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_1975258": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1975258",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1975258",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1975249,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty-1920x1080-1-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1623260911,
"modified": 1623260962,
"caption": "Chardonnay grapevines in the Russian River Valley flood on March 12, 2018, near Sebastopol, California.",
"description": null,
"title": "grapevine-flood_george-rose-getty 1920x1080",
"credit": "Photo: George Rose/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Chardonnay grapevines in the Russian River Valley flood on March 12, 2018, near Sebastopol, California.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1975166": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1975166",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1975166",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1975164,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1281
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-1020x681.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 681
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1025
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 534
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/06/RS49662_GettyImages-177068763-1-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1622848786,
"modified": 1622848813,
"caption": "Thick coastal forests with redwood trees can store double the amount of carbon per acre compared to shrubbier, smaller forests in inland areas of California. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Sequoias And Coastal Redwoods Appear To Flourish Despite Climate Change",
"credit": "Justin Sullivan/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974959": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974959",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974959",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974955,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/RS49530_GettyImages-1232993947-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1622141295,
"modified": 1622221358,
"caption": "Ford Motor Company's logo is seen on the side of the building at the unveiling of their new electric F-150 Lightning outside of their headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, on May 19, 2021. ",
"description": null,
"title": "US-AUTOMOBILE-ENVIRONMENT-FORD",
"credit": "Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974949": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974949",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974949",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974948,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1440
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-2048x1152.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap21146462397958_wide-9930ad5d5a6fe00f0bd53343a70b72c5579748ad-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1622135532,
"modified": 1622220433,
"caption": "Pictures of plaintiffs fly outside the court where Milieudefensie, the Dutch arm of the Friends of the Earth environmental organization, took Shell to court in The Hague, Netherlands, on May 26, 2021. Judges were to render their verdict in landmark legal battle of climate change activists in the Netherlands who went to court seeking an order for energy giant Shell to rein in its carbon emissions. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Pictures of plaintiffs fly outside the court in The Hague, Netherlands, before Wednesday's ruling ordering Royal Dutch Shell to rein in its carbon emissions. Thousands of citizens joined the suit charging that Shell's fossil fuel investments endanger lives.",
"credit": "AP Photo via NPR/Peter Dejong",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974913": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974913",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974913",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974912,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1365
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/offshore-wind_eric-thayer-bloomberg-getty-2048x1365-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1622049006,
"modified": 1622178631,
"caption": "The GE-Alstom Block Island Wind Farm stands in the water off Block Island, Rhode Island, on Sept, 14, 2016. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Views Of General Electric Co.'s First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm",
"credit": "Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974859": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974859",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974859",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974858,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1917
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-2048x1533.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1533
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-1020x764.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 764
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-1536x1150.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1150
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-1920x1438.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1438
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-800x599.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 599
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428-768x575.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 575
}
},
"publishDate": 1621534296,
"modified": 1621534487,
"caption": "Pictured is the front grill of the new Ford F-150 Lightning unveiled on Wednesday in Dearborn, Mich. The electric version of Ford's bestselling pickup truck marks a major push to get buyers to switch to electric vehicles.",
"description": null,
"title": "ap_21140077457924-448a767e4135c7a06ebfb11b859e5082bc179428",
"credit": "Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974779": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974779",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974779",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974648,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1278
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1020x679.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 679
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1022
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-768x511.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 511
}
},
"publishDate": 1620944350,
"modified": 1620946848,
"caption": "Redwood trees after the CZU Lightning Complex wildfires burned much of the area at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sept. 10, 2020.",
"description": null,
"title": "KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1973151": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1973151",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1973151",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1973149,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1707
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1365
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1606-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1615335948,
"modified": 1615335987,
"caption": "A sign thanking firefighters outside Bob's Market in Shaver Lake.",
"description": null,
"title": "IMG_1606",
"credit": "Danielle Venton/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1973140": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1973140",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1973140",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1973138,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-scaled-e1620777613325.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1365
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1557-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1615333634,
"modified": 1620777629,
"caption": "Meghan Breniman, left, and Julianne Stewart stand to either side of a fir tree that survived the Creek Fire. ",
"description": "Two women stand on either side of a tree that is green on top, but the lower branches are brown",
"title": "IMG_1557",
"credit": "Danielle Venton/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974692": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974692",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974692",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974669,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4-160x81.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 81
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4.jpg",
"width": 1290,
"height": 650
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4-1020x514.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 514
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4-800x403.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 403
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/April-20-vs-may-4-768x387.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 387
}
},
"publishDate": 1620757884,
"modified": 1620787140,
"caption": "The state of California's drought conditions on April 20 versus May 4, from the U.S. Drought Monitor.",
"description": null,
"title": "April 20 vs may 4",
"credit": "U.S. Drought Monitor",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974592": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974592",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974592",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974590,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1.jpg",
"width": 2385,
"height": 1342
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-2048x1152.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/jeff-smith_wide-77cb699f7d31c4109adc74c2151c9479b5c73b0c-1-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1620318565,
"modified": 1620344454,
"caption": "Owner and founder Jeff Smith in front of what remains of the Hourglass' winery and processing facility in Napa. He's rebuilding, but wildfires have him rethinking everything about his land and business.\n",
"description": null,
"title": "Owner and founder Jeff Smith in front of what remains of Hourglass' winery and processing facility in Napa. He's rebuilding, but wildfires have him re-thinking everything about his land and business.",
"credit": "Eric Westervelt/NPR",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1974465": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1974465",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974465",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1974464,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1440
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-2048x1152.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/a21-credit-cris-benton-102_wide-49c0e93e02cb83a8ca99dc7793b01bd5f51d255e-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1620064141,
"modified": 1620064328,
"caption": "Coastal communities are racing to restore marshes, like these in San Francisco Bay, to create a barrier against storm surges and sea level rise.\n",
"description": null,
"title": "Coastal communities are racing to restore marshes, like these in San Francisco Bay, to provide a barrier against storm surges and rising seas.",
"credit": "Cris Benton/NPR",
"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_1975249": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1975249",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1975249",
"name": "Liza Gross \u003c/br> Inside Climate News",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1974955": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1974955",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1974955",
"name": "Tom Krisher \u003cbr />AP\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1974948": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1974948",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1974948",
"name": "Jeff Brady \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1974912": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1974912",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1974912",
"name": "Emma Foehringer Merchant \u003cbr />InsideClimate News\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1974858": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1974858",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1974858",
"name": "Camila Domonoske \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1974590": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1974590",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1974590",
"name": "Eric Westervelt \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1974464": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1974464",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1974464",
"name": "Lauren Sommer \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"dventon": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11088",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11088",
"found": true
},
"name": "Danielle Venton",
"firstName": "Danielle",
"lastName": "Venton",
"slug": "dventon",
"email": "dventon@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"science"
],
"title": "Science reporter",
"bio": "Danielle Venton is a reporter for KQED Science. She covers wildfires, space and oceans (though she is prone to sea sickness).\r\n\r\nBefore joining KQED in 2015, Danielle was a staff reporter at KRCB in Sonoma County and a freelancer. She studied science communication at UC Santa Cruz and formerly worked at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland where she wrote about computing. She lives in Sonoma County and enjoys backpacking.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ebaf11ee6cfb7bb40329a143d463829e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "DanielleVenton",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Danielle Venton | KQED",
"description": "Science reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ebaf11ee6cfb7bb40329a143d463829e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ebaf11ee6cfb7bb40329a143d463829e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/dventon"
},
"kevinstark": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11608",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11608",
"found": true
},
"name": "Kevin Stark",
"firstName": "Kevin",
"lastName": "Stark",
"slug": "kevinstark",
"email": "kstark@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"science"
],
"title": "Senior Editor",
"bio": "Kevin is a senior editor for KQED Science, managing the station's health and climate desks. His journalism career began in the Pacific Northwest, and he later became a lead reporter for the San Francisco Public Press. His work has appeared in Pacific Standard magazine, the Energy News Network, the Center for Investigative Reporting's Reveal and WBEZ in Chicago. Kevin joined KQED in 2019, and has covered issues related to energy, wildfire, climate change and the environment.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1f646bf546a63d638e04ff23b52b0e79?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "starkkev",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Kevin Stark | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1f646bf546a63d638e04ff23b52b0e79?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1f646bf546a63d638e04ff23b52b0e79?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kevinstark"
},
"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": 11.05895
},
"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": 39
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/science?category=climate",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 39
}
},
{
"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_1975249": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1975249",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1975249",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1623262159000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-capturing-floodwaters-can-reduce-flooding-and-combat-drought",
"title": "How Capturing Floodwaters Can Reduce Flooding and Combat Drought",
"publishDate": 1623262159,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "How Capturing Floodwaters Can Reduce Flooding and Combat Drought | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Farmers toil at the mercy of nature’s whims, which can prove particularly vexing in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even before climate change, bouncing between drought and deluge was routine in the Central Valley, the state’s richest farming region. Humans have amplified these natural cycles by pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39936-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">studies\u003c/a> show, creating a future filled with what scientists recently dubbed “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0140-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whiplash events\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California got a taste of whiplash four years ago, when one of its wettest winters immediately followed one of its deepest, longest droughts. Heavy runoff from rivers in the Sierra Nevada damaged the main spillway of the Oroville Dam, the largest in the nation, forcing more than 180,000 people to evacuate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such dramatic swings will create even more headaches for California farmers and water managers, who have more than their share in a good year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, as California farmers grapple with reduced federal water allocations amid an intensifying drought, a \u003ca href=\"https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/17/eabe6025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recent study\u003c/a> challenges policymakers to think about floods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The increased frequency of extreme drought and flooding under climate change in the nation’s largest economy will intensify the already fierce competition for water, said Xiaogang He, a hydrologist who led the research while a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the potential for more storms also points to an opportunity. If climate change is likely to unleash more floods on California, reasoned He, why not try to capture that water and send it to where it’s needed most.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the study, published in Science Advances, He and his colleagues provided the first statewide analysis of the floodwater potentially available to restore depleted groundwater basins under future climate change scenarios. The increase in floodwater available to replenish over-drafted aquifers over the next 30 years, they found, would be enough to fill 192,000 Olympic swimming pools each year under an intermediate-emissions scenario, and 232,000 pools under a high-emissions scenario.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Potential additional floodwaters increased even more toward the end of the century, with enough available to fill up to 552,000 Olympic swimming pools under the high-emissions scenario. But the extent to which this additional water could be used to replenish basins would be limited by constraints on the ability to capture and divert it, they found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their analysis focused on the highest levels of streamflow likely to accompany future spikes in big storms. Harvesting those high-water flows, they concluded, could help mitigate flood risk while boosting the state’s dwindling groundwater supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those supplies are critically low in the backbone of the state’s $50 billion agricultural industry, the San Joaquin Valley. Farmers there have sucked so much water from the Tulare Basin to grow crops in an arid landscape that parts of the San Joaquin Valley, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/us/corcoran-california-sinking.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one entire town\u003c/a>, have sunk several feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s groundwater sustainability law gives water managers roughly 20 years to replenish, or recharge, aquifers by balancing pumping and resupply levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studies show that farmers may need to retire \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00138/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hundreds of thousands of acres\u003c/a> worth \u003ca href=\"https://www.restorethedelta.org/wp-content/uploads/SJV-Blueprint-for-Extinction-Economic-Study-2-15-2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">billions of dollars\u003c/a> to reduce groundwater demand and comply with the requirements of the sustainability law, said He, now assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the National University of Singapore. “But a lot of farmers may not be willing to retire their crops, especially if they’re perennial high-profit crops like grapes or almonds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He undertook the ambitious task of estimating the potential for capturing runoff throughout the state from whatever nature may have in store to help farmers adapt to the new pumping restrictions and future droughts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Toward that end, the team designed a computer model to simulate streamflow and climate conditions under different emissions scenarios, and used statistical methods to account for human actions like irrigation and reservoir operation. They prioritized regions where investing in structures to divert floodwaters to the increasingly parched south would make the most sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s really nice about this paper is that they look at a lot of different scenarios about what we might be seeing in terms of future runoff,” said Ellen Hanak, director of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, who was not involved in the research. “And that’s really key to thinking about how much extra water might be available for recharge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2010101883843\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/43/2021/06/CaliforniaAquiferFuture700px.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"621\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study also predicted, in line with previous research, that the wetter parts of the state will get wetter and the drier parts drier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will further complicate what’s arguably the biggest challenge for California water managers: \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/water-basics/the-california-water-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Three-quarters\u003c/a> of the rain, hail and snow that feeds reservoirs falls in the north of the state, while 80%. of demand for that water comes from the southern two-thirds. To manage the mismatch between water availability and need, state and federal agencies over the last century built an extensive network of dams, reservoirs and canals to shuttle water from north to south.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, however, cities and farms supplemented the water from reservoirs with groundwater. A dramatic increase in groundwater pumping during the last drought, which lingered from 2012 to 2016, prompted the state to enact the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By then, though, decades of unregulated pumping had extracted far more water from underground aquifers than was replenished. Eleven of the state’s 21 “critically overdrafted” groundwater basins are in the fertile San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dire condition of the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater inspired the state to explore innovative ways to safeguard its most precious resource.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Groundwater recharge has been a tool for a long time,” said the Public Policy Institute of California’s Hanak. But the sustainability law, she said, “has really kicked interest to a higher level.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Embracing Nature’s Whims\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s water system is built around three main storage systems: reservoirs, groundwater and snowpack. “As the climate warms, you’re getting less precipitation as snow and it’s melting sooner,” said Hanak. “You don’t want to lose that water, and groundwater basins are a great place to store it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groundwater accounts for about \u003ca href=\"https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/auewpaper/0402.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">90%\u003c/a> of the world’s freshwater reserves, excluding the polar ice caps. California’s unique hydrology and succession of droughts have drained many of the state’s natural underground reservoirs, even as the prospect of more heavy rainstorms and earlier snowmelt threatens to increase flood risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state recognized the urgent need to “rehabilitate and modernize” the state’s water and flood infrastructure three years ago, when it launched the Flood-Managed Aquifer Recharge (Flood-MAR) program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flood-MAR also seeks to integrate the disparate elements of California’s famously complex water system to better manage surface and groundwater, upgrade canals and aqueducts that move water and identify opportunities to harness floodwater to recharge aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s interest in integrating flood and groundwater management inspired He to figure out how much future floodwater might be available to recharge aquifers and where high-water flows are likely to occur in the face of huge uncertainties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A very nice thing about doing a study in California is that the state cares so much about climate change,” said He. “So we can get very high quality climate change scenarios that reflect California’s climate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His team’s models showed that increases in high-volume flows as a result of climate change are likely to be concentrated in a shorter window during the wet season. Shorter periods of heavy rain in several regions, mostly in Northern California, will increase flood risks by straining dams, levees and facilities meant to contain rising waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even climate models tailored to California carry a range of uncertainties about exactly when, where and how much floodwater might occur over the next several decades. And since reinforcing or building structures to catch, store and divert floodwaters can run into billions of dollars, policymakers need tools to determine whether the benefits justify the costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A model can’t capture the universe of uncertainties embedded in policymaking decisions, but it can simulate a range of possibilities for a specific factor. For example, the amount of water available to recharge basins is set by “high-magnitude flow” thresholds — flows that exceed water rights allocations and levels legally required to protect freshwater ecosystems and could be used to recharge groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the definition for “high magnitude flow” varies, He said, depending on how much water different experts think should be in a river. Hydrologists, for example, use a lower threshold than salmon and fisheries biologists, who generally favor higher flows for ecological reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Streamflow volume typically rises fairly rapidly during a storm, hits a peak and then declines, said study co-author David Freyberg, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. The researchers looked at just the highest peaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s easier to remove water when flows are lower than when a river is raging, but that has “huge impacts” on salmon and downstream water supply, among other issues, Freyberg said. So they focused on the high flows, even though it’s more challenging to remove that water. “Whether or not we can actually do that, and how much of it we could do, I view it as still an open question,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added that the next challenge would be to figure out how to capture floodwaters in such a way that the benefits are worth the costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Policymakers will also have to weigh the balance between reducing flood risks and the environmental benefits of letting floodplains flood. Another reason the researchers considered just high-magnitude flows, Freyberg said, “was to acknowledge that we don’t want to just stop all flooding, because flooding is really important for ecosystems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, knowing that a watershed faces a high risk of flooding down the road may give policymakers the incentive they need to build structures to divert extra water. That leaves the increasingly difficult problem of moving large volumes of water from Northern California to the southern reaches of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Planning for a Changing Climate\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prospect of a wetter north and an even drier south is certain to place greater strain on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the already overtaxed fulcrum of the state’s water system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The massive network of reservoirs, dams and canals operated by federal and state water projects was designed to move water from north to south through the delta. “That’s a major bottleneck already for moving water, just about at any time,” Hanak said, “because it’s a complicated ecosystem and environmental constraints on pumping have increased over time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why the state is exploring alternatives for moving water, including tunnels, she said. “If you want to get water from north to south in the state, you’ve got to fix the delta.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Accounting for all the political, environmental, technical and socioeconomic drivers of water policy around the delta, which Hanak called “a world unto itself,” was beyond the scope of He’s research. But by focusing on the physical availability of floodwater, He and his colleagues hoped to help policymakers decide where building canals and recharge basins would offer the biggest return on investment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What this research and other studies have shown is that current systems aren’t robust enough to convey the water that’s already available, Hanak said. “Now the question comes, what’s cost effective, because you don’t want to build stuff if it’s mostly going to be empty. So what are the smart plays in terms of expanding infrastructure, given the probabilities of what you’re going to be able to do with it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For He, tackling California’s future water challenges will require finding ways to integrate management of droughts, floods, water allocations and groundwater depletion — all overseen now by a highly decentralized, fragmented network of water districts and agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eighty percent of the land subject to California’s groundwater sustainability law is managed by multiple entities, He said, with as many as 24 separate authorities in a single groundwater basin. Decisions to build floodwater infrastructure in even a single basin would call for an extraordinary level of collaboration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some places, it might make more sense to consider changing the way reservoirs operate, He said, which in any event should update decisions about how much water is released, and when, to account for climate projections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Water policy is really complicated,” Freyberg said. “As soon as you recommend one thing, there’s always a counterargument.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he added, any plans to boost groundwater sustainability must explicitly consider climate change, rather than designing a future based on historical or current conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to be thinking about the changing climate,” Freyberg said. “You have to take changing climate seriously.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": null,
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1725577050,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 53,
"wordCount": 2216
},
"headData": {
"title": "How Capturing Floodwaters Can Reduce Flooding and Combat Drought | KQED",
"description": "Farmers toil at the mercy of nature’s whims, which can prove particularly vexing in California. Even before climate change, bouncing between drought and deluge was routine in the Central Valley, the state’s richest farming region. Humans have amplified these natural cycles by pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, studies show, creating a future filled with what scientists recently dubbed “whiplash events.” California got a taste of whiplash four years ago, when one of its wettest winters immediately followed one of its deepest, longest droughts. Heavy runoff from rivers in the Sierra Nevada damaged the main spillway of the Oroville Dam,",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How Capturing Floodwaters Can Reduce Flooding and Combat Drought",
"datePublished": "2021-06-09T11:09:19-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-05T15:57:30-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Inside Climate News",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Liza Gross \u003c/br> Inside Climate News",
"path": "/science/1975249/how-capturing-floodwaters-can-reduce-flooding-and-combat-drought",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Farmers toil at the mercy of nature’s whims, which can prove particularly vexing in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even before climate change, bouncing between drought and deluge was routine in the Central Valley, the state’s richest farming region. Humans have amplified these natural cycles by pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39936-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">studies\u003c/a> show, creating a future filled with what scientists recently dubbed “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0140-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whiplash events\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California got a taste of whiplash four years ago, when one of its wettest winters immediately followed one of its deepest, longest droughts. Heavy runoff from rivers in the Sierra Nevada damaged the main spillway of the Oroville Dam, the largest in the nation, forcing more than 180,000 people to evacuate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such dramatic swings will create even more headaches for California farmers and water managers, who have more than their share in a good year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, as California farmers grapple with reduced federal water allocations amid an intensifying drought, a \u003ca href=\"https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/17/eabe6025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recent study\u003c/a> challenges policymakers to think about floods.\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 increased frequency of extreme drought and flooding under climate change in the nation’s largest economy will intensify the already fierce competition for water, said Xiaogang He, a hydrologist who led the research while a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the potential for more storms also points to an opportunity. If climate change is likely to unleash more floods on California, reasoned He, why not try to capture that water and send it to where it’s needed most.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the study, published in Science Advances, He and his colleagues provided the first statewide analysis of the floodwater potentially available to restore depleted groundwater basins under future climate change scenarios. The increase in floodwater available to replenish over-drafted aquifers over the next 30 years, they found, would be enough to fill 192,000 Olympic swimming pools each year under an intermediate-emissions scenario, and 232,000 pools under a high-emissions scenario.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Potential additional floodwaters increased even more toward the end of the century, with enough available to fill up to 552,000 Olympic swimming pools under the high-emissions scenario. But the extent to which this additional water could be used to replenish basins would be limited by constraints on the ability to capture and divert it, they found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their analysis focused on the highest levels of streamflow likely to accompany future spikes in big storms. Harvesting those high-water flows, they concluded, could help mitigate flood risk while boosting the state’s dwindling groundwater supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those supplies are critically low in the backbone of the state’s $50 billion agricultural industry, the San Joaquin Valley. Farmers there have sucked so much water from the Tulare Basin to grow crops in an arid landscape that parts of the San Joaquin Valley, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/us/corcoran-california-sinking.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one entire town\u003c/a>, have sunk several feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s groundwater sustainability law gives water managers roughly 20 years to replenish, or recharge, aquifers by balancing pumping and resupply levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studies show that farmers may need to retire \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00138/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hundreds of thousands of acres\u003c/a> worth \u003ca href=\"https://www.restorethedelta.org/wp-content/uploads/SJV-Blueprint-for-Extinction-Economic-Study-2-15-2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">billions of dollars\u003c/a> to reduce groundwater demand and comply with the requirements of the sustainability law, said He, now assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the National University of Singapore. “But a lot of farmers may not be willing to retire their crops, especially if they’re perennial high-profit crops like grapes or almonds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He undertook the ambitious task of estimating the potential for capturing runoff throughout the state from whatever nature may have in store to help farmers adapt to the new pumping restrictions and future droughts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Toward that end, the team designed a computer model to simulate streamflow and climate conditions under different emissions scenarios, and used statistical methods to account for human actions like irrigation and reservoir operation. They prioritized regions where investing in structures to divert floodwaters to the increasingly parched south would make the most sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s really nice about this paper is that they look at a lot of different scenarios about what we might be seeing in terms of future runoff,” said Ellen Hanak, director of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, who was not involved in the research. “And that’s really key to thinking about how much extra water might be available for recharge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2010101883843\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/43/2021/06/CaliforniaAquiferFuture700px.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"621\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study also predicted, in line with previous research, that the wetter parts of the state will get wetter and the drier parts drier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will further complicate what’s arguably the biggest challenge for California water managers: \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/water-basics/the-california-water-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Three-quarters\u003c/a> of the rain, hail and snow that feeds reservoirs falls in the north of the state, while 80%. of demand for that water comes from the southern two-thirds. To manage the mismatch between water availability and need, state and federal agencies over the last century built an extensive network of dams, reservoirs and canals to shuttle water from north to south.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, however, cities and farms supplemented the water from reservoirs with groundwater. A dramatic increase in groundwater pumping during the last drought, which lingered from 2012 to 2016, prompted the state to enact the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By then, though, decades of unregulated pumping had extracted far more water from underground aquifers than was replenished. Eleven of the state’s 21 “critically overdrafted” groundwater basins are in the fertile San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dire condition of the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater inspired the state to explore innovative ways to safeguard its most precious resource.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Groundwater recharge has been a tool for a long time,” said the Public Policy Institute of California’s Hanak. But the sustainability law, she said, “has really kicked interest to a higher level.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Embracing Nature’s Whims\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s water system is built around three main storage systems: reservoirs, groundwater and snowpack. “As the climate warms, you’re getting less precipitation as snow and it’s melting sooner,” said Hanak. “You don’t want to lose that water, and groundwater basins are a great place to store it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groundwater accounts for about \u003ca href=\"https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/auewpaper/0402.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">90%\u003c/a> of the world’s freshwater reserves, excluding the polar ice caps. California’s unique hydrology and succession of droughts have drained many of the state’s natural underground reservoirs, even as the prospect of more heavy rainstorms and earlier snowmelt threatens to increase flood risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state recognized the urgent need to “rehabilitate and modernize” the state’s water and flood infrastructure three years ago, when it launched the Flood-Managed Aquifer Recharge (Flood-MAR) program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flood-MAR also seeks to integrate the disparate elements of California’s famously complex water system to better manage surface and groundwater, upgrade canals and aqueducts that move water and identify opportunities to harness floodwater to recharge aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s interest in integrating flood and groundwater management inspired He to figure out how much future floodwater might be available to recharge aquifers and where high-water flows are likely to occur in the face of huge uncertainties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A very nice thing about doing a study in California is that the state cares so much about climate change,” said He. “So we can get very high quality climate change scenarios that reflect California’s climate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His team’s models showed that increases in high-volume flows as a result of climate change are likely to be concentrated in a shorter window during the wet season. Shorter periods of heavy rain in several regions, mostly in Northern California, will increase flood risks by straining dams, levees and facilities meant to contain rising waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even climate models tailored to California carry a range of uncertainties about exactly when, where and how much floodwater might occur over the next several decades. And since reinforcing or building structures to catch, store and divert floodwaters can run into billions of dollars, policymakers need tools to determine whether the benefits justify the costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A model can’t capture the universe of uncertainties embedded in policymaking decisions, but it can simulate a range of possibilities for a specific factor. For example, the amount of water available to recharge basins is set by “high-magnitude flow” thresholds — flows that exceed water rights allocations and levels legally required to protect freshwater ecosystems and could be used to recharge groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the definition for “high magnitude flow” varies, He said, depending on how much water different experts think should be in a river. Hydrologists, for example, use a lower threshold than salmon and fisheries biologists, who generally favor higher flows for ecological reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Streamflow volume typically rises fairly rapidly during a storm, hits a peak and then declines, said study co-author David Freyberg, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. The researchers looked at just the highest peaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s easier to remove water when flows are lower than when a river is raging, but that has “huge impacts” on salmon and downstream water supply, among other issues, Freyberg said. So they focused on the high flows, even though it’s more challenging to remove that water. “Whether or not we can actually do that, and how much of it we could do, I view it as still an open question,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added that the next challenge would be to figure out how to capture floodwaters in such a way that the benefits are worth the costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Policymakers will also have to weigh the balance between reducing flood risks and the environmental benefits of letting floodplains flood. Another reason the researchers considered just high-magnitude flows, Freyberg said, “was to acknowledge that we don’t want to just stop all flooding, because flooding is really important for ecosystems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, knowing that a watershed faces a high risk of flooding down the road may give policymakers the incentive they need to build structures to divert extra water. That leaves the increasingly difficult problem of moving large volumes of water from Northern California to the southern reaches of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Planning for a Changing Climate\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prospect of a wetter north and an even drier south is certain to place greater strain on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the already overtaxed fulcrum of the state’s water system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The massive network of reservoirs, dams and canals operated by federal and state water projects was designed to move water from north to south through the delta. “That’s a major bottleneck already for moving water, just about at any time,” Hanak said, “because it’s a complicated ecosystem and environmental constraints on pumping have increased over time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why the state is exploring alternatives for moving water, including tunnels, she said. “If you want to get water from north to south in the state, you’ve got to fix the delta.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Accounting for all the political, environmental, technical and socioeconomic drivers of water policy around the delta, which Hanak called “a world unto itself,” was beyond the scope of He’s research. But by focusing on the physical availability of floodwater, He and his colleagues hoped to help policymakers decide where building canals and recharge basins would offer the biggest return on investment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What this research and other studies have shown is that current systems aren’t robust enough to convey the water that’s already available, Hanak said. “Now the question comes, what’s cost effective, because you don’t want to build stuff if it’s mostly going to be empty. So what are the smart plays in terms of expanding infrastructure, given the probabilities of what you’re going to be able to do with it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For He, tackling California’s future water challenges will require finding ways to integrate management of droughts, floods, water allocations and groundwater depletion — all overseen now by a highly decentralized, fragmented network of water districts and agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eighty percent of the land subject to California’s groundwater sustainability law is managed by multiple entities, He said, with as many as 24 separate authorities in a single groundwater basin. Decisions to build floodwater infrastructure in even a single basin would call for an extraordinary level of collaboration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some places, it might make more sense to consider changing the way reservoirs operate, He said, which in any event should update decisions about how much water is released, and when, to account for climate projections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Water policy is really complicated,” Freyberg said. “As soon as you recommend one thing, there’s always a counterargument.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he added, any plans to boost groundwater sustainability must explicitly consider climate change, rather than designing a future based on historical or current conditions.\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 have to be thinking about the changing climate,” Freyberg said. “You have to take changing climate seriously.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1975249/how-capturing-floodwaters-can-reduce-flooding-and-combat-drought",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1975249"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_572",
"science_2828",
"science_365"
],
"featImg": "science_1975258",
"label": "source_science_1975249"
},
"science_1975164": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1975164",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1975164",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1623063631000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1623063631,
"format": "standard",
"title": "California Not Doing as Well as It Thinks in Reducing Carbon, Investigation Finds",
"headTitle": "California Not Doing as Well as It Thinks in Reducing Carbon, Investigation Finds | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In her latest investigation, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Lisa Song \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/the-climate-solution-actually-adding-millions-of-tons-of-co2-into-the-atmosphere\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">reports\u003c/span>\u003c/a> that millions of carbon credits generated by California’s cap-and-trade program do not represent real reductions in planet-warming gas emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Song writes that these “ghost credits” allowed the industry to emit unaccounted for emissions that are the equivalent of adding millions of cars to the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those ghost credits represent nearly one-in-three credits issued through California’s primary forest offset program, highlighting systemic flaws in the rules and suggesting widespread gaming of the market,” Song writes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story, which was co-reported with James Temple of MIT Technology Review, relies on \u003ca href=\"https://carbonplan.org/research/forest-offsets-explainer\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">data\u003c/span>\u003c/a> from the Bay Area nonprofit research group Carbon Plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group’s calculations found that because of flaws in the rules, between 20 million and 39 million carbon credits awarded to landowners don’t achieve real climate benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Danny Cullenward, Carbon Plan’s director, told Song that California’s forest offsets program is increasing greenhouse gas emissions “despite being a large part of the state’s strategy for reducing climate pollution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The program creates the false appearance of progress when in fact it makes the climate problem worse,” Cullenward said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20705679-response-propublica-05102021-sy-final\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">response\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to the ProPublica story, the California Air Resources Board aggressively defended the program, writing that the carbon credits “represent real, quantifiable, permanent, verifiable, enforceable, and additional CO2 reductions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the board did not ask ProPublica for any corrections, as Song and Temple note in their \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/the-california-air-resources-board-challenges-our-carbon-credits-investigations-we-respond\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">response\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to CARB’s complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s Brian Watt on Thursday interviewed Song about the investigation. The following has been lightly edited for length and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>First, let’s just do a quick review of how cap and trade and the carbon credits work.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\nCap and trade is one of the main programs that California has for reducing its carbon emissions. Every year there’s a statewide limit on the CO2 emissions allowed from major industry. Companies in those industries have to buy permits to emit a certain amount of CO2. Companies can trade those permits with each other or buy and sell them. There is flexibility company-to-company as part of the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With carbon offsets, companies are allowed to pay somebody else, to reduce CO2 emissions somewhere else, instead of reducing the emissions themselves. There’s a limit to how many offsets each industry can buy per year. This is where the forest carbon offsets come in, because landowners anywhere in the country can start an offset project where they find ways to manage their forests to store or prevent carbon emissions and quantify the carbon savings from those projects. Then those polluters in California can buy those carbon offsets and use them, theoretically, to cancel out a ton of their real CO2 emissions.\u003cbr>\n\u003cb>\u003cbr>\nWhat part of this system is going wrong? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem is that the way the rules are written in how the state of California quantifies the carbon offsets, there are flaws that are allowing these projects to generate far more carbon savings than they deserve. So they’re generating a bunch of empty carbon credits that aren’t actually canceling out the real tons of emissions coming out of these polluters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You write that it isn’t that companies are actually cheating the system, it’s flaws within the system.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The people who buy these carbon credits are major polluters in the state, like refineries and power plants. They are not the ones cheating the system. The problem is deeper and has to do with flaws in the rules as they were written.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What rules could have been written better to make this work?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This gets to some pretty complicated science. But essentially the way you earn credits is if you’re a landowner, you can say, here’s a forest that I have and I was going to cut it down. But now, in exchange for carbon credits, I will save the forest or reduce logging so that it is preserving more carbon than it otherwise would have. As a landowner, you calculate how much carbon per acre is stored in your forest and you compare that to the amount of carbon per acre stored in a forest that is typical — that is, one that is similar to your forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These kinds of baseline forests are called regional averages, and the Air Resources Board calculates the regional averages for many different types of forests across the country. The problem is those regional average numbers are done using very coarse data that doesn’t take into account a lot of the nuances between different types of forests. And as a result, you are seeing a pattern where a lot of projects are being done in places where the trees hold so much more carbon than the regional average. It’s inflating the carbon savings generated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>State officials stand by the policy and do not agree with the conclusions of your report, noting that the research hasn’t been formally peer reviewed.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Knowing that the study was not peer reviewed, we put in place our own peer review system. When the first completed draft of the study was done, we took it from Carbon Plan and we sent it to several independent scientists in academia. These are all people who had not worked with Carbon Plan, who didn’t know Carbon Plan, and we were able to send them the studies and get their independent analysis to make sure the study was sound and the methodology was good. And only after we got that did we then fully take on the project and the story and fully confirm that we wanted to write this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The state notes that its program has protected hundreds of millions of trees, and Native American tribes have used proceeds from the program to buy back traditional tribal forests. These are good things, right? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are unquestionably good things. And the study and our reporting doesn’t criticize any of that. I think it’s important to point out that with this forest offset program you are trying to achieve carbon savings and help the climate. But in the process of doing that, you are also creating good benefits for forest conservation and for many Native American tribes. The story isn’t about how you can only have one thing or the other. Our story goes into great detail about these conservation and cultural co-benefits. The real question is: Should we be more honest about the actual carbon savings coming out of these projects? We have some folks in the story quoted who are saying that it’s absolutely worthwhile to fund these conservation goals and absolutely worthwhile to bring more resources to tribes so they can do things like buy back their ancestral land. But should that be tied to a flawed program where we’re overpromising the carbon savings achieved?\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1195,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 24
},
"modified": 1704846571,
"excerpt": "New reporting from ProPublica questions the impact of a key component of one of California’s signature climate change policies, even as the state’s powerful Air Resource Board defends the program. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "New reporting from ProPublica questions the impact of a key component of one of California’s signature climate change policies, even as the state’s powerful Air Resource Board defends the program. ",
"title": "California Not Doing as Well as It Thinks in Reducing Carbon, Investigation Finds | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California Not Doing as Well as It Thinks in Reducing Carbon, Investigation Finds",
"datePublished": "2021-06-07T04:00:31-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:29:31-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-not-doing-as-well-as-it-thinks-in-reducing-carbon-investigation-finds",
"status": "publish",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Climate Change",
"path": "/science/1975164/california-not-doing-as-well-as-it-thinks-in-reducing-carbon-investigation-finds",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In her latest investigation, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Lisa Song \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/the-climate-solution-actually-adding-millions-of-tons-of-co2-into-the-atmosphere\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">reports\u003c/span>\u003c/a> that millions of carbon credits generated by California’s cap-and-trade program do not represent real reductions in planet-warming gas emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Song writes that these “ghost credits” allowed the industry to emit unaccounted for emissions that are the equivalent of adding millions of cars to the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those ghost credits represent nearly one-in-three credits issued through California’s primary forest offset program, highlighting systemic flaws in the rules and suggesting widespread gaming of the market,” Song writes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story, which was co-reported with James Temple of MIT Technology Review, relies on \u003ca href=\"https://carbonplan.org/research/forest-offsets-explainer\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">data\u003c/span>\u003c/a> from the Bay Area nonprofit research group Carbon Plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group’s calculations found that because of flaws in the rules, between 20 million and 39 million carbon credits awarded to landowners don’t achieve real climate benefits.\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>Danny Cullenward, Carbon Plan’s director, told Song that California’s forest offsets program is increasing greenhouse gas emissions “despite being a large part of the state’s strategy for reducing climate pollution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The program creates the false appearance of progress when in fact it makes the climate problem worse,” Cullenward said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20705679-response-propublica-05102021-sy-final\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">response\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to the ProPublica story, the California Air Resources Board aggressively defended the program, writing that the carbon credits “represent real, quantifiable, permanent, verifiable, enforceable, and additional CO2 reductions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the board did not ask ProPublica for any corrections, as Song and Temple note in their \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/the-california-air-resources-board-challenges-our-carbon-credits-investigations-we-respond\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">response\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to CARB’s complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s Brian Watt on Thursday interviewed Song about the investigation. The following has been lightly edited for length and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>First, let’s just do a quick review of how cap and trade and the carbon credits work.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\nCap and trade is one of the main programs that California has for reducing its carbon emissions. Every year there’s a statewide limit on the CO2 emissions allowed from major industry. Companies in those industries have to buy permits to emit a certain amount of CO2. Companies can trade those permits with each other or buy and sell them. There is flexibility company-to-company as part of the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With carbon offsets, companies are allowed to pay somebody else, to reduce CO2 emissions somewhere else, instead of reducing the emissions themselves. There’s a limit to how many offsets each industry can buy per year. This is where the forest carbon offsets come in, because landowners anywhere in the country can start an offset project where they find ways to manage their forests to store or prevent carbon emissions and quantify the carbon savings from those projects. Then those polluters in California can buy those carbon offsets and use them, theoretically, to cancel out a ton of their real CO2 emissions.\u003cbr>\n\u003cb>\u003cbr>\nWhat part of this system is going wrong? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem is that the way the rules are written in how the state of California quantifies the carbon offsets, there are flaws that are allowing these projects to generate far more carbon savings than they deserve. So they’re generating a bunch of empty carbon credits that aren’t actually canceling out the real tons of emissions coming out of these polluters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You write that it isn’t that companies are actually cheating the system, it’s flaws within the system.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The people who buy these carbon credits are major polluters in the state, like refineries and power plants. They are not the ones cheating the system. The problem is deeper and has to do with flaws in the rules as they were written.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What rules could have been written better to make this work?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This gets to some pretty complicated science. But essentially the way you earn credits is if you’re a landowner, you can say, here’s a forest that I have and I was going to cut it down. But now, in exchange for carbon credits, I will save the forest or reduce logging so that it is preserving more carbon than it otherwise would have. As a landowner, you calculate how much carbon per acre is stored in your forest and you compare that to the amount of carbon per acre stored in a forest that is typical — that is, one that is similar to your forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These kinds of baseline forests are called regional averages, and the Air Resources Board calculates the regional averages for many different types of forests across the country. The problem is those regional average numbers are done using very coarse data that doesn’t take into account a lot of the nuances between different types of forests. And as a result, you are seeing a pattern where a lot of projects are being done in places where the trees hold so much more carbon than the regional average. It’s inflating the carbon savings generated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>State officials stand by the policy and do not agree with the conclusions of your report, noting that the research hasn’t been formally peer reviewed.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Knowing that the study was not peer reviewed, we put in place our own peer review system. When the first completed draft of the study was done, we took it from Carbon Plan and we sent it to several independent scientists in academia. These are all people who had not worked with Carbon Plan, who didn’t know Carbon Plan, and we were able to send them the studies and get their independent analysis to make sure the study was sound and the methodology was good. And only after we got that did we then fully take on the project and the story and fully confirm that we wanted to write this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The state notes that its program has protected hundreds of millions of trees, and Native American tribes have used proceeds from the program to buy back traditional tribal forests. These are good things, right? \u003c/b>\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>These are unquestionably good things. And the study and our reporting doesn’t criticize any of that. I think it’s important to point out that with this forest offset program you are trying to achieve carbon savings and help the climate. But in the process of doing that, you are also creating good benefits for forest conservation and for many Native American tribes. The story isn’t about how you can only have one thing or the other. Our story goes into great detail about these conservation and cultural co-benefits. The real question is: Should we be more honest about the actual carbon savings coming out of these projects? We have some folks in the story quoted who are saying that it’s absolutely worthwhile to fund these conservation goals and absolutely worthwhile to bring more resources to tribes so they can do things like buy back their ancestral land. But should that be tied to a flawed program where we’re overpromising the carbon savings achieved?\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1975164/california-not-doing-as-well-as-it-thinks-in-reducing-carbon-investigation-finds",
"authors": [
"11608"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_121",
"science_194",
"science_4417",
"science_4414"
],
"featImg": "science_1975166",
"label": "source_science_1975164"
},
"science_1974955": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974955",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974955",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1622219297000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1622219297,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Ford’s Electric F-150 Attracts 70,000 Customers, Signaling Market Movement Toward EVs",
"headTitle": "Ford’s Electric F-150 Attracts 70,000 Customers, Signaling Market Movement Toward EVs | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford expects 40% of its global sales to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 as it adds billions to what it’s spending to develop them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The automaker said in a presentation for investors Wednesday that it will add about $8 billion to its EV development spending from this year to 2025. That brings the total spend to nearly $20 billion as Ford begins to develop and build batteries in a joint venture with SK Innovation of South Korea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Under former CEO Jim Hackett, Ford was criticized by analysts for moving too slowly on its turnaround and future vehicle plans. But those plans have accelerated under CEO Jim Farley, who took over in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">“Today is show, not tell time, for the Ford team,” Farley said at the start of the presentation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Wall Street liked what it heard and shares surged $1.09, or 8.5%, to close Wednesday at $13.90, a level not seen in about five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford announced two new electric vehicle platforms to handle pickup trucks, commercial vehicles and SUVs such as the Ford Explorer. It also said smaller vehicles in Europe would be built on underpinnings from Ford partner Volkswagen. But company executives wouldn’t give details about when the new electric vehicles will go on sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Much of the 40% electric vehicle sales target will come from Europe, where the company has pledged to convert its entire passenger vehicle lineup to electric power by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The global auto industry and government policymakers are trying to pivot away from internal combustion to battery power as a way to curb climate change. Some European countries, as well as California, plan to phase out petroleum-powered vehicles, while President Biden is promising to spend billions on charging stations as well as tax credits and rebates to get people to switch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford crosstown rival General Motors says it hopes to stop selling combustion vehicles by 2035.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">In addition, shareholders at Exxon Mobil \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-environment-and-nature-business-e926285af9ab2e5913453d00ebe99186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">voted Wednesday \u003c/a>to replace at least two of the company’s 12 board members with directors who are seen as better suited to fight climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Farley said Ford’s financial performance hasn’t been acceptable in recent years, but it has accelerated its turnaround plan and made progress in the past few quarters. The company is now generating cash flow so it can grow the scale of its electric and commercial vehicle businesses, he said. Ford predicted it would post an 8% pretax profit margin in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The company also announced it would create a separate business called Ford Pro that will focus on commercial and government fleet buyers. It expects the business to generate $45 billion in annual revenue by 2025, up from $27 billion in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">It also expects to have about 1 million vehicles capable of getting over-the-internet software updates by the end of this year. Ford says it will have more vehicles with that capability than Tesla by July 2022. This opens up the chance of added revenue through driver assist technology and digital subscription services, a $20 billion market by 2030, Ford said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">In the U.S., Ford’s largest market, electric vehicles are only 1.2% of Ford’s sales through April. Ford currently offers only one all-electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E SUV, but by next spring it will have an all-electric F-150 pickup and a battery-powered Transit big commercial van on the roads. The company said 70,000 customers have put down $100 deposits to reserve an electric F-150 in the week since it was unveiled. Ford’s F-Series pickup is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford said it plans a new rear-drive, all-wheel-drive electric vehicle architecture to bring a new generation of high-sales vehicles, including an electric Ford Explorer SUV and other larger SUVs with two and three rows of seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The company also plans additional cargo vans and pickup trucks from the new architecture, and it expects one third of pickup truck sales to be fully electric by 2030, said Hau Thai-Tang, the company’s product development chief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Chief Operating Officer Lisa Drake said that by making electric versions of its top-selling brands, the Mustang, F-150 and Transit van, Ford can bring bulk purchasing power to EVs that smaller startups can’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">She said 70% of Mustang Mach-E electric SUV sales came from other auto brands, proving that EVs will help Ford increase its sales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford, she said, expects to reduce battery costs from the current $140 per kilowatt hour to under $100 by 2025, and $80 by the end of this decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">As an example of its turnaround plan taking hold, Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said international businesses, including Europe, China and South America, lost over $2 billion per year for the past two years, but in the first quarter generated a $500 million profit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Lawler wouldn’t commit to when Ford would restore its dividend, which was suspended at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He said the company is focused on investing in growth areas and will bring the dividend back “as soon as practicable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The $8 billion in additional electric vehicle spending would go toward the joint venture with SK Innovation to develop and manufacture batteries announced last week. The venture will build two North American factories to make batteries for roughly 600,000 electric vehicles per year by the middle of this decade. The companies say they have signed a memorandum of understanding, but details on the ownership structure and factory locations have yet to be worked out.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 958,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 2
},
"modified": 1704846585,
"excerpt": "Ford expects 40% of its global sales to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 as it adds billions to what it’s spending to develop them.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Ford expects 40% of its global sales to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 as it adds billions to what it’s spending to develop them.",
"title": "Ford’s Electric F-150 Attracts 70,000 Customers, Signaling Market Movement Toward EVs | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Ford’s Electric F-150 Attracts 70,000 Customers, Signaling Market Movement Toward EVs",
"datePublished": "2021-05-28T09:28:17-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:29:45-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "fords-electric-f-150-attracts-70000-customers-signaling-market-movement-toward-evs",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Tom Krisher \u003cbr />AP\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"source": "AP",
"path": "/science/1974955/fords-electric-f-150-attracts-70000-customers-signaling-market-movement-toward-evs",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford expects 40% of its global sales to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 as it adds billions to what it’s spending to develop them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The automaker said in a presentation for investors Wednesday that it will add about $8 billion to its EV development spending from this year to 2025. That brings the total spend to nearly $20 billion as Ford begins to develop and build batteries in a joint venture with SK Innovation of South Korea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Under former CEO Jim Hackett, Ford was criticized by analysts for moving too slowly on its turnaround and future vehicle plans. But those plans have accelerated under CEO Jim Farley, who took over in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">“Today is show, not tell time, for the Ford team,” Farley said at the start of the presentation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Wall Street liked what it heard and shares surged $1.09, or 8.5%, to close Wednesday at $13.90, a level not seen in about five years.\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 class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford announced two new electric vehicle platforms to handle pickup trucks, commercial vehicles and SUVs such as the Ford Explorer. It also said smaller vehicles in Europe would be built on underpinnings from Ford partner Volkswagen. But company executives wouldn’t give details about when the new electric vehicles will go on sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Much of the 40% electric vehicle sales target will come from Europe, where the company has pledged to convert its entire passenger vehicle lineup to electric power by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The global auto industry and government policymakers are trying to pivot away from internal combustion to battery power as a way to curb climate change. Some European countries, as well as California, plan to phase out petroleum-powered vehicles, while President Biden is promising to spend billions on charging stations as well as tax credits and rebates to get people to switch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford crosstown rival General Motors says it hopes to stop selling combustion vehicles by 2035.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">In addition, shareholders at Exxon Mobil \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-environment-and-nature-business-e926285af9ab2e5913453d00ebe99186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">voted Wednesday \u003c/a>to replace at least two of the company’s 12 board members with directors who are seen as better suited to fight climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Farley said Ford’s financial performance hasn’t been acceptable in recent years, but it has accelerated its turnaround plan and made progress in the past few quarters. The company is now generating cash flow so it can grow the scale of its electric and commercial vehicle businesses, he said. Ford predicted it would post an 8% pretax profit margin in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The company also announced it would create a separate business called Ford Pro that will focus on commercial and government fleet buyers. It expects the business to generate $45 billion in annual revenue by 2025, up from $27 billion in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">It also expects to have about 1 million vehicles capable of getting over-the-internet software updates by the end of this year. Ford says it will have more vehicles with that capability than Tesla by July 2022. This opens up the chance of added revenue through driver assist technology and digital subscription services, a $20 billion market by 2030, Ford said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">In the U.S., Ford’s largest market, electric vehicles are only 1.2% of Ford’s sales through April. Ford currently offers only one all-electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E SUV, but by next spring it will have an all-electric F-150 pickup and a battery-powered Transit big commercial van on the roads. The company said 70,000 customers have put down $100 deposits to reserve an electric F-150 in the week since it was unveiled. Ford’s F-Series pickup is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford said it plans a new rear-drive, all-wheel-drive electric vehicle architecture to bring a new generation of high-sales vehicles, including an electric Ford Explorer SUV and other larger SUVs with two and three rows of seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The company also plans additional cargo vans and pickup trucks from the new architecture, and it expects one third of pickup truck sales to be fully electric by 2030, said Hau Thai-Tang, the company’s product development chief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Chief Operating Officer Lisa Drake said that by making electric versions of its top-selling brands, the Mustang, F-150 and Transit van, Ford can bring bulk purchasing power to EVs that smaller startups can’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">She said 70% of Mustang Mach-E electric SUV sales came from other auto brands, proving that EVs will help Ford increase its sales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Ford, she said, expects to reduce battery costs from the current $140 per kilowatt hour to under $100 by 2025, and $80 by the end of this decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">As an example of its turnaround plan taking hold, Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said international businesses, including Europe, China and South America, lost over $2 billion per year for the past two years, but in the first quarter generated a $500 million profit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">Lawler wouldn’t commit to when Ford would restore its dividend, which was suspended at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He said the company is focused on investing in growth areas and will bring the dividend back “as soon as practicable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-85 Component-p-0-2-76\">The $8 billion in additional electric vehicle spending would go toward the joint venture with SK Innovation to develop and manufacture batteries announced last week. The venture will build two North American factories to make batteries for roughly 600,000 electric vehicles per year by the middle of this decade. The companies say they have signed a memorandum of understanding, but details on the ownership structure and factory locations have yet to be worked out.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974955/fords-electric-f-150-attracts-70000-customers-signaling-market-movement-toward-evs",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1974955"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"featImg": "science_1974959",
"label": "source_science_1974955"
},
"science_1974948": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974948",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974948",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1622137753000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1622137753,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Dutch Court First to Order an Oil Company to Slash Net Emissions",
"headTitle": "Dutch Court First to Order an Oil Company to Slash Net Emissions | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Climate change activists have won a big legal victory against oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. A Dutch court ruled Wednesday that the company must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030, based on 2019 levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/01/940717012/climate-case-against-shell-begins-in-the-netherlands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">case could set a precedent\u003c/a> for similar lawsuits against huge oil companies that operate across the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our hope is that this verdict will trigger a wave of climate litigation against big polluters, to force them to stop extracting and burning fossil fuels,” said Sara Shaw of \u003ca href=\"https://www.foei.org/features/historic-victory-judge-forces-shell-to-drastically-reduce-co2-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Friends of the Earth International\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2030 goal affirmed by the court is more ambitious than Shell’s target of becoming “a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.” Shell \u003ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/our-climate-target.html#iframe=L3dlYmFwcHMvY2xpbWF0ZV9hbWJpdGlvbi8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">argues\u003c/a> the 2050 goal is in line with the Paris climate accord. But The Hague District Court determined Shell’s plans were not adequate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling applies to Shell and its suppliers and covers not only the companies’ emissions, but also emissions from products burned by its customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a monumental victory for our planet, for our children and a big leap towards a livable future for everyone,” said Donald Pols, director of Friends of the Earth Netherlands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Shell spokesperson Anna Arata acknowledged that “urgent action is needed on climate change,” and said the company has accelerated efforts to reduce emissions. The oil giant is “investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, renewables and biofuels,” Arata said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The decision comes after \u003ca href=\"https://unfccc.int/news/most-fossil-fuels-must-stay-in-the-ground-new-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scientists have said\u003c/a> most of the known fossil fuel reserves will have to be left in the ground to avoid the worst effects of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month the U.S. Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/us-supreme-court-backs-energy-companies-over-baltimore-climate-case-2021-05-17/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sided with major oil companies\u003c/a> in a climate change lawsuit brought by the city of Baltimore. Justices delivered a victory to the oil giants on a technical issue — that the case should be heard in federal court instead of state court, as the city preferred. There are about a dozen similar lawsuits that U.S. state and local governments have brought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven environmental groups filed the lawsuit against Shell, including Friends of the Earth Netherlands, or \u003ca href=\"https://en.milieudefensie.nl/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Milieudefensie\u003c/a>, Greenpeace and Fossil Free Netherlands. The lawsuit also named 17,000 Dutch citizens as co-plaintiffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Royal Dutch Shell is based in The Hague, where the case was heard. Shell can still appeal the ruling, something the company said it expects to do. The Dutch judge said the more ambitious target for the company will remain in effect while the appeals process plays out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=In+A+Landmark+Case%2C+A+Dutch+Court+Orders+Shell+To+Cut+Its+Carbon+Emissions+Faster&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 447,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 13
},
"modified": 1704846587,
"excerpt": "Thousands of Dutch citizens joined environmental groups to accuse the oil giant with endangering lives. The first-of-its-kind decision could pressure other companies to take aggressive climate action.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Thousands of Dutch citizens joined environmental groups to accuse the oil giant with endangering lives. The first-of-its-kind decision could pressure other companies to take aggressive climate action.",
"title": "Dutch Court First to Order an Oil Company to Slash Net Emissions | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Dutch Court First to Order an Oil Company to Slash Net Emissions",
"datePublished": "2021-05-27T10:49:13-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:29:47-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "in-a-first-dutch-court-orders-shell-to-slash-its-net-emissions-nearly-in-half",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1000475878&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprByline": "Jeff Brady \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"nprStoryDate": "Wed, 26 May 2021 11:08:13 -0400",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Wed, 26 May 2021 15:56:40 -0400",
"sticky": false,
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2021/05/26/1000475878/in-landmark-case-dutch-court-orders-shell-to-cut-its-carbon-emissions-faster?ft=nprml&f=1000475878",
"nprImageAgency": "AP",
"nprImageCredit": "Peter Dejong",
"source": "NPR",
"nprStoryId": "1000475878",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Wed, 26 May 2021 15:56:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1974948/in-a-first-dutch-court-orders-shell-to-slash-its-net-emissions-nearly-in-half",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Climate change activists have won a big legal victory against oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. A Dutch court ruled Wednesday that the company must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030, based on 2019 levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/01/940717012/climate-case-against-shell-begins-in-the-netherlands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">case could set a precedent\u003c/a> for similar lawsuits against huge oil companies that operate across the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our hope is that this verdict will trigger a wave of climate litigation against big polluters, to force them to stop extracting and burning fossil fuels,” said Sara Shaw of \u003ca href=\"https://www.foei.org/features/historic-victory-judge-forces-shell-to-drastically-reduce-co2-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Friends of the Earth International\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2030 goal affirmed by the court is more ambitious than Shell’s target of becoming “a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.” Shell \u003ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/our-climate-target.html#iframe=L3dlYmFwcHMvY2xpbWF0ZV9hbWJpdGlvbi8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">argues\u003c/a> the 2050 goal is in line with the Paris climate accord. But The Hague District Court determined Shell’s plans were not adequate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling applies to Shell and its suppliers and covers not only the companies’ emissions, but also emissions from products burned by its customers.\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 is a monumental victory for our planet, for our children and a big leap towards a livable future for everyone,” said Donald Pols, director of Friends of the Earth Netherlands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Shell spokesperson Anna Arata acknowledged that “urgent action is needed on climate change,” and said the company has accelerated efforts to reduce emissions. The oil giant is “investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, renewables and biofuels,” Arata said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The decision comes after \u003ca href=\"https://unfccc.int/news/most-fossil-fuels-must-stay-in-the-ground-new-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scientists have said\u003c/a> most of the known fossil fuel reserves will have to be left in the ground to avoid the worst effects of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month the U.S. Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/us-supreme-court-backs-energy-companies-over-baltimore-climate-case-2021-05-17/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sided with major oil companies\u003c/a> in a climate change lawsuit brought by the city of Baltimore. Justices delivered a victory to the oil giants on a technical issue — that the case should be heard in federal court instead of state court, as the city preferred. There are about a dozen similar lawsuits that U.S. state and local governments have brought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven environmental groups filed the lawsuit against Shell, including Friends of the Earth Netherlands, or \u003ca href=\"https://en.milieudefensie.nl/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Milieudefensie\u003c/a>, Greenpeace and Fossil Free Netherlands. The lawsuit also named 17,000 Dutch citizens as co-plaintiffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Royal Dutch Shell is based in The Hague, where the case was heard. Shell can still appeal the ruling, something the company said it expects to do. The Dutch judge said the more ambitious target for the company will remain in effect while the appeals process plays out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=In+A+Landmark+Case%2C+A+Dutch+Court+Orders+Shell+To+Cut+Its+Carbon+Emissions+Faster&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974948/in-a-first-dutch-court-orders-shell-to-slash-its-net-emissions-nearly-in-half",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1974948"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_2936"
],
"featImg": "science_1974949",
"label": "source_science_1974948"
},
"science_1974912": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974912",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974912",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1622120444000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1622120444,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Calif. Offshore Wind Will Require a Feat of Engineering. And That's Not Even the Hard Part",
"headTitle": "Calif. Offshore Wind Will Require a Feat of Engineering. And That’s Not Even the Hard Part | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In January 2016, Trident Winds, a small, Seattle-based wind company, submitted an unsolicited application to the U.S. Department of the Interior, laying out its aspirations to build a 1-gigawatt wind farm off California’s central coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scale was ambitious, especially for the United States. But Trident Winds’ chief executive officer, Alla Weinstein, sensed an opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Effectively, that’s what kick-started the whole discussion on offshore wind in California,” Weinstein said of the application.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years later, California’s waters still have no finalized leases for the development of any offshore wind farms. Instead, the state’s market has been bogged down by politics and technological hurdles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday, the Biden administration and the state announced a target to hold an auction in mid-2022 to award leases for wind development off California’s coast, a significant step toward encouraging the state’s stalled market. The effort would contribute to the administration’s recently announced goal of reaching 30 gigawatts of offshore wind nationally by 2030, a target that seemed to favor the Northeast, which has already cultivated the foundations of a thriving offshore wind market. The United States currently has only about 42 megawatts of offshore wind capacity in operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given California’s leadership in clean energy and combating climate change, “it’s only fitting that California is totally unwilling to let the expansion we’re witnessing on the East Coast leave California behind,” said White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, on a Tuesday call with reporters highlighting the Biden administration’s announcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has many qualities that would seem to make it an enticing location to build offshore wind: high power prices, cities along the coast ready to use the electricity and a\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-batteries-renewable-energy-california-20190605-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> solar-saturated grid\u003c/a>, which makes wind a complementary resource when the sun isn’t shining. The state has more than 200 gigawatts of technical offshore wind potential, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, but current projections for offshore wind cast doubt on whether it can complete any projects in the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is now grappling with how to fit offshore wind into legislatively mandated efforts to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045.\u003ca href=\"https://e360.yale.edu/features/on-u-s-east-coast-has-offshore-winds-moment-finally-arrived\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Climate goals in numerous Eastern states\u003c/a> have hinged on significant offshore wind deployment, with plans to add more than 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recently-introduced California bill\u003c/a> would also help invigorate the state’s offshore wind market, directing energy regulators to establish offshore wind targets for 2030 and 2045.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>A similar bill is under consideration in Oregon, calling for up to 3 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. The legislation, along with the federal administration’s efforts to coax California’s market forward, underscore the opportunity in Western waters, if politicians can seize it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has consistently been a front-runner in clean energy deployments. Last month, a large swath of the state ran on 95% renewables for a brief four seconds — a milestone that reportedly\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-04-29/solar-power-water-canals-california-climate-change-boiling-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> sent chills of excitement down the spine\u003c/a> of the state grid operator’s chief executive officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solar accounts for a majority of California’s renewable resources, leaving an opening for a budding offshore wind market. Wind and solar work well together in an energy portfolio because wind generally continues to blow at night, while solar produces the most at the sunniest times of day. A 2021 report from the California Energy Commission suggested offshore wind should play a significant role in the state’s clean energy targets, accounting for as much as 10 gigawatts of capacity additions in coming decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As California gets closer to carbon-free electricity, it’s increasingly seeing the need for a wider array of technologies to balance solar production. “That’s where offshore wind fits in,” said Mohit Chhabra, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s climate and clean energy program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California realized the potential for offshore wind years ago. Along with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which manages offshore leasing, the state launched an Offshore Renewable Energy Task Force back in 2016, several months after Trident Winds filed its application with the Interior Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The federal agency went on to select three possible lease zones, known as “call areas,” off the California coast, and in 2018 asked companies to submit proposals for building in those areas. More than a dozen did, including some wind industry heavyweights like Avangrid Renewables and Norwegian oil major\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Equinor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But since then, BOEM hasn’t leased any of California’s waters. The state’s lucrative fishing industry worried that turbines would disrupt business, while the Defense Department raised concerns about the impact on training exercises off the coast — opposition that held up lease sales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the Biden administration said it had brokered a compromise on some of those issues. The Defense Department said it was committed to finding “creative solutions” to advance offshore wind in California. Overall, the initial development areas could support up to 4.6 gigawatts of floating offshore wind, according to the administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We at the Defense Department are satisfied that there’s not a trade-off between the clean energy goals of this endeavor and our military readiness,” said Dr. Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, on the Tuesday call with press.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Holding lease sales is just one step in the extended process to begin building offshore wind farms, however. Project developers must also secure dozens of permits and survive government review to move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vineyard Wind, a project off the coast of Massachusetts, just won final federal approval in May. Its developers submitted plans to the government in 2017. A project \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26102020/icebreaker-project-lake-erie-cleveland-wind-energy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">planned for Lake Erie\u003c/a> was proposed over a decade ago. The country’s first offshore wind project, Rhode Island’s Block Island, came online in 2016. Many more projects are now under federal review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pace makes both the administration’s 2030 target and aspirations to build offshore wind off California’s coast in the next decade “a stretch,” said Oliver Metcalf, head of U.S. wind research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The research firm expects the United States to add just 23 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, with no projects off the coast of California by that year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘California Open For Business’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The West’s challenges go beyond politics; the region’s deep waters require the use of floating offshore wind\u003ca href=\"https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/so-what-exactly-floating-offshore-wind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> technology\u003c/a>, where a buoyant platform is moored to the seafloor. Floating wind is currently more expensive and less common than fixed-bottom offshore wind, which is affixed to the ocean floor and could be used in much of the East Coast’s shallower waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floating projects installed worldwide represented less than 100 megawatts combined at the end of 2019, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and most were pilot projects. Equinor, one of the companies that submitted a proposal to build off the coast of California, has one floating commercial project in operation off the coast of Scotland and another in the works in the Norwegian North Sea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bloomberg forecasts the build-out of just 6.3 gigawatts of floating offshore wind worldwide by 2030, compared to about 200 gigawatts of fixed offshore wind projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Biden administration’s Tuesday announcement bodes well for future development. NREL analysis suggests commercial floating projects could technically land in California waters as early as the mid-2020s, with costs dropping an estimated 44% between 2019 and 2032. Technology advancements and commercial growth driven by planned projects in Europe and Asia will also help the West Coast market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Gov. Gavin Newsom included $20 million for offshore wind development in his 2021-2022 budget request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Castle Wind, a joint venture Trident Winds entered into in 2018 with\u003ca href=\"https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/enbw-wants-to-be-the-next-big-us-offshore-wind-developer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> German power provider EnBW\u003c/a>, has negotiated a “mutual benefits agreement” with the local fishing community near one of the California call areas, possibly curtailing the type of controversy that has dogged other offshore projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblyman David Chiu, who introduced the California bill, hopes to seize on the momentum. The legislation, he said, “will let the country and the rest of the world know that California is open for business in this space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some utilities and renewables developers are equally bullish. Castle Wind has already inked a tentative supply agreement with power provider Central Coast Community Energy. Weinstein, of Trident, hoped for a lease sale in 2021, but believes the state can execute on development by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have no doubt that it can be done,” said Weinstein. “If there is a will, which I think the will is there, then yeah, we can find a way to do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metcalf, of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, agrees that offshore wind in the West “does seem to be a question of when, rather than if.” But it remains unclear if the timeline will align with the administration’s splashy target.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That 2030 target “is truly a national goal,” said Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, the offshore wind lead at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office. To nudge along progress on the West Coast, the department has invested more than $100 million in research on and development of floating offshore wind. It’s working with BOEM to gather data in California waters and funding floating offshore wind demonstrations off the East Coast, with the expectation that what it learns will translate to the West. In 2019, the DOE launched a program to design “radically new” floating wind turbines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As soon as auctions happen, Trident’s Weinstein said, “then we can move.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think at this point, we’re on the verge of seeing significant movement in California,” she said. “This is the beginning of a much longer path to the expansion of offshore wind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1745,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 37
},
"modified": 1704846589,
"excerpt": "Offshore wind development in California has been stalled by politics and technological challenges. But on Tuesday, the administration announced plans to advance offshore wind in the state.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Offshore wind development in California has been stalled by politics and technological challenges. But on Tuesday, the administration announced plans to advance offshore wind in the state.",
"title": "Calif. Offshore Wind Will Require a Feat of Engineering. And That's Not Even the Hard Part | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Calif. Offshore Wind Will Require a Feat of Engineering. And That's Not Even the Hard Part",
"datePublished": "2021-05-27T06:00:44-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:29:49-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "calif-offshore-wind-will-require-a-feat-of-engineering-and-thats-not-even-the-hard-part",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Emma Foehringer Merchant \u003cbr />InsideClimate News\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"source": "InsideClimate News",
"path": "/science/1974912/calif-offshore-wind-will-require-a-feat-of-engineering-and-thats-not-even-the-hard-part",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In January 2016, Trident Winds, a small, Seattle-based wind company, submitted an unsolicited application to the U.S. Department of the Interior, laying out its aspirations to build a 1-gigawatt wind farm off California’s central coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scale was ambitious, especially for the United States. But Trident Winds’ chief executive officer, Alla Weinstein, sensed an opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Effectively, that’s what kick-started the whole discussion on offshore wind in California,” Weinstein said of the application.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years later, California’s waters still have no finalized leases for the development of any offshore wind farms. Instead, the state’s market has been bogged down by politics and technological hurdles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday, the Biden administration and the state announced a target to hold an auction in mid-2022 to award leases for wind development off California’s coast, a significant step toward encouraging the state’s stalled market. The effort would contribute to the administration’s recently announced goal of reaching 30 gigawatts of offshore wind nationally by 2030, a target that seemed to favor the Northeast, which has already cultivated the foundations of a thriving offshore wind market. The United States currently has only about 42 megawatts of offshore wind capacity in operation.\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>Given California’s leadership in clean energy and combating climate change, “it’s only fitting that California is totally unwilling to let the expansion we’re witnessing on the East Coast leave California behind,” said White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, on a Tuesday call with reporters highlighting the Biden administration’s announcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has many qualities that would seem to make it an enticing location to build offshore wind: high power prices, cities along the coast ready to use the electricity and a\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-batteries-renewable-energy-california-20190605-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> solar-saturated grid\u003c/a>, which makes wind a complementary resource when the sun isn’t shining. The state has more than 200 gigawatts of technical offshore wind potential, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, but current projections for offshore wind cast doubt on whether it can complete any projects in the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is now grappling with how to fit offshore wind into legislatively mandated efforts to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045.\u003ca href=\"https://e360.yale.edu/features/on-u-s-east-coast-has-offshore-winds-moment-finally-arrived\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Climate goals in numerous Eastern states\u003c/a> have hinged on significant offshore wind deployment, with plans to add more than 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recently-introduced California bill\u003c/a> would also help invigorate the state’s offshore wind market, directing energy regulators to establish offshore wind targets for 2030 and 2045.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>A similar bill is under consideration in Oregon, calling for up to 3 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. The legislation, along with the federal administration’s efforts to coax California’s market forward, underscore the opportunity in Western waters, if politicians can seize it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has consistently been a front-runner in clean energy deployments. Last month, a large swath of the state ran on 95% renewables for a brief four seconds — a milestone that reportedly\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-04-29/solar-power-water-canals-california-climate-change-boiling-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> sent chills of excitement down the spine\u003c/a> of the state grid operator’s chief executive officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solar accounts for a majority of California’s renewable resources, leaving an opening for a budding offshore wind market. Wind and solar work well together in an energy portfolio because wind generally continues to blow at night, while solar produces the most at the sunniest times of day. A 2021 report from the California Energy Commission suggested offshore wind should play a significant role in the state’s clean energy targets, accounting for as much as 10 gigawatts of capacity additions in coming decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As California gets closer to carbon-free electricity, it’s increasingly seeing the need for a wider array of technologies to balance solar production. “That’s where offshore wind fits in,” said Mohit Chhabra, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s climate and clean energy program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California realized the potential for offshore wind years ago. Along with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which manages offshore leasing, the state launched an Offshore Renewable Energy Task Force back in 2016, several months after Trident Winds filed its application with the Interior Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The federal agency went on to select three possible lease zones, known as “call areas,” off the California coast, and in 2018 asked companies to submit proposals for building in those areas. More than a dozen did, including some wind industry heavyweights like Avangrid Renewables and Norwegian oil major\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Equinor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But since then, BOEM hasn’t leased any of California’s waters. The state’s lucrative fishing industry worried that turbines would disrupt business, while the Defense Department raised concerns about the impact on training exercises off the coast — opposition that held up lease sales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the Biden administration said it had brokered a compromise on some of those issues. The Defense Department said it was committed to finding “creative solutions” to advance offshore wind in California. Overall, the initial development areas could support up to 4.6 gigawatts of floating offshore wind, according to the administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We at the Defense Department are satisfied that there’s not a trade-off between the clean energy goals of this endeavor and our military readiness,” said Dr. Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, on the Tuesday call with press.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Holding lease sales is just one step in the extended process to begin building offshore wind farms, however. Project developers must also secure dozens of permits and survive government review to move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vineyard Wind, a project off the coast of Massachusetts, just won final federal approval in May. Its developers submitted plans to the government in 2017. A project \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26102020/icebreaker-project-lake-erie-cleveland-wind-energy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">planned for Lake Erie\u003c/a> was proposed over a decade ago. The country’s first offshore wind project, Rhode Island’s Block Island, came online in 2016. Many more projects are now under federal review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pace makes both the administration’s 2030 target and aspirations to build offshore wind off California’s coast in the next decade “a stretch,” said Oliver Metcalf, head of U.S. wind research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The research firm expects the United States to add just 23 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, with no projects off the coast of California by that year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘California Open For Business’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The West’s challenges go beyond politics; the region’s deep waters require the use of floating offshore wind\u003ca href=\"https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/so-what-exactly-floating-offshore-wind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> technology\u003c/a>, where a buoyant platform is moored to the seafloor. Floating wind is currently more expensive and less common than fixed-bottom offshore wind, which is affixed to the ocean floor and could be used in much of the East Coast’s shallower waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floating projects installed worldwide represented less than 100 megawatts combined at the end of 2019, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and most were pilot projects. Equinor, one of the companies that submitted a proposal to build off the coast of California, has one floating commercial project in operation off the coast of Scotland and another in the works in the Norwegian North Sea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bloomberg forecasts the build-out of just 6.3 gigawatts of floating offshore wind worldwide by 2030, compared to about 200 gigawatts of fixed offshore wind projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Biden administration’s Tuesday announcement bodes well for future development. NREL analysis suggests commercial floating projects could technically land in California waters as early as the mid-2020s, with costs dropping an estimated 44% between 2019 and 2032. Technology advancements and commercial growth driven by planned projects in Europe and Asia will also help the West Coast market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Gov. Gavin Newsom included $20 million for offshore wind development in his 2021-2022 budget request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Castle Wind, a joint venture Trident Winds entered into in 2018 with\u003ca href=\"https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/enbw-wants-to-be-the-next-big-us-offshore-wind-developer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> German power provider EnBW\u003c/a>, has negotiated a “mutual benefits agreement” with the local fishing community near one of the California call areas, possibly curtailing the type of controversy that has dogged other offshore projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblyman David Chiu, who introduced the California bill, hopes to seize on the momentum. The legislation, he said, “will let the country and the rest of the world know that California is open for business in this space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some utilities and renewables developers are equally bullish. Castle Wind has already inked a tentative supply agreement with power provider Central Coast Community Energy. Weinstein, of Trident, hoped for a lease sale in 2021, but believes the state can execute on development by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have no doubt that it can be done,” said Weinstein. “If there is a will, which I think the will is there, then yeah, we can find a way to do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metcalf, of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, agrees that offshore wind in the West “does seem to be a question of when, rather than if.” But it remains unclear if the timeline will align with the administration’s splashy target.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That 2030 target “is truly a national goal,” said Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, the offshore wind lead at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office. To nudge along progress on the West Coast, the department has invested more than $100 million in research on and development of floating offshore wind. It’s working with BOEM to gather data in California waters and funding floating offshore wind demonstrations off the East Coast, with the expectation that what it learns will translate to the West. In 2019, the DOE launched a program to design “radically new” floating wind turbines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As soon as auctions happen, Trident’s Weinstein said, “then we can move.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think at this point, we’re on the verge of seeing significant movement in California,” she said. “This is the beginning of a much longer path to the expansion of offshore wind.”\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>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974912/calif-offshore-wind-will-require-a-feat-of-engineering-and-thats-not-even-the-hard-part",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1974912"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_33",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_2873",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_4414",
"science_4122"
],
"featImg": "science_1974913",
"label": "source_science_1974912"
},
"science_1974858": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974858",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974858",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1621540440000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1621540440,
"format": "standard",
"title": "The Ford F-150 is America's Top-Selling Car. Now There's an Electric Version",
"headTitle": "The Ford F-150 is America’s Top-Selling Car. Now There’s an Electric Version | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>There’s a lot riding on the F-150 Lightning, the all-electric pickup that Ford unveiled Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the company, it represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles — one that nearly every rival automaker is also making. And it’s also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting: made in America, pairing blue-collar roots and high-tech ambitions, fighting climate change without making compromises.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The subtext was made explicit when the president visited Ford’s Rouge complex on Tuesday to tout electric vehicles in general and praise this one in particular — even taking it for a spin on the test track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind all this buzz and boosterism is an incredibly daunting challenge for the auto industry. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050\">a report\u003c/a> out this week from the International Energy Agency, for the energy sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, electric vehicles would need to go from 5% of global sales to 60% in less than a decade. Five years later, in 2035, \u003cem>all \u003c/em>new cars would need to be electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Automakers such as General Motors and Volvo have openly embraced that timeline, as have governments such as the United Kingdom. But a transformation of that scale raises \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/06/23/880941975/an-electric-pickup-truck-brings-new-energy-to-lordstown-ohio\">myriad challenges\u003c/a> — chargers that need to be built, supply chains that need to expand, factories that need to be retooled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for many in the auto industry, it raises a fundamental question: Can companies make electric cars that will bring \u003cem>drivers \u003c/em>on board, and fast?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford hopes that’s where the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998268622/ford-says-electric-f-150-will-start-under-40-000-it-can-also-power-your-home\">F-150 Lightning\u003c/a> comes in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot at stake here, not just for Ford, but really for the country,” says Darren Palmer, Ford’s head of battery electric vehicles. “This could be the point when people really notice electric [vehicles].”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford’s not the only one hoping there’s a big pool of would-be buyers who aren’t interested in a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf but would happily spring for an electric version of their favorite pickup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That vehicle is going to come in and fill a void. And if it’s affordable, I mean, it’s going to be a game changer,” says Shelley Francis, co-founder of EVHybridNoire, a network of diverse electric vehicle enthusiasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the No. 1-selling vehicle in the country just across the board; it’s also the No. 1-selling vehicle among African American communities,” she says. “Then when you think about rural communities … there’s an opportunity for this community to be part of this conversation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford’s F-150 Lightning, unveiled at a ceremony on Wednesday evening, is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/16/945626639/all-the-oomph-minus-the-vroom-electric-pickups-take-aim-at-american-market\">a spate of electric pickups\u003c/a> arriving on the market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are the startups: Rivian is targeting outdoor enthusiasts with its $75,000 truck, which is poised to start deliveries next month and win the race to be the first electric pickup to market. The futuristic Tesla Cybertruck is on the way at a much lower price point, while Lordstown Motors is focusing on business customers with its upcoming vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, General Motors is bringing the Hummer brand back as a top-of-the-line premium electric pickup, initially starting at more than $100,000. An electric Silverado is also in the works. And Stellantis, Chrysler’s parent company, has promised a battery-powered Ram eventually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The F-150 carries extra symbolic and economic weight. It’s America’s best-selling vehicle and has been for 40 years. Ford sells more than 1 million F-series trucks per year, raking in more than $40 billion annually, more than McDonald’s or Nike bring in as entire companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that doesn’t mean that Ford enthusiasts will automatically leap at this new vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/16/945626639/all-the-oomph-minus-the-vroom-electric-pickups-take-aim-at-american-market\">Surveys show\u003c/a> that more than half of truck drivers are not interested in going electric, full stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palmer laid out Ford’s argument to skeptical V-8-loving pickup drivers using a cordless drill metaphor. It wasn’t hard to convince people to switch from old battery technology to lighter, longer-running lithium-ion drills: quite the opposite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The functionality difference — [it] was better,” Palmer says. “Everybody wanted the best tool. It’s the same thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford argues that the perks of electrification will speak for themselves, such as the effortless torque that’s characteristic of all electric motors and the potential for new, practical features. (The hybrid F-150 has an option that allows you to run power tools off the car’s battery at a work site, for instance.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But can the electric F-150 win over regular drivers, map a path to new profits for an entire industry and prove effective in the fight against climate change?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a lot of economic, political and environmental baggage for one vehicle, no matter how powerful its towing capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=Why+Ford+Unveiling+An+Electric+F-150+Is+A+Big+Deal&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 867,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 24
},
"modified": 1704846595,
"excerpt": "Ford is introducing an electric F-150 pickup, called Lightning, at a pivotal moment as the industry moves towards electric vehicles. \r\n",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Ford is introducing an electric F-150 pickup, called Lightning, at a pivotal moment as the industry moves towards electric vehicles. \r\n",
"title": "The Ford F-150 is America's Top-Selling Car. Now There's an Electric Version | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The Ford F-150 is America's Top-Selling Car. Now There's an Electric Version",
"datePublished": "2021-05-20T12:54:00-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:29:55-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "the-ford-f-150-is-americas-top-selling-car-now-theres-an-electric-version",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=998205598&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprStoryDate": "Wed, 19 May 2021 16:10:17 -0400",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Thu, 20 May 2021 07:27:58 -0400",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998205598/can-a-battery-powered-f-150-truck-persuade-americans-to-embrace-electric-vehicle?ft=nprml&f=998205598",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2021/05/20210519_me_electric_f-150_preview.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1006&d=235&story=998205598&ft=nprml&f=998205598",
"nprImageAgency": "AP",
"source": "NPR",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/1998342869-1038b9.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1006&d=235&story=998205598&ft=nprml&f=998205598",
"nprStoryId": "998205598",
"nprByline": "Camila Domonoske \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"nprImageCredit": "Carlos Osorio",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Thu, 20 May 2021 07:27:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1974858/the-ford-f-150-is-americas-top-selling-car-now-theres-an-electric-version",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2021/05/20210519_me_electric_f-150_preview.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1006&d=235&story=998205598&ft=nprml&f=998205598",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>There’s a lot riding on the F-150 Lightning, the all-electric pickup that Ford unveiled Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the company, it represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles — one that nearly every rival automaker is also making. And it’s also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting: made in America, pairing blue-collar roots and high-tech ambitions, fighting climate change without making compromises.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The subtext was made explicit when the president visited Ford’s Rouge complex on Tuesday to tout electric vehicles in general and praise this one in particular — even taking it for a spin on the test track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind all this buzz and boosterism is an incredibly daunting challenge for the auto industry. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050\">a report\u003c/a> out this week from the International Energy Agency, for the energy sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, electric vehicles would need to go from 5% of global sales to 60% in less than a decade. Five years later, in 2035, \u003cem>all \u003c/em>new cars would need to be electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Automakers such as General Motors and Volvo have openly embraced that timeline, as have governments such as the United Kingdom. But a transformation of that scale raises \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/06/23/880941975/an-electric-pickup-truck-brings-new-energy-to-lordstown-ohio\">myriad challenges\u003c/a> — chargers that need to be built, supply chains that need to expand, factories that need to be retooled.\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>And for many in the auto industry, it raises a fundamental question: Can companies make electric cars that will bring \u003cem>drivers \u003c/em>on board, and fast?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford hopes that’s where the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998268622/ford-says-electric-f-150-will-start-under-40-000-it-can-also-power-your-home\">F-150 Lightning\u003c/a> comes in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot at stake here, not just for Ford, but really for the country,” says Darren Palmer, Ford’s head of battery electric vehicles. “This could be the point when people really notice electric [vehicles].”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford’s not the only one hoping there’s a big pool of would-be buyers who aren’t interested in a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf but would happily spring for an electric version of their favorite pickup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That vehicle is going to come in and fill a void. And if it’s affordable, I mean, it’s going to be a game changer,” says Shelley Francis, co-founder of EVHybridNoire, a network of diverse electric vehicle enthusiasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the No. 1-selling vehicle in the country just across the board; it’s also the No. 1-selling vehicle among African American communities,” she says. “Then when you think about rural communities … there’s an opportunity for this community to be part of this conversation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford’s F-150 Lightning, unveiled at a ceremony on Wednesday evening, is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/16/945626639/all-the-oomph-minus-the-vroom-electric-pickups-take-aim-at-american-market\">a spate of electric pickups\u003c/a> arriving on the market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are the startups: Rivian is targeting outdoor enthusiasts with its $75,000 truck, which is poised to start deliveries next month and win the race to be the first electric pickup to market. The futuristic Tesla Cybertruck is on the way at a much lower price point, while Lordstown Motors is focusing on business customers with its upcoming vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, General Motors is bringing the Hummer brand back as a top-of-the-line premium electric pickup, initially starting at more than $100,000. An electric Silverado is also in the works. And Stellantis, Chrysler’s parent company, has promised a battery-powered Ram eventually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The F-150 carries extra symbolic and economic weight. It’s America’s best-selling vehicle and has been for 40 years. Ford sells more than 1 million F-series trucks per year, raking in more than $40 billion annually, more than McDonald’s or Nike bring in as entire companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that doesn’t mean that Ford enthusiasts will automatically leap at this new vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/16/945626639/all-the-oomph-minus-the-vroom-electric-pickups-take-aim-at-american-market\">Surveys show\u003c/a> that more than half of truck drivers are not interested in going electric, full stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palmer laid out Ford’s argument to skeptical V-8-loving pickup drivers using a cordless drill metaphor. It wasn’t hard to convince people to switch from old battery technology to lighter, longer-running lithium-ion drills: quite the opposite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The functionality difference — [it] was better,” Palmer says. “Everybody wanted the best tool. It’s the same thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford argues that the perks of electrification will speak for themselves, such as the effortless torque that’s characteristic of all electric motors and the potential for new, practical features. (The hybrid F-150 has an option that allows you to run power tools off the car’s battery at a work site, for instance.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But can the electric F-150 win over regular drivers, map a path to new profits for an entire industry and prove effective in the fight against climate change?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a lot of economic, political and environmental baggage for one vehicle, no matter how powerful its towing capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=Why+Ford+Unveiling+An+Electric+F-150+Is+A+Big+Deal&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974858/the-ford-f-150-is-americas-top-selling-car-now-theres-an-electric-version",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1974858"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_33",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_1133",
"science_2936"
],
"featImg": "science_1974859",
"label": "source_science_1974858"
},
"science_1974648": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974648",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974648",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1620944467000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble",
"title": "Last Year's Santa Cruz Lightning Fires Still Causing Trouble",
"publishDate": 1620944467,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Last Year’s Santa Cruz Lightning Fires Still Causing Trouble | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>A small fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains started on May 2 because of a flare-up inside a tree that had burned in last year’s CZU Lightning Complex fires. Those fires raged for more than 40 days, consumed over 85,000 acres and destroyed about 7,000 buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sunday’s Basin Fire ignited from embers that had smoldered for roughly eight months inside a 30-foot tree with a 6-foot diameter. The fire burned through about 7 acres and was quickly contained by Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, the fire agency conducted an infrared-mapping flight that identified several similar hot spots within the CZU burn scar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our crews have been hiking into each identified location,” said Jonathan Cox, deputy chief of the agency’s San Mateo division, in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coastal California around the Bay Area received less than half its average rainfall this past winter. “When you have that type of setup, these fuels can smolder,” said Scott Stephens, a fire scientist at UC Berkeley. “And they could smolder for many months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incident is not the only flare-up this year. Last week, scientists with Sequoia National Park \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/05/06/sequoia-national-park-tree-still-burning-after-2020-castle-fire/4973223001/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">found\u003c/span>\u003c/a> a giant tree still beset by flameless burning in the remote Board Camp Grove, nine months after it was scorched during last summer’s Castle Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flare-ups are not uncommon in thickly forested places after wildfires have ripped through areas with heavy fuels. Coals remain warm and deep within big logs, root balls, and rotten material buried underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the weather warms up and trees, brush and grasses dry out, these embers can flare up and ignite new fires. At times, they spread and burn dangerously out of control. That’s how the 1991 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/about/history/the_oakland_hills_firestorm___forward.htm\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Oakland Hills Firestorm \u003c/span>\u003c/a>began, Stephens says, which eventually spread to consume 2.5 square miles of neighborhoods off Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Claremont Canyon, killing 25 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Generally, agencies will go around the edges of big fires and do a mop-up operation, trying to get rid of all of those smoldering areas,” Stephens said. “Maybe 200 feet, 300 feet from the fire line. But the interior of those big giant fires are not going to be mopped up. They’re just too large.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A lack of substantial winter rain has left much of the state parched in drought conditions, especially in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last weekend the National Weather Service issued a rare spring red flag warning across the inland hills of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain says California is drier than it was at “any point during the last drought, which is kind of shocking, because things got pretty bad then.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says the dry conditions are a “very alarming signal” in terms of the health of forests and wildfire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re going to see increased forest mortality, and we’re going to reap the wildfire impacts, unfortunately, later in the season,” he said.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More fires have ignited earlier this year than last year in the state, but spring fires tend to be smaller and less dangerous. Swain says conditions are primed for a particularly severe fire season, once again, in most of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/CALFIRE_PIO/status/1390000487018209280?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year’s season was so bad due to extreme heat and dryness, but it was August’s dry lightning storms that sparked hundreds of fires, including the summer’s largest and most catastrophic wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m hopeful that we won’t have that simultaneous ignition of hundreds of fires in August coupled with one of the hottest heat waves on record,” Swain said. “My fingers are crossed. Statistically, we should be able to avoid it. The odds aren’t high. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see something similar.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The Basin Fire began when embers from the CZU fire that had smoldered for roughly eight months inside a tree ignited.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1725577052,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 19,
"wordCount": 670
},
"headData": {
"title": "Last Year's Santa Cruz Lightning Fires Still Causing Trouble | KQED",
"description": "The Basin Fire began when embers from the CZU fire that had smoldered for roughly eight months inside a tree ignited.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Last Year's Santa Cruz Lightning Fires Still Causing Trouble",
"datePublished": "2021-05-13T15:21:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-05T15:57:32-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Wildfire",
"sticky": false,
"path": "/science/1974648/last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A small fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains started on May 2 because of a flare-up inside a tree that had burned in last year’s CZU Lightning Complex fires. Those fires raged for more than 40 days, consumed over 85,000 acres and destroyed about 7,000 buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sunday’s Basin Fire ignited from embers that had smoldered for roughly eight months inside a 30-foot tree with a 6-foot diameter. The fire burned through about 7 acres and was quickly contained by Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, the fire agency conducted an infrared-mapping flight that identified several similar hot spots within the CZU burn scar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our crews have been hiking into each identified location,” said Jonathan Cox, deputy chief of the agency’s San Mateo division, in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coastal California around the Bay Area received less than half its average rainfall this past winter. “When you have that type of setup, these fuels can smolder,” said Scott Stephens, a fire scientist at UC Berkeley. “And they could smolder for many months.”\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 incident is not the only flare-up this year. Last week, scientists with Sequoia National Park \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/05/06/sequoia-national-park-tree-still-burning-after-2020-castle-fire/4973223001/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">found\u003c/span>\u003c/a> a giant tree still beset by flameless burning in the remote Board Camp Grove, nine months after it was scorched during last summer’s Castle Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flare-ups are not uncommon in thickly forested places after wildfires have ripped through areas with heavy fuels. Coals remain warm and deep within big logs, root balls, and rotten material buried underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the weather warms up and trees, brush and grasses dry out, these embers can flare up and ignite new fires. At times, they spread and burn dangerously out of control. That’s how the 1991 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/about/history/the_oakland_hills_firestorm___forward.htm\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Oakland Hills Firestorm \u003c/span>\u003c/a>began, Stephens says, which eventually spread to consume 2.5 square miles of neighborhoods off Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Claremont Canyon, killing 25 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Generally, agencies will go around the edges of big fires and do a mop-up operation, trying to get rid of all of those smoldering areas,” Stephens said. “Maybe 200 feet, 300 feet from the fire line. But the interior of those big giant fires are not going to be mopped up. They’re just too large.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A lack of substantial winter rain has left much of the state parched in drought conditions, especially in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last weekend the National Weather Service issued a rare spring red flag warning across the inland hills of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain says California is drier than it was at “any point during the last drought, which is kind of shocking, because things got pretty bad then.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says the dry conditions are a “very alarming signal” in terms of the health of forests and wildfire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re going to see increased forest mortality, and we’re going to reap the wildfire impacts, unfortunately, later in the season,” he said.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More fires have ignited earlier this year than last year in the state, but spring fires tend to be smaller and less dangerous. Swain says conditions are primed for a particularly severe fire season, once again, in most of the state.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1390000487018209280"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Last year’s season was so bad due to extreme heat and dryness, but it was August’s dry lightning storms that sparked hundreds of fires, including the summer’s largest and most catastrophic wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m hopeful that we won’t have that simultaneous ignition of hundreds of fires in August coupled with one of the hottest heat waves on record,” Swain said. “My fingers are crossed. Statistically, we should be able to avoid it. The odds aren’t high. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see something similar.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974648/last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble",
"authors": [
"11608"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_98",
"science_3730"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_572",
"science_113"
],
"featImg": "science_1974779",
"label": "source_science_1974648"
},
"science_1973159": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1973159",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1973159",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1620889267000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-to-save-a-california-town-from-wildfire-plentyy-of-advance-work-and-agency-cooperation",
"title": "The Very Unsexy Solution to California's Wildfire Woes: Interagency Cooperation and Controlled Burns",
"publishDate": 1620889267,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "The Very Unsexy Solution to California’s Wildfire Woes: Interagency Cooperation and Controlled Burns | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Signs of gratitude, literally, adorn the Fresno County mountain town of Shaver Lake, population 500 plus a collection of cabins, restaurants and real estate offices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of Bob’s Market, the message is: “Thank you, Creek Fire Heroes,” adjacent to a photo of firefighters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The town today is an island of green pines, surrounded by charred hills and the burnt remains of trees. Yet the signs of gratitude, while well-deserved, could also rightly extend to a mostly unheralded group of workers who labored in advance of flames bearing down on the area from the raging Creek Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Saved by Fire\" postID=\"science_1973138,science_1973196\"]That fire started on Sept. 4, 2020, the Friday before Labor Day. After a hot, dry summer, all it took was a spark in a steep, overgrown canyon to ignite what turned into an explosive blaze.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having a fire in this canyon was kind of a nightmare,” said Ryan Stewart, a forester for the utility Southern California Edison, looking down a steep hillside, which as of September was overgrown with thick brush. “You look at it and you go: ‘I don’t know how they’re going to stop that fire.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SoCal Edison owns a lot of property to the south of the canyon, around Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Creek Fire started, Stewart “was kind of just thinking in the back of my mind, ‘I wonder what they’re doing over there, because I got it over here. But over there it’s a different story.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1971660\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQEDSCIENCE_CRKFR-1.gif\" alt=\"Groundwater Rise\" width=\"400\" height=\"720\">Over “there” are the forests around Big Creek, where half the homes burned. The “here” Stewart referred to is the forest where he and his colleagues have treated the landscape for years, cutting crowded and dead trees, clearing brush and lighting prescribed fires. All that work, performed in preparation for the next big wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the fire struck, Cal Fire Assistant Chief Jim McDougald, who’d just returned home from fighting fires in Sonoma County, had been forced to head out in the middle of the night to do yet more battle with a conflagration. While driving he spotted the glow from miles away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And that was a clue to me it had the potential to become a major fire,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stewart says he got the call from McDougald around 2 a.m., telling him the fire was headed up the hill toward SoCal Edison property. “I knew that, OK, well, we’ve got a good chance of stopping it once it gets on Edison lands,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDougald also thought the fire could be stopped there. “The best tool at that time was to try to get dozers in there and open up some of the fuel breaks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stewart arrived at the property in the dead of night and began tying pink flags to trees, marking spots where fire breaks should be widened. Many of the pink flags are still in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that line is where crews held it during the first hours of the Creek Fire incident. Once the flames crossed over into the treated lands, the fire’s behavior rapidly changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The intensity of the fire was reduced to a ground fire, and we didn’t get into the crowns, didn’t kill any of the trees,” said Stewart, surveying the land last winter. “Looks pretty good. It’s actually pretty much a controlled burn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The diminution rapidly halted one flank of the fire. And, McDougald says, it bought time to complete evacuations and prepare to defend Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No question about it … that work bought the direct impact of the fire hitting Shaver at least 24 to 48 hours,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the fire continued to spread in other directions, drawing McDougald’s attention elsewhere. He knew he needed help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Creek Fire surged, Clint Wade, a fuels specialist for the High Sierra Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest, was working a different fire in the Los Padres National Forest. He and McDougald had worked closely together on getting a system of fuel breaks installed in the Sierra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Jim made a special request, like, ‘Hey, we need Clint back. He understands this fuel break system,’” recalls Wade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973154\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973154 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Stewart stands on the edge of a parcel of land he helped prepare for fire. To his left is untreated Forest Service land, to his right Southern California Edison land. \u003ccite>(Ryan Tamborski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That system helped provide protection in part because Wade, McDougald and others made a conscious effort to put breaks in place where they were needed most, regardless of whether the land was federal, state or the private parcels dotting the land within the national forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, the Forest Service doesn’t treat private land, typically,” Wade said. “So Cal Fire came to us, said, ‘Hey, we have some money. Where do you have holes?’ And we got out the maps [and saw], ‘Hey, Twin Brooks has got some patches. Can we glue that together? You know, there’s stuff over here off the back side of Cressman’s, there’s patches. Let’s glue that together.’ And we started designing projects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of these fuel breaks and controlled burns were funded because of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019 executive order fast-tracking 35 high-priority projects to protect vulnerable communities. Five of these were on lands in and around Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a California Assembly hearing last fall, Cal Fire director Thom Porter told lawmakers, “The centerpiece of Shaver Lake would have been completely consumed like Paradise, had we not done those projects and had we not had those prescribed fires that occurred in that area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Breaking Down Jurisdictional Barriers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the Creek Fire, the fourth largest on record in the state, destroyed 900 structures and injured 26 people, the preventive treatments around Shaver Lake are a success story, albeit one that’s not common. Even though vegetation treatments and planned fires can make wildfires less catastrophic and smoke less toxic, they are not easy to get done in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Questions of jurisdiction, for instance, can get in the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It shouldn’t matter whose ground it is if that’s where the fuel break needs to go and both agencies agree,” Cal Fire’s McDougald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, it often does. Agencies like the Forest Service or Cal Fire have individual mandates to care for land and protect communities, but not necessarily to work together smoothly. So success can depend on the goodwill efforts of individuals with the power to make decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve spent a lot of time fostering the professional and personal relationship that needs to be in place so that you can implement work,” Wade said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A host of other barriers exist, such as questions of who has liability if the controlled burn escapes or what animals can’t be disturbed because they’re in mating season. There’s also a firefighting culture at work: People who extinguish flames are called heroes. People who trim brush and light prescribed fires aren’t thought of that way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973155\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973155 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Looking toward Musick Mountain through a fire-destroyed forest. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One approved project wasn’t completed before fire season because of limited staff, time and money. So when wildfire tore over Musick Mountain, it ruined habitat and blazed a path to where people lived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(T)he regret is, you know, could we have gotten that done a year sooner?” said Wade. “We probably would’ve had fuel-breaks in [which] would have surrounded that ignition, and there could have been opportunity to slow this down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sheer magnitude of all the treatments that need to be done is intense in a forest where fires have been suppressed for more than a century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973156\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973156\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire’s Jim McDougald says what he and others do in the next few decades will determine if Shaver Lake will survive future fires. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You’re always behind, you’re working hard, you’re building fuel breaks, you’re doing the right thing,” McDougald said. “You’re getting some prescribed fire done. But there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for a while.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDougald says what he and others do in the next years to decades will determine whether Shaver Lake has healthy forests — and healthy fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hopefully the story you’re talking about next time is: ‘This is now a resilient landscape. And how did you do it?’ It’s work we haven’t done yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A small group of workers who labored in the forests surrounding Shaver Lake ahead of last year's Creek Fire aren't typically talked about as wildfire heroes. But their work made it possible to save the town.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1727135412,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 39,
"wordCount": 1510
},
"headData": {
"title": "The Very Unsexy Solution to California's Wildfire Woes: Interagency Cooperation and Controlled Burns | KQED",
"description": "A small group of workers who labored in the forests surrounding Shaver Lake ahead of last year's Creek Fire aren't typically talked about as wildfire heroes. But their work made it possible to save the town.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The Very Unsexy Solution to California's Wildfire Woes: Interagency Cooperation and Controlled Burns",
"datePublished": "2021-05-13T00:01:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-23T16:50:12-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Wildfire",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/science/2021/05/ShaverLakewithLede.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"path": "/science/1973159/how-to-save-a-california-town-from-wildfire-plentyy-of-advance-work-and-agency-cooperation",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Signs of gratitude, literally, adorn the Fresno County mountain town of Shaver Lake, population 500 plus a collection of cabins, restaurants and real estate offices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of Bob’s Market, the message is: “Thank you, Creek Fire Heroes,” adjacent to a photo of firefighters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The town today is an island of green pines, surrounded by charred hills and the burnt remains of trees. Yet the signs of gratitude, while well-deserved, could also rightly extend to a mostly unheralded group of workers who labored in advance of flames bearing down on the area from the raging Creek Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "Saved by Fire ",
"postid": "science_1973138,science_1973196"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That fire started on Sept. 4, 2020, the Friday before Labor Day. After a hot, dry summer, all it took was a spark in a steep, overgrown canyon to ignite what turned into an explosive blaze.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having a fire in this canyon was kind of a nightmare,” said Ryan Stewart, a forester for the utility Southern California Edison, looking down a steep hillside, which as of September was overgrown with thick brush. “You look at it and you go: ‘I don’t know how they’re going to stop that fire.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SoCal Edison owns a lot of property to the south of the canyon, around Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Creek Fire started, Stewart “was kind of just thinking in the back of my mind, ‘I wonder what they’re doing over there, because I got it over here. But over there it’s a different story.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1971660\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/KQEDSCIENCE_CRKFR-1.gif\" alt=\"Groundwater Rise\" width=\"400\" height=\"720\">Over “there” are the forests around Big Creek, where half the homes burned. The “here” Stewart referred to is the forest where he and his colleagues have treated the landscape for years, cutting crowded and dead trees, clearing brush and lighting prescribed fires. All that work, performed in preparation for the next big wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the fire struck, Cal Fire Assistant Chief Jim McDougald, who’d just returned home from fighting fires in Sonoma County, had been forced to head out in the middle of the night to do yet more battle with a conflagration. While driving he spotted the glow from miles away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And that was a clue to me it had the potential to become a major fire,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stewart says he got the call from McDougald around 2 a.m., telling him the fire was headed up the hill toward SoCal Edison property. “I knew that, OK, well, we’ve got a good chance of stopping it once it gets on Edison lands,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDougald also thought the fire could be stopped there. “The best tool at that time was to try to get dozers in there and open up some of the fuel breaks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stewart arrived at the property in the dead of night and began tying pink flags to trees, marking spots where fire breaks should be widened. Many of the pink flags are still in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that line is where crews held it during the first hours of the Creek Fire incident. Once the flames crossed over into the treated lands, the fire’s behavior rapidly changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The intensity of the fire was reduced to a ground fire, and we didn’t get into the crowns, didn’t kill any of the trees,” said Stewart, surveying the land last winter. “Looks pretty good. It’s actually pretty much a controlled burn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The diminution rapidly halted one flank of the fire. And, McDougald says, it bought time to complete evacuations and prepare to defend Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No question about it … that work bought the direct impact of the fire hitting Shaver at least 24 to 48 hours,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the fire continued to spread in other directions, drawing McDougald’s attention elsewhere. He knew he needed help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Creek Fire surged, Clint Wade, a fuels specialist for the High Sierra Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest, was working a different fire in the Los Padres National Forest. He and McDougald had worked closely together on getting a system of fuel breaks installed in the Sierra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Jim made a special request, like, ‘Hey, we need Clint back. He understands this fuel break system,’” recalls Wade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973154\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973154 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/119A5277-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Stewart stands on the edge of a parcel of land he helped prepare for fire. To his left is untreated Forest Service land, to his right Southern California Edison land. \u003ccite>(Ryan Tamborski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That system helped provide protection in part because Wade, McDougald and others made a conscious effort to put breaks in place where they were needed most, regardless of whether the land was federal, state or the private parcels dotting the land within the national forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, the Forest Service doesn’t treat private land, typically,” Wade said. “So Cal Fire came to us, said, ‘Hey, we have some money. Where do you have holes?’ And we got out the maps [and saw], ‘Hey, Twin Brooks has got some patches. Can we glue that together? You know, there’s stuff over here off the back side of Cressman’s, there’s patches. Let’s glue that together.’ And we started designing projects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of these fuel breaks and controlled burns were funded because of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019 executive order fast-tracking 35 high-priority projects to protect vulnerable communities. Five of these were on lands in and around Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a California Assembly hearing last fall, Cal Fire director Thom Porter told lawmakers, “The centerpiece of Shaver Lake would have been completely consumed like Paradise, had we not done those projects and had we not had those prescribed fires that occurred in that area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Breaking Down Jurisdictional Barriers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the Creek Fire, the fourth largest on record in the state, destroyed 900 structures and injured 26 people, the preventive treatments around Shaver Lake are a success story, albeit one that’s not common. Even though vegetation treatments and planned fires can make wildfires less catastrophic and smoke less toxic, they are not easy to get done in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Questions of jurisdiction, for instance, can get in the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It shouldn’t matter whose ground it is if that’s where the fuel break needs to go and both agencies agree,” Cal Fire’s McDougald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, it often does. Agencies like the Forest Service or Cal Fire have individual mandates to care for land and protect communities, but not necessarily to work together smoothly. So success can depend on the goodwill efforts of individuals with the power to make decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve spent a lot of time fostering the professional and personal relationship that needs to be in place so that you can implement work,” Wade said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A host of other barriers exist, such as questions of who has liability if the controlled burn escapes or what animals can’t be disturbed because they’re in mating season. There’s also a firefighting culture at work: People who extinguish flames are called heroes. People who trim brush and light prescribed fires aren’t thought of that way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973155\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973155 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1585-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Looking toward Musick Mountain through a fire-destroyed forest. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One approved project wasn’t completed before fire season because of limited staff, time and money. So when wildfire tore over Musick Mountain, it ruined habitat and blazed a path to where people lived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(T)he regret is, you know, could we have gotten that done a year sooner?” said Wade. “We probably would’ve had fuel-breaks in [which] would have surrounded that ignition, and there could have been opportunity to slow this down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sheer magnitude of all the treatments that need to be done is intense in a forest where fires have been suppressed for more than a century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973156\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973156\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/03/IMG_1610-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cal Fire’s Jim McDougald says what he and others do in the next few decades will determine if Shaver Lake will survive future fires. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You’re always behind, you’re working hard, you’re building fuel breaks, you’re doing the right thing,” McDougald said. “You’re getting some prescribed fire done. But there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for a while.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDougald says what he and others do in the next years to decades will determine whether Shaver Lake has healthy forests — and healthy fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hopefully the story you’re talking about next time is: ‘This is now a resilient landscape. And how did you do it?’ It’s work we haven’t done yet.”\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>\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/1973159/how-to-save-a-california-town-from-wildfire-plentyy-of-advance-work-and-agency-cooperation",
"authors": [
"11088"
],
"programs": [
"science_5376"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_5141",
"science_4450",
"science_3423",
"science_3730"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_4417",
"science_4414",
"science_113"
],
"featImg": "science_1973151",
"label": "source_science_1973159"
},
"science_1973138": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1973138",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1973138",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1620802904000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-a-small-forest-community-saved-itself-from-fire",
"title": "Amid Devastating California Fire Season, One Small Community Saved Itself. Here's How",
"publishDate": 1620802904,
"format": "image",
"headTitle": "Amid Devastating California Fire Season, One Small Community Saved Itself. Here’s How | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Foresters Julianne Stewart and Meghan Breniman are inspecting a white fir tree. The top branches are green and the bottom singed, probably dead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a good thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, really, that’s ideal,” said Stewart. “That tree, as it grows, it’s eventually going to drop those lower branches because they were killed during the fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By virtue of this self-pruning, she says, the tree is making itself more resilient when the next fire comes looking for fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is preparing for another fire season, with last year’s record 4 million acres burned still fresh in the state’s memory. But anyone looking for silver linings amid that devastation might consider one community that had appeared primed to burn but prepared for the worst and survived, offering a lesson in withstanding even a ferocious conflagration if residents have committed to adapting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Saved by Fire\" postID=\"science_1973159,science_1973196\"]Last September, the Creek Fire, the state’s fourth largest on record, roared toward that white fir and its neighboring trees, located near a community called Rock Haven, a community of 16 cabins surrounded by the Sierra National Forest, about an hour east of Fresno and close to the shores of Shaver Lake. But instead of consuming everything in its path, the fire suddenly dropped and calmly burned along the forest floor. Now the fir sits smack in the middle of a transition zone, where just a few feet away the landscape is very different, and “there’s literally nothing alive,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the fire, the slope was dense with pines, firs and cedars. The understory of manzanita and white thorn was so thick you could barely walk through. Now it looks like a sand dune punctured by spent matchsticks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we were here right after the fire, this really burnt-up guy, he was smoking like a chimney,” Breniman said, pointing to one charred tree. “He essentially looked like a cigar. It was burning up through the inside of him and just, like, smoking out the top.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973142\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973142 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dead and burned trees in the area of Rock Haven that was not treated prior to the Creek Fire of September 2020. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Breniman and Stewart own a forestry consulting company, and they managed the project that cleared brush and removed dead and crowded trees at Rock Haven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The private, 160-acre parcel is collectively owned by more than a dozen families. Stewart has worked with the community since 2014, when bark beetles, induced by a long, punishing drought, were killing entire stands, turning the dead trees into ticking time bombs before the next wildfire struck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s kind of neat about Rock Haven is it’s almost like a small miniature model of California,” said Stewart, “with a pretty diverse set of people with generally the same goals,” all revolving around maintaining a healthy forest. “But everyone might have a slightly different view of what they want done right around their cabin or what they want done here or there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Bay resident Jennifer Meux-White is the fourth generation of her family to use a cabin at Rock Haven. She and her husband had to work to convince their neighbors they had to do something about the fire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That took a long time. “We’ve been talking to our members for maybe almost 20 years,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the community’s reluctance was connected to the area’s history. In the late 1800s, a lumber company built a small millpond in the area that’s now Shaver Lake, harvesting an enormous number of trees in the basin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Demand for lumber was high. Wood from the area was used in crates to hold California produce, as well as the frames and walls of San Joaquin Valley houses. By the 1920s, most of the trees were gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It looked like a sparse haircut with a few trees here and there,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As lumber jobs dried up, many left the aream but some, including Mrs. Shaver, wife of the lumber mill’s owner, remained. After he died she sold the mill and her land to Southern California Edison\u003cstrong>;\u003c/strong> the utility company was looking for a place to build a hydroelectric dam. But she kept 160 acres with a view of the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She basically invited 15 of her friends from Fresno to build cabins there,” said Meux-White. “My great-grandparents were friends of the Shavers, and they were among the first to build a cabin up there with her.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973141\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">View from a cabin at Rock Haven looking toward Shaver Lake. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Finding Consensus\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meux-White says that when the cabins were built, the families had a great desire to see the forest come back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had rules in our association: You will not cut a tree, and you know, trees are sacred and blah, blah, blah. Well, after 100 years, you have a lot of scraggly trees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A study of the property showed the situation was dire in terms of fire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had at Rock Haven six times as much fire fuel on the ground as the average for California,” Meux-White said. “Well, you could imagine that’s a hell of a lot of stuff that can burn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her husband held meeting after meeting at her cabin, inviting expert speakers and passing out reading material. The education was continual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ve got all the generations,” she said, “You may have the grandparents or the parents who say, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to do something.’ But about then the kids come along, the 20-year-olds are pretty soon 30-year-olds, and you have to educate them, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Stewart said the process was effective, and residents realized that, “We’re on the precipice. We have an emergency, our trees are dying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And so everyone kind of grouped together and said, ‘OK, we’re going to figure out something,” she said. “And it might not be exactly what everyone wants, but we’re going to move forward because we’d rather have our forest than lose it.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there was also the question of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The price of cleaning up, recovering and maintaining a forest can run up to $5,000 an acre, which at Rock Haven prices out to almost $1 million. Less intensive treatments would have still cost in the hundreds of thousands, and while the cabins are beautiful, that doesn’t necessarily mean the families who’ve inherited them have a lot of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We never would have been able to pay for all of that in a timely manner,” said Meux-White.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But help came from the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The one shining beacon of light was the California Forest Improvement Program,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program, run by Cal Fire, the state’s fire agency, picked up 90% of the costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breniman and Stewart say that by funding the program, California acknowledged that a well-managed forest is in the public’s best interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It reduces wildfire risk. It provides wildlife habitat,” Stewart said. “It’s kind of a win all across the board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(The program was not funded for the current fiscal year, ending June 30.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, even paying a fraction of the cost can be a big investment for landowners, so foresters Stewart and Breniman first focused on the half of the property where the cabins are, near the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Trial by Fire\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The treatments — removing crowded trees and thick brush — were finished just months before the Creek Fire. The other half of the property was supposed to be done this year, but the fire killed almost all of the trees there, so new ones will have to be planted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973145\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973145 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entrance to Rock Haven, near the shores of Shaver Lake. Firefighters used treated land at Rock Haven to bulldoze the fire line and fight the Creek Fire. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, without the preventive work they managed to complete, “I think all these cabins would have burned to the ground,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, the cabins escaped without even getting singed. That’s in part because of another benefit of forest treatment: Cal Fire’s Jim McDougald, an assistant chief in Fresno County, says the advance labor at Rock Haven made the work of firefighters safer, quicker and more effective during the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that work hadn’t been done,” he said, “we may not have been as successful protecting homes and people’s property in those areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stand firefighters mounted at Rock Haven also halted the fire’s progress toward the rest of Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For foresters Breniman and Stewart, the loss of the trees in the untreated portion of the Rock Haven property is regrettable. Just another year and maybe they could have been saved, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the preserved green half gives them hope. It’s now ecologically healthier than before the fire, residents have noticed more wildlife, and it shows what can be done, in a state with millions of overgrown acres, to reduce wildfire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Amid the devastation of last year's fire season, Rock Haven appeared primed to burn but prepared for the worst and survived, showing it's possible to withstand even a ferocious conflagration if residents have committed to adapting.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1727135419,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 47,
"wordCount": 1606
},
"headData": {
"title": "Amid Devastating California Fire Season, One Small Community Saved Itself. Here's How | KQED",
"description": "Amid the devastation of last year's fire season, Rock Haven appeared primed to burn but prepared for the worst and survived, showing it's possible to withstand even a ferocious conflagration if residents have committed to adapting.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Amid Devastating California Fire Season, One Small Community Saved Itself. Here's How",
"datePublished": "2021-05-12T00:01:44-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-23T16:50:19-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Wildfire",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/science/2021/05/RockHavenwithLede.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"path": "/science/1973138/how-a-small-forest-community-saved-itself-from-fire",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Foresters Julianne Stewart and Meghan Breniman are inspecting a white fir tree. The top branches are green and the bottom singed, probably dead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a good thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, really, that’s ideal,” said Stewart. “That tree, as it grows, it’s eventually going to drop those lower branches because they were killed during the fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By virtue of this self-pruning, she says, the tree is making itself more resilient when the next fire comes looking for fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is preparing for another fire season, with last year’s record 4 million acres burned still fresh in the state’s memory. But anyone looking for silver linings amid that devastation might consider one community that had appeared primed to burn but prepared for the worst and survived, offering a lesson in withstanding even a ferocious conflagration if residents have committed to adapting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "Saved by Fire ",
"postid": "science_1973159,science_1973196"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Last September, the Creek Fire, the state’s fourth largest on record, roared toward that white fir and its neighboring trees, located near a community called Rock Haven, a community of 16 cabins surrounded by the Sierra National Forest, about an hour east of Fresno and close to the shores of Shaver Lake. But instead of consuming everything in its path, the fire suddenly dropped and calmly burned along the forest floor. Now the fir sits smack in the middle of a transition zone, where just a few feet away the landscape is very different, and “there’s literally nothing alive,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the fire, the slope was dense with pines, firs and cedars. The understory of manzanita and white thorn was so thick you could barely walk through. Now it looks like a sand dune punctured by spent matchsticks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we were here right after the fire, this really burnt-up guy, he was smoking like a chimney,” Breniman said, pointing to one charred tree. “He essentially looked like a cigar. It was burning up through the inside of him and just, like, smoking out the top.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973142\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973142 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1567-scaled-e1615334165235.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dead and burned trees in the area of Rock Haven that was not treated prior to the Creek Fire of September 2020. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Breniman and Stewart own a forestry consulting company, and they managed the project that cleared brush and removed dead and crowded trees at Rock Haven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The private, 160-acre parcel is collectively owned by more than a dozen families. Stewart has worked with the community since 2014, when bark beetles, induced by a long, punishing drought, were killing entire stands, turning the dead trees into ticking time bombs before the next wildfire struck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s kind of neat about Rock Haven is it’s almost like a small miniature model of California,” said Stewart, “with a pretty diverse set of people with generally the same goals,” all revolving around maintaining a healthy forest. “But everyone might have a slightly different view of what they want done right around their cabin or what they want done here or there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Bay resident Jennifer Meux-White is the fourth generation of her family to use a cabin at Rock Haven. She and her husband had to work to convince their neighbors they had to do something about the fire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That took a long time. “We’ve been talking to our members for maybe almost 20 years,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the community’s reluctance was connected to the area’s history. In the late 1800s, a lumber company built a small millpond in the area that’s now Shaver Lake, harvesting an enormous number of trees in the basin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Demand for lumber was high. Wood from the area was used in crates to hold California produce, as well as the frames and walls of San Joaquin Valley houses. By the 1920s, most of the trees were gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It looked like a sparse haircut with a few trees here and there,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As lumber jobs dried up, many left the aream but some, including Mrs. Shaver, wife of the lumber mill’s owner, remained. After he died she sold the mill and her land to Southern California Edison\u003cstrong>;\u003c/strong> the utility company was looking for a place to build a hydroelectric dam. But she kept 160 acres with a view of the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She basically invited 15 of her friends from Fresno to build cabins there,” said Meux-White. “My great-grandparents were friends of the Shavers, and they were among the first to build a cabin up there with her.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1973141\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1562-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">View from a cabin at Rock Haven looking toward Shaver Lake. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Finding Consensus\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meux-White says that when the cabins were built, the families had a great desire to see the forest come back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had rules in our association: You will not cut a tree, and you know, trees are sacred and blah, blah, blah. Well, after 100 years, you have a lot of scraggly trees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A study of the property showed the situation was dire in terms of fire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had at Rock Haven six times as much fire fuel on the ground as the average for California,” Meux-White said. “Well, you could imagine that’s a hell of a lot of stuff that can burn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her husband held meeting after meeting at her cabin, inviting expert speakers and passing out reading material. The education was continual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ve got all the generations,” she said, “You may have the grandparents or the parents who say, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to do something.’ But about then the kids come along, the 20-year-olds are pretty soon 30-year-olds, and you have to educate them, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Stewart said the process was effective, and residents realized that, “We’re on the precipice. We have an emergency, our trees are dying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And so everyone kind of grouped together and said, ‘OK, we’re going to figure out something,” she said. “And it might not be exactly what everyone wants, but we’re going to move forward because we’d rather have our forest than lose it.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there was also the question of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The price of cleaning up, recovering and maintaining a forest can run up to $5,000 an acre, which at Rock Haven prices out to almost $1 million. Less intensive treatments would have still cost in the hundreds of thousands, and while the cabins are beautiful, that doesn’t necessarily mean the families who’ve inherited them have a lot of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We never would have been able to pay for all of that in a timely manner,” said Meux-White.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But help came from the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The one shining beacon of light was the California Forest Improvement Program,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program, run by Cal Fire, the state’s fire agency, picked up 90% of the costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breniman and Stewart say that by funding the program, California acknowledged that a well-managed forest is in the public’s best interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It reduces wildfire risk. It provides wildlife habitat,” Stewart said. “It’s kind of a win all across the board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(The program was not funded for the current fiscal year, ending June 30.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, even paying a fraction of the cost can be a big investment for landowners, so foresters Stewart and Breniman first focused on the half of the property where the cabins are, near the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Trial by Fire\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The treatments — removing crowded trees and thick brush — were finished just months before the Creek Fire. The other half of the property was supposed to be done this year, but the fire killed almost all of the trees there, so new ones will have to be planted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1973145\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973145 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/03/IMG_1575-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entrance to Rock Haven, near the shores of Shaver Lake. Firefighters used treated land at Rock Haven to bulldoze the fire line and fight the Creek Fire. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, without the preventive work they managed to complete, “I think all these cabins would have burned to the ground,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, the cabins escaped without even getting singed. That’s in part because of another benefit of forest treatment: Cal Fire’s Jim McDougald, an assistant chief in Fresno County, says the advance labor at Rock Haven made the work of firefighters safer, quicker and more effective during the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that work hadn’t been done,” he said, “we may not have been as successful protecting homes and people’s property in those areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stand firefighters mounted at Rock Haven also halted the fire’s progress toward the rest of Shaver Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For foresters Breniman and Stewart, the loss of the trees in the untreated portion of the Rock Haven property is regrettable. Just another year and maybe they could have been saved, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the preserved green half gives them hope. It’s now ecologically healthier than before the fire, residents have noticed more wildlife, and it shows what can be done, in a state with millions of overgrown acres, to reduce wildfire risk.\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>\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/1973138/how-a-small-forest-community-saved-itself-from-fire",
"authors": [
"11088"
],
"programs": [
"science_5376"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_5141",
"science_4450",
"science_3423",
"science_3730"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_4414",
"science_113"
],
"featImg": "science_1973140",
"label": "source_science_1973138"
},
"science_1974669": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974669",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974669",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1620767578000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1620767578,
"format": "standard",
"title": "The Entire Bay Area Is in Extreme Drought. Here's What Your Local Water Supplier Is Doing",
"headTitle": "The Entire Bay Area Is in Extreme Drought. Here’s What Your Local Water Supplier Is Doing | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the drought emergency he declared on April 21 to an additional 39 counties, widening the official order to 41 counties representing 30% of the state’s population. In the Bay Area, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties are now covered by the declaration. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote citation=\"Jeanne Belding, Marin Water\"]‘Our rainfall levels over the past 16 months have been the lowest that we’ve seen in more than 140 years.’[/pullquote]\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the last couple of weeks, the entire Bay Area, has jumped from moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">U.S. Drought Monitor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. But what that means for residents across the region depends on where you live.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Back-to-back dry years, above normal temperatures, and a below normal snowpack are reminiscent of the last multiyear drought, ending in 2017, says Napa Deputy Utilities Director \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Joy Eldredge. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But she thinks this time might be worse. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m less comfortable than I’ve been for the past 15 years in this position, I’ll put it that way,” she said of her assessment of what lies ahead.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch5>Bay Area Drought Measures\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.acwd.org/\">\u003cb>Alameda County Water District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for voluntary conservation\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bawsca.org/\">\u003cb>Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Member agencies receiving water from SFPUC are being asked to limit water usage levels during peak summer months to no greater than those recorded for calendar year 2019. Agencies that receive water from Valley Water are being asked to voluntarily conserve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.calwater.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.calwater.com/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">California Water Service\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>– Within the Bayshore, San Carlos, San Mateo, Bear Gulch, Los Altos and South San Francisco districts, the agency is encouraging residents to use water wisely. In the agency’s Livermore district, there’s a call for a 10% voluntary reduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ccwater.com/\">\u003cb>Contra Costa Water District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Customers are encouraged to use water efficiently with no waste. No restrictions in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebmud.com/\">\u003cb>East Bay Municipal Utility District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Declared a stage 1 drought. The district will buy extra water when needed and asks customers to voluntarily reduce usage by 10%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/\">\u003cb>Marin Municipal Water District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – 40% mandatory water restrictions. Full list of rules \u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/waterrules\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfwater.org/\">\u003cb>San Francisco Public Utilities Commission\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for 10% voluntary reduction for irrigation\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.valleywater.org/\">\u003cb>Santa Clara Valley Water\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for a voluntary 20%-25% reduction in water usage compared to 2013. However, the 20% voluntary call was put into place in 2017, and residents and businesses have already reduced water use by an average of 20%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.zone7water.com/\">\u003cb>Zone 7 Water Agency\u003c/b>\u003c/a> (Livermore) – Calling for voluntary conservation. Has launched “\u003ca href=\"https://www.zone7water.com/conservation-rebates/water-wise-wendy\">Water Wise Wendy”\u003c/a>portal for conservation tips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofnapa.org/1018/Drought-Update\">\u003cb>City of Napa\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for voluntary conservation with a target reduction of 15%\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.scwa2.com/\">\u003cb>Solano County Water Agency\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Does not expect water shortages, but conservation is recommended\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/current-water-supply-levels\">\u003cb>Sonoma Water\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – 20% voluntary conservation goal\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[/pullquote]The city of Napa has asked residents to voluntarily cut 15% of their water use. Sonoma County is asking for 20%, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/management\">Grant Davis\u003c/a>, general manager for Sonoma Water, says he’ll be asking the state to reduce flows along the Russian River by 20% to conserve water in Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Russian River watershed [has] the lowest water levels we’ve seen in our two reservoirs at this time of year, ever,” Davis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The continuing dry conditions could lead to a 75% decrease in water deliveries to Sonoma County communities in the upper watershed this summer. Sonoma and Mendocino counties were the two areas covered by Newsom’s original drought declaration.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water officials say they are waiting for statewide water restrictions to be issued,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “(I)f we do not see a 20% reduction, then we will likely move into a mandatory conservation situation, probably on July 1,” Davis said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mandatory in Marin\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marin Water\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the only agency in the Bay Area mandating that residents cut water use. Officials are aiming for a 40% reduction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This drought is tracking really to become a drought of record,” said Marin Water spokesperson Jeanne Belding. “Our rainfall levels over the past 16 months have been the lowest that we’ve seen in more than 140 years.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/waterrules\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">water rules\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Marin include limiting spray irrigation to two days per week; a restriction on outdoor water use like watering gardens or grass from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and shutting down decorative fountains.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Water is so ubiquitous, you turn on the tap, and it’s there,” Belding said. “We have to realize that it’s a limited resource. So, doing everything that you can to conserve is going to be critical.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the rest of the Bay Area, the situation is a little more complicated. Water districts don’t follow county lines, and they have very different water sources, including groundwater, rainfall, reservoirs, and snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada. Most districts are asking people to play their part voluntarily. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfwater.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco Public Utilities Commission \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">isn’t\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> asking residents to conserve a defined percentage of water, but it wants people to do what they can. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“At the moment, we’re in pretty decent shape,” said Will Reisman, spokesperson for the SFPUC, who said the city’s water supply was not drastically lagging historical levels. “We are a little under 77% of our maximum storage capacity at our reservoirs. Typically at this time of year we’re a little under 82%.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But Reisman says the agency is asking its 1,600 irrigation customers — think parks and golf courses — to cut 10%. San Francisco also sells a lot of water to its neighbors, and the SFPUC has asked them to use less than they did before the pandemic began in 2019. He says water usage has begun to increase after it dropped during the various stay-at-home orders imposed during the pandemic.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We recognize that this creates some confusion,” said \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://bawsca.org/about/staff/ceo\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nicole Sandkulla\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, CEO of the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency. “This is all developing kind of as we speak. So we don’t have the best answer yet.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sandkulla’s agency helps supply water, primarily from San Francisco via the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, to 26 agencies within San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda counties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Considering the scale of this drought, she says that even if residents live in an area with no water restrictions, it’s time to start cutting back on daily activities like watering lawns and doing laundry. Sandkulla herself had planned to plant roses this spring. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“But nope, I’m not going to do that,” she said. “Maybe now is not the time to be replanting with something that’s going to require more water.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She says if everyone cuts back in little ways, the Bay Area could avoid the worst consequences of the drought.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But is there any hope for significant rain this summer? The short answer is no, says Brian Garcia, a warning coordination meteorologist with the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea\">National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When looking at precipitation prospects for the city of San Francisco, “the likelihood of recovery between now and the end of the water year: 0%,” Garcia said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He says climate models show a much better shot of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1935067/rivers-in-the-sky-what-you-need-to-know-about-atmospheric-river-storms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">atmospheric rivers\u003c/a> forming next winter, hopefully pelting the state with snow and rain. These massive, fast-moving storm systems normally account for about half of the state’s annual precipitation, but this winter the Bay Area got soaked by only one. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just a crystal ball look, but it looks like a better winter precipitation-wise,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1325,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 41
},
"modified": 1704846616,
"excerpt": "Over the last couple of weeks, the entire Bay Area has jumped from moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. But what that means for residents across the region depends on where you live.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Over the last couple of weeks, the entire Bay Area has jumped from moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. But what that means for residents across the region depends on where you live.",
"title": "The Entire Bay Area Is in Extreme Drought. Here's What Your Local Water Supplier Is Doing | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The Entire Bay Area Is in Extreme Drought. Here's What Your Local Water Supplier Is Doing",
"datePublished": "2021-05-11T14:12:58-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:30:16-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "the-entire-bay-area-is-in-extreme-drought-heres-what-your-local-water-supplier-is-doing",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/Drought-Conditions-Jump-From-Moderate-to-Extreme-Across-Bay-Area.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Drought",
"path": "/science/1974669/the-entire-bay-area-is-in-extreme-drought-heres-what-your-local-water-supplier-is-doing",
"audioDuration": 157000,
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the drought emergency he declared on April 21 to an additional 39 counties, widening the official order to 41 counties representing 30% of the state’s population. In the Bay Area, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties are now covered by the declaration. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Our rainfall levels over the past 16 months have been the lowest that we’ve seen in more than 140 years.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"citation": "Jeanne Belding, Marin Water",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the last couple of weeks, the entire Bay Area, has jumped from moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">U.S. Drought Monitor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. But what that means for residents across the region depends on where you live.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Back-to-back dry years, above normal temperatures, and a below normal snowpack are reminiscent of the last multiyear drought, ending in 2017, says Napa Deputy Utilities Director \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Joy Eldredge. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But she thinks this time might be worse. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m less comfortable than I’ve been for the past 15 years in this position, I’ll put it that way,” she said of her assessment of what lies ahead.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "\u003c/p>\n\u003ch5>Bay Area Drought Measures\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.acwd.org/\">\u003cb>Alameda County Water District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for voluntary conservation\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bawsca.org/\">\u003cb>Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Member agencies receiving water from SFPUC are being asked to limit water usage levels during peak summer months to no greater than those recorded for calendar year 2019. Agencies that receive water from Valley Water are being asked to voluntarily conserve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.calwater.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.calwater.com/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">California Water Service\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>– Within the Bayshore, San Carlos, San Mateo, Bear Gulch, Los Altos and South San Francisco districts, the agency is encouraging residents to use water wisely. In the agency’s Livermore district, there’s a call for a 10% voluntary reduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ccwater.com/\">\u003cb>Contra Costa Water District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Customers are encouraged to use water efficiently with no waste. No restrictions in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebmud.com/\">\u003cb>East Bay Municipal Utility District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Declared a stage 1 drought. The district will buy extra water when needed and asks customers to voluntarily reduce usage by 10%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/\">\u003cb>Marin Municipal Water District\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – 40% mandatory water restrictions. Full list of rules \u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/waterrules\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfwater.org/\">\u003cb>San Francisco Public Utilities Commission\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for 10% voluntary reduction for irrigation\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.valleywater.org/\">\u003cb>Santa Clara Valley Water\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for a voluntary 20%-25% reduction in water usage compared to 2013. However, the 20% voluntary call was put into place in 2017, and residents and businesses have already reduced water use by an average of 20%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.zone7water.com/\">\u003cb>Zone 7 Water Agency\u003c/b>\u003c/a> (Livermore) – Calling for voluntary conservation. Has launched “\u003ca href=\"https://www.zone7water.com/conservation-rebates/water-wise-wendy\">Water Wise Wendy”\u003c/a>portal for conservation tips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofnapa.org/1018/Drought-Update\">\u003cb>City of Napa\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Calling for voluntary conservation with a target reduction of 15%\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.scwa2.com/\">\u003cb>Solano County Water Agency\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – Does not expect water shortages, but conservation is recommended\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/current-water-supply-levels\">\u003cb>Sonoma Water\u003c/b>\u003c/a> – 20% voluntary conservation goal\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The city of Napa has asked residents to voluntarily cut 15% of their water use. Sonoma County is asking for 20%, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/management\">Grant Davis\u003c/a>, general manager for Sonoma Water, says he’ll be asking the state to reduce flows along the Russian River by 20% to conserve water in Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Russian River watershed [has] the lowest water levels we’ve seen in our two reservoirs at this time of year, ever,” Davis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The continuing dry conditions could lead to a 75% decrease in water deliveries to Sonoma County communities in the upper watershed this summer. Sonoma and Mendocino counties were the two areas covered by Newsom’s original drought declaration.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water officials say they are waiting for statewide water restrictions to be issued,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “(I)f we do not see a 20% reduction, then we will likely move into a mandatory conservation situation, probably on July 1,” Davis said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mandatory in Marin\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marin Water\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the only agency in the Bay Area mandating that residents cut water use. Officials are aiming for a 40% reduction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This drought is tracking really to become a drought of record,” said Marin Water spokesperson Jeanne Belding. “Our rainfall levels over the past 16 months have been the lowest that we’ve seen in more than 140 years.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinwater.org/waterrules\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">water rules\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Marin include limiting spray irrigation to two days per week; a restriction on outdoor water use like watering gardens or grass from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and shutting down decorative fountains.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Water is so ubiquitous, you turn on the tap, and it’s there,” Belding said. “We have to realize that it’s a limited resource. So, doing everything that you can to conserve is going to be critical.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the rest of the Bay Area, the situation is a little more complicated. Water districts don’t follow county lines, and they have very different water sources, including groundwater, rainfall, reservoirs, and snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada. Most districts are asking people to play their part voluntarily. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfwater.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco Public Utilities Commission \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">isn’t\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> asking residents to conserve a defined percentage of water, but it wants people to do what they can. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“At the moment, we’re in pretty decent shape,” said Will Reisman, spokesperson for the SFPUC, who said the city’s water supply was not drastically lagging historical levels. “We are a little under 77% of our maximum storage capacity at our reservoirs. Typically at this time of year we’re a little under 82%.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But Reisman says the agency is asking its 1,600 irrigation customers — think parks and golf courses — to cut 10%. San Francisco also sells a lot of water to its neighbors, and the SFPUC has asked them to use less than they did before the pandemic began in 2019. He says water usage has begun to increase after it dropped during the various stay-at-home orders imposed during the pandemic.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We recognize that this creates some confusion,” said \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://bawsca.org/about/staff/ceo\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nicole Sandkulla\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, CEO of the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency. “This is all developing kind of as we speak. So we don’t have the best answer yet.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sandkulla’s agency helps supply water, primarily from San Francisco via the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, to 26 agencies within San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda counties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Considering the scale of this drought, she says that even if residents live in an area with no water restrictions, it’s time to start cutting back on daily activities like watering lawns and doing laundry. Sandkulla herself had planned to plant roses this spring. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“But nope, I’m not going to do that,” she said. “Maybe now is not the time to be replanting with something that’s going to require more water.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She says if everyone cuts back in little ways, the Bay Area could avoid the worst consequences of the drought.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But is there any hope for significant rain this summer? The short answer is no, says Brian Garcia, a warning coordination meteorologist with the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea\">National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When looking at precipitation prospects for the city of San Francisco, “the likelihood of recovery between now and the end of the water year: 0%,” Garcia said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He says climate models show a much better shot of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1935067/rivers-in-the-sky-what-you-need-to-know-about-atmospheric-river-storms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">atmospheric rivers\u003c/a> forming next winter, hopefully pelting the state with snow and rain. These massive, fast-moving storm systems normally account for about half of the state’s annual precipitation, but this winter the Bay Area got soaked by only one. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just a crystal ball look, but it looks like a better winter precipitation-wise,” he said.\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>\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/1974669/the-entire-bay-area-is-in-extreme-drought-heres-what-your-local-water-supplier-is-doing",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_98"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_572",
"science_4414"
],
"featImg": "science_1974692",
"label": "source_science_1974669"
},
"science_1974590": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974590",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974590",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1620320338000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1620320338,
"format": "standard",
"title": "After Last Year's Catastrophic Wildfire Season, California Braces for One Possibly Worse",
"headTitle": "After Last Year’s Catastrophic Wildfire Season, California Braces for One Possibly Worse | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>After one of the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/09/04/909668879/whats-driving-california-s-biggest-ever-wildfire-season\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">destructive and extreme wildfire seasons in modern history\u003c/a> last year, a widening drought across California and much of the West has many residents bracing for the possibility this season could be worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anemic winter rain and snowfall has left reservoirs and river flows down significantly, even as the state experiences \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1387929070944456709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">its driest water year\u003c/a> in more than four decades. Today, wildfire fuels in some parts of California are at or near record levels of dryness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fuel moisture — the amount of water inside a living plant — “is the lowest that we’ve recorded at these sites since 2013,” says Craig Clements, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjsu.edu/wildfire/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University\u003c/a>. “It’s indicative of very dangerous conditions coming into this summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those hazardous conditions are the result of drier, hotter weather and accelerated vegetation drying due to a warming climate, combined with more than a century of fire suppression, that has left many forests with treacherous amounts of built-up fuel. Those two factors are now amplifying each other, says \u003ca href=\"https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/daniel-swain/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daniel Swain,\u003c/a> a leading climate scientist at UCLA and the Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think, unfortunately, as bad as things have been recently, this year looks like another year that has some really ugly potential,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate scientists point out that a menacing wildfire potential this year doesn’t necessarily mean that’ll happen. “Really, that’s just going to be a matter of luck,” Swain says. But “of all the aspects that are predictable, \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021GL092843\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">they all look pretty ominous\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">As dire drought conditions spread\u003c/a>, all of this could get exacerbated again by warmer-than-normal temperature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Summer temperatures are forecasted by the National Weather Service to be above normal again all across the West including California,” says Amanda Sheffield, a regional drought information coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) \u003ca href=\"https://www.drought.gov/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Integrated Drought Information System.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has already had a pretty rapid snow melt off for this time of year, she notes, so upper elevations “could be particularly vulnerable earlier than usual as we move into midsummer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s a forecast some in wildfire and pandemic-battered California may not want to hear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1974593\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1974593 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wildfire-scarred hills behind the famous Welcome to Napa sign. \u003ccite>(Eric Westervelt/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a recent day in Napa County’s picturesque Calistoga, tourists are returning in droves more than ready for a post-lockdown generous pour, and to take in the beautiful, if fire-scarred, landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Calistoga — \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Most-of-the-Bay-Area-is-now-in-an-extreme-16139365.php%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">like a handful of other cities\u003c/a> — has already \u003ca href=\"https://napavalleyregister.com/community/calistogan/news/city-of-calistoga-issues-mandate-for-water-customers-to-conserve/article_2a0d78fc-e7e2-5996-a474-c3e17e7c0405.html%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">imposed emergency water restrictions\u003c/a> because of the drought. So the city’s energetic mayor, Chris Canning, has to balance boosterism with realism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Canning notes that since the city’s founding in 1862, residents have only been evacuated twice, both times in the last four years because of wildfire. “Not a good resume for a mayor,” he says with a smile. “But absolutely necessary for the safety and protection of our residents. And we’ll do it again if we have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get a jump on any fires this season, Canning is pleased the state agency Cal Fire has dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-county-announces-state-will-provide-additional-helicopter-firefighters-for-next-wildfire-season/article_40512359-baac-5940-81dd-4c44aa7af62f.html%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a new firefighting\u003c/a> helicopter and a 24-7 firefighting crew of nearly 50 men and women for Napa County. Cal Fire has beefed up its wildfire fighting capacity statewide, adding several specially-modified S-70i Firehawk helicopters to its fleet. These are more agile and versatile than their old UH-1H, or Huey, helicopters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the mayor says most of the region’s residents get it: climate-fueled wildfires are an ongoing threat. So people are building bigger fire breaks, making an evacuation plan, and clearing brush — creating what firefighters call defensible space on their properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mayor Canning admits that’s not everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The other school of thought is, let’s pretend, you know, what happened in the past is the past, it’ll never happen again,” the mayor says. “The amnesia response is problematic, especially if you’re not taking the precautions you need to as a business or a resident to be prepared. That’s where it’s dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1974594\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1974594 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entrance to the Hourglass Winery, with the Napa Sheriff’s Office evacuated tag from last year’s Glass Fire blowing in the wind. \u003ccite>(Eric Westervelt/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In late September last year, the fast-moving Glass Fire badly damaged nearly 30 Napa wineries, including family-owned \u003ca href=\"https://www.hourglasswines.com/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hourglass wines\u003c/a>. It swept through as the region was still recovering from 2017’s record-setting fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was all remnants of the old farmhouse,” says Hourglass’ founder and president Jeff Smith, as he walks near a pile of charred stones that are all that remain of the winery’s guesthouse, built in 1852.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Smith says the hardest loss was the grove of old growth redwood, Douglas fir, oak and olive trees, even older than the house, most which now lie burnt and stacked for salvage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me that was the soul of the property, those trees,” he says. “The buildings can be rebuilt, but the couple hundred-year-old trees, you know, you can’t just magically bring those right back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hourglass’ wine-making building is a total loss. Steel fermentation and storage tanks sit like sad, damaged sculptures: most of the 2020 vintage is still inside, cooked and useless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The devastating Glass Fire was just one of nearly 10,000 California wildfires last year that \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">burned more than four million acres\u003c/a> — a modern record. Across the West, more than 14,000 structures were destroyed, causing billions in damages. At least 46 people were killed as California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/09/10/911389505/at-least-7-people-killed-in-west-coast-wildfires-dangerous-winds-forecast-to-eas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oregon\u003c/a> and Colorado all saw record-breaking “megafires.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith, who was born and raised in Napa, is rebuilding. But he says the more frequent, more destructive wildfires have him rethinking everything about how he manages his land, business and life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, I grew up here, all of my roots are here and it’s my intention to stay and rebuild. But I think that there’s a lot of game-changing thought processes that we need to be going through,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Past vintages, stored in wooden barrels in stone and cement caves built into the hillside, survived the fire. Smith is looking to rebuild stronger, and smarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re taking a much harder look at materials, defensible space, at fire suppression systems, access. You know, \u003cem>all \u003c/em>of these kinds of things to try to mitigate this into the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Smith is hopeful. He aims to rebuild enough this summer to crush and process this year’s grape harvest in a new facility here, along Napa’s famed Silverado Trail in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least, that’s the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I tell my wine-making team: have a backup plan!” Smith says with a laugh. In a world-class wine region turned wine and wildfire zone, he concedes, “it’s always good to have a plan B.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=Deepening+Drought+Holds+%27Ominous%27+Signs+For+Wildfire+Threat+In+The+West&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1235,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 32
},
"modified": 1704846621,
"excerpt": "After one of the most destructive and extreme wildfire seasons in modern history, widening drought is creating conditions even worse than last year. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "After one of the most destructive and extreme wildfire seasons in modern history, widening drought is creating conditions even worse than last year. ",
"title": "After Last Year's Catastrophic Wildfire Season, California Braces for One Possibly Worse | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "After Last Year's Catastrophic Wildfire Season, California Braces for One Possibly Worse",
"datePublished": "2021-05-06T09:58:58-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:30:21-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "after-last-years-catastrophic-wildfire-season-california-braces-for-one-possibly-worse",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=993172298&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprStoryDate": "Thu, 06 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Thu, 06 May 2021 06:43:20 -0400",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2021/05/06/993172298/deepening-drought-holds-ominous-signs-for-wildfire-threat-in-the-west?ft=nprml&f=993172298",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2021/05/20210506_me_deepening_drought_holds_ominous_signs_for_wildfire_threat_in_the_west.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1025&d=313&p=3&story=993172298&ft=nprml&f=993172298",
"nprImageAgency": "NPR",
"source": "NPR",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/1994145553-e2c905.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1025&d=313&p=3&story=993172298&ft=nprml&f=993172298",
"nprStoryId": "993172298",
"nprByline": "Eric Westervelt \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"nprImageCredit": "Eric Westervelt",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Thu, 06 May 2021 08:12:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1974590/after-last-years-catastrophic-wildfire-season-california-braces-for-one-possibly-worse",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2021/05/20210506_me_deepening_drought_holds_ominous_signs_for_wildfire_threat_in_the_west.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1025&d=313&p=3&story=993172298&ft=nprml&f=993172298",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After one of the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/09/04/909668879/whats-driving-california-s-biggest-ever-wildfire-season\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">destructive and extreme wildfire seasons in modern history\u003c/a> last year, a widening drought across California and much of the West has many residents bracing for the possibility this season could be worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anemic winter rain and snowfall has left reservoirs and river flows down significantly, even as the state experiences \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1387929070944456709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">its driest water year\u003c/a> in more than four decades. Today, wildfire fuels in some parts of California are at or near record levels of dryness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fuel moisture — the amount of water inside a living plant — “is the lowest that we’ve recorded at these sites since 2013,” says Craig Clements, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjsu.edu/wildfire/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University\u003c/a>. “It’s indicative of very dangerous conditions coming into this summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those hazardous conditions are the result of drier, hotter weather and accelerated vegetation drying due to a warming climate, combined with more than a century of fire suppression, that has left many forests with treacherous amounts of built-up fuel. Those two factors are now amplifying each other, says \u003ca href=\"https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/daniel-swain/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daniel Swain,\u003c/a> a leading climate scientist at UCLA and the Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think, unfortunately, as bad as things have been recently, this year looks like another year that has some really ugly potential,” he says.\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>Climate scientists point out that a menacing wildfire potential this year doesn’t necessarily mean that’ll happen. “Really, that’s just going to be a matter of luck,” Swain says. But “of all the aspects that are predictable, \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021GL092843\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">they all look pretty ominous\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">As dire drought conditions spread\u003c/a>, all of this could get exacerbated again by warmer-than-normal temperature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Summer temperatures are forecasted by the National Weather Service to be above normal again all across the West including California,” says Amanda Sheffield, a regional drought information coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) \u003ca href=\"https://www.drought.gov/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Integrated Drought Information System.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has already had a pretty rapid snow melt off for this time of year, she notes, so upper elevations “could be particularly vulnerable earlier than usual as we move into midsummer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s a forecast some in wildfire and pandemic-battered California may not want to hear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1974593\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1974593 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/napa-photo_wide-b078aa8ad1cbba4fa9cd94cc18438e9821a263c3-1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wildfire-scarred hills behind the famous Welcome to Napa sign. \u003ccite>(Eric Westervelt/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a recent day in Napa County’s picturesque Calistoga, tourists are returning in droves more than ready for a post-lockdown generous pour, and to take in the beautiful, if fire-scarred, landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Calistoga — \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Most-of-the-Bay-Area-is-now-in-an-extreme-16139365.php%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">like a handful of other cities\u003c/a> — has already \u003ca href=\"https://napavalleyregister.com/community/calistogan/news/city-of-calistoga-issues-mandate-for-water-customers-to-conserve/article_2a0d78fc-e7e2-5996-a474-c3e17e7c0405.html%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">imposed emergency water restrictions\u003c/a> because of the drought. So the city’s energetic mayor, Chris Canning, has to balance boosterism with realism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Canning notes that since the city’s founding in 1862, residents have only been evacuated twice, both times in the last four years because of wildfire. “Not a good resume for a mayor,” he says with a smile. “But absolutely necessary for the safety and protection of our residents. And we’ll do it again if we have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get a jump on any fires this season, Canning is pleased the state agency Cal Fire has dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-county-announces-state-will-provide-additional-helicopter-firefighters-for-next-wildfire-season/article_40512359-baac-5940-81dd-4c44aa7af62f.html%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a new firefighting\u003c/a> helicopter and a 24-7 firefighting crew of nearly 50 men and women for Napa County. Cal Fire has beefed up its wildfire fighting capacity statewide, adding several specially-modified S-70i Firehawk helicopters to its fleet. These are more agile and versatile than their old UH-1H, or Huey, helicopters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the mayor says most of the region’s residents get it: climate-fueled wildfires are an ongoing threat. So people are building bigger fire breaks, making an evacuation plan, and clearing brush — creating what firefighters call defensible space on their properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mayor Canning admits that’s not everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The other school of thought is, let’s pretend, you know, what happened in the past is the past, it’ll never happen again,” the mayor says. “The amnesia response is problematic, especially if you’re not taking the precautions you need to as a business or a resident to be prepared. That’s where it’s dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1974594\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1974594 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/05/hourglass_wide-b9c0563fb582494f99f104b43253a39d04e9d6d8-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entrance to the Hourglass Winery, with the Napa Sheriff’s Office evacuated tag from last year’s Glass Fire blowing in the wind. \u003ccite>(Eric Westervelt/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In late September last year, the fast-moving Glass Fire badly damaged nearly 30 Napa wineries, including family-owned \u003ca href=\"https://www.hourglasswines.com/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hourglass wines\u003c/a>. It swept through as the region was still recovering from 2017’s record-setting fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was all remnants of the old farmhouse,” says Hourglass’ founder and president Jeff Smith, as he walks near a pile of charred stones that are all that remain of the winery’s guesthouse, built in 1852.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Smith says the hardest loss was the grove of old growth redwood, Douglas fir, oak and olive trees, even older than the house, most which now lie burnt and stacked for salvage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me that was the soul of the property, those trees,” he says. “The buildings can be rebuilt, but the couple hundred-year-old trees, you know, you can’t just magically bring those right back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hourglass’ wine-making building is a total loss. Steel fermentation and storage tanks sit like sad, damaged sculptures: most of the 2020 vintage is still inside, cooked and useless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The devastating Glass Fire was just one of nearly 10,000 California wildfires last year that \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">burned more than four million acres\u003c/a> — a modern record. Across the West, more than 14,000 structures were destroyed, causing billions in damages. At least 46 people were killed as California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/09/10/911389505/at-least-7-people-killed-in-west-coast-wildfires-dangerous-winds-forecast-to-eas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oregon\u003c/a> and Colorado all saw record-breaking “megafires.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith, who was born and raised in Napa, is rebuilding. But he says the more frequent, more destructive wildfires have him rethinking everything about how he manages his land, business and life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, I grew up here, all of my roots are here and it’s my intention to stay and rebuild. But I think that there’s a lot of game-changing thought processes that we need to be going through,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Past vintages, stored in wooden barrels in stone and cement caves built into the hillside, survived the fire. Smith is looking to rebuild stronger, and smarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re taking a much harder look at materials, defensible space, at fire suppression systems, access. You know, \u003cem>all \u003c/em>of these kinds of things to try to mitigate this into the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Smith is hopeful. He aims to rebuild enough this summer to crush and process this year’s grape harvest in a new facility here, along Napa’s famed Silverado Trail in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least, that’s the plan.\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>“I tell my wine-making team: have a backup plan!” Smith says with a laugh. In a world-class wine region turned wine and wildfire zone, he concedes, “it’s always good to have a plan B.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=Deepening+Drought+Holds+%27Ominous%27+Signs+For+Wildfire+Threat+In+The+West&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974590/after-last-years-catastrophic-wildfire-season-california-braces-for-one-possibly-worse",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1974590"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_98"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_572",
"science_2936"
],
"featImg": "science_1974592",
"label": "source_science_1974590"
},
"science_1974464": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1974464",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1974464",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1620237827000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1620237827,
"format": "standard",
"title": "The Next Big Business in a Warming World? Mud",
"headTitle": "The Next Big Business in a Warming World? Mud | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In a hotter climate, dirt is a hot commodity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With sea levels expected to rise 3 to 6 feet by the end of the century, coastal communities are moving fast to construct major shoreline projects to protect themselves. As the size of these projects expands, the primary building materials — dirt and mud — are getting scarce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dirt (what you dig up on land) and mud or sediment (the wetter variety already in rivers and bays) are the raw materials of climate change adaptation. They’re used to build levees, the massive earthen barriers that hold back waves, and to raise elevation so buildings can sit higher than the flood plain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mud is also a crucial component of restoring wetlands and marshes, which act as natural barriers against storm surges while providing valuable habitat for sensitive species. In the right conditions, marshes can gain elevation over time from sediment, potentially keeping pace with sea level rise in a way that human-built infrastructure can’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until now, mud and dirt have mostly been treated as waste products. Dirt leftover from construction projects is often just trucked to landfills. Sediment is trapped behind large dams, no longer spreading naturally throughout watersheds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sediment is also dredged from shipping channels every year, but little is reused to adapt to climate change. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs dredging operations, but its disposal policies mean that around 140 million cubic yards of sediment are dumped annually, even as restoration projects clamor for material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmental experts warn that unless coastal regions from San Francisco Bay to the Mississippi River Delta begin managing their dirt and mud supply more comprehensively, the shortfall will be severe, leading to more expensive sea level rise protection and drowned wetlands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re on the precipice of a huge crisis,” says Letitia Grenier, senior scientist at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfei.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Estuary Institute\u003c/a>, a water and ecology think tank. “If we act now, we actually have enough sediment from other sources to keep our wetlands and to keep protecting our shorelines. But if we keep doing business-as-usual approaches, we’re going to be in really big trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Call the Dirt Broker\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a warming climate, there’s a job in high demand that comes with an unglamorous name: “dirt broker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hate that name,” says Pat Mapelli, land use manager and bay restoration lead at Graniterock, a construction materials company. “I’ll be honest with you. Dirt just has that negative connotation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mapelli is a highly sought-after terrestrial matchmaker. He brokers deals between those who need dirt and those who want to get rid of it. These days, his phone is ringing more often with requests he can’t fulfill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The demand is way beyond what the supply is,” he says, walking on an earthen levee on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, a project he’s putting together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This part of the bay was once used for industrial salt making, and giant evaporation ponds were built here more than a century ago. Now, its marsh habitat is being restored as part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.southbayrestoration.org/pond-complexes/eden-landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eden Landing Ecological Reserve\u003c/a>. The old salt pond levees still stand between the bay and hundreds of thousands of people on the shoreline. But waves and weather have eaten away at them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very much lower than it should be right now and very much narrower than it should be right now,” Mapelli says, looking at a stretch of levee bordering the blue, flat water of the bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next several years, one million cubic yards of dirt will be brought to this site to build up the levees — the equivalent of 100,000 dump truck loads. Most comes from local construction projects doing excavation for foundations or underground parking garages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, not all dirt is good dirt. Some of it contains pollutants or naturally occurring metals. Other loads are too far away, making the cost of trucking prohibitive. And often, construction companies want the fastest and cheapest solution, which means taking dirt to a landfill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mapelli knows the market for his services will only get stronger as more cities grapple with the fact that their shoreline infrastructure is being quickly overwhelmed by climate change. But the supply crunch has already hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re starting to look at all the edges around the bay and there’s a lot of these projects,” he says. “But it takes material. It takes dirt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sediment Deficit \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By some estimates, the shores of San Francisco Bay were once ringed by 200,000 acres of tidal marsh, a zone of low-lying plants inundated twice a day. The vast majority were filled in and developed as the population grew. Today, more than 90% of marshes in San Francisco Bay are gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small pockets that remain, nestled between freeways and Costcos, are a magnet for wildlife, like scores of birds that make their annual migrations on the Pacific flyway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re going to go off to the Arctic and make their babies, but right now this is where they need to feed and get fat so they can make that trip,” Grenier says, looking out at flocks of dunlin and western sandpiper scouring an exposed mudflat in Richmond, California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marshes also have a hidden talent, beyond providing habitat. They’re a buffer against the bay itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These marshes are knocking down the waves,” Grenier says. “They’re absorbing the water and they’re really helping create flood risk management along the shore which is really critical for many billions of dollars of infrastructure as well as neighborhoods and other communities along the shoreline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Bay region is gradually working towards restoring 100,000 acres of the historic marshes, through initiatives like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.southbayrestoration.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project\u003c/a>. But restoration isn’t simple. Many former marshes have sunk over the years, their mud scoured away with no plants to protect it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, the areas are too deep for tidal plants to grow again. So to restore them, huge amounts of mud is needed to raise the elevation. After that, the marshes are able to sustain themselves. With every tide that comes in, the water carries new sediment that is trapped by plants, replenishing the marsh up over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how, millimeter by millimeter, marshes and wetlands survive being worn away by waves. But soon, those waves will get a lot higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rising sea levels threaten to drown wetlands by inundating and overtaking them. To keep up, marshes will require more sediment naturally floating in the water so they can build elevation to match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Centuries of human intervention have starved almost every major watershed in the country of sediment. Enormous dams, built to store water in rivers upstream, are essentially sediment entrapment devices. Most have a growing pile of mud sitting behind their concrete wall, the collective evidence of what used to flow downstream to bays and estuaries. Nowhere is the problem more acute than on the Mississippi River, where dams reaching all the way to South Dakota are \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_497596b2-8d69-11eb-85a0-5f157115365e.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trapping sediment that once fed the wetlands of Louisiana\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All together, it adds up to a massive “sediment deficit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The demand for mud has increased astronomically because of sea level rise,” Grenier says. “Because of this change that people have created, suddenly the natural world can’t supply that much mud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grenier and her colleagues \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfei.org/news/sediment-survival-report-released#sthash.f8dndEEA.dpbs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">estimate that by 2100, 548 million metric tons of sediment will be needed\u003c/a> to both restore wetlands and keep pace with sea level rise in San Francisco Bay. The natural supply will fall far short of that, bringing in about one-third to one-half of what’s needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are options for filling that gap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is not hopeless,” says Scott Dusterhoff, senior scientist and lead geomorphologist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. “We have a big problem on the horizon, but if we look at all the sources of dirt and sediment that we have in the region that we can bring into play, we think we can meet it. We just have to change the way we manage sediment to get there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Stuck on the Least Cost\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every year, hundreds of container ships sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, heading for the Port of Oakland via a shipping channel that’s 50 feet deep. The depth of this channel and 10 others in the bay is maintained through regular dredging, by the Army Corps of Engineers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Large dredging ships remove more than 2 million cubic yards of sediment per year in San Francisco Bay. Around two-thirds of it is disposed of, taken to approved sites to be released underwater. One is far outside the bay in the Pacific Ocean, 50 nautical miles from the Golden Gate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, the Army Corps has fielded requests to use this material for wetland and habitat restoration. But the agency says it’s held to its “\u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/role_of_the_federal_standard_in_the_beneficial_use_of_dredged_material.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">federal standard\u003c/a>,” a rule that stipulates the most affordable option for disposal be chosen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking the mud to a restoration project sometimes means transporting it farther, adding cost to the trip, as well as requiring careful offloading to place it in the right spot. Releasing it at a disposal site underwater is generally cheaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule has limited the amount of sediment that’s been reused, frustrating local and state officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just going to be seeing erosion of our shorelines and mudflats and marshes unless we start doing things differently with sediment,” says Amy Hutzel, deputy executive officer at California’s State Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that works on restoration projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To complete several major marsh restoration projects around the bay, California has had to find ways to work around the cost standard. \u003ca href=\"http://www.poplarislandrestoration.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Many other states have, too\u003c/a>. In a few instances, the Army Corps paid the extra cost of moving the sediment farther, but only after a specific act of Congress authorized the project, a time-consuming process. In other cases, California has \u003ca href=\"https://scc.ca.gov/2019/06/24/news-release-dredged-sediment-from-san-francisco-bay-to-be-used-for-wetland-restoration/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paid the full additional cost itself\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s expensive,” Hutzel says. “We can’t sustain that cost. It’s in the federal interest, and the feds should be cost sharing part of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The long term savings of avoiding flood damage from rising seas could dramatically outweigh the immediate cost of moving mud. Local and state officials say they’ve argued this point for years, but have seen little progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The urgency is huge,” says Hutzel. “It is frustrating that this has been decades of trying to solve this problem. And while there have been successes, we haven’t fundamentally changed what’s happening with dredged sediment in San Francisco Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A New Standard\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Army Corps of Engineers policy might change soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, Congress passed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7575/text#toc-H21D55EC8857749A4975A0403B0B382C8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Water Resources Development Act of 2020\u003c/a>, which included language directing the Army Corps of Engineers to “maximize” reuse and consider “economic and environmental benefits” in its cost analysis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That language hasn’t changed things on the ground yet, and the agency is writing specific guidance on implementation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think dredge material should be viewed as a really valuable commodity in that regard,” says Tessa Beach, chief of the environmental branch of the Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District. “We currently don’t have implementation guidance on how the agency is going to carry out this direction, but this may lead to a different way of calculating the overall cost-benefit of different placement locations in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency is \u003ca href=\"https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/News-Release-Article-View/Article/2528635/office-of-the-assistant-secretary-of-the-army-for-civil-works-and-us-army-corps/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">currently gathering public feedback\u003c/a> on the issue and says it can’t comment on what the guidance will say. They expect to release it by August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Depending on the result, the effects could be felt across the country, where billions of dollars are already being spent on restoring marshes and barrier islands from \u003ca href=\"https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/poplar_island_restoration_gives_chesapeake_new_life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poplar Island\u003c/a> in Chesapeake Bay to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_df61c669-14cc-5ba7-821d-2ee7c57becd9.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Whiskey Island\u003c/a> in Louisiana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, environmental experts warn, it will take more than a select number of restoration projects to prepare for rising seas. The Army Corps of Engineers may need to fundamentally change its approach to sediment, releasing it in locations where it can mix into the water and naturally feed surrounding wetlands and marshes. That may be their only chance to keep pace with rising seas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=Got+Mud%3F+For+Coastal+Cities%2C+Humble+Dirt+Has+Become+A+Hot+Commodity&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2143,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 56
},
"modified": 1704846623,
"excerpt": "Coastal communities will need massive amounts of mud and dirt to protect their shorelines from rising seas. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Coastal communities will need massive amounts of mud and dirt to protect their shorelines from rising seas. ",
"title": "The Next Big Business in a Warming World? Mud | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The Next Big Business in a Warming World? Mud",
"datePublished": "2021-05-05T11:03:47-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:30:23-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "the-next-big-business-in-a-warming-world-mud",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=986539732&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprStoryDate": "Sat, 01 May 2021 07:28:00 -0400",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Sat, 01 May 2021 09:49:22 -0400",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2021/05/01/986539732/got-mud-for-coastal-cities-humble-dirt-has-become-a-hot-commodity?ft=nprml&f=986539732",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/wesat/2021/05/20210501_wesat_got_mud_for_coastal_cities_humble_dirt_has_become_a_hot_commodity.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=262&p=7&story=986539732&ft=nprml&f=986539732",
"nprImageAgency": "Cris Benton",
"source": "NPR",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/1992670216-5fa93f.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=262&p=7&story=986539732&ft=nprml&f=986539732",
"nprStoryId": "986539732",
"nprByline": "Lauren Sommer \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Sat, 01 May 2021 08:00:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1974464/the-next-big-business-in-a-warming-world-mud",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/wesat/2021/05/20210501_wesat_got_mud_for_coastal_cities_humble_dirt_has_become_a_hot_commodity.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=262&p=7&story=986539732&ft=nprml&f=986539732",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In a hotter climate, dirt is a hot commodity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With sea levels expected to rise 3 to 6 feet by the end of the century, coastal communities are moving fast to construct major shoreline projects to protect themselves. As the size of these projects expands, the primary building materials — dirt and mud — are getting scarce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dirt (what you dig up on land) and mud or sediment (the wetter variety already in rivers and bays) are the raw materials of climate change adaptation. They’re used to build levees, the massive earthen barriers that hold back waves, and to raise elevation so buildings can sit higher than the flood plain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mud is also a crucial component of restoring wetlands and marshes, which act as natural barriers against storm surges while providing valuable habitat for sensitive species. In the right conditions, marshes can gain elevation over time from sediment, potentially keeping pace with sea level rise in a way that human-built infrastructure can’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until now, mud and dirt have mostly been treated as waste products. Dirt leftover from construction projects is often just trucked to landfills. Sediment is trapped behind large dams, no longer spreading naturally throughout watersheds.\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>Sediment is also dredged from shipping channels every year, but little is reused to adapt to climate change. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs dredging operations, but its disposal policies mean that around 140 million cubic yards of sediment are dumped annually, even as restoration projects clamor for material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmental experts warn that unless coastal regions from San Francisco Bay to the Mississippi River Delta begin managing their dirt and mud supply more comprehensively, the shortfall will be severe, leading to more expensive sea level rise protection and drowned wetlands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re on the precipice of a huge crisis,” says Letitia Grenier, senior scientist at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfei.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Estuary Institute\u003c/a>, a water and ecology think tank. “If we act now, we actually have enough sediment from other sources to keep our wetlands and to keep protecting our shorelines. But if we keep doing business-as-usual approaches, we’re going to be in really big trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Call the Dirt Broker\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a warming climate, there’s a job in high demand that comes with an unglamorous name: “dirt broker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hate that name,” says Pat Mapelli, land use manager and bay restoration lead at Graniterock, a construction materials company. “I’ll be honest with you. Dirt just has that negative connotation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mapelli is a highly sought-after terrestrial matchmaker. He brokers deals between those who need dirt and those who want to get rid of it. These days, his phone is ringing more often with requests he can’t fulfill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The demand is way beyond what the supply is,” he says, walking on an earthen levee on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, a project he’s putting together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This part of the bay was once used for industrial salt making, and giant evaporation ponds were built here more than a century ago. Now, its marsh habitat is being restored as part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.southbayrestoration.org/pond-complexes/eden-landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eden Landing Ecological Reserve\u003c/a>. The old salt pond levees still stand between the bay and hundreds of thousands of people on the shoreline. But waves and weather have eaten away at them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very much lower than it should be right now and very much narrower than it should be right now,” Mapelli says, looking at a stretch of levee bordering the blue, flat water of the bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next several years, one million cubic yards of dirt will be brought to this site to build up the levees — the equivalent of 100,000 dump truck loads. Most comes from local construction projects doing excavation for foundations or underground parking garages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, not all dirt is good dirt. Some of it contains pollutants or naturally occurring metals. Other loads are too far away, making the cost of trucking prohibitive. And often, construction companies want the fastest and cheapest solution, which means taking dirt to a landfill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mapelli knows the market for his services will only get stronger as more cities grapple with the fact that their shoreline infrastructure is being quickly overwhelmed by climate change. But the supply crunch has already hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re starting to look at all the edges around the bay and there’s a lot of these projects,” he says. “But it takes material. It takes dirt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sediment Deficit \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By some estimates, the shores of San Francisco Bay were once ringed by 200,000 acres of tidal marsh, a zone of low-lying plants inundated twice a day. The vast majority were filled in and developed as the population grew. Today, more than 90% of marshes in San Francisco Bay are gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small pockets that remain, nestled between freeways and Costcos, are a magnet for wildlife, like scores of birds that make their annual migrations on the Pacific flyway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re going to go off to the Arctic and make their babies, but right now this is where they need to feed and get fat so they can make that trip,” Grenier says, looking out at flocks of dunlin and western sandpiper scouring an exposed mudflat in Richmond, California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marshes also have a hidden talent, beyond providing habitat. They’re a buffer against the bay itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These marshes are knocking down the waves,” Grenier says. “They’re absorbing the water and they’re really helping create flood risk management along the shore which is really critical for many billions of dollars of infrastructure as well as neighborhoods and other communities along the shoreline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Bay region is gradually working towards restoring 100,000 acres of the historic marshes, through initiatives like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.southbayrestoration.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project\u003c/a>. But restoration isn’t simple. Many former marshes have sunk over the years, their mud scoured away with no plants to protect it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, the areas are too deep for tidal plants to grow again. So to restore them, huge amounts of mud is needed to raise the elevation. After that, the marshes are able to sustain themselves. With every tide that comes in, the water carries new sediment that is trapped by plants, replenishing the marsh up over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how, millimeter by millimeter, marshes and wetlands survive being worn away by waves. But soon, those waves will get a lot higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rising sea levels threaten to drown wetlands by inundating and overtaking them. To keep up, marshes will require more sediment naturally floating in the water so they can build elevation to match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Centuries of human intervention have starved almost every major watershed in the country of sediment. Enormous dams, built to store water in rivers upstream, are essentially sediment entrapment devices. Most have a growing pile of mud sitting behind their concrete wall, the collective evidence of what used to flow downstream to bays and estuaries. Nowhere is the problem more acute than on the Mississippi River, where dams reaching all the way to South Dakota are \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_497596b2-8d69-11eb-85a0-5f157115365e.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trapping sediment that once fed the wetlands of Louisiana\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All together, it adds up to a massive “sediment deficit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The demand for mud has increased astronomically because of sea level rise,” Grenier says. “Because of this change that people have created, suddenly the natural world can’t supply that much mud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grenier and her colleagues \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfei.org/news/sediment-survival-report-released#sthash.f8dndEEA.dpbs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">estimate that by 2100, 548 million metric tons of sediment will be needed\u003c/a> to both restore wetlands and keep pace with sea level rise in San Francisco Bay. The natural supply will fall far short of that, bringing in about one-third to one-half of what’s needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are options for filling that gap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is not hopeless,” says Scott Dusterhoff, senior scientist and lead geomorphologist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. “We have a big problem on the horizon, but if we look at all the sources of dirt and sediment that we have in the region that we can bring into play, we think we can meet it. We just have to change the way we manage sediment to get there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Stuck on the Least Cost\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every year, hundreds of container ships sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, heading for the Port of Oakland via a shipping channel that’s 50 feet deep. The depth of this channel and 10 others in the bay is maintained through regular dredging, by the Army Corps of Engineers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Large dredging ships remove more than 2 million cubic yards of sediment per year in San Francisco Bay. Around two-thirds of it is disposed of, taken to approved sites to be released underwater. One is far outside the bay in the Pacific Ocean, 50 nautical miles from the Golden Gate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, the Army Corps has fielded requests to use this material for wetland and habitat restoration. But the agency says it’s held to its “\u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/role_of_the_federal_standard_in_the_beneficial_use_of_dredged_material.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">federal standard\u003c/a>,” a rule that stipulates the most affordable option for disposal be chosen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking the mud to a restoration project sometimes means transporting it farther, adding cost to the trip, as well as requiring careful offloading to place it in the right spot. Releasing it at a disposal site underwater is generally cheaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule has limited the amount of sediment that’s been reused, frustrating local and state officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just going to be seeing erosion of our shorelines and mudflats and marshes unless we start doing things differently with sediment,” says Amy Hutzel, deputy executive officer at California’s State Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that works on restoration projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To complete several major marsh restoration projects around the bay, California has had to find ways to work around the cost standard. \u003ca href=\"http://www.poplarislandrestoration.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Many other states have, too\u003c/a>. In a few instances, the Army Corps paid the extra cost of moving the sediment farther, but only after a specific act of Congress authorized the project, a time-consuming process. In other cases, California has \u003ca href=\"https://scc.ca.gov/2019/06/24/news-release-dredged-sediment-from-san-francisco-bay-to-be-used-for-wetland-restoration/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paid the full additional cost itself\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s expensive,” Hutzel says. “We can’t sustain that cost. It’s in the federal interest, and the feds should be cost sharing part of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The long term savings of avoiding flood damage from rising seas could dramatically outweigh the immediate cost of moving mud. Local and state officials say they’ve argued this point for years, but have seen little progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The urgency is huge,” says Hutzel. “It is frustrating that this has been decades of trying to solve this problem. And while there have been successes, we haven’t fundamentally changed what’s happening with dredged sediment in San Francisco Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A New Standard\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Army Corps of Engineers policy might change soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, Congress passed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7575/text#toc-H21D55EC8857749A4975A0403B0B382C8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Water Resources Development Act of 2020\u003c/a>, which included language directing the Army Corps of Engineers to “maximize” reuse and consider “economic and environmental benefits” in its cost analysis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That language hasn’t changed things on the ground yet, and the agency is writing specific guidance on implementation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think dredge material should be viewed as a really valuable commodity in that regard,” says Tessa Beach, chief of the environmental branch of the Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District. “We currently don’t have implementation guidance on how the agency is going to carry out this direction, but this may lead to a different way of calculating the overall cost-benefit of different placement locations in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency is \u003ca href=\"https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/News-Release-Article-View/Article/2528635/office-of-the-assistant-secretary-of-the-army-for-civil-works-and-us-army-corps/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">currently gathering public feedback\u003c/a> on the issue and says it can’t comment on what the guidance will say. They expect to release it by August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Depending on the result, the effects could be felt across the country, where billions of dollars are already being spent on restoring marshes and barrier islands from \u003ca href=\"https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/poplar_island_restoration_gives_chesapeake_new_life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poplar Island\u003c/a> in Chesapeake Bay to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_df61c669-14cc-5ba7-821d-2ee7c57becd9.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Whiskey Island\u003c/a> in Louisiana.\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>Still, environmental experts warn, it will take more than a select number of restoration projects to prepare for rising seas. The Army Corps of Engineers may need to fundamentally change its approach to sediment, releasing it in locations where it can mix into the water and naturally feed surrounding wetlands and marshes. That may be their only chance to keep pace with rising seas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 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=Got+Mud%3F+For+Coastal+Cities%2C+Humble+Dirt+Has+Become+A+Hot+Commodity&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1974464/the-next-big-business-in-a-warming-world-mud",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1974464"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_2873",
"science_4450",
"science_98"
],
"tags": [
"science_194",
"science_2936"
],
"featImg": "science_1974465",
"label": "source_science_1974464"
}
},
"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": 456,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 1578,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"science_1975249",
"science_1975164",
"science_1974955",
"science_1974948",
"science_1974912",
"science_1974858",
"science_1974648",
"science_1973159",
"science_1973138",
"science_1974669",
"science_1974590",
"science_1974464"
],
"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_1975249": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1975249",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Inside Climate News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1975164": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1975164",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Climate Change",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974955": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974955",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "AP",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974948": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974948",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974912": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974912",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "InsideClimate News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974858": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974858",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974648": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974648",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Wildfire",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1973159": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1973159",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Wildfire",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1973138": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1973138",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Wildfire",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974669": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974669",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Drought",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974590": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974590",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1974464": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1974464",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"isLoading": false
},
"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_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_572": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_572",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "572",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "drought",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "drought Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 578,
"slug": "drought",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/drought"
},
"science_2828": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2828",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2828",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "floods",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "floods Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2828,
"slug": "floods",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/floods"
},
"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_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_121": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_121",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "121",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "cap and trade",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "cap and trade Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 125,
"slug": "cap-and-trade",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/cap-and-trade"
},
"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_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_2936": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2936",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2936",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "NPR",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "NPR Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2936,
"slug": "npr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/npr"
},
"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_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_4122": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4122",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4122",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "InsideClimate News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "InsideClimate News Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4122,
"slug": "insideclimate-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/insideclimate-news"
},
"science_1133": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1133",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1133",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "electric vehicles",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "electric vehicles Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1141,
"slug": "electric-vehicles",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/electric-vehicles"
},
"science_98": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_98",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "98",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Water",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Water Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 102,
"slug": "water",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/water"
},
"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_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_5376": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5376",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5376",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Science Podcast",
"slug": "science-podcast",
"taxonomy": "program",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Science Podcast | KQED Science",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 5376,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/program/science-podcast"
},
"science_5141": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5141",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5141",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5141,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/podcast"
},
"science_3423": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3423",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3423",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "Bay Area Science: Stories & Insights with KQED's Science Podcasts",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Our captivating podcasts take you on a journey through the Bay Area's vibrant scientific landscape. Discover groundbreaking research & hear expert insights.",
"title": "Bay Area Science: Stories & Insights with KQED's Science Podcasts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3423,
"slug": "science-podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/science-podcast"
},
"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"
}
},
"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
}
}
