating emergency desalination or piping water from elsewhere over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Now their reservoirs are filled to 91%, a two-year water supply, Mertens said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were projecting to deplete our local reservoir supplies by summer of this year,” she said. “The rain was a gift.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 70 miles south of Marin in Santa Clara County, the drought scenario is more dire — and a lot dryer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water supplies for the South Bay are particularly precarious because local reservoirs are only a quarter full — the largest, Anderson Reservoir, is out of commission for seismic retrofitting for the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials expect that Valley Water, which supplies water to around 2 million people, won’t receive any of the imports it typically relies on, except for what’s absolutely necessary for health and safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Normally, more than half of the county’s water originates from the Sierra Nevada snowpack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valley Water put in place a 15% mandatory water restriction last June, but residents have not met the target, said John Varela, Valley Water chief pro tem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Since then, through January 2022, residents, businesses and farmers reduced overall water usage by only 8%,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost no measurable rain has landed on San Jose this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water restrictions could intensify in Santa Clara County, said the water supplier’s spokesperson Matt Keller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can hope for rain, but you know hope is not enough — we have to take action,” he said. “Everything is on the table heading into the summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That could mean boosting mandatory water restrictions or increasing penalties for water wasters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Jose Water already charges residential customers $7.13 for each 748-gallon unit of water used over their limit, but the restrictions don’t apply to businesses. Ninety percent of the agency’s customers are residential, said Liann Walborsky, director of corporate communications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mother Nature has not been very helpful,” she said of the lack of rain this winter. Customers used 2% more water in February than before the drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going in the wrong direction,” she said. “We’ve had people focus on outside irrigation. It’s very hard to cut water use inside your house because that starts to affect your quality of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Nibbling around the edge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Restricting water and limiting flows to farms, parks or golf courses are quick ways to deal with the drought, but they are not long-term solutions. If restrictions are overused, they can lose their desired effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water experts like Susan Leal say we need to stop nibbling around the edges and rethink how California and the Bay Area use water. Twelve years ago, she co-authored the book “\u003ca href=\"https://www.susanleal.com/books/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Running Out of Water\u003c/a>,” and raised remedies for the very crisis the state is in today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe we will still be able to deliver water to people, but they’ll have to use less of it,” she said. The climate whiplash the state experienced this past year — flooding rains followed by months of dry conditions — stresses the state’s water system, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We may get to the point where we have to start subsidizing water because the cost of recycled water is going to be much more expensive,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1979019\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1979019 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"An Asian man in a white polo shirt holds a beaker full of water that's been filtered. A system of tubes behind him.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/04/RS51686_038_SanJose_WaterPurificationCenter_09232021-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Associate Engineer Zachary Helsley holds a beaker of treated wastewater at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center in San Jose on Sept. 23, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LeBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Leal was once the general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. She wants the state to invest billions in cleaning wastewater for drinking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recycled water encompasses only a small fraction of the state’s water supply; the majority is in Southern California. Valley Water pledged to double the amount of water it recycles over the next decade, but even that would only augment 10% of its supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we don’t actually put some dough into it now, it won’t happen,” Leal said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It can take decades to change or build infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Close the loop so we don’t depend on snowpack\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/newshaajami\">Newsha\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/newshaajami\">Ajami\u003c/a> studies water in the West as the chief development officer for research at the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She says water agencies will have to start valuing people over a revenue based model.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we shift this mindset, eventually these utilities [will] survive these new realities they’re facing with climate change,” she said. “If they don’t, then eventually they will fall apart. Because every drought leads to a reduction in demand.”\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘If we shift this mindset, eventually these utilities can become an entity that can survive these new realities they’re facing with climate change. If they don’t, then eventually they will fall apart.’\u003c/span>",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "left",
"citation": "Newsha Ajami, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Ajami would like to see agencies split operational costs among all customers equally, while having people cover the energy costs necessary to get their water to them. This would make the price of water more equitable, she says, and allow water agencies to flourish instead of merely remaining afloat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It separates people who are actually mindful from the people who use more and put a lot more pressure on the system,” she said. “If you and I live in the same building, and I’m using 10 units of water, and you’re using two, I’m putting a lot more demand on the system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, co-authored a bill that aims to \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1469\">decouple California water agency sales and revenue\u003c/a>. He wants to incentivize water conservation and force water utilities to restructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to make sure that we’re decoupling water use from profits, because otherwise, we get perverse incentives,” he said. “We want people to use less water. And so decoupling helps us achieve that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the bill doesn’t pass this year, Becker and Ajami believe it’s doing something good: It’s rethinking how California uses water. Their hope is that these ideas become reality.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1978994/punishing-bay-area-drought-prompts-calls-for-major-water-rethink",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"featImg": "science_1979048",
"label": "source_science_1978994"
},
"science_1977806": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1977806",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1977806",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1648838503000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1648838503,
"format": "standard",
"title": "California Now Requires You to Compost Food Waste to Reduce Potent Greenhouse Gas",
"headTitle": "California Now Requires You to Compost Food Waste to Reduce Potent Greenhouse Gas | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>California has set an ambitious goal: reduce scraps and yard waste that go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">landfills by 75% by 2025\u003c/a>. The new state composting regulation means waste haulers will handle a lot more moldy leftovers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some are ready, because they’ve been collecting and processing organic waste for years. Others will need to invest in new infrastructure, which will push up garbage rates. The state plans to help in the form of financial grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reducing methane emissions is the state’s main goal. Its composting regulation requires residents, municipalities and soon more businesses to compost or divert food waste and scraps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a sprawling facility in Tracy, food scraps and yard clippings get turned into something useful. Here, an 18-wheeler backs up onto a ramp, dumping a load of waste into a huge hopper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of coffee grounds and eggshells and banana peels and things of that nature in there,” said Robert Reed, spokesperson for Recology, the company that hauls away San Francisco’s waste. “All of those materials are natural. Particularly the food scraps are very rich in nutrients, very rich in carbon. They all came from a farm and are to go back to a farm in the form of compost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Municipal solid waste landfills are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-information-about-landfill-gas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">third-largest source of human-related methane emissions\u003c/a> in the country, accounting for about 15% in 2019, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists and engineers see an opportunity to capture methane and use it to create energy. They’re also studying how it can lock carbon in the ground and \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincarbonproject.org/science/land-management-carbon-sequestration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">enhance the soil\u003c/a> in fields, orchards and rangelands to help farmers grow crops and livestock more efficiently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One challenge for the state: building enough facilities like Recology’s, especially in Southern California, where composting is less common. Commercial-scale manufacturing businesses are expensive, and require land and heavy machinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978944\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1978944\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling man with a red hard hat holds a handful of rich, brown compost as a crane dumps more in a large pile behind him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert Reed, compost hype man, in Tracy on Jan. 31, 2022. ‘This is what helps grow healthy plants,’ Reed said. \u003ccite>(Raquel Maria Dillon/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recology began composting decades ago, and Reed argues it keeps greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is what helps grow healthy plants,” he said, plunging his hands into a steaming pile. “We’ve got food to eat and it gets carbon back into the soil where it belongs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At this stage, the compost is sorted and dried to a fine dust; it has a rich brown color and smells sweet, like a wet forest floor. But it’s not fully cooked yet. It will sit in windrows, long piles that workers will aerate for weeks while bacteria break the “material down into finished compost,” Reed said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These piles are eight- to 10-feet tall and chock-full of microbial colonies that are breaking the material down into smaller and smaller pieces,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sprinklers add water to make a perfect, spa-like environment for the right microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>New compost rules ‘biggest change’ to CA trash since ’80s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bacteria are key to the state’s new composting standards, which require all municipalities to collect green waste separately, to keep it out of the landfill. When food waste “cooks” under the right conditions, the bacteria give off less methane, a potent greenhouse gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Diverting our organic waste is the single fastest and easiest thing that every single Californian and every American can do to fight climate change,” said Rachel Machi Wagoner, CalRecycle’s director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She called the state’s composting mandate “the biggest change to our trash since we started recycling in the 1980s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state will require businesses to compost and donate edible food to food banks and charities. First, large grocery stores and food wholesalers will have to comply or face fines. Later, that list will include restaurants and cafeterias.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If California hits its composting goal, the state estimates it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road each year in greenhouse gas emissions reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To go after food waste that aggressively is unprecedented, and it’s a big deal,” said Matthew Cotton, an independent \u003ca href=\"https://www.mattcotton.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">commercial composting consultant\u003c/a>. “We have a lot of infrastructure, maybe not enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cost of this new infrastructure will be offset by a $90 million infusion from this year’s state budget. But Cotton said it’s hard to get permits for composting at this scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not a popular piece of infrastructure,” he said. “No one says, ‘Hey, let’s put in a composting site.’ It serves a lot of people, but nobody really wants to live by it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting past the ‘yuck factor’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The other big hurdle is getting people to sort their food waste correctly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a big yuck factor,” said Sally Brown, a soil scientist at the University of Washington. “The slimy stuff is slimy and it can smell bad and look gross and then you don’t want to touch it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Composting can be a hard sell, when you’ve been throwing stuff away your whole life, Brown said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’ll always be a market for high-quality compost, especially in California, where agriculture is such a big business, she said. But if the final compost product is contaminated, it becomes less desirable to farmers and landscapers. Think plastic bags, rocks and those annoying little stickers on fruits and veggies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The top lid on your Häagen-Dazs container — it feels like cardboard, but is that plastic on the edge?” she said, noting that many people might not care enough to investigate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>California’s golden age of compost\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is in a golden age of compost research and policy, Brown said. Farmers have always known that compost adds nutrients to their fields and orchards. Now scientists are trying to measure how much carbon it locks into soil and how that benefits the climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had 16-inch carrots in my garden this year, and that’s because of the healthier, lighter and fluffier soil from years of compost use,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t require genius cold-fusion tech. It requires you to put your broccoli stems into a different bucket. We can handle that — in theory,” Brown said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1098,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 31
},
"modified": 1704846288,
"excerpt": "Reducing methane emissions is the main goal of the state's new composting regulations.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Reducing methane emissions is the main goal of the state's new composting regulations.",
"title": "California Now Requires You to Compost Food Waste to Reduce Potent Greenhouse Gas | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California Now Requires You to Compost Food Waste to Reduce Potent Greenhouse Gas",
"datePublished": "2022-04-01T11:41:43-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:48-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-now-requires-you-to-compost-food-waste-to-reduce-potent-greenhouse-gas",
"status": "publish",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Climate",
"path": "/science/1977806/california-now-requires-you-to-compost-food-waste-to-reduce-potent-greenhouse-gas",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California has set an ambitious goal: reduce scraps and yard waste that go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">landfills by 75% by 2025\u003c/a>. The new state composting regulation means waste haulers will handle a lot more moldy leftovers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some are ready, because they’ve been collecting and processing organic waste for years. Others will need to invest in new infrastructure, which will push up garbage rates. The state plans to help in the form of financial grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reducing methane emissions is the state’s main goal. Its composting regulation requires residents, municipalities and soon more businesses to compost or divert food waste and scraps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a sprawling facility in Tracy, food scraps and yard clippings get turned into something useful. Here, an 18-wheeler backs up onto a ramp, dumping a load of waste into a huge hopper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of coffee grounds and eggshells and banana peels and things of that nature in there,” said Robert Reed, spokesperson for Recology, the company that hauls away San Francisco’s waste. “All of those materials are natural. Particularly the food scraps are very rich in nutrients, very rich in carbon. They all came from a farm and are to go back to a farm in the form of compost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Municipal solid waste landfills are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-information-about-landfill-gas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">third-largest source of human-related methane emissions\u003c/a> in the country, accounting for about 15% in 2019, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists and engineers see an opportunity to capture methane and use it to create energy. They’re also studying how it can lock carbon in the ground and \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincarbonproject.org/science/land-management-carbon-sequestration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">enhance the soil\u003c/a> in fields, orchards and rangelands to help farmers grow crops and livestock more efficiently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One challenge for the state: building enough facilities like Recology’s, especially in Southern California, where composting is less common. Commercial-scale manufacturing businesses are expensive, and require land and heavy machinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978944\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1978944\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling man with a red hard hat holds a handful of rich, brown compost as a crane dumps more in a large pile behind him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54893_IMG_7280-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert Reed, compost hype man, in Tracy on Jan. 31, 2022. ‘This is what helps grow healthy plants,’ Reed said. \u003ccite>(Raquel Maria Dillon/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recology began composting decades ago, and Reed argues it keeps greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is what helps grow healthy plants,” he said, plunging his hands into a steaming pile. “We’ve got food to eat and it gets carbon back into the soil where it belongs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At this stage, the compost is sorted and dried to a fine dust; it has a rich brown color and smells sweet, like a wet forest floor. But it’s not fully cooked yet. It will sit in windrows, long piles that workers will aerate for weeks while bacteria break the “material down into finished compost,” Reed said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These piles are eight- to 10-feet tall and chock-full of microbial colonies that are breaking the material down into smaller and smaller pieces,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sprinklers add water to make a perfect, spa-like environment for the right microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>New compost rules ‘biggest change’ to CA trash since ’80s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bacteria are key to the state’s new composting standards, which require all municipalities to collect green waste separately, to keep it out of the landfill. When food waste “cooks” under the right conditions, the bacteria give off less methane, a potent greenhouse gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Diverting our organic waste is the single fastest and easiest thing that every single Californian and every American can do to fight climate change,” said Rachel Machi Wagoner, CalRecycle’s director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She called the state’s composting mandate “the biggest change to our trash since we started recycling in the 1980s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state will require businesses to compost and donate edible food to food banks and charities. First, large grocery stores and food wholesalers will have to comply or face fines. Later, that list will include restaurants and cafeterias.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If California hits its composting goal, the state estimates it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road each year in greenhouse gas emissions reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To go after food waste that aggressively is unprecedented, and it’s a big deal,” said Matthew Cotton, an independent \u003ca href=\"https://www.mattcotton.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">commercial composting consultant\u003c/a>. “We have a lot of infrastructure, maybe not enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cost of this new infrastructure will be offset by a $90 million infusion from this year’s state budget. But Cotton said it’s hard to get permits for composting at this scale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not a popular piece of infrastructure,” he said. “No one says, ‘Hey, let’s put in a composting site.’ It serves a lot of people, but nobody really wants to live by it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting past the ‘yuck factor’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The other big hurdle is getting people to sort their food waste correctly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a big yuck factor,” said Sally Brown, a soil scientist at the University of Washington. “The slimy stuff is slimy and it can smell bad and look gross and then you don’t want to touch it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Composting can be a hard sell, when you’ve been throwing stuff away your whole life, Brown said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’ll always be a market for high-quality compost, especially in California, where agriculture is such a big business, she said. But if the final compost product is contaminated, it becomes less desirable to farmers and landscapers. Think plastic bags, rocks and those annoying little stickers on fruits and veggies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The top lid on your Häagen-Dazs container — it feels like cardboard, but is that plastic on the edge?” she said, noting that many people might not care enough to investigate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>California’s golden age of compost\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is in a golden age of compost research and policy, Brown said. Farmers have always known that compost adds nutrients to their fields and orchards. Now scientists are trying to measure how much carbon it locks into soil and how that benefits the climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had 16-inch carrots in my garden this year, and that’s because of the healthier, lighter and fluffier soil from years of compost use,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t require genius cold-fusion tech. It requires you to put your broccoli stems into a different bucket. We can handle that — in theory,” Brown said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1977806/california-now-requires-you-to-compost-food-waste-to-reduce-potent-greenhouse-gas",
"authors": [
"11495"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_4414",
"science_784"
],
"featImg": "science_1978975",
"label": "source_science_1977806"
},
"science_1978852": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1978852",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1978852",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1648325716000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1648325716,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Youth Vs. Apocalypse Joins Global Day of Action for Climate March",
"headTitle": "Youth Vs. Apocalypse Joins Global Day of Action for Climate March | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Hundreds of Bay Area students marched across San Francisco’s Financial District on Friday, as part of a global day of demonstrations tied to the \u003ca href=\"https://fridaysforfuture.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fridays for Future\u003c/a> youth movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978869\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-800x542.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand at the center with several protest signs in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-800x542.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-1020x691.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-1536x1040.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Palau and Simon Singh, YVA leaders, pose for a portrait outside the BlackRock building on March 25, 2022, in San Francisco. ‘We’re protesting against BlackRock because of their violation of Native land rights and their heavy investment in fossil fuels. They’re also managing the California Teachers Association’s money and they’re investing it in fossil fuels and destroying the futures of their students without most of the teachers’ knowledge,’ Palau said. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Youth Vs. Apocalypse\u003c/a> organized high schoolers and other young kids from across the region. The students walked from Embarcadero Plaza to the headquarters of the investment management company BlackRock on Howard St. and to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on Sansome St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The protestors painted their hands red and marked the pavement to symbolize how these groups are failing to protect their lives and futures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978868\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978868\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"A person with red hands poses for the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-1536x1015.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kendal Erving poses for a portrait on March 25, 2022. Her hands are covered in red paint, which was provided to students so they could leave handprints at the BlackRock building. This symbolizes the blood advocates say BlackRock has on their hands as a fossil fuel investor. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The world is in a state of crisis,” organizers said in a statement. “The climate crisis threatens the sake of all life on earth. We recognize that the climate crisis does not impact people equally and disproportionately severely impacts communities of color as well as low income communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“BlackRock directly funds the climate crisis and ICE is displacing and committing violence against climate refugees and people seeking safety,” they said. “We demand change now so that we can have a tomorrow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978861\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978861\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young man with an orange beanie speaks into a mic with the background of protest signs.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin G. Ruano Hernandez speaks during a Youth Vs. Apocalypse climate strike at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco on March 25, 2022. Hernandez, 18, is an environmental justice organizer in Richmond. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED’s María Fernanda Bernal spoke with one youth organizer, Richmond’s Kevin G. Ruano Hernandez, who said the cause is personal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I lost my uncle and aunt to chronic respiratory disease,” he said. “And that’s my story, [but] there’s millions of stories like it in Richmond. Thousands of stories of students affected by fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The youth group called on BlackRock to divest the California state teachers pension system from the fossil fuel industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/Y_Vs_A/status/1507412460289941509?s=20&t=UJlnha6rvos5LAJQwrosTw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.calstrs.com/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">CalSTRS\u003c/span>\u003c/a> is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978865\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978865\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A youth organizer points a microphone to the crowd.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simon Singh, a youth organizer with Youth Vs. Apocalypse, leads the crowd in chants calling for climate and migrant justice on March 25, 2022, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the ICE building, the group also rallied for a “pathway to citizenship and a respect of people’s right to seek asylum from within the U.S.” and asked “for a livable and equitable future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978867\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978867\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student organizer with YVA leads chants and a large group of student demonstrators during a climate strike in San Francisco on March 25, 2022.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 568,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 12
},
"modified": 1704846291,
"excerpt": "The action was part of a global day of demonstrations tied to the Fridays for Future youth movement.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The action was part of a global day of demonstrations tied to the Fridays for Future youth movement.",
"title": "Youth Vs. Apocalypse Joins Global Day of Action for Climate March | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Youth Vs. Apocalypse Joins Global Day of Action for Climate March",
"datePublished": "2022-03-26T13:15:16-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:24:51-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "youth-vs-apocalypse-joins-global-day-of-action-for-climate-march",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Kevin Stark, María Fernanda Bernal and Amaya Edwards",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Climate Change",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"path": "/science/1978852/youth-vs-apocalypse-joins-global-day-of-action-for-climate-march",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Hundreds of Bay Area students marched across San Francisco’s Financial District on Friday, as part of a global day of demonstrations tied to the \u003ca href=\"https://fridaysforfuture.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fridays for Future\u003c/a> youth movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978869\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-800x542.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand at the center with several protest signs in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-800x542.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-1020x691.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut-1536x1040.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54739_20220325-IMG_7953-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Palau and Simon Singh, YVA leaders, pose for a portrait outside the BlackRock building on March 25, 2022, in San Francisco. ‘We’re protesting against BlackRock because of their violation of Native land rights and their heavy investment in fossil fuels. They’re also managing the California Teachers Association’s money and they’re investing it in fossil fuels and destroying the futures of their students without most of the teachers’ knowledge,’ Palau said. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Youth Vs. Apocalypse\u003c/a> organized high schoolers and other young kids from across the region. The students walked from Embarcadero Plaza to the headquarters of the investment management company BlackRock on Howard St. and to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on Sansome St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The protestors painted their hands red and marked the pavement to symbolize how these groups are failing to protect their lives and futures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978868\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978868\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"A person with red hands poses for the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut-1536x1015.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54742_20220325-IMG_7968-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kendal Erving poses for a portrait on March 25, 2022. Her hands are covered in red paint, which was provided to students so they could leave handprints at the BlackRock building. This symbolizes the blood advocates say BlackRock has on their hands as a fossil fuel investor. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The world is in a state of crisis,” organizers said in a statement. “The climate crisis threatens the sake of all life on earth. We recognize that the climate crisis does not impact people equally and disproportionately severely impacts communities of color as well as low income communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“BlackRock directly funds the climate crisis and ICE is displacing and committing violence against climate refugees and people seeking safety,” they said. “We demand change now so that we can have a tomorrow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978861\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978861\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young man with an orange beanie speaks into a mic with the background of protest signs.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54707_20220325-IMG_7518-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin G. Ruano Hernandez speaks during a Youth Vs. Apocalypse climate strike at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco on March 25, 2022. Hernandez, 18, is an environmental justice organizer in Richmond. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED’s María Fernanda Bernal spoke with one youth organizer, Richmond’s Kevin G. Ruano Hernandez, who said the cause is personal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I lost my uncle and aunt to chronic respiratory disease,” he said. “And that’s my story, [but] there’s millions of stories like it in Richmond. Thousands of stories of students affected by fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The youth group called on BlackRock to divest the California state teachers pension system from the fossil fuel industry.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1507412460289941509"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.calstrs.com/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">CalSTRS\u003c/span>\u003c/a> is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978865\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978865\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A youth organizer points a microphone to the crowd.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54709_20220325-IMG_7542-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simon Singh, a youth organizer with Youth Vs. Apocalypse, leads the crowd in chants calling for climate and migrant justice on March 25, 2022, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the ICE building, the group also rallied for a “pathway to citizenship and a respect of people’s right to seek asylum from within the U.S.” and asked “for a livable and equitable future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1978867\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1978867\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2022/03/RS54751_20220325-IMG_7801-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student organizer with YVA leads chants and a large group of student demonstrators during a climate strike in San Francisco on March 25, 2022.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1978852/youth-vs-apocalypse-joins-global-day-of-action-for-climate-march",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1978852"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194"
],
"featImg": "science_1978866",
"label": "source_science_1978852"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"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 />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"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.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"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.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"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",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"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": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"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",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"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)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"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": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"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",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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": {
"site": "news",
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/science?category=climate": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 360,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 1578,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"science_1979812",
"science_1979645",
"science_1979614",
"science_1979658",
"science_1979779",
"science_1979560",
"science_1979033",
"science_1979092",
"science_1979080",
"science_1978994",
"science_1977806",
"science_1978852"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science_category_climate": {
"isLoading": true
},
"science_31": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_31",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "31",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33,
"slug": "climate",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/climate"
},
"source_science_1979812": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979812",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979645": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979645",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Climate Change",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979614": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979614",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Sea Level Rise",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979779": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979779",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "CalMatters",
"link": "https://calmatters.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979560": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979560",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The California Newsroom",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979033": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979033",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Inside Climate News",
"link": "https://insideclimatenews.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979092": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979092",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Climate Change",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1979080": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1979080",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"link": "https://www.npr.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1978994": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1978994",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Drought",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1977806": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1977806",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Climate",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1978852": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1978852",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Climate Change",
"isLoading": false
},
"science_16": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_16",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "16",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Import",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Import Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17,
"slug": "import",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/import"
},
"science_40": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_40",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "40",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 42,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/news"
},
"science_4450": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4450",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4450",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4450,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/science"
},
"science_182": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_182",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "182",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 186,
"slug": "climate-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/climate-2"
},
"science_4414": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4414",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4414",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4414,
"slug": "featured-science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/featured-science"
},
"science_2184": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2184",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2184",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "heat",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "heat Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2196,
"slug": "heat",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/heat"
},
"science_365": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_365",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "365",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "weather",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "weather Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 371,
"slug": "weather",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/weather"
},
"science_35": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_35",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "35",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Environment Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 37,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/environment"
},
"science_2873": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2873",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2873",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oceans",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oceans Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2873,
"slug": "oceans",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/oceans"
},
"science_5178": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5178",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5178",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5178,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/california"
},
"science_194": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_194",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "194",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "climate change",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "climate change Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 198,
"slug": "climate-change",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/climate-change"
},
"science_4859": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4859",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4859",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "groundwater rise",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "groundwater rise Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4859,
"slug": "groundwater-rise",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/groundwater-rise"
},
"science_206": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_206",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "206",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sea level rise",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sea level rise Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 210,
"slug": "sea-level-rise",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/sea-level-rise"
},
"science_46": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_46",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "46",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Audio",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Audio Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 48,
"slug": "audio",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/audio"
},
"science_43": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_43",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "43",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Radio",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Radio Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 45,
"slug": "radio",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/radio"
},
"science_4417": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4417",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4417",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4417,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/featured-news"
},
"science_39": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_39",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "39",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 41,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/health"
},
"science_554": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_554",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "554",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "pollution",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "pollution Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 560,
"slug": "pollution",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/pollution"
},
"science_5183": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5183",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5183",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5183,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/san-francisco"
},
"science_33": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_33",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "33",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Energy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Energy Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 35,
"slug": "energy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/energy"
},
"science_2080": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2080",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2080",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "EPA",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "EPA Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2091,
"slug": "epa",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/epa"
},
"science_2164": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2164",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2164",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "greenhouse gas emissions",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "greenhouse gas emissions Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2175,
"slug": "greenhouse-gas-emissions",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/greenhouse-gas-emissions"
},
"science_3730": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3730",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3730",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Wildfires",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Wildfires Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3730,
"slug": "wildfires",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/wildfires"
},
"science_5194": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5194",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5194",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CAL FIRE",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CAL FIRE Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5194,
"slug": "cal-fire",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/cal-fire"
},
"science_4877": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4877",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4877",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California Wildfire",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Wildfire Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4877,
"slug": "california-wildfire",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/california-wildfire"
},
"science_4008": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4008",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4008",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Gov. Gavin Newsom",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Gov. Gavin Newsom Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4008,
"slug": "gov-gavin-newsom",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/gov-gavin-newsom"
},
"science_113": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_113",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "113",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wildfire",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wildfire Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 117,
"slug": "wildfire",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/wildfire"
},
"science_2856": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2856",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2856",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "carbon capture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "carbon capture Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2856,
"slug": "carbon-capture",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/carbon-capture"
},
"science_952": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_952",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "952",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oil",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oil Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 959,
"slug": "oil",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/oil"
},
"science_856": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_856",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "856",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bay area",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bay area Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 862,
"slug": "bay-area",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/bay-area"
},
"science_784": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_784",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "784",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "methane",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "methane Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 791,
"slug": "methane",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/methane"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}