California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy
In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It
After 4.6 Earthquake Jolts Santa Cruz, Seismologists Double Down on MyShake Alerts
In 2026, the Bay Area Still Has Lots to Learn from ‘Silent Spring’
What’s Causing Hundreds of San Ramon Earthquakes? New Sensors Seek Answers
Bay Area Brewery Pulls CO2 From the Air to Keep Beer Flowing
Read With KQED the Book That Changed How We See Nature
California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban
Could Climate Change Reshape Avalanche Danger in the Sierra Nevada? Scientists Say It’s Complicated
Player sponsored by
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_2000876": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_2000876",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000876",
"found": true
},
"title": "The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026.",
"publishDate": 1777482621,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1777482739,
"caption": "The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\r\n",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-03-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_1949473": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1949473",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1949473",
"found": true
},
"title": "New Report Finds That S.F. Infrastructure Unprepared For Major Earthquake",
"publishDate": 1571413858,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 1949350,
"modified": 1776804151,
"caption": "Pedestrians walk by a \"soft-story building\" on Feb. 2, 2009, in the Marina district of San Francisco. A report by the San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association concluded that the city's infrastructure and buildings are unprepared for a major earthquake. The study suggests that owners of nearly 2,800 so-called \"soft-story buildings\" be forced to retrofit their property to avoid an estimated $1.5 billion in damages should a big quake happen.",
"credit": "Justin Sullivan/Getty Images",
"altTag": "A picture of a soft-story building in San Francisco.",
"description": "SAN FRANCISCO - FEBRUARY 02: Pedestrians walk by a \"soft-story building\" February 2, 2009 in the Marina district of San Francisco, California. A report by the San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association concluded that the city's infrastructure and buildings are unpreapred for a major earthquake. The study suggests that owners of nearly 2,800 so-called \"soft-story buildings\" be forced to retrofit their property to avoid an estimated $1.5 billion in damages should a big quake happen. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-160x98.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 98,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-800x489.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 489,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-768x470.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 470,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-1020x624.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 624,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-1200x734.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 734,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-1920x1174.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1174,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/Soft-Story-Buildings-Earthquake-e1571413875578.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1174
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_1994778": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1994778",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1994778",
"found": true
},
"title": "I'm typing something important",
"publishDate": 1729028765,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 1994754,
"modified": 1729029363,
"caption": "If you have the MyShake earthquake warning app installed on your phone, you'll get an emergency alert test on Thursday morning.",
"credit": "Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1365,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/GettyImages-1391696700-scaled-e1775153140799.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_2000546": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_2000546",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000546",
"found": true
},
"title": "Rachel Carson",
"publishDate": 1775075586,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 2000545,
"modified": 1775078029,
"caption": "American conservationist Rachel Carson (1907-1964) pours seed onto a birdbox in the United Kingdom, April 15, 1964.",
"credit": "Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-2000x1325.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1325,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-2000x1325.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1325,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 106,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-768x509.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 509,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-1536x1017.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1017,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-2048x1357.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1357,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-2000x1325.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1325,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/GettyImages-1382278656-scaled-e1775075606999.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1325
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_2000433": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_2000433",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000433",
"found": true
},
"title": "260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED",
"publishDate": 1774273214,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1774273272,
"caption": "Luther Strayer (left), a structural geologist professor at Cal State East Bay, and Rufus Catchings (right), a seismologist from USGS, demonstrate how to install a seismometer at Memorial Park in San Ramon on March 17, 2026.",
"credit": "Tâm Vũ/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00337_TV-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_2000419": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_2000419",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000419",
"found": true
},
"title": "260320-BEER CARBON-MD-01-KQED",
"publishDate": 1774216276,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1774216344,
"caption": "Cans of Almanac Brewing's Flow beer produced using carbon dioxide captured by the Aircapture system at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026.",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-01-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_1994717": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1994717",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1994717",
"found": true
},
"title": "KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630",
"publishDate": 1728580488,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 1994714,
"modified": 1728581122,
"caption": null,
"credit": "KQED Creative",
"altTag": "An illustration of a landscape with a tree on the right and a title that says \"KQED Climate Book Club.\"",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-800x420.png",
"width": 800,
"height": 420,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-1020x536.png",
"width": 1020,
"height": 536,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-160x84.png",
"width": 160,
"height": 84,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-768x403.png",
"width": 768,
"height": 403,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-1536x807.png",
"width": 1536,
"height": 807,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-2048x1075.png",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1075,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-1920x1008.png",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1008,
"mimeType": "image/png"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/10/KQEDClimateBookClub_Assets_1200x630-e1773868125949.png",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1050
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_2000335": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_2000335",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000335",
"found": true
},
"title": "Condors1",
"publishDate": 1773786796,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 2000234,
"modified": 1773788541,
"caption": "At Pinnacles National Park, male California condor 888 Cedric (wings outstretched) hangs out with female condors 966 Pixchi and 726 Little Stinker. All are part of the Ventana Wildlife Society's central California flock. ",
"credit": "Courtesy of Tim Huntington",
"altTag": null,
"description": "DO NOT REPUBLISH\nDO NOT REPUBLISH\nDO NOT REPUBLISH",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1-160x128.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1-768x614.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 614,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1-1536x1229.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1229,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1600
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"science_1984920": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1984920",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1984920",
"found": true
},
"title": "New Storm In California May Push State's Snowpack Past Record High",
"publishDate": 1698175805,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 1984894,
"modified": 1698177842,
"caption": "Snow blows in the Sierra Nevada mountains after yet another storm brought heavy snowfall, raising the snowpack on March 29, 2023, in Mammoth Lakes, California.",
"credit": "Mario Tama/Getty Images",
"altTag": "Snow storm falls on the Sierras.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-800x532.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 532,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-1020x678.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 678,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 106,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-768x511.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 511,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1022,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-2048x1362.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1362,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-1920x1277.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1277,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/GettyImages-1482972333-scaled-e1766179697716.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1330
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false
},
"authorsReducer": {
"jsmall": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "6625",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "6625",
"found": true
},
"name": "Julie Small",
"firstName": "Julie",
"lastName": "Small",
"slug": "jsmall",
"email": "jsmall@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Julie Small reports on criminal justice and immigration.\r\n\r\nShe was part of a team at KQED awarded a regional 2019 Edward R. Murrow award for continuing coverage of the Trump Administration's family separation policy.\r\n\r\nThe Society for Professional Journalists recognized Julie's 2018 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11636262/the-officer-tased-him-31-times-the-sheriff-called-his-death-an-accident\">reporting\u003c/a> on the San Joaquin County Sheriff's \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11634689/autopsy-doctors-sheriff-overrode-death-findings-to-protect-law-enforcement\">interference\u003c/a> in death investigations with an Excellence in Journalism Award for Ongoing Coverage.\r\n\r\nJulie's\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11039666/two-mentally-ill-inmates-died-one-month-in-santa-clara\"> reporting\u003c/a> with Lisa Pickoff-White on the treatment of mentally ill offenders in California jails earned a 2017 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for news reporting and an investigative reporting award from the SPJ of Northern California.\r\n\r\nBefore joining KQED, Julie covered government and politics in Sacramento for Southern California Public Radio (SCPR). Her 2010 \u003ca href=\"https://www.scpr.org/specials/prisonmedical/\">series\u003c/a> on lapses in California’s prison medical care also won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting and a Golden Mic Award from the RTNDA of Southern California.\r\n\r\nJulie began her career in journalism in 2000 as the deputy foreign editor for public radio's \u003cem>Marketplace, \u003c/em>while earning her master's degree in journalism from USC’s Annenberg School of Communication.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4baedf201468df97be97c2a9dd7585d0?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "@SmallRadio2",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Julie Small | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4baedf201468df97be97c2a9dd7585d0?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4baedf201468df97be97c2a9dd7585d0?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/jsmall"
},
"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"
},
"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/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?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/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/eromero"
}
},
"breakingNewsReducer": {},
"pagesReducer": {},
"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_2000877": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000877",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000877",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1777546848000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "californias-fuel-fears-threaten-benicias-just-transition-to-green-economy",
"title": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy",
"publishDate": 1777546848,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>In the city of Benicia on the bank of the Carquinez Strait, the view has fundamentally changed: smoke, steam, and black soot no longer spiral from the stacks of the Valero refinery, which stopped refining crude oil in April. So why are residents holding their breath?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the shuttering of the refinery, Benicia became the latest test case for California’s promise of a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy that protects workers’wages and livelihoods, invests in economically disadvantaged communities and reduces pollution impacts on the most vulnerable communities. Many Benicians are optimistic they have the assets and the know-how to succeed. But in a politically charged environment where gasoline prices are spiraling higher, California’s shifting interests threaten to delay any rebirth of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than half a century, Benicia’s economy and identity have depended on oil production. Valero’s 400-plus employees, a quarter of whom lived in town, spent some of their paychecks at First Street’s bars and restaurants, which also served hundreds more workers contracted for maintenance each year. Local businesses provided equipment, parts and services to Valero and must find a new market — or pivot to make a new product. Benicia businesses expect the ripple effects of the refinery closure to devastate livelihoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closure was expected. California established its goal to completely phase out fossil fuels to combat global warming more than a decade ago. But Benicia is losing its largest taxpayer much sooner than the city can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero’s refinery shutdown will cost Benicia an estimated $10.8 million annually in tax revenues, about 13% of the city’s general fund budget. The city manager reassured residents at a packed February town hall that they could still count on city services funded by $3 million in cash reserves. The city planned to sell water that Valero used, half the city’s supply, to other businesses, and applied for millions of dollars worth of community grants from the Bay Area Air District to sustain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000867\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company is seen across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia, on April 13, 2026, as regional refining operations face uncertainty amid California’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the long term, Benecia’s leaders are banking on redevelopment of Valero’s 900 acres to bring new tax revenue and vitalize the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 500 of those acres were a buffer to mitigate risks of explosions, fires, emissions and other pollution. The land could be developed sooner than the land under the refinery itself, which state regulators expect could take ten years to clean up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanna see dismantling and movement into our future,” said Kari Birdseye, a Benicia city council member, “I’m not sure that’s the vision that the state has right now because of the precarious nature of our petroleum situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state leaders have primarily focused on stabilizing fuel supply and keeping gas prices from spiraling out of control.[aside postID=news_12036695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg']On April 16, 2025, Valero announced it planned to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations in Benicia. This came six months after Phillips 66 declared its plans to stop refining in Wilmington, Los Angeles, by the year’s end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, these facilities comprised nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. The closures threatened to push oil prices higher — a political and economic disaster in a state where gasoline historically costs $0.90 more per gallon than the national average, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184#:~:text=Data%20source:%20AAA,all%20states%20is%20%240.28/gal.\">U.S. Energy and Information Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Valero’s announcement with a letter dated April 21 to the California Energy Commission, directing the state agency responsible for sustaining fuel supply to “redouble its efforts” with “high-level immediate engagement, to help ensure that Californians continue to have access to a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of transportation fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, Siva Gunda, vice chair of the energy commission, recommended easing regulations to increase fuel imports and local production. Many of the suggestions were enacted with the passage of SB 237 in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists criticized the legislative changes as an oil industry wish list. They waived California’s requirement to switch to a lower emission fuel in summer months, exempted some oil and gas well permits from final environmental review, and paused penalties on excessive oil profits that lawmakers created to prevent price gouging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the changes persuaded Valero to keep refining in Benicia. However, in January, the company agreed to import gasoline to meet its obligations to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said they have not been in negotiations between the state and Valero. But Lauren Bird, the facilities general manager, told the Citizens’ Advisory Panel on April 17 that the refinery will import, store and transport gas and diesel for about two years, though it will no longer import jet fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using Valero’s facility for imports provides little economic benefit to Benicia and delays redevelopment of 900 acres of prime real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It basically eliminates our ability to have any new development on the property,” said Christina Gilpin-Hayes, a resident who serves on with the city’s planning commission. “Nobody’s gonna want it. Even the land that’s the buffer acres, nobody’s gonna want to develop there if [Valero] is still using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An energy commission spokesperson could not discuss the talks due to industry confidentiality rules, but said in an email that the agency is working with Benicia and stakeholders on alternatives for the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting historic downtown Benicia is seen along First Street on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some residents have called it a back-door deal and said they worry imported gasoline is a fire safety risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What is the state gonna do for us given that they’re imposing this?” said Marilyn Bardet, a member of the community advisory panel, at the February town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda declined KQED’s request for an interview. But said at a state Senate committee hearing on Feb. 18 that much of the energy commission’s work in the last year was aimed at keeping gasoline costs from rising above $5 a gallon, which worked until the U.S. war with Iran pushed up prices globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda urged lawmakers to turn to mitigating the economic impacts of refinery closures.[aside postID=news_12059271 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg']“These unplanned, disruptive closures could have incredible impacts on the workers and the communities,” Gunda said. “It’s really important … to make sure we have the policies in place to support the transition in a way that we protect Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I’d like to think that some of these strategies are forthcoming,” said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/people/josh-sonnenfeld/\">Josh Sonnenfeld\u003c/a>, a senior researcher at UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Given this is the sixth refinery closure or conversion [in six years], I think we need to pick up our pace here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld previously worked for the Blue Green Alliance, which helped Contra Costa County mitigate the 2020 conversion of the Marathon Refinery to renewable diesel. That change cost 700 refinery workers well-paid union jobs. In response, state lawmakers established the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to help pay for training and job searches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Workforce Development Board of Solano County received $3 million from the fund last year to help laid-off Valero workers, and is offering up to $25,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://solanoemployment.org/funding/\">grants\u003c/a> to small businesses affected by the closure. Advocates have lobbied to extend and expand the fund, as its authorization sunsets in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnefeld thinks California leaders should look to other states as examples. For instance, New York created a tax stabilization fund for refinery towns and cities to make up for the sudden loss of refinery dollars, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/economic-transition\">Michigan \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/energy-transition/\">Minnesota\u003c/a> each established a community transition office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t set up that infrastructure yet in California around whose job is it to make sure that workers and communities are successfully transitioning,” Sonnenfeld said. “In California, we don’t want to acknowledge that they’re actually folks that are being hurt by the energy transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000872 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks along First Street near the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld said regional governments have shouldered more of the responsibility for mitigating the impact of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District launched a first-of-a-kind program this year where regulatory fines against polluters will be passed on to affected communities in the form of grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air regulator issued $82 million in fines against Valero in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions at the Benicia refinery, which will provide some $60 million in funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia plans to seek up to $43 million of the grants, which are also open to local businesses. \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/community-health/community-investments-office\">Applications are due in May\u003c/a>, and the awards are expected to be announced in September. That’s the same month that Signature Development, the company Valero hired to manage the sale of refinery land, is expected to present plans to repurpose the property to the city council for approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000875\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until then, Benicia is on a white-knuckle transition trying to jumpstart a new, green economy without knowing when Valero will leave, or how long it will take to decontaminate and repurpose the refinery site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state legislature is considering a bill to help California’s eight remaining refinery towns plan better. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1259\">SB 1259\u003c/a> would require refineries to plan for decommissioning and estimate the costs and timeline for cleaning up after a closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said the legislation wouldn’t benefit Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a very precarious moment,” Birdseye said. “ But I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kari Birdseye, a Benicia City Council member, stands overlooking Benicia’s marine oil terminal near the site of the Benicia Clocktower, on April 13, 2026, in Benicia, as the city prepares for the closure of the Valero refinery and the loss of roughly 10 percent of its annual tax revenue. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said businesses have inquired about moving to Benicia for its central location between two interstate highways, with a rail line and port.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the city’s old clock tower, Birdseye gestured to a berth below, where Valero had exported petroleum coke, a black dust that’s a refining byproduct and a health hazard. She said a federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has identified the port as a possible supply chain and manufacturing site for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put these large pieces of equipment on ships that go out the Golden Gate and either go down to the Port of Long Beach, Morro Bay or up to Humboldt, where they can be assembled into wind turbines,” Birdseye said. “That’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon at Benicia’s waterfront, resident Stephen Golub said one thing lost in the economic discussions about Valero’s departure is the gains in environmental and public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Golub, a Benicia resident, poses for a portrait along the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were polluting our air again and again, sometimes secretly, sometimes more openly,” Golub said. “They were poisoning our politics by pouring massive funds into political campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golub said without a refinery, it’s easier to enjoy all that Benicia has to offer, including 28 public parks, stable political leadership, a vibrant art scene, good schools and safe streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Down the line, maybe 10 or 20 years, people will talk about this thriving community with all it has to offer, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, did you know that there was once a refinery here?’” Golub said.“I really think that’s what’s in the city’s future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1777574803,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 45,
"wordCount": 2163
},
"headData": {
"title": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy | KQED",
"description": "State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy",
"datePublished": "2026-04-30T04:00:48-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-30T11:46:43-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 33,
"slug": "energy",
"name": "Energy"
},
"source": "News",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/efcb9ae4-dce8-45e0-87bc-b43c011b77a6/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000877",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000877/californias-fuel-fears-threaten-benicias-just-transition-to-green-economy",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the city of Benicia on the bank of the Carquinez Strait, the view has fundamentally changed: smoke, steam, and black soot no longer spiral from the stacks of the Valero refinery, which stopped refining crude oil in April. So why are residents holding their breath?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the shuttering of the refinery, Benicia became the latest test case for California’s promise of a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy that protects workers’wages and livelihoods, invests in economically disadvantaged communities and reduces pollution impacts on the most vulnerable communities. Many Benicians are optimistic they have the assets and the know-how to succeed. But in a politically charged environment where gasoline prices are spiraling higher, California’s shifting interests threaten to delay any rebirth of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\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>For more than half a century, Benicia’s economy and identity have depended on oil production. Valero’s 400-plus employees, a quarter of whom lived in town, spent some of their paychecks at First Street’s bars and restaurants, which also served hundreds more workers contracted for maintenance each year. Local businesses provided equipment, parts and services to Valero and must find a new market — or pivot to make a new product. Benicia businesses expect the ripple effects of the refinery closure to devastate livelihoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closure was expected. California established its goal to completely phase out fossil fuels to combat global warming more than a decade ago. But Benicia is losing its largest taxpayer much sooner than the city can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero’s refinery shutdown will cost Benicia an estimated $10.8 million annually in tax revenues, about 13% of the city’s general fund budget. The city manager reassured residents at a packed February town hall that they could still count on city services funded by $3 million in cash reserves. The city planned to sell water that Valero used, half the city’s supply, to other businesses, and applied for millions of dollars worth of community grants from the Bay Area Air District to sustain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000867\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company is seen across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia, on April 13, 2026, as regional refining operations face uncertainty amid California’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the long term, Benecia’s leaders are banking on redevelopment of Valero’s 900 acres to bring new tax revenue and vitalize the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 500 of those acres were a buffer to mitigate risks of explosions, fires, emissions and other pollution. The land could be developed sooner than the land under the refinery itself, which state regulators expect could take ten years to clean up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanna see dismantling and movement into our future,” said Kari Birdseye, a Benicia city council member, “I’m not sure that’s the vision that the state has right now because of the precarious nature of our petroleum situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state leaders have primarily focused on stabilizing fuel supply and keeping gas prices from spiraling out of control.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12036695",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On April 16, 2025, Valero announced it planned to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations in Benicia. This came six months after Phillips 66 declared its plans to stop refining in Wilmington, Los Angeles, by the year’s end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, these facilities comprised nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. The closures threatened to push oil prices higher — a political and economic disaster in a state where gasoline historically costs $0.90 more per gallon than the national average, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184#:~:text=Data%20source:%20AAA,all%20states%20is%20%240.28/gal.\">U.S. Energy and Information Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Valero’s announcement with a letter dated April 21 to the California Energy Commission, directing the state agency responsible for sustaining fuel supply to “redouble its efforts” with “high-level immediate engagement, to help ensure that Californians continue to have access to a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of transportation fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, Siva Gunda, vice chair of the energy commission, recommended easing regulations to increase fuel imports and local production. Many of the suggestions were enacted with the passage of SB 237 in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists criticized the legislative changes as an oil industry wish list. They waived California’s requirement to switch to a lower emission fuel in summer months, exempted some oil and gas well permits from final environmental review, and paused penalties on excessive oil profits that lawmakers created to prevent price gouging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the changes persuaded Valero to keep refining in Benicia. However, in January, the company agreed to import gasoline to meet its obligations to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said they have not been in negotiations between the state and Valero. But Lauren Bird, the facilities general manager, told the Citizens’ Advisory Panel on April 17 that the refinery will import, store and transport gas and diesel for about two years, though it will no longer import jet fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using Valero’s facility for imports provides little economic benefit to Benicia and delays redevelopment of 900 acres of prime real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It basically eliminates our ability to have any new development on the property,” said Christina Gilpin-Hayes, a resident who serves on with the city’s planning commission. “Nobody’s gonna want it. Even the land that’s the buffer acres, nobody’s gonna want to develop there if [Valero] is still using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An energy commission spokesperson could not discuss the talks due to industry confidentiality rules, but said in an email that the agency is working with Benicia and stakeholders on alternatives for the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting historic downtown Benicia is seen along First Street on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some residents have called it a back-door deal and said they worry imported gasoline is a fire safety risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What is the state gonna do for us given that they’re imposing this?” said Marilyn Bardet, a member of the community advisory panel, at the February town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda declined KQED’s request for an interview. But said at a state Senate committee hearing on Feb. 18 that much of the energy commission’s work in the last year was aimed at keeping gasoline costs from rising above $5 a gallon, which worked until the U.S. war with Iran pushed up prices globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda urged lawmakers to turn to mitigating the economic impacts of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12059271",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“These unplanned, disruptive closures could have incredible impacts on the workers and the communities,” Gunda said. “It’s really important … to make sure we have the policies in place to support the transition in a way that we protect Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I’d like to think that some of these strategies are forthcoming,” said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/people/josh-sonnenfeld/\">Josh Sonnenfeld\u003c/a>, a senior researcher at UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Given this is the sixth refinery closure or conversion [in six years], I think we need to pick up our pace here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld previously worked for the Blue Green Alliance, which helped Contra Costa County mitigate the 2020 conversion of the Marathon Refinery to renewable diesel. That change cost 700 refinery workers well-paid union jobs. In response, state lawmakers established the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to help pay for training and job searches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Workforce Development Board of Solano County received $3 million from the fund last year to help laid-off Valero workers, and is offering up to $25,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://solanoemployment.org/funding/\">grants\u003c/a> to small businesses affected by the closure. Advocates have lobbied to extend and expand the fund, as its authorization sunsets in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnefeld thinks California leaders should look to other states as examples. For instance, New York created a tax stabilization fund for refinery towns and cities to make up for the sudden loss of refinery dollars, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/economic-transition\">Michigan \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/energy-transition/\">Minnesota\u003c/a> each established a community transition office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t set up that infrastructure yet in California around whose job is it to make sure that workers and communities are successfully transitioning,” Sonnenfeld said. “In California, we don’t want to acknowledge that they’re actually folks that are being hurt by the energy transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000872 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks along First Street near the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld said regional governments have shouldered more of the responsibility for mitigating the impact of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District launched a first-of-a-kind program this year where regulatory fines against polluters will be passed on to affected communities in the form of grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air regulator issued $82 million in fines against Valero in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions at the Benicia refinery, which will provide some $60 million in funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia plans to seek up to $43 million of the grants, which are also open to local businesses. \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/community-health/community-investments-office\">Applications are due in May\u003c/a>, and the awards are expected to be announced in September. That’s the same month that Signature Development, the company Valero hired to manage the sale of refinery land, is expected to present plans to repurpose the property to the city council for approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000875\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until then, Benicia is on a white-knuckle transition trying to jumpstart a new, green economy without knowing when Valero will leave, or how long it will take to decontaminate and repurpose the refinery site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state legislature is considering a bill to help California’s eight remaining refinery towns plan better. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1259\">SB 1259\u003c/a> would require refineries to plan for decommissioning and estimate the costs and timeline for cleaning up after a closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said the legislation wouldn’t benefit Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a very precarious moment,” Birdseye said. “ But I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kari Birdseye, a Benicia City Council member, stands overlooking Benicia’s marine oil terminal near the site of the Benicia Clocktower, on April 13, 2026, in Benicia, as the city prepares for the closure of the Valero refinery and the loss of roughly 10 percent of its annual tax revenue. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said businesses have inquired about moving to Benicia for its central location between two interstate highways, with a rail line and port.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the city’s old clock tower, Birdseye gestured to a berth below, where Valero had exported petroleum coke, a black dust that’s a refining byproduct and a health hazard. She said a federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has identified the port as a possible supply chain and manufacturing site for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put these large pieces of equipment on ships that go out the Golden Gate and either go down to the Port of Long Beach, Morro Bay or up to Humboldt, where they can be assembled into wind turbines,” Birdseye said. “That’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon at Benicia’s waterfront, resident Stephen Golub said one thing lost in the economic discussions about Valero’s departure is the gains in environmental and public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Golub, a Benicia resident, poses for a portrait along the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were polluting our air again and again, sometimes secretly, sometimes more openly,” Golub said. “They were poisoning our politics by pouring massive funds into political campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golub said without a refinery, it’s easier to enjoy all that Benicia has to offer, including 28 public parks, stable political leadership, a vibrant art scene, good schools and safe streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Down the line, maybe 10 or 20 years, people will talk about this thriving community with all it has to offer, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, did you know that there was once a refinery here?’” Golub said.“I really think that’s what’s in the city’s future.”\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/2000877/californias-fuel-fears-threaten-benicias-just-transition-to-green-economy",
"authors": [
"6625"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_33",
"science_35",
"science_40"
],
"tags": [
"science_856",
"science_5178",
"science_182",
"science_4417",
"science_4414",
"science_3301",
"science_553"
],
"featImg": "science_2000876",
"label": "source_science_2000877"
},
"science_2000795": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000795",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000795",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1776949256000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "in-june-san-francisco-will-vote-on-a-535m-earthquake-bond-heres-whats-in-it",
"title": "In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It",
"publishDate": 1776949256,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Experts have long agreed that San Francisco is due for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080455/san-franciscos-skyline-shines-but-earthquake-risk-remains-120-years-after-1906\">big earthquake\u003c/a> at any moment on any day. But the city isn’t quite ready for a massive shaking, like the 1989 Loma Prieta or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983182/stunning-archival-photos-of-the-1906-earthquake-and-fire\">1906 earthquake\u003c/a> that leveled much of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City leaders have asked residents to approve a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpublicworks.org/eser-2026\">$535 million \u003c/a>earthquake bond in June, which would fund major seismic upgrades to public infrastructure. The goal is to improve the city’s capacity to respond quickly after a major earthquake and to aid in the aftermath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal seismologists said back in 2014 that there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-probability-earthquake-will-occur-los-angeles-area-san-francisco-bay-area#:~:text=San%20Francisco%20Bay%20area%3A,an%20earthquake%20measuring%20magnitude%207.5\">nearly a three-in-four chance\u003c/a> of a 6.7-magnitude quake by 2044, and we’re already more than a decade into that timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By passing this bond, we are taking steps to keep San Francisco safe by giving our neighborhoods the tools they need to withstand emergency events and ensuring our city is ready to respond quickly when disaster strikes,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-and-president-mandelman-announce-2026-earthquake-safety-and-emergency-response-bond-to-modernize-infrastructure-and-support-public-safety\">press release\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The entire Bay Area rests on multiple faultlines — including the San Andreas and the Hayward faults. Earthquake impacts could “cascade across shared infrastructure, housing, and lifelines” throughout San Francisco, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/policy-brief/2026-04-09/120-years-after-1906\">recent report\u003c/a> from the nonprofit think tank SPUR. The report concludes that large portions of the city are potentially ill-prepared for a major earthquake. Namely, some 3,700 concrete buildings that could potentially pancake in a tremor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks to the press after giving a State of the City address at Rossi Park Ball Field in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco on Jan. 15, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Brian Strong, the city’s chief resilience officer, said San Francisco spent more than $20 billion on seismic upgrades over the past several decades, but more needs to be done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve touched every neighborhood in the city, and we still have a lot of work to do, which is why another bond is coming up,” Strong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters approved similar bonds in 2010, 2014, and 2020 as part of a so-called phased approach in shoring up the city’s seismic risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, said the bond would pay for “big ticket items” that need updating. That includes making the city’s 911 call center “secure from a seismic perspective, so we’re functioning after an emergency,” Carroll said.[aside postID=news_12080455 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260415-SPUREARTHQUAKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg']The bond will focus on five areas: renovating the city’s aging emergency firefighting water system, potentially repairing five unsafe fire stations, updating police stations and support facilities and updating public safety buildings\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At $200 million, the largest pot of funds would go to retrofitting and replacing Muni’s more-than-a-century-old Potrero Bus Yard with a seismically safe facility. Some \u003ca href=\"https://westsideobserver.com/26/4-prop-a-eser-bond-slush-fund-no-vote-george-wooding.php\">criticized\u003c/a> the move as a transportation spending item. But city officials said Potrero Yard is important for “enabling evacuation services following an earthquake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Potrero Yard is at serious risk in a major earthquake,” said Julie Kirschbaum, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director of transportation, in a release. “We have to protect our buses and, more importantly, the lives of the staff who maintain and operate them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second-highest dollar amount is $130 million to expand the city’s emergency firefighting water system “into underserved areas on the west side,” which, city officials said, “lack adequate firefighting water infrastructure.” The updates could include extending high-pressure water pipelines, adding fire hydrants, and other infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people have \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/expand-the-city-s-emergency-water-system-before-its-too-late/article_19b70ccb-99e6-4dac-928d-297996a80939.html\">suggested\u003c/a> that relying on the Pacific Ocean’s copious water would be a better use of the funds. The plan would also update infrastructure at Fort Mason to pump water from the bay during an event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many west side facilities, including fire stations, the Taraval Police Station, and our emergency water system, are older and more vulnerable in a major quake,” District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong said in a release. “This bond is an important step toward making sure the Sunset is not an afterthought and that our communities have the infrastructure they need to stay safe and recover.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Over the years, San Francisco has made progress toward earthquake-safe buildings. But the city still isn’t fully prepared for the next big one, experts said. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1776804831,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 743
},
"headData": {
"title": "In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It | KQED",
"description": "Over the years, San Francisco has made progress toward earthquake-safe buildings. But the city still isn’t fully prepared for the next big one, experts said. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It",
"datePublished": "2026-04-23T06:00:56-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-21T13:53:51-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 4550,
"slug": "local",
"name": "Local"
},
"source": "News",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000795/in-june-san-francisco-will-vote-on-a-535m-earthquake-bond-heres-whats-in-it",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Experts have long agreed that San Francisco is due for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080455/san-franciscos-skyline-shines-but-earthquake-risk-remains-120-years-after-1906\">big earthquake\u003c/a> at any moment on any day. But the city isn’t quite ready for a massive shaking, like the 1989 Loma Prieta or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983182/stunning-archival-photos-of-the-1906-earthquake-and-fire\">1906 earthquake\u003c/a> that leveled much of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City leaders have asked residents to approve a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpublicworks.org/eser-2026\">$535 million \u003c/a>earthquake bond in June, which would fund major seismic upgrades to public infrastructure. The goal is to improve the city’s capacity to respond quickly after a major earthquake and to aid in the aftermath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal seismologists said back in 2014 that there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-probability-earthquake-will-occur-los-angeles-area-san-francisco-bay-area#:~:text=San%20Francisco%20Bay%20area%3A,an%20earthquake%20measuring%20magnitude%207.5\">nearly a three-in-four chance\u003c/a> of a 6.7-magnitude quake by 2044, and we’re already more than a decade into that timeline.\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>“By passing this bond, we are taking steps to keep San Francisco safe by giving our neighborhoods the tools they need to withstand emergency events and ensuring our city is ready to respond quickly when disaster strikes,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-and-president-mandelman-announce-2026-earthquake-safety-and-emergency-response-bond-to-modernize-infrastructure-and-support-public-safety\">press release\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The entire Bay Area rests on multiple faultlines — including the San Andreas and the Hayward faults. Earthquake impacts could “cascade across shared infrastructure, housing, and lifelines” throughout San Francisco, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/policy-brief/2026-04-09/120-years-after-1906\">recent report\u003c/a> from the nonprofit think tank SPUR. The report concludes that large portions of the city are potentially ill-prepared for a major earthquake. Namely, some 3,700 concrete buildings that could potentially pancake in a tremor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks to the press after giving a State of the City address at Rossi Park Ball Field in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco on Jan. 15, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Brian Strong, the city’s chief resilience officer, said San Francisco spent more than $20 billion on seismic upgrades over the past several decades, but more needs to be done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve touched every neighborhood in the city, and we still have a lot of work to do, which is why another bond is coming up,” Strong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters approved similar bonds in 2010, 2014, and 2020 as part of a so-called phased approach in shoring up the city’s seismic risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, said the bond would pay for “big ticket items” that need updating. That includes making the city’s 911 call center “secure from a seismic perspective, so we’re functioning after an emergency,” Carroll said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12080455",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260415-SPUREARTHQUAKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The bond will focus on five areas: renovating the city’s aging emergency firefighting water system, potentially repairing five unsafe fire stations, updating police stations and support facilities and updating public safety buildings\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At $200 million, the largest pot of funds would go to retrofitting and replacing Muni’s more-than-a-century-old Potrero Bus Yard with a seismically safe facility. Some \u003ca href=\"https://westsideobserver.com/26/4-prop-a-eser-bond-slush-fund-no-vote-george-wooding.php\">criticized\u003c/a> the move as a transportation spending item. But city officials said Potrero Yard is important for “enabling evacuation services following an earthquake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Potrero Yard is at serious risk in a major earthquake,” said Julie Kirschbaum, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director of transportation, in a release. “We have to protect our buses and, more importantly, the lives of the staff who maintain and operate them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second-highest dollar amount is $130 million to expand the city’s emergency firefighting water system “into underserved areas on the west side,” which, city officials said, “lack adequate firefighting water infrastructure.” The updates could include extending high-pressure water pipelines, adding fire hydrants, and other infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people have \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/expand-the-city-s-emergency-water-system-before-its-too-late/article_19b70ccb-99e6-4dac-928d-297996a80939.html\">suggested\u003c/a> that relying on the Pacific Ocean’s copious water would be a better use of the funds. The plan would also update infrastructure at Fort Mason to pump water from the bay during an event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many west side facilities, including fire stations, the Taraval Police Station, and our emergency water system, are older and more vulnerable in a major quake,” District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong said in a release. “This bond is an important step toward making sure the Sunset is not an afterthought and that our communities have the infrastructure they need to stay safe and recover.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/2000795/in-june-san-francisco-will-vote-on-a-535m-earthquake-bond-heres-whats-in-it",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_35",
"science_4550",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_856",
"science_1888",
"science_427",
"science_192",
"science_4414",
"science_1842",
"science_5183",
"science_309"
],
"featImg": "science_1949473",
"label": "source_science_2000795"
},
"science_2000568": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000568",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000568",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1775170472000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "after-4-6-earthquake-jolts-santa-cruz-seismologists-double-down-on-myshake-alerts",
"title": "After 4.6 Earthquake Jolts Santa Cruz, Seismologists Double Down on MyShake Alerts",
"publishDate": 1775170472,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "After 4.6 Earthquake Jolts Santa Cruz, Seismologists Double Down on MyShake Alerts | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>A blaring alarm woke Cian Dawson early Thursday morning. It was the MyShake phone app, alerting him to a 5.1 magnitude \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078438/4-6-magnitude-earthquake-in-santa-cruz-mountains-shakes-bay-area-awake\">earthquake\u003c/a> about to rock the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson stayed in bed, thinking he wouldn’t have enough time to get under a table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few seconds later, the Berkeley resident’s room began to shake. “It made more sense to me to stay where I was,” Dawson told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tremor \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75337442/dyfi/responses\">near Boulder Creek\u003c/a> prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/\">MyShake phone app\u003c/a> and local agencies to alert hundreds of thousands of residents across the greater Bay Area and Central Coast. The USGS later downgraded the quake to a 4.6. More than 10,000 people reported the quake in the app, saying they felt light to moderate shaking, and there were two reports of destroyed buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In light of the relatively moderate-sized quake and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066087/the-m5-9-earthquake-alert-that-startled-the-bay-area-this-morning-was-a-false-alarm\">false alarm issued by the app\u003c/a> last year, some Bay Area residents have questioned whether agencies issue too many warnings and whether these alerts really make us safer. But seismologists argue they are important for protecting the public in the long run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson said there needs to be more outreach about how seriously to take the messaging, because people are beginning to train themselves to ignore the alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ‘boy who cries wolf’ is a great way to describe people’s response when they don’t understand what the alert actually means,” Dawson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000581\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000581 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Nov. 5, 2020. \u003ccite>(Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Angie Lux, a scientist specializing in earthquake early warnings at the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, said she thought the alert worked well, as it reached its ultimate goal of protecting lives and reducing injuries. Lux said the alert is sent to everyone at once, and the further you are away from the epicenter, the longer you will have to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the people that are right next to the epicenter, they’re not going to receive much warning,” Lux said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evan Hirakawa lives in Scott’s Valley, just a few miles away from the source of Thursday’s quake. The USGS research geophysicist said he felt the quake first, then his phone pinged.[aside postID=news_11999982 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1020x679.jpg']“It was pretty intense at my house,” Hirakawa said. “The shake alert kind of worked, but it was too close for it to really benefit me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hirakawa said there’s evidence that indicates the earthquake likely took place on a fault that hasn’t ruptured in a long time — the Zayante Fault in Santa Cruz County, which sits roughly between two major fault systems: the San Andreas and the San Gregorio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have [Zayante] labeled in our databases as maybe it’s inactive now,” Hirakawa said. “It was active thousands of years ago, but we haven’t seen a lot of historical earthquakes on it.\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this shaking may seem like an outlier, Hirakawa said he doesn’t think Thursday’s quake “is a foreshock to something bigger.” But, he said, it’s still worth paying attention to early warning messages, because doing so might just be “life-saving.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that so many people who felt the earthquake got the alert this morning is a good sign that the early warning stuff is at least working,” Hirakwa said. “It will be unfortunate when it happens, but the system will only be tested when there’s a large, destructive earthquake. That’s when it’s going to matter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco resident Anthony Costello slept through the alert but woke to the jostling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was just like, ‘Oh, girl, shut up, and just rolled over,’” Costello said, who has lived in the region for eight years. “I think my sensitivity to quakes is starting to increase a little bit and also my general anxiety with quakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_524199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1373px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-524199 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured.png\" alt=\"U.C. Berkeley's MyShake app could be the first step toward earthquake warnings on your phone.\" width=\"1373\" height=\"795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured.png 1373w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-400x232.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-800x463.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-768x445.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-1180x683.png 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-960x556.png 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1373px) 100vw, 1373px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">MyShake alerts users to earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher, though residents in places like San Ramon have reported feeling smaller quakes during a swarm that has persisted for months. \u003ccite>(Berkeley Seismological Laboratory)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even still, Costello said early warnings are so important because the larger the quake, the more time you’re going to need to make sure you’re safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Menlo Park resident Stephanie Lucianovic also went back to sleep after a local warning prompted her phone to go off. In the morning, she discussed the quakes with her kids. She’s considering downloading the MyShake app, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m interested in knowing all the information, but I don’t think I’d want to have it be a loud warning every time there was some minor earthquake,” Lucianovic said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, MyShake alerts users when there’s a 4.5-magnitude earthquake or higher, which doesn’t discount the experience of people who feel smaller quakes, like in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000505/new-web-of-sensors-aims-to-pinpoint-san-ramon-earthquake-source\">San Ramon\u003c/a>, where a swarm of smaller quakes has been occurring for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t make everybody happy,” Lux said. “Some people are going to feel it, some people may not, but we’re there to help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A 4.6 magnitude earthquake near Boulder Creek prompted alerts across Northern California, but mixed reactions reveal skepticism about early warning systems.\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1775599840,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": true,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 23,
"wordCount": 930
},
"headData": {
"title": "After 4.6 Earthquake Jolts Santa Cruz, Seismologists Double Down on MyShake Alerts | KQED",
"description": "A 4.6 magnitude earthquake near Boulder Creek prompted alerts across Northern California, but mixed reactions reveal skepticism about early warning systems.\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "After 4.6 Earthquake Jolts Santa Cruz, Seismologists Double Down on MyShake Alerts",
"datePublished": "2026-04-02T15:54:32-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-07T15:10:40-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 35,
"slug": "environment",
"name": "Environment"
},
"source": "News",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000568",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000568/after-4-6-earthquake-jolts-santa-cruz-seismologists-double-down-on-myshake-alerts",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A blaring alarm woke Cian Dawson early Thursday morning. It was the MyShake phone app, alerting him to a 5.1 magnitude \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078438/4-6-magnitude-earthquake-in-santa-cruz-mountains-shakes-bay-area-awake\">earthquake\u003c/a> about to rock the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson stayed in bed, thinking he wouldn’t have enough time to get under a table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few seconds later, the Berkeley resident’s room began to shake. “It made more sense to me to stay where I was,” Dawson told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tremor \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75337442/dyfi/responses\">near Boulder Creek\u003c/a> prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/\">MyShake phone app\u003c/a> and local agencies to alert hundreds of thousands of residents across the greater Bay Area and Central Coast. The USGS later downgraded the quake to a 4.6. More than 10,000 people reported the quake in the app, saying they felt light to moderate shaking, and there were two reports of destroyed buildings.\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>In light of the relatively moderate-sized quake and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066087/the-m5-9-earthquake-alert-that-startled-the-bay-area-this-morning-was-a-false-alarm\">false alarm issued by the app\u003c/a> last year, some Bay Area residents have questioned whether agencies issue too many warnings and whether these alerts really make us safer. But seismologists argue they are important for protecting the public in the long run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson said there needs to be more outreach about how seriously to take the messaging, because people are beginning to train themselves to ignore the alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ‘boy who cries wolf’ is a great way to describe people’s response when they don’t understand what the alert actually means,” Dawson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000581\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000581 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/BoulderCreekSantaCruzGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Nov. 5, 2020. \u003ccite>(Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Angie Lux, a scientist specializing in earthquake early warnings at the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, said she thought the alert worked well, as it reached its ultimate goal of protecting lives and reducing injuries. Lux said the alert is sent to everyone at once, and the further you are away from the epicenter, the longer you will have to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the people that are right next to the epicenter, they’re not going to receive much warning,” Lux said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evan Hirakawa lives in Scott’s Valley, just a few miles away from the source of Thursday’s quake. The USGS research geophysicist said he felt the quake first, then his phone pinged.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11999982",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1020x679.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It was pretty intense at my house,” Hirakawa said. “The shake alert kind of worked, but it was too close for it to really benefit me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hirakawa said there’s evidence that indicates the earthquake likely took place on a fault that hasn’t ruptured in a long time — the Zayante Fault in Santa Cruz County, which sits roughly between two major fault systems: the San Andreas and the San Gregorio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have [Zayante] labeled in our databases as maybe it’s inactive now,” Hirakawa said. “It was active thousands of years ago, but we haven’t seen a lot of historical earthquakes on it.\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this shaking may seem like an outlier, Hirakawa said he doesn’t think Thursday’s quake “is a foreshock to something bigger.” But, he said, it’s still worth paying attention to early warning messages, because doing so might just be “life-saving.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that so many people who felt the earthquake got the alert this morning is a good sign that the early warning stuff is at least working,” Hirakwa said. “It will be unfortunate when it happens, but the system will only be tested when there’s a large, destructive earthquake. That’s when it’s going to matter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco resident Anthony Costello slept through the alert but woke to the jostling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was just like, ‘Oh, girl, shut up, and just rolled over,’” Costello said, who has lived in the region for eight years. “I think my sensitivity to quakes is starting to increase a little bit and also my general anxiety with quakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_524199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1373px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-524199 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured.png\" alt=\"U.C. Berkeley's MyShake app could be the first step toward earthquake warnings on your phone.\" width=\"1373\" height=\"795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured.png 1373w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-400x232.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-800x463.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-768x445.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-1180x683.png 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/02/MyShake_scrgrab_featured-960x556.png 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1373px) 100vw, 1373px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">MyShake alerts users to earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher, though residents in places like San Ramon have reported feeling smaller quakes during a swarm that has persisted for months. \u003ccite>(Berkeley Seismological Laboratory)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even still, Costello said early warnings are so important because the larger the quake, the more time you’re going to need to make sure you’re safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Menlo Park resident Stephanie Lucianovic also went back to sleep after a local warning prompted her phone to go off. In the morning, she discussed the quakes with her kids. She’s considering downloading the MyShake app, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m interested in knowing all the information, but I don’t think I’d want to have it be a loud warning every time there was some minor earthquake,” Lucianovic said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, MyShake alerts users when there’s a 4.5-magnitude earthquake or higher, which doesn’t discount the experience of people who feel smaller quakes, like in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000505/new-web-of-sensors-aims-to-pinpoint-san-ramon-earthquake-source\">San Ramon\u003c/a>, where a swarm of smaller quakes has been occurring for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t make everybody happy,” Lux said. “Some people are going to feel it, some people may not, but we’re there to help.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/2000568/after-4-6-earthquake-jolts-santa-cruz-seismologists-double-down-on-myshake-alerts",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_4550",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_856",
"science_5178",
"science_182",
"science_2254",
"science_427",
"science_192",
"science_4417",
"science_4414",
"science_218",
"science_309",
"science_461"
],
"featImg": "science_1994778",
"label": "source_science_2000568"
},
"science_2000545": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000545",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000545",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1775145635000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "in-2026-the-bay-area-still-has-lots-to-learn-from-silent-spring",
"title": "In 2026, the Bay Area Still Has Lots to Learn from ‘Silent Spring’",
"publishDate": 1775145635,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "In 2026, the Bay Area Still Has Lots to Learn from ‘Silent Spring’ | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "science"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000354/read-with-kqed-the-book-that-changed-how-we-see-nature\">\u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is one of those books where many people think they know what it says, have opinions about it, even if they haven’t read it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a science book that, when you sit down and crack it open, surprises you with its technical, but compelling, depth. Carson is an extremely skilled writer. And the book changed the world, opening eyes to patterns and consequences that had been hidden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re now in a time when its lessons are more important than ever: the Make America Healthy Again movement has swept to power in this country with calls for less chemical use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Superficially, MAHA and its figurehead Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — whose uncle John F. Kennedy, as president, used his administration to defend Carson against the chemical industry’s attacks — appear to share intellectual tenets with \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em>: a skepticism of corporate power, concern over environmental toxins, and industrial influence over public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But RFK., Jr. has attacked vaccines. And the Trump administration has taken a soft line on regulating pesticides. It’s hard to imagine that Carson would agree, and a close reading of her book can remind us: chemical impacts travel far beyond their intended use, and what the data actually says matters enormously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000547\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000547\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UC Berkeley Environmental Law professor Claudia Polsky will join KQED to talk about Silent Spring at the Night of Ideas on April 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of UC Berkeley Law)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Join KQED for a discussion of \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em> and its legacy and lessons for us on April 11 at the San Francisco Public Library as part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/6104\">Night of Ideas\u003c/a>, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Periodical Room. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the book yet. Come just as you are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The discussion will shine a spotlight on the work of Claudia Polsky, the founding director of the Environmental Law Clinic at UC Berkeley, who is a guest for the discussion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rachel Carson’s book pointed at ways to engage people,” Polsky said, “how you engage people who care about pets, people who are bird watchers, people who care about what’s in breast milk they’re feeding to their children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carson explored how manufactured chemicals found in the environment were appearing in wildlife, in household pets and in our bodies, like no other writer had.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Polsky, in her own work, partly inspired by Carson, has spent years protecting vulnerable people and communities from harmful chemicals. She has represented communities contaminated by PFAs, stubborn “forever chemicals” used to make food packaging, nonstick pans, waterproof materials that don’t break down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a deputy attorney general for California, she helped get formaldehyde-laden Brazilian blowout chemicals – which leave hair with a glossy sheen – off the market here by demonstrating the carcinogen was sickening and disabling salon workers. She worked on policies to reduce the risks associated with pesticides and industrial chemicals at the Department of Toxic Substances Control in Sacramento. Most recently, she successfully \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-25/trump-lawsuit-university-of-california-researchers\">led a legal fight against the Trump administration\u003c/a> to restore hundreds of millions in canceled research funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite her differences with the Trump administration, Polsky has compassion for some of the MAHA movement’s concerns. She said it has a “good intuition” for the ways in which the public lacks health protections, as well as the government’s “insufficient focus” on broad-level public health and prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although she points out that the level of skepticism about vaccine safety backed by RFK Jr. lacks empirical support and is unjustified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Polsky’s work, however, she seeks to find ways to connect people across political divides. She has a book project in her sights that would focus on how environmental concerns can be detected within human bodies, such as in breast milk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to write for Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris voters,” she said. “I actually want to write something that speaks to the incredible political horseshoe I’ve seen around issues of human exposure to chemicals … I feel there’s a huge opportunity here once we can get past this hyperpartisan moment.”[aside postID=science_2000234 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1.jpg'] Some people have criticized \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em> and Rachel Carson for fostering intense fear of chemicals in a way that has partially led to our anti-science moment. People attribute to her a call for a ban on all pesticides. Polsky said \u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/crazy-lies-haters-threw-at-rachel-carson-25183450/\">laying these critiques at Carson’s door\u003c/a> is unfounded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think we can attribute to her the fact that people have over-read what she said and what she testified in Congress. She actually did not call for a ban on pesticides. She said they have their place. It’s much narrower than how they’re deployed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carson encouraged saving DDT – the pesticide she’s most associated with – to control malarial outbreaks. That doesn’t stop her detractors from attributing malarial deaths to her, and by extension, seeking to undermine the case for environmental regulations altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Women, especially, who raise concerns about environmental chemicals are criticized and called hysterical or emotional or over-invested in the issue. This was true of Carson, too, who died of breast cancer in 1964, two years after the book was published.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She testified about pesticides in front of Congress after a double mastectomy, which I find incredibly poignant,” Polsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She wore a wig to hide the fact that she had cancer so that [her testimony] wouldn’t be seen as a personal vendetta, which is just so heartbreaking. The idea that if you’re personally affected, you’re seen as unable to make sense of the data rather than as having the highest possible stake in ensuring that people understand the data.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A more serious issue than people being over-worried about what manufactured chemicals are doing to themselves and their surroundings, Polsky said, is that they don’t seem to be worried enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "KQED takes on the seminal work in the context of the MAHA movement, PFAS, climate change and more during a discussion at the Night of Ideas on April 11.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1775843052,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": true,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 23,
"wordCount": 1061
},
"headData": {
"title": "In 2026, the Bay Area Still Has Lots to Learn from ‘Silent Spring’ | KQED",
"description": "KQED takes on the seminal work in the context of the MAHA movement, PFAS, climate change and more during a discussion at the Night of Ideas on April 11.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "In 2026, the Bay Area Still Has Lots to Learn from ‘Silent Spring’",
"datePublished": "2026-04-02T09:00:35-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-10T10:44:12-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 31,
"slug": "climate",
"name": "Climate"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/87fdd794-f90e-4280-920f-ab89016e8062/13232fb9-0f9e-4422-aad3-b42501769cc3/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000545",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000545/in-2026-the-bay-area-still-has-lots-to-learn-from-silent-spring",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000354/read-with-kqed-the-book-that-changed-how-we-see-nature\">\u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is one of those books where many people think they know what it says, have opinions about it, even if they haven’t read it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a science book that, when you sit down and crack it open, surprises you with its technical, but compelling, depth. Carson is an extremely skilled writer. And the book changed the world, opening eyes to patterns and consequences that had been hidden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re now in a time when its lessons are more important than ever: the Make America Healthy Again movement has swept to power in this country with calls for less chemical use.\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>Superficially, MAHA and its figurehead Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — whose uncle John F. Kennedy, as president, used his administration to defend Carson against the chemical industry’s attacks — appear to share intellectual tenets with \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em>: a skepticism of corporate power, concern over environmental toxins, and industrial influence over public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But RFK., Jr. has attacked vaccines. And the Trump administration has taken a soft line on regulating pesticides. It’s hard to imagine that Carson would agree, and a close reading of her book can remind us: chemical impacts travel far beyond their intended use, and what the data actually says matters enormously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000547\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000547\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/polsky_claudia_2019-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UC Berkeley Environmental Law professor Claudia Polsky will join KQED to talk about Silent Spring at the Night of Ideas on April 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of UC Berkeley Law)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Join KQED for a discussion of \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em> and its legacy and lessons for us on April 11 at the San Francisco Public Library as part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/6104\">Night of Ideas\u003c/a>, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Periodical Room. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the book yet. Come just as you are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The discussion will shine a spotlight on the work of Claudia Polsky, the founding director of the Environmental Law Clinic at UC Berkeley, who is a guest for the discussion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rachel Carson’s book pointed at ways to engage people,” Polsky said, “how you engage people who care about pets, people who are bird watchers, people who care about what’s in breast milk they’re feeding to their children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carson explored how manufactured chemicals found in the environment were appearing in wildlife, in household pets and in our bodies, like no other writer had.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Polsky, in her own work, partly inspired by Carson, has spent years protecting vulnerable people and communities from harmful chemicals. She has represented communities contaminated by PFAs, stubborn “forever chemicals” used to make food packaging, nonstick pans, waterproof materials that don’t break down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a deputy attorney general for California, she helped get formaldehyde-laden Brazilian blowout chemicals – which leave hair with a glossy sheen – off the market here by demonstrating the carcinogen was sickening and disabling salon workers. She worked on policies to reduce the risks associated with pesticides and industrial chemicals at the Department of Toxic Substances Control in Sacramento. Most recently, she successfully \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-25/trump-lawsuit-university-of-california-researchers\">led a legal fight against the Trump administration\u003c/a> to restore hundreds of millions in canceled research funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite her differences with the Trump administration, Polsky has compassion for some of the MAHA movement’s concerns. She said it has a “good intuition” for the ways in which the public lacks health protections, as well as the government’s “insufficient focus” on broad-level public health and prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although she points out that the level of skepticism about vaccine safety backed by RFK Jr. lacks empirical support and is unjustified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Polsky’s work, however, she seeks to find ways to connect people across political divides. She has a book project in her sights that would focus on how environmental concerns can be detected within human bodies, such as in breast milk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to write for Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris voters,” she said. “I actually want to write something that speaks to the incredible political horseshoe I’ve seen around issues of human exposure to chemicals … I feel there’s a huge opportunity here once we can get past this hyperpartisan moment.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "science_2000234",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/Condors1.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Some people have criticized \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em> and Rachel Carson for fostering intense fear of chemicals in a way that has partially led to our anti-science moment. People attribute to her a call for a ban on all pesticides. Polsky said \u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/crazy-lies-haters-threw-at-rachel-carson-25183450/\">laying these critiques at Carson’s door\u003c/a> is unfounded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think we can attribute to her the fact that people have over-read what she said and what she testified in Congress. She actually did not call for a ban on pesticides. She said they have their place. It’s much narrower than how they’re deployed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carson encouraged saving DDT – the pesticide she’s most associated with – to control malarial outbreaks. That doesn’t stop her detractors from attributing malarial deaths to her, and by extension, seeking to undermine the case for environmental regulations altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Women, especially, who raise concerns about environmental chemicals are criticized and called hysterical or emotional or over-invested in the issue. This was true of Carson, too, who died of breast cancer in 1964, two years after the book was published.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She testified about pesticides in front of Congress after a double mastectomy, which I find incredibly poignant,” Polsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She wore a wig to hide the fact that she had cancer so that [her testimony] wouldn’t be seen as a personal vendetta, which is just so heartbreaking. The idea that if you’re personally affected, you’re seen as unable to make sense of the data rather than as having the highest possible stake in ensuring that people understand the data.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A more serious issue than people being over-worried about what manufactured chemicals are doing to themselves and their surroundings, Polsky said, is that they don’t seem to be worried enough.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/2000545/in-2026-the-bay-area-still-has-lots-to-learn-from-silent-spring",
"authors": [
"11088"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_163",
"science_182",
"science_192",
"science_4414",
"science_5181",
"science_554",
"science_309"
],
"featImg": "science_2000546",
"label": "science"
},
"science_2000505": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000505",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000505",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1774965640000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "new-web-of-sensors-aims-to-pinpoint-san-ramon-earthquake-source",
"title": "What’s Causing Hundreds of San Ramon Earthquakes? New Sensors Seek Answers",
"publishDate": 1774965640,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "What’s Causing Hundreds of San Ramon Earthquakes? New Sensors Seek Answers | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Mona Epstein thought the violent shaking that woke her was just a nightmare. But when she checked her phone, she saw that an \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75331762/executive\">earthquake \u003c/a>had struck the San Ramon Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Earthquakes have infiltrated my dreams,” Epstein said. “It’s really nerve-wracking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Epstein lives in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999633/scientists-say-san-ramons-latest-earthquake-swarm-is-normal-but-residents-are-on-edge\">San Ramon\u003c/a>, a typically quiet Bay Area suburb that has been jolted by 162 earthquakes of a magnitude 2.0 or higher since November. Three dozen small tremors shook her home \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071884/earthquake-swarm-in-san-ramon-is-felt-around-bay-area-with-over-20-small-quakes\">in early February\u003c/a>, popping open cabinet doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just won’t stop,” Epstein said. “It’s like the new normal, I’ve become accustomed to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seismologists call the sequence of small earthquakes a “swarm” and say it is normal for this part of the Bay Area, which lies atop a spiderweb of active faults.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They don’t know exactly how or why they’re happening, or whether they are occurring on a major fault — which may hint at the risk of a larger earthquake coming — or on one of the many smaller cracks nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000504\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000504\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Ramon sits atop a complex network of faults, making it prone to earthquake swarms. \u003ccite>(Anna Vignet/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s why in mid-March, a group of United States Geological Survey seismologists and volunteers buried a network of 78 blue and grey toaster-sized seismometers across San Ramon and Danville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t have any preconceived notions, I just want to find out what’s going on,” said Rufus Catchings, a research geophysicist with USGS, who is leading the work. “The data will hopefully tell us a lot more detail, like which faults are involved and whether earthquakes are happening on major faults.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Catchings said a swarm on a smaller fault is “unlikely to generate a very large earthquake. But if it is connected, say, to the Calaveras or to one of the thrust faults, it could be very significant, and we need to know that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rufus Catchings, a seismologist from USGS, installs a seismometer at a home in San Ramon on March 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Ramon sits in a part of Contra Costa County that is prone to swarms and has experienced them a handful of times since the 1970s due to a complex system of faults in the region, including the Calaveras, Concord-Green Valley, Pleasanton, Mt. Diablo Thrust, Greenville and Sherburne Hills Thrust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Epstein has lived in San Ramon for 12 years and experienced multiple swarms. The latest quakes have left her with a mountain of unanswered questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I read as much as I could to understand whether or not this means that [a big one] is coming,” Epstein said. “I don’t think there is any solid answer. That’s why they’re putting all those little sensors everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A web of sensors\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The grid of sensors will track movement underground for the next six months, and afterward, seismologists will dig them up and analyze their readings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know for sure that we’re going to catch some really small earthquakes because they’re just going on all the time, and if the swarm does pick up again, then we’ll definitely catch that,” said Annemarie Baltay, a research geophysicist with USGS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000438\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annemarie Baltay (left), a geophysicist researcher from USGS, and Rufus Catchings (right), a seismologist from USGS, install a seismometer at a home in San Ramon on March 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The battery-operated seismometers gather data around 200 times per second, Catchings said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that eventually there’s gonna be a big earthquake here,” Catchings said. “You can look at these mountains and see how they popped up through the tectonic forces.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers theorize that the swarm occurred along smaller sub-faults or due to liquid moving around these marginal cracks. But it’s hard to know exactly what’s happening five to 10 miles underground, Baltay said.[aside postID=news_12071884 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/251215-EarthquakeSwarms-14-BL_qed.jpg']“It’s very likely that the fault goes down, turns, dips and moves around,” Baltay said. “This will help us sort of understand that fault structure at depth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baltay said the findings could also show how different soils affect how waves travel through the earth. What researchers learn might require adjustments to the USGS’s National Seismic Hazard Model, which informs local building codes and insurance risk models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Armstrong, mayor of San Ramon, lives in a two-story home smack dab in the epicenter of the recent swarm of quakes. He said the shaking he feels is a reminder that he lives in earthquake country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A couple of earthquakes were literally in my backyard or across the street,” Armstrong said, recalling rumblings that shook pictures off his bookshelves. The USGS scientists installed a seismometer in his backyard. “There’s a little bit of excitement when you get one of the big ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armstrong said residents have one burning question: “When is it going to stop?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armstrong said the city is planning an emergency exercise with the American Red Cross, in collaboration with the City of Danville and Contra Costa County. The run-through will likely include activating an emergency operations center and shelters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000436\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000436\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rufus Catchings, a seismologist from USGS, installs a seismometer at a home in San Ramon on March 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>USGS seismologists also buried a sensor in Gina Veazey’s front yard. The Danville resident can tell an earthquake is going to shake her home when her dog, Stinky, goes “absolutely crazy” and “jumps off the bed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Then all of a sudden we feel the tremor, so she’s a good indicator that something’s coming,” Veazey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every time Veazey hears the groan of an earthquake, and then the rock and sway that follow, it’s a reminder that “Mother Nature is telling us we just got to roll with the punches that she throws. That’s all we can do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Small earthquakes have rattled San Ramon regularly for months. Federal seismologists buried dozens of sensors this month to learn why.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1775592299,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": true,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 27,
"wordCount": 1086
},
"headData": {
"title": "What’s Causing Hundreds of San Ramon Earthquakes? New Sensors Seek Answers | KQED",
"description": "Small earthquakes have rattled San Ramon regularly for months. Federal seismologists buried dozens of sensors this month to learn why.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "What’s Causing Hundreds of San Ramon Earthquakes? New Sensors Seek Answers",
"datePublished": "2026-03-31T07:00:40-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-07T13:04:59-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 35,
"slug": "environment",
"name": "Environment"
},
"source": "News",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000505",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000505/new-web-of-sensors-aims-to-pinpoint-san-ramon-earthquake-source",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mona Epstein thought the violent shaking that woke her was just a nightmare. But when she checked her phone, she saw that an \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75331762/executive\">earthquake \u003c/a>had struck the San Ramon Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Earthquakes have infiltrated my dreams,” Epstein said. “It’s really nerve-wracking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Epstein lives in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999633/scientists-say-san-ramons-latest-earthquake-swarm-is-normal-but-residents-are-on-edge\">San Ramon\u003c/a>, a typically quiet Bay Area suburb that has been jolted by 162 earthquakes of a magnitude 2.0 or higher since November. Three dozen small tremors shook her home \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071884/earthquake-swarm-in-san-ramon-is-felt-around-bay-area-with-over-20-small-quakes\">in early February\u003c/a>, popping open cabinet doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just won’t stop,” Epstein said. “It’s like the new normal, I’ve become accustomed to it.”\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>Seismologists call the sequence of small earthquakes a “swarm” and say it is normal for this part of the Bay Area, which lies atop a spiderweb of active faults.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They don’t know exactly how or why they’re happening, or whether they are occurring on a major fault — which may hint at the risk of a larger earthquake coming — or on one of the many smaller cracks nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000504\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000504\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/faults-5-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Ramon sits atop a complex network of faults, making it prone to earthquake swarms. \u003ccite>(Anna Vignet/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s why in mid-March, a group of United States Geological Survey seismologists and volunteers buried a network of 78 blue and grey toaster-sized seismometers across San Ramon and Danville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t have any preconceived notions, I just want to find out what’s going on,” said Rufus Catchings, a research geophysicist with USGS, who is leading the work. “The data will hopefully tell us a lot more detail, like which faults are involved and whether earthquakes are happening on major faults.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Catchings said a swarm on a smaller fault is “unlikely to generate a very large earthquake. But if it is connected, say, to the Calaveras or to one of the thrust faults, it could be very significant, and we need to know that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00566_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rufus Catchings, a seismologist from USGS, installs a seismometer at a home in San Ramon on March 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Ramon sits in a part of Contra Costa County that is prone to swarms and has experienced them a handful of times since the 1970s due to a complex system of faults in the region, including the Calaveras, Concord-Green Valley, Pleasanton, Mt. Diablo Thrust, Greenville and Sherburne Hills Thrust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Epstein has lived in San Ramon for 12 years and experienced multiple swarms. The latest quakes have left her with a mountain of unanswered questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I read as much as I could to understand whether or not this means that [a big one] is coming,” Epstein said. “I don’t think there is any solid answer. That’s why they’re putting all those little sensors everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A web of sensors\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The grid of sensors will track movement underground for the next six months, and afterward, seismologists will dig them up and analyze their readings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know for sure that we’re going to catch some really small earthquakes because they’re just going on all the time, and if the swarm does pick up again, then we’ll definitely catch that,” said Annemarie Baltay, a research geophysicist with USGS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000438\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00574_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annemarie Baltay (left), a geophysicist researcher from USGS, and Rufus Catchings (right), a seismologist from USGS, install a seismometer at a home in San Ramon on March 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The battery-operated seismometers gather data around 200 times per second, Catchings said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that eventually there’s gonna be a big earthquake here,” Catchings said. “You can look at these mountains and see how they popped up through the tectonic forces.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers theorize that the swarm occurred along smaller sub-faults or due to liquid moving around these marginal cracks. But it’s hard to know exactly what’s happening five to 10 miles underground, Baltay said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12071884",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/251215-EarthquakeSwarms-14-BL_qed.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s very likely that the fault goes down, turns, dips and moves around,” Baltay said. “This will help us sort of understand that fault structure at depth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baltay said the findings could also show how different soils affect how waves travel through the earth. What researchers learn might require adjustments to the USGS’s National Seismic Hazard Model, which informs local building codes and insurance risk models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Armstrong, mayor of San Ramon, lives in a two-story home smack dab in the epicenter of the recent swarm of quakes. He said the shaking he feels is a reminder that he lives in earthquake country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A couple of earthquakes were literally in my backyard or across the street,” Armstrong said, recalling rumblings that shook pictures off his bookshelves. The USGS scientists installed a seismometer in his backyard. “There’s a little bit of excitement when you get one of the big ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armstrong said residents have one burning question: “When is it going to stop?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Armstrong said the city is planning an emergency exercise with the American Red Cross, in collaboration with the City of Danville and Contra Costa County. The run-through will likely include activating an emergency operations center and shelters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000436\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000436\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260317-SANRAMONEARTHQUAKES00523_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rufus Catchings, a seismologist from USGS, installs a seismometer at a home in San Ramon on March 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>USGS seismologists also buried a sensor in Gina Veazey’s front yard. The Danville resident can tell an earthquake is going to shake her home when her dog, Stinky, goes “absolutely crazy” and “jumps off the bed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Then all of a sudden we feel the tremor, so she’s a good indicator that something’s coming,” Veazey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every time Veazey hears the groan of an earthquake, and then the rock and sway that follow, it’s a reminder that “Mother Nature is telling us we just got to roll with the punches that she throws. That’s all we can do.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/2000505/new-web-of-sensors-aims-to-pinpoint-san-ramon-earthquake-source",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_4550",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_856",
"science_5178",
"science_427",
"science_4414",
"science_309"
],
"featImg": "science_2000433",
"label": "source_science_2000505"
},
"science_2000483": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000483",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000483",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1774546324000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "bay-area-brewery-pulls-co2-from-the-air-to-keep-beer-flowing",
"title": "Bay Area Brewery Pulls CO2 From the Air to Keep Beer Flowing",
"publishDate": 1774546324,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Bay Area Brewery Pulls CO2 From the Air to Keep Beer Flowing | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Over a sun-baked weekend this month, customers lined up for beer, their numbers overflowing into the palm-treed, and mercifully shaded, garden of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/28916/almanac-beer-company-local-brewers-local-ingredients\">Almanac Beer Co.\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda\">Alameda\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cold lagers and ales in pint glasses bubbled and sparkled, the fizz courtesy of dissolved carbon dioxide. The CO2 gives the beer extra flavor, aroma and a tingly, crisp feeling on the tongue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Customers sampling the beer would have no idea the amber liquid in their hand was in any way trailblazing, but they were drinking what’s believed to be the first beer carbonated with CO2 caught by a direct air capture machine at the brewery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We may often think of carbon dioxide as a waste product that contributes to climate change — something released during combustion, with far too much of it accumulating in the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond being an atmospheric pollutant, carbon dioxide is also an industrial commodity, a material used to produce concrete and fertilizer and for carbonating beverages like beer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah McGrath tends the bar at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In California, it is often a byproduct of refining oil or gas. Then it is shipped on trucks to wherever it is needed. The supply chain is fragile and unreliable, forcing businesses that rely on it to halt operations from time to time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley-based Aircapture is changing that by capturing and concentrating CO2 at the site where its customers need it. Over the weekend, the company unveiled its system at Almanac’s Alameda brewery. The beer company has used it in its operations for about a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We aim to save our customers money and provide them with a higher reliability of supply, higher purity supply, and of course, a much more sustainable supply,” said Matt Atwood, founder and CEO at Aircapture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000428\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000428\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Atwood, CEO at Aircapture, and the Aircapture system installed Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From a climate perspective, this application isn’t necessarily a game changer, said carbon sequestration expert Klaus Lackner. He founded the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions at Arizona State University and is not involved in Aircapture or Almanac.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it’s avoiding the need to industrially produce and ship CO2 on trucks, fundamentally, it’s capturing carbon that is then released into the beer and eventually out into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he said, if niche markets like breweries adopt direct air capture, that could provide the breeding grounds for the technology to be further developed to the point that the price for it drops dramatically.[aside postID=science_2000377 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-ALAMEDA-ISLAND-MD-02-KQED.jpg']“It’s actually critical that if you want technologies which can replace what we have,” Lackner said, “whether this is air capture or something else, that you get affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solar panels, he said, used to cost hundreds of times more than they do today and only started meaningfully contributing to renewable energy supplies once their cost came down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fundamentally, this was a business decision,” said Damian Fagan, CEO of Almanac. His company saves 15% on the per-pound cost of CO2. That adds up pretty quickly, Fagan said, in the range of tens of thousands of dollars a year. The additional sustainability is great, he said, and fits in with the company’s goals of locally sourcing ingredients. But his primary interest was avoiding future disruptions in supply. For that, he would even be willing to pay more per pound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almanac shut down operations for two days last fall when shipments of CO2 didn’t arrive from their suppliers. They couldn’t can beer, so they couldn’t sell it. Their brewing schedule backed up. To catch up, they had to add a third shift and staff worked till midnight. The CO2 industry infrastructure – part of the heavily regulated oil and gas industry – is aging and degrading, so Fagan expects reliability will only get worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The writing’s on the wall: the infrastructure that produces CO2, particularly here in California, is fading quickly,” he said. “And CO2 is literally intrinsic to the brewing process — it’s like electricity or water. If you don’t have them, we are just dead in the water. We can’t operate without it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000423\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000423 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Aircapture system at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Almanac promotes its use of the Aircapture technology through branding on its “Flow” beer, a light and bright West Coast Pale Ale. Eventually, they plan to use it in all their beers and to power their lines that push the beer to the 30 taps in the taproom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While carbonation improves the aroma and taste of the beer, customers won’t notice a difference between the industrially-provided CO2 and the locally-sourced CO2 from the parking lot. There’s no effect on taste, and Aircapture said the purity from their technology significantly exceeds industry standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The direct air capture machine sits in the brewery’s parking lot. A large fan sucks air through a pipe. A ceramic substrate grabs onto the carbon dioxide in the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000426\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000426 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brenden Dobel prepares fermenter tanks for brewing beer at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The CO2 is then released via a blast of steam and piped into the brewery and a trailer with Aircapture’s equipment. The CO2 is cooled down, concentrated, turned into liquid, purified and sent to tanks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almanac pays for the carbon dioxide it uses, but not directly for the equipment. The machine is designed to last 20 years. If Almanac expands and needs more CO2, it can add additional units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the brewery expects to use around 120,000 pounds to brew 15 thousand barrels of beer — and that number is rising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000429\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000429\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Damian Fagan, CEO at Almanac Beer Co., at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our usage is only going up,” Fagan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almanac is, to the best of Aircapture’s knowledge, the first brewery to use direct air capture technology to carbonate its beer. But it almost certainly won’t be the last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s next project is with Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, installing the technology at a brewery in the Canary Islands later this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Alameda’s Almanac Beer Co. is believed to be the first brewery to carbonate its beverages with carbon dioxide caught directly from the outside air.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1774637231,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": true,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 26,
"wordCount": 1136
},
"headData": {
"title": "Bay Area Brewery Pulls CO2 From the Air to Keep Beer Flowing | KQED",
"description": "Alameda’s Almanac Beer Co. is believed to be the first brewery to carbonate its beverages with carbon dioxide caught directly from the outside air.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Bay Area Brewery Pulls CO2 From the Air to Keep Beer Flowing",
"datePublished": "2026-03-26T10:32:04-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-03-27T11:47:11-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 31,
"slug": "climate",
"name": "Climate"
},
"source": "News",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/259acef7-3159-4c9b-bc62-b41a010cabbf/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000483",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000483/bay-area-brewery-pulls-co2-from-the-air-to-keep-beer-flowing",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Over a sun-baked weekend this month, customers lined up for beer, their numbers overflowing into the palm-treed, and mercifully shaded, garden of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/28916/almanac-beer-company-local-brewers-local-ingredients\">Almanac Beer Co.\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda\">Alameda\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cold lagers and ales in pint glasses bubbled and sparkled, the fizz courtesy of dissolved carbon dioxide. The CO2 gives the beer extra flavor, aroma and a tingly, crisp feeling on the tongue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Customers sampling the beer would have no idea the amber liquid in their hand was in any way trailblazing, but they were drinking what’s believed to be the first beer carbonated with CO2 caught by a direct air capture machine at the brewery.\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>We may often think of carbon dioxide as a waste product that contributes to climate change — something released during combustion, with far too much of it accumulating in the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond being an atmospheric pollutant, carbon dioxide is also an industrial commodity, a material used to produce concrete and fertilizer and for carbonating beverages like beer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah McGrath tends the bar at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In California, it is often a byproduct of refining oil or gas. Then it is shipped on trucks to wherever it is needed. The supply chain is fragile and unreliable, forcing businesses that rely on it to halt operations from time to time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley-based Aircapture is changing that by capturing and concentrating CO2 at the site where its customers need it. Over the weekend, the company unveiled its system at Almanac’s Alameda brewery. The beer company has used it in its operations for about a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We aim to save our customers money and provide them with a higher reliability of supply, higher purity supply, and of course, a much more sustainable supply,” said Matt Atwood, founder and CEO at Aircapture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000428\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000428\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-07-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Atwood, CEO at Aircapture, and the Aircapture system installed Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From a climate perspective, this application isn’t necessarily a game changer, said carbon sequestration expert Klaus Lackner. He founded the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions at Arizona State University and is not involved in Aircapture or Almanac.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it’s avoiding the need to industrially produce and ship CO2 on trucks, fundamentally, it’s capturing carbon that is then released into the beer and eventually out into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he said, if niche markets like breweries adopt direct air capture, that could provide the breeding grounds for the technology to be further developed to the point that the price for it drops dramatically.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "science_2000377",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-ALAMEDA-ISLAND-MD-02-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s actually critical that if you want technologies which can replace what we have,” Lackner said, “whether this is air capture or something else, that you get affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solar panels, he said, used to cost hundreds of times more than they do today and only started meaningfully contributing to renewable energy supplies once their cost came down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fundamentally, this was a business decision,” said Damian Fagan, CEO of Almanac. His company saves 15% on the per-pound cost of CO2. That adds up pretty quickly, Fagan said, in the range of tens of thousands of dollars a year. The additional sustainability is great, he said, and fits in with the company’s goals of locally sourcing ingredients. But his primary interest was avoiding future disruptions in supply. For that, he would even be willing to pay more per pound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almanac shut down operations for two days last fall when shipments of CO2 didn’t arrive from their suppliers. They couldn’t can beer, so they couldn’t sell it. Their brewing schedule backed up. To catch up, they had to add a third shift and staff worked till midnight. The CO2 industry infrastructure – part of the heavily regulated oil and gas industry – is aging and degrading, so Fagan expects reliability will only get worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The writing’s on the wall: the infrastructure that produces CO2, particularly here in California, is fading quickly,” he said. “And CO2 is literally intrinsic to the brewing process — it’s like electricity or water. If you don’t have them, we are just dead in the water. We can’t operate without it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000423\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000423 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Aircapture system at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Almanac promotes its use of the Aircapture technology through branding on its “Flow” beer, a light and bright West Coast Pale Ale. Eventually, they plan to use it in all their beers and to power their lines that push the beer to the 30 taps in the taproom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While carbonation improves the aroma and taste of the beer, customers won’t notice a difference between the industrially-provided CO2 and the locally-sourced CO2 from the parking lot. There’s no effect on taste, and Aircapture said the purity from their technology significantly exceeds industry standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The direct air capture machine sits in the brewery’s parking lot. A large fan sucks air through a pipe. A ceramic substrate grabs onto the carbon dioxide in the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000426\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000426 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brenden Dobel prepares fermenter tanks for brewing beer at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The CO2 is then released via a blast of steam and piped into the brewery and a trailer with Aircapture’s equipment. The CO2 is cooled down, concentrated, turned into liquid, purified and sent to tanks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almanac pays for the carbon dioxide it uses, but not directly for the equipment. The machine is designed to last 20 years. If Almanac expands and needs more CO2, it can add additional units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the brewery expects to use around 120,000 pounds to brew 15 thousand barrels of beer — and that number is rising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000429\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000429\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/260320-BEER-CARBON-MD-12-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Damian Fagan, CEO at Almanac Beer Co., at Almanac Adventureland and Brewery in Alameda on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our usage is only going up,” Fagan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almanac is, to the best of Aircapture’s knowledge, the first brewery to use direct air capture technology to carbonate its beer. But it almost certainly won’t be the last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s next project is with Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, installing the technology at a brewery in the Canary Islands later this year.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\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/2000483/bay-area-brewery-pulls-co2-from-the-air-to-keep-beer-flowing",
"authors": [
"11088"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_36",
"science_4550",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_5487",
"science_5488",
"science_1404",
"science_182",
"science_4417",
"science_4414",
"science_507",
"science_309",
"science_461"
],
"featImg": "science_2000419",
"label": "source_science_2000483"
},
"science_2000354": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000354",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000354",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1773928846000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "read-with-kqed-the-book-that-changed-how-we-see-nature",
"title": "Read With KQED the Book That Changed How We See Nature",
"publishDate": 1773928846,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Read With KQED the Book That Changed How We See Nature | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "science"
},
"content": "\u003cp>“There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this, the opening line of Rachel Carson’s \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em>, the author begins to paint a bleak, but plausible, picture: a community where fish once thrived in the creeks and rivers, insects buzzed in fields, birds filled the air with song and children had a chance to grow up healthy and strong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in Rachel Carson’s telling, the town now has no life in its waters, fields or air and adults and children sicken from mysterious conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cause? It was, she writes, “no witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carson did not have a specific town in mind; instead, she sculpted an amalgam of reports from disasters around the country. And in the rest of the book, she explains what was causing the silencing of the voices of spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000359\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000359 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/GettyImages-517350968-e1773868401860.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1250\" height=\"1556\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Carson stirred up a roaring national controversy with her last book, “Silent Spring.” Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania and first burst onto the scene in 1951 with “The Sea Around Us,” which became a best seller. The success enabled Carson, shown here seated at her typewriter, to leave her government job as an aquatic biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. \u003ccite>(Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her book, published in 1962, became enormously influential, changing the direction of society. It sparked the modern environmental movement. It caught the attention of President John F. Kennedy, who directed his Science Advisory Committee to investigate the use of pesticides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The conclusions of the panel were the same as Carson’s, urging reduced pesticide use and improved regulations. \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em> had its detractors at the time, notably the chemical industry, which \u003ca href=\"https://blog.ucs.org/anita-desikan/why-rachel-carsons-silent-spring-still-resonates-today/\">fought to stop its publication\u003c/a> and discredit the author.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, it has its critics as well, some say it has led to all chemicals being viewed with suspicion, whether with good reason or not, and that her opening scene of a mass biocide — which sets the tone of the work — is \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/health/05iht-sntier.1.6003787.html\">simplistic and unscientific\u003c/a>, presenting the natural world of the past and traditional agriculture as a Disneyfied version of Eden. It remains a worthy and beautiful read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rachel Carson left a legacy of highlighting nature’s sustaining power for the human spirit. She argued chemical industries were corrupting the globe and called on us to regulate our appetites, for our own self-preservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This stance, which at the time was revolutionary and subversive, still resonates today as we come to terms with the impacts of global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems reasonable,” Carson wrote, “that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Read with us! KQED's Climate Book Club is taking up \"Silent Spring\" by Rachel Carson. We will gather to discuss during the Night of Ideas at the San Francisco Public Library on April 11. Our guest speaker will be professor of law and the founding Director of the Environmental Law Clinic, Claudia Polsky.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1773870687,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 13,
"wordCount": 528
},
"headData": {
"title": "Read With KQED the Book That Changed How We See Nature | KQED",
"description": "Read with us! KQED's Climate Book Club is taking up "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson. We will gather to discuss during the Night of Ideas at the San Francisco Public Library on April 11. Our guest speaker will be professor of law and the founding Director of the Environmental Law Clinic, Claudia Polsky.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Read With KQED the Book That Changed How We See Nature",
"datePublished": "2026-03-19T07:00:46-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-03-18T14:51:27-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 31,
"slug": "climate",
"name": "Climate"
},
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000354/read-with-kqed-the-book-that-changed-how-we-see-nature",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>“There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this, the opening line of Rachel Carson’s \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em>, the author begins to paint a bleak, but plausible, picture: a community where fish once thrived in the creeks and rivers, insects buzzed in fields, birds filled the air with song and children had a chance to grow up healthy and strong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in Rachel Carson’s telling, the town now has no life in its waters, fields or air and adults and children sicken from mysterious conditions.\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 cause? It was, she writes, “no witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carson did not have a specific town in mind; instead, she sculpted an amalgam of reports from disasters around the country. And in the rest of the book, she explains what was causing the silencing of the voices of spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000359\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000359 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/GettyImages-517350968-e1773868401860.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1250\" height=\"1556\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Carson stirred up a roaring national controversy with her last book, “Silent Spring.” Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania and first burst onto the scene in 1951 with “The Sea Around Us,” which became a best seller. The success enabled Carson, shown here seated at her typewriter, to leave her government job as an aquatic biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. \u003ccite>(Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her book, published in 1962, became enormously influential, changing the direction of society. It sparked the modern environmental movement. It caught the attention of President John F. Kennedy, who directed his Science Advisory Committee to investigate the use of pesticides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The conclusions of the panel were the same as Carson’s, urging reduced pesticide use and improved regulations. \u003cem>Silent Spring\u003c/em> had its detractors at the time, notably the chemical industry, which \u003ca href=\"https://blog.ucs.org/anita-desikan/why-rachel-carsons-silent-spring-still-resonates-today/\">fought to stop its publication\u003c/a> and discredit the author.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, it has its critics as well, some say it has led to all chemicals being viewed with suspicion, whether with good reason or not, and that her opening scene of a mass biocide — which sets the tone of the work — is \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/health/05iht-sntier.1.6003787.html\">simplistic and unscientific\u003c/a>, presenting the natural world of the past and traditional agriculture as a Disneyfied version of Eden. It remains a worthy and beautiful read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rachel Carson left a legacy of highlighting nature’s sustaining power for the human spirit. She argued chemical industries were corrupting the globe and called on us to regulate our appetites, for our own self-preservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This stance, which at the time was revolutionary and subversive, still resonates today as we come to terms with the impacts of global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems reasonable,” Carson wrote, “that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/2000354/read-with-kqed-the-book-that-changed-how-we-see-nature",
"authors": [
"11088"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_192",
"science_4414",
"science_309"
],
"featImg": "science_1994717",
"label": "science"
},
"science_2000234": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000234",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000234",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1773828114000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-condors-are-still-dying-despite-a-lead-ammo-ban",
"title": "California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban",
"publishDate": 1773828114,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1944241/lead-ammunition-is-now-banned-for-hunting-wildlife-in-california\">condors\u003c/a> are the largest land bird in North America — with wingspans of almost 10 feet. The vultures look and sound otherworldly, with good reason. They are a Pleistocene-era animal, survivors of the last ice age. These incredible \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/55378/with-condors-on-the-brink-california-considers-a-lead-bullet-ban-for-hunters\">scavengers\u003c/a> — weighing up to 25 pounds — used to range from California to Florida and from Canada to Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the last century, their populations crashed. The federal government listed them as endangered in 1967, and in 1982, only 23 condors survived worldwide. A substantial conservation campaign in California followed, spanning several decades. Now there are more than 600 alive, but they aren’t doing as well as scientists expected, even after the state banned hunters from using lead bullets, fragments of which the birds swallow when they eat animal carcasses left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69617-4\">research published Wednesday\u003c/a> explains the mystery of why, despite many protections, the birds are still struggling. The answer, the scientists believe, is due to condors changing their behavior to act like more wild birds. The birds are foraging further afield from sites where conservationists leave food and finding animals to eat that are sometimes shot with lead. More lead-laced animal carcasses may be available, they believe, due to the expansion of feral pigs causing a nuisance in Central California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Condors are very long-lived, so very small changes in their survival rate can make big differences on whether or not they will go extinct or not go extinct,” said Myra Finkelstein, an environmental toxicologist at UC Santa Cruz and senior author on the paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The goal is that for us to stop releasing captive-bred birds, and currently right now, we still have to. The population is declining unless we release captive-bred birds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finkelstein published research in 2012 that showed the lead poisoning from ammunition was preventing the condor’s recovery. The findings built support for California to pass a lead bullet ban for hunting wildlife in 2013, which fully phased into effect in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the law passed, Finkelstein was very excited. “Not only does lead poison California condors, it will poison any scavenging species, and there’s no level of lead exposure that’s known to be without long-term effects for young kids. So [no lead] is just a win-win all around.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000337\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California condor 966 Pixchi chases 747 Boeing through the late afternoon skies above Pinnacles National Park. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Tim Huntington)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But in the years that followed the ban, she and her colleagues continued their research, but they did not see the lead mortality decrease as expected. In fact, it worsened. The amount of lead in the blood of Central California condors actually jumped after full implementation of the ban. This, on the face, made no sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We didn’t think that people were out there using more lead than they were before the ban,” she said. In fact, every indication from the hunting community was that people were largely, albeit not entirely, complying with the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finkelstein said her research team felt under some pressure to be able to provide an explanation. If they can’t explain the cause, other states and countries could look at California’s example and conclude that “lead bullet bans don’t work to protect endangered species, we shouldn’t bother with them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortunately, condor researchers in California are lucky in that they have extremely robust datasets. While most biologists study what they hope is a representative subset, Finkelstein and colleagues have access to three decades of near-daily data on every single condor in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We use every single bird,” Finkelstein said. “We have all the blood lead levels that have been collected. And we have all of the outreach that has been done. We have so much data. And with all these data, we were able to start looking at what could be influencing condor lead risk. Why is it worse now than it was five years ago?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They noticed two things: one, that an individual condor’s behavior was highly linked with how soon it died of lead poisoning. The birds still depend on the lead-free carcasses left by conservationists at certain sites. But more and more birds are venturing further afield, presumably picking up lead contamination in the carcasses they find. But where would that increased lead be coming from?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combining data from deer hunts, pig hunts and elsewhere, Finkelstein said they found, “lo and behold, what explained the problem in central California was an increase in pigs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Feral pigs have become a nuisance, with most living on private land. They damage crops and vineyards and are a health hazard; they carry viruses, bacteria and parasites that can affect humans, pets, and livestock. Pig hunting tripled after 2008, and doubled again after 2019. Sometimes they’re killed without a tag, which is like a permission slip from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to kill an animal. It’s impossible to know how often.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000338\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000338\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California condor 966 Pixchi at Pinnacles National Park. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Tim Huntington)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But it doesn’t take much of an increase in lead on the landscape to affect condors. The paper, published in \u003cem>Nature Communications\u003c/em>, explains that fewer than 10 lead-contaminated feedings per year are enough to explain this increase in lead exposure seen in California’s condors. And a condor can be taken down by fewer feedings than that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think people don’t understand that just one feeding, one tiny little sliver of lead can kill a condor — and condors are supposed to live 60 plus years,” Finkelstein said. “They never lived that long. We have a bunch of teenagers flying around out there, you know? Very few adults … It’s just tragic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the research team found that the lead ammunition bans are effective. Without them, condor mortality would be much worse. And, while California condors are not self-sustaining at the moment, they are almost there. A small additional decrease in lead, and they could get there. Interestingly, deer hunting appears to have a protective effect on condors. Deer hunters are overwhelmingly abiding by the lead ammunition ban, and so entrails left over from a deer being dressed in the field provide a safe meal for a condor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We only need to lower lead mortality by 1%, and the condor population is expected to become self-sustaining. Now that to me sounds like we’re on the verge of success here,” said Kelly Sorenson of the Ventana Wildlife Society, who has led major recovery efforts for condors across central California. Sorenson did not participate in the study. “And hunters and ranchers are being a part of that by switching to non-lead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Ventana Wildlife Society, in addition to doing outreach and education, gives away non-lead ammunition to hunters. This year, it plans to give away $60,000 in supplies. It is still legal to buy lead in California and to fire it at some shooting ranges. Sorenson laments that not all calibers are readily available at stores in non-lead options, which can also be more expensive. In California, people are not allowed to order ammunition online; they must buy it in person from a store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The prohibition of online sales is really a big deal, severely limiting availability,” Sorenson said. “The people who are really having a hard time [switching over to non-lead options] are the ranchers who are shooting sometimes hundreds of rounds of rimfire every weekend.” Rimfire is a type of low-cost ammunition popular for small-game hunting. Non-lead ammunition for one of the most common rifles used in the U.S., the 22 Long Rifle, often used for controlling ground squirrels, is not available in most stores, Sorenson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While other states do ammunition sales differently, they have their own problems. Currently, California is the only one with a lead ammo ban for shooting wildlife. But other states are considering similar actions and looking to California’s example.[aside postID=news_12059633 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/GettyImages-1658708092-2000x1347.jpg']“California condors are the tip of a very large and worrisome iceberg,” said Mike Pokras, who ran the wildlife program at Tufts University near Boston for 35 years. He’s advocating for a bill in Maryland aimed at getting hunters to use non-lead bullets when harvesting animals that enter the human food chain, like deer. The goal is to keep both humans and scavenger animals healthier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, he said, “It is absolutely a global issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pokras knows people working to get lead out of wildlife from Norway to South Africa to Spain to Japan. Lead is killing bald eagles, loons, swans, cheetahs, sea eagles. The importance of addressing lead in ammunition, he said, goes beyond concern for animals. It’s a serious public health issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the lessons of the condor outlined in Finkelstein’s latest research paper will be very helpful for many lead-affected species. It shows that animal behavior can change, that food sources can change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, though, he sees one solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get all this lead stuff off the market. The human risks aren’t just from eating animals that have been shot with lead, but simply handling the metallic lead,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. The kids in Flint, Michigan, who were exposed to increased lead in water, experienced a host of physical and mental problems. Other kids have become sick from being exposed to old lead paint in substandard housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t matter where the lead comes from,” Pokras said. “It’s really bad for people. Even if [gun owners are] target shooting, we don’t want them using lead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "New research reveals why the endangered birds remain at risk years after California banned lead ammunition. Exclusive to KQED.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1774293192,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": true,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 31,
"wordCount": 1711
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban | KQED",
"description": "New research reveals why the endangered birds remain at risk years after California banned lead ammunition. Exclusive to KQED.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban",
"datePublished": "2026-03-18T03:01:54-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-03-23T12:13:12-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 2874,
"slug": "animals",
"name": "Animals"
},
"source": "News",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/dbb16cc7-e607-4e7e-a172-b416010dfc1b/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000234",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000234/california-condors-are-still-dying-despite-a-lead-ammo-ban",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1944241/lead-ammunition-is-now-banned-for-hunting-wildlife-in-california\">condors\u003c/a> are the largest land bird in North America — with wingspans of almost 10 feet. The vultures look and sound otherworldly, with good reason. They are a Pleistocene-era animal, survivors of the last ice age. These incredible \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/55378/with-condors-on-the-brink-california-considers-a-lead-bullet-ban-for-hunters\">scavengers\u003c/a> — weighing up to 25 pounds — used to range from California to Florida and from Canada to Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the last century, their populations crashed. The federal government listed them as endangered in 1967, and in 1982, only 23 condors survived worldwide. A substantial conservation campaign in California followed, spanning several decades. Now there are more than 600 alive, but they aren’t doing as well as scientists expected, even after the state banned hunters from using lead bullets, fragments of which the birds swallow when they eat animal carcasses left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>New \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69617-4\">research published Wednesday\u003c/a> explains the mystery of why, despite many protections, the birds are still struggling. The answer, the scientists believe, is due to condors changing their behavior to act like more wild birds. The birds are foraging further afield from sites where conservationists leave food and finding animals to eat that are sometimes shot with lead. More lead-laced animal carcasses may be available, they believe, due to the expansion of feral pigs causing a nuisance in Central California.\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>“Condors are very long-lived, so very small changes in their survival rate can make big differences on whether or not they will go extinct or not go extinct,” said Myra Finkelstein, an environmental toxicologist at UC Santa Cruz and senior author on the paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The goal is that for us to stop releasing captive-bred birds, and currently right now, we still have to. The population is declining unless we release captive-bred birds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finkelstein published research in 2012 that showed the lead poisoning from ammunition was preventing the condor’s recovery. The findings built support for California to pass a lead bullet ban for hunting wildlife in 2013, which fully phased into effect in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the law passed, Finkelstein was very excited. “Not only does lead poison California condors, it will poison any scavenging species, and there’s no level of lead exposure that’s known to be without long-term effects for young kids. So [no lead] is just a win-win all around.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000337\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_chases_747_8076-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California condor 966 Pixchi chases 747 Boeing through the late afternoon skies above Pinnacles National Park. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Tim Huntington)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But in the years that followed the ban, she and her colleagues continued their research, but they did not see the lead mortality decrease as expected. In fact, it worsened. The amount of lead in the blood of Central California condors actually jumped after full implementation of the ban. This, on the face, made no sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We didn’t think that people were out there using more lead than they were before the ban,” she said. In fact, every indication from the hunting community was that people were largely, albeit not entirely, complying with the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finkelstein said her research team felt under some pressure to be able to provide an explanation. If they can’t explain the cause, other states and countries could look at California’s example and conclude that “lead bullet bans don’t work to protect endangered species, we shouldn’t bother with them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortunately, condor researchers in California are lucky in that they have extremely robust datasets. While most biologists study what they hope is a representative subset, Finkelstein and colleagues have access to three decades of near-daily data on every single condor in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We use every single bird,” Finkelstein said. “We have all the blood lead levels that have been collected. And we have all of the outreach that has been done. We have so much data. And with all these data, we were able to start looking at what could be influencing condor lead risk. Why is it worse now than it was five years ago?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They noticed two things: one, that an individual condor’s behavior was highly linked with how soon it died of lead poisoning. The birds still depend on the lead-free carcasses left by conservationists at certain sites. But more and more birds are venturing further afield, presumably picking up lead contamination in the carcasses they find. But where would that increased lead be coming from?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combining data from deer hunts, pig hunts and elsewhere, Finkelstein said they found, “lo and behold, what explained the problem in central California was an increase in pigs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Feral pigs have become a nuisance, with most living on private land. They damage crops and vineyards and are a health hazard; they carry viruses, bacteria and parasites that can affect humans, pets, and livestock. Pig hunting tripled after 2008, and doubled again after 2019. Sometimes they’re killed without a tag, which is like a permission slip from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to kill an animal. It’s impossible to know how often.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000338\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000338\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/kqed_for_myra_story_966_portrait_8278-NR-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California condor 966 Pixchi at Pinnacles National Park. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Tim Huntington)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But it doesn’t take much of an increase in lead on the landscape to affect condors. The paper, published in \u003cem>Nature Communications\u003c/em>, explains that fewer than 10 lead-contaminated feedings per year are enough to explain this increase in lead exposure seen in California’s condors. And a condor can be taken down by fewer feedings than that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think people don’t understand that just one feeding, one tiny little sliver of lead can kill a condor — and condors are supposed to live 60 plus years,” Finkelstein said. “They never lived that long. We have a bunch of teenagers flying around out there, you know? Very few adults … It’s just tragic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the research team found that the lead ammunition bans are effective. Without them, condor mortality would be much worse. And, while California condors are not self-sustaining at the moment, they are almost there. A small additional decrease in lead, and they could get there. Interestingly, deer hunting appears to have a protective effect on condors. Deer hunters are overwhelmingly abiding by the lead ammunition ban, and so entrails left over from a deer being dressed in the field provide a safe meal for a condor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We only need to lower lead mortality by 1%, and the condor population is expected to become self-sustaining. Now that to me sounds like we’re on the verge of success here,” said Kelly Sorenson of the Ventana Wildlife Society, who has led major recovery efforts for condors across central California. Sorenson did not participate in the study. “And hunters and ranchers are being a part of that by switching to non-lead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Ventana Wildlife Society, in addition to doing outreach and education, gives away non-lead ammunition to hunters. This year, it plans to give away $60,000 in supplies. It is still legal to buy lead in California and to fire it at some shooting ranges. Sorenson laments that not all calibers are readily available at stores in non-lead options, which can also be more expensive. In California, people are not allowed to order ammunition online; they must buy it in person from a store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The prohibition of online sales is really a big deal, severely limiting availability,” Sorenson said. “The people who are really having a hard time [switching over to non-lead options] are the ranchers who are shooting sometimes hundreds of rounds of rimfire every weekend.” Rimfire is a type of low-cost ammunition popular for small-game hunting. Non-lead ammunition for one of the most common rifles used in the U.S., the 22 Long Rifle, often used for controlling ground squirrels, is not available in most stores, Sorenson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While other states do ammunition sales differently, they have their own problems. Currently, California is the only one with a lead ammo ban for shooting wildlife. But other states are considering similar actions and looking to California’s example.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12059633",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/GettyImages-1658708092-2000x1347.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“California condors are the tip of a very large and worrisome iceberg,” said Mike Pokras, who ran the wildlife program at Tufts University near Boston for 35 years. He’s advocating for a bill in Maryland aimed at getting hunters to use non-lead bullets when harvesting animals that enter the human food chain, like deer. The goal is to keep both humans and scavenger animals healthier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, he said, “It is absolutely a global issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pokras knows people working to get lead out of wildlife from Norway to South Africa to Spain to Japan. Lead is killing bald eagles, loons, swans, cheetahs, sea eagles. The importance of addressing lead in ammunition, he said, goes beyond concern for animals. It’s a serious public health issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the lessons of the condor outlined in Finkelstein’s latest research paper will be very helpful for many lead-affected species. It shows that animal behavior can change, that food sources can change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, though, he sees one solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get all this lead stuff off the market. The human risks aren’t just from eating animals that have been shot with lead, but simply handling the metallic lead,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. The kids in Flint, Michigan, who were exposed to increased lead in water, experienced a host of physical and mental problems. Other kids have become sick from being exposed to old lead paint in substandard housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t matter where the lead comes from,” Pokras said. “It’s really bad for people. Even if [gun owners are] target shooting, we don’t want them using lead.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeeKhyuk-_odJH80iw5eAlpLBF-YWJnOi_Yqs4BEN9fY1YJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\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/2000234/california-condors-are-still-dying-despite-a-lead-ammo-ban",
"authors": [
"11088"
],
"categories": [
"science_2874",
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_1120",
"science_163",
"science_5178",
"science_182",
"science_4417",
"science_4414",
"science_309",
"science_804"
],
"featImg": "science_2000335",
"label": "source_science_2000234"
},
"science_2000137": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_2000137",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2000137",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771617399000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "could-climate-change-reshape-avalanche-danger-in-the-sierra-nevada-scientists-say-its-complicated",
"title": "Could Climate Change Reshape Avalanche Danger in the Sierra Nevada? Scientists Say It’s Complicated",
"publishDate": 1771617399,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Could Climate Change Reshape Avalanche Danger in the Sierra Nevada? Scientists Say It’s Complicated | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">death toll from the avalanche\u003c/a> this week near Lake Tahoe makes it California’s deadliest in modern history — eight people died, and one is still missing. These snowy white landslides are natural during winter in the Sierra Nevada. But climate change is altering winters globally, raising questions about its impact on these mountain rumbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Backcountry skiers, guides, and researchers like Richard Bothwell know the Tahoe area like the back of their hand. He’s skied the backcountry peaks and valleys of the Sierra Nevada for three decades and is the head avalanche director for the Outdoor Adventure Club. The Bay Area organization offers professionally guided outdoor trips, including backcountry skiing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bothwell is heartbroken over the deaths this week from the avalanche: “It’s a bad day for the backcountry community writ large. It’s a bad day for the guiding community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the fact that an avalanche took place this week wasn’t a surprise. January was practically snowless. What was left turned almost sugary; it rained at some point, and an icy top formed on that snow. Then this week, a big dump of snow fell on top of that icy crust. It was just sitting there, ready to slide off and trigger a powerful avalanche.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During any gap [in]wintertime, it’s relatively common that the snow surface weakens, and that’s what we experienced,” said David Reichel, executive director of the Sierra Avalanche Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000143\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000143 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reichel said his group has no real idea how many avalanches barrel down mountainsides in the Sierra Nevada each year because there’s no sensor system to detect them. Researchers know whether an avalanche has stormed down a hill when someone clocks it and reports it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When someone reports an avalanche, the center and others like it across the country will rate its destructive size. They currently list the Tahoe avalanche as a D-2.5, with the size of a football field and the force to kill or bury a human.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center also forecasts dangerous conditions using a separate \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/human/resources/north-american-public-avalanche-danger-scale/\">five-point scale ranging from low to extreme\u003c/a>. The center rated the danger on the day of the avalanche as high.[aside postID=news_12073851 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg']Avalanches occur every winter in the Sierra Nevada, but is human-caused climate change increasing their size or frequency?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s super complicated,” said Benjamin Hatchett, an earth system scientist at Colorado State University who grew up backcountry skiing around Tahoe and researches snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatchett said that when it comes to climate change, “the fingerprints are everywhere.” But the conditions that led to the Tahoe avalanche are meteorological, not climatological. The rapid change to wet, cold weather brought by winter storms pushed down from the Gulf of Alaska.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I see no evidence for climate change to play a role, certainly not a first or second order, probably not even further down the list than that,” Hatchett said. “And that’s kind of going back to the setup of the storm.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some parts of the world with year-round snow, Hatchett said, there is a signal that climate change could be increasing avalanche danger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In large glaciated mountains like the Alps, the Himalaya, and the Andes, the answer is very likely yes because of a warming environment that’s destabilizing snow and ice,” Hatchett said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But in areas with seasonal snowpacks, like the Sierra Nevada, Hatchett said there isn’t a clear answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is something we expect to see more of in the future, but we don’t have strong evidence for that happening now,” Hatchett said. “There are absolutely ways that a warming world will statistically change things, and that goes back to the way this winter started with a lot of rain instead of snow. That to me is a signal of a warming world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Hatchett said he sees another issue. When winter snow comes later, like this year, people can get antsy to get outdoors and ski. But when warnings, like about avalanche danger, are issued. He urges extreme caution.[aside postID=news_12073933 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg']“Thinking about that more strongly could save lives in the future,” Hatchett said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatchett recognizes that holding off is a hard decision, but he said the recent tragedy just might show it’s worth it not to head out into a storm. And more and more people are having to make that hard decision as the sport has become more popular. Especially after the pandemic spurred a surge of interest in these kinds of outdoor adventure sports, said Brenda Giese, a backcountry ski trip leader for the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People want a change from the downhill ski resorts because there are more people there now and they’re willing to take these risks,” Giese said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also worried that the influx of people in the backcountry and the growing atmospheric potential for bigger and more intense storms could put more skiers in danger in the long run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were severe storms in the past, but they weren’t as frequent,” Giese said. “And there are just more people out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe is prompting new questions about how shifting winter weather may be reshaping avalanche danger in the Sierra Nevada.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771870397,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 22,
"wordCount": 966
},
"headData": {
"title": "Could Climate Change Reshape Avalanche Danger in the Sierra Nevada? Scientists Say It’s Complicated | KQED",
"description": "A deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe is prompting new questions about how shifting winter weather may be reshaping avalanche danger in the Sierra Nevada.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Could Climate Change Reshape Avalanche Danger in the Sierra Nevada? Scientists Say It’s Complicated",
"datePublished": "2026-02-20T11:56:39-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-23T10:13:17-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 31,
"slug": "climate",
"name": "Climate"
},
"source": "News",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/6b114487-f496-47bf-a070-b3fa01246cf3/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-2000137",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/2000137/could-climate-change-reshape-avalanche-danger-in-the-sierra-nevada-scientists-say-its-complicated",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073933/treacherous-sierra-nevada-storm-delays-recovery-of-9-presumed-avalanche-victims\">death toll from the avalanche\u003c/a> this week near Lake Tahoe makes it California’s deadliest in modern history — eight people died, and one is still missing. These snowy white landslides are natural during winter in the Sierra Nevada. But climate change is altering winters globally, raising questions about its impact on these mountain rumbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Backcountry skiers, guides, and researchers like Richard Bothwell know the Tahoe area like the back of their hand. He’s skied the backcountry peaks and valleys of the Sierra Nevada for three decades and is the head avalanche director for the Outdoor Adventure Club. The Bay Area organization offers professionally guided outdoor trips, including backcountry skiing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bothwell is heartbroken over the deaths this week from the avalanche: “It’s a bad day for the backcountry community writ large. It’s a bad day for the guiding community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the fact that an avalanche took place this week wasn’t a surprise. January was practically snowless. What was left turned almost sugary; it rained at some point, and an icy top formed on that snow. Then this week, a big dump of snow fell on top of that icy crust. It was just sitting there, ready to slide off and trigger a powerful avalanche.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During any gap [in]wintertime, it’s relatively common that the snow surface weakens, and that’s what we experienced,” said David Reichel, executive director of the Sierra Avalanche Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000143\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000143 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SnowStormSierraNevadaAP1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. \u003ccite>(Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reichel said his group has no real idea how many avalanches barrel down mountainsides in the Sierra Nevada each year because there’s no sensor system to detect them. Researchers know whether an avalanche has stormed down a hill when someone clocks it and reports it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When someone reports an avalanche, the center and others like it across the country will rate its destructive size. They currently list the Tahoe avalanche as a D-2.5, with the size of a football field and the force to kill or bury a human.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Avalanche Center also forecasts dangerous conditions using a separate \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/human/resources/north-american-public-avalanche-danger-scale/\">five-point scale ranging from low to extreme\u003c/a>. The center rated the danger on the day of the avalanche as high.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12073851",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260220-AVALANCHE-VICTIMS-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Avalanches occur every winter in the Sierra Nevada, but is human-caused climate change increasing their size or frequency?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s super complicated,” said Benjamin Hatchett, an earth system scientist at Colorado State University who grew up backcountry skiing around Tahoe and researches snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatchett said that when it comes to climate change, “the fingerprints are everywhere.” But the conditions that led to the Tahoe avalanche are meteorological, not climatological. The rapid change to wet, cold weather brought by winter storms pushed down from the Gulf of Alaska.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I see no evidence for climate change to play a role, certainly not a first or second order, probably not even further down the list than that,” Hatchett said. “And that’s kind of going back to the setup of the storm.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some parts of the world with year-round snow, Hatchett said, there is a signal that climate change could be increasing avalanche danger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In large glaciated mountains like the Alps, the Himalaya, and the Andes, the answer is very likely yes because of a warming environment that’s destabilizing snow and ice,” Hatchett said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/SierraAvalanche1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters observe a crack in the snow on Feb. 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nolan Averbuch)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But in areas with seasonal snowpacks, like the Sierra Nevada, Hatchett said there isn’t a clear answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is something we expect to see more of in the future, but we don’t have strong evidence for that happening now,” Hatchett said. “There are absolutely ways that a warming world will statistically change things, and that goes back to the way this winter started with a lot of rain instead of snow. That to me is a signal of a warming world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Hatchett said he sees another issue. When winter snow comes later, like this year, people can get antsy to get outdoors and ski. But when warnings, like about avalanche danger, are issued. He urges extreme caution.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12073933",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CaliforniaAvalancheAP3-1.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Thinking about that more strongly could save lives in the future,” Hatchett said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatchett recognizes that holding off is a hard decision, but he said the recent tragedy just might show it’s worth it not to head out into a storm. And more and more people are having to make that hard decision as the sport has become more popular. Especially after the pandemic spurred a surge of interest in these kinds of outdoor adventure sports, said Brenda Giese, a backcountry ski trip leader for the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People want a change from the downhill ski resorts because there are more people there now and they’re willing to take these risks,” Giese said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also worried that the influx of people in the backcountry and the growing atmospheric potential for bigger and more intense storms could put more skiers in danger in the long run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were severe storms in the past, but they weren’t as frequent,” Giese said. “And there are just more people out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/2000137/could-climate-change-reshape-avalanche-danger-in-the-sierra-nevada-scientists-say-its-complicated",
"authors": [
"11746"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_5178",
"science_182",
"science_194",
"science_309",
"science_109",
"science_1462",
"science_107"
],
"featImg": "science_1984920",
"label": "source_science_2000137"
}
},
"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",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz",
"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",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zZXJpZXMvamVycnlicm93bi9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv"
}
},
"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",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5Nzk2MzI2MTEx",
"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/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc29sZG91dA"
}
},
"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",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM4MjU5Nzg2MzI3",
"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",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM0NTcwODQ2MjY2",
"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": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/science?category=environment": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"postsToRender": 9
},
"tag": null,
"vitalsOnly": true,
"totalRequested": 9,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 2636,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"science_2000877",
"science_2000795",
"science_2000568",
"science_2000545",
"science_2000505",
"science_2000483",
"science_2000354",
"science_2000234",
"science_2000137"
]
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"subscriptionsReducer": {},
"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"
},
"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"
},
"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_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,
"imageData": {
"ogImageSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"width": 1200,
"height": 630
},
"twImageSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
},
"twitterCard": "summary_large_image"
}
},
"ttid": 37,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/environment"
},
"source_science_2000877": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000877",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_2000795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000795",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_2000568": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000568",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_2000505": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000505",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_2000483": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000483",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_2000234": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000234",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_2000137": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_2000137",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "News",
"isLoading": false
},
"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"
},
"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_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_856": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_856",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "856",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bay area",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bay area Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 862,
"slug": "bay-area",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/bay-area"
},
"science_5178": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5178",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5178",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5178,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/california"
},
"science_182": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_182",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "182",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 186,
"slug": "climate-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/climate-2"
},
"science_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_3301": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3301",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3301",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "fossil fuels",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "fossil fuels Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3301,
"slug": "fossil-fuels",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/fossil-fuels"
},
"science_553": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_553",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "553",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "refinery",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "refinery Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 559,
"slug": "refinery",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/refinery"
},
"science_5217": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5217",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5217",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5217,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/california"
},
"science_5229": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5229",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5229",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5229,
"slug": "climate",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/climate"
},
"science_5212": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5212",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5212",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5212,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/news"
},
"science_4550": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4550",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4550",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4550,
"slug": "local",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/local"
},
"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_1888": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1888",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1888",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "disaster preparedness",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "disaster preparedness Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1899,
"slug": "disaster-preparedness",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/disaster-preparedness"
},
"science_427": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_427",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "427",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "earthquakes",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "earthquakes Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 433,
"slug": "earthquakes",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/earthquakes"
},
"science_192": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_192",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "192",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "environment Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 196,
"slug": "environment-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/environment-2"
},
"science_1842": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1842",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1842",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "loma prieta earthquake",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "loma prieta earthquake Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1853,
"slug": "loma-prieta-earthquake",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/loma-prieta-earthquake"
},
"science_5183": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5183",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5183",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5183,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/san-francisco"
},
"science_309": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_309",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "309",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 314,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/science"
},
"science_5208": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5208",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5208",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5208,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/san-francisco"
},
"science_2254": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2254",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2254",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "digital technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "digital technology Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2266,
"slug": "digital-technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/digital-technology"
},
"science_218": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_218",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "218",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "geology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "geology Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 222,
"slug": "geology-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/geology-2"
},
"science_461": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_461",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "461",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "technology Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 467,
"slug": "technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/technology"
},
"science_5211": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5211",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5211",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Technology Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5211,
"slug": "technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/technology"
},
"science_163": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_163",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "163",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "birds",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "birds Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 167,
"slug": "birds",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/birds"
},
"science_5181": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5181",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5181",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "health Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5181,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/health"
},
"science_554": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_554",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "554",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "pollution",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "pollution Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 560,
"slug": "pollution",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/pollution"
},
"science_5216": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5216",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5216",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5216,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/science"
},
"science_36": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_36",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "36",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Food Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 38,
"slug": "food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/food"
},
"science_5487": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5487",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5487",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Alameda",
"slug": "alameda",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Alameda | KQED Science",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 5487,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/alameda"
},
"science_5488": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5488",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5488",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Alameda County",
"slug": "alameda-county",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Alameda County | KQED Science",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 5488,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/alameda-county"
},
"science_1404": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1404",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1404",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "carbon dioxide",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "carbon dioxide Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1413,
"slug": "carbon-dioxide",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/carbon-dioxide"
},
"science_507": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_507",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "507",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "food Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 513,
"slug": "food-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/food-2"
},
"science_5220": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5220",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5220",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "East Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "East Bay Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5220,
"slug": "east-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/east-bay"
},
"science_5214": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5214",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5214",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Food and Drink",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Food and Drink Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5214,
"slug": "food-and-drink",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/interest/food-and-drink"
},
"science_2874": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2874",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2874",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Animals",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Animals Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2874,
"slug": "animals",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/animals"
},
"science_1120": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1120",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1120",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "animals",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "animals Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1128,
"slug": "animals",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/animals"
},
"science_804": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_804",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "804",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wildlife",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wildlife Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 811,
"slug": "wildlife",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/wildlife"
},
"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_109": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_109",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "109",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sierra nevada",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sierra nevada Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 113,
"slug": "sierra-nevada",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/sierra-nevada"
},
"science_1462": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1462",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1462",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sierra snowpack",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sierra snowpack Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1471,
"slug": "sierra-snowpack",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/sierra-snowpack"
},
"science_107": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_107",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "107",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "snow",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "snow Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 111,
"slug": "snow",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/snow"
}
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"localStorageReducer": {},
"browserHistoryReducer": [],
"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
},
"location": {
"pathname": "/science/category/environment",
"previousPathname": "/"
}
}
