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"content": "\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11960130/4-things-about-californias-wildfire-smoke-climate-change\">wildfires worsen\u003c/a>, it’s become a familiar routine. You wake to see a haze in the sky, and a strange tinge to the light. You start to feel burning in your throat and irritation in your eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1930023/map-heres-your-daily-air-quality-report-for-the-bay-area\">the online air quality map\u003c/a> — the one you probably have bookmarked by now — confirms what you already suspected: that smoke from nearby wildfires is in the air once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unhealthy air quality caused by fires has become an unfortunate reality for Bay Area residents, especially for those whose jobs or living circumstances mean they must spend most of the day outdoors. It might be tempting to try to go on with your day as normal. But the risks to your health from poor air quality due to wildfire smoke are serious and can cause long-lasting damage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, there are several ways you can protect yourself and your loved ones from hazardous air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Jump straight to: \u003c/b>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#wildfire-smoke-air-quality\">How to stay safe when it’s smoky\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Keep reading to find out how to prep your home for more smoky days, when it’s time to really worry about the air outdoors, and what to do when wildfire smoke hits your neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And remember: The following advice can also help protect your respiratory health on days that a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sparetheair.org/\">Spare the Air alert\u003c/a> has been issued, when concentrations of smog are expected to be unhealthy.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why is smoke from a wildfire so dangerous to my health?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What we call “wildfire smoke” is actually an ever-changing mix of particles and gases, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides and trace minerals. Many of these compounds are toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most dangerous thing for your health in wildfire smoke is the particulate matter: that is, the tiny pieces of soot and ash that are invisible to the naked eye. These particles are so small they’re measured in \u003ca href=\"https://sciencenotes.org/what-is-a-micron-definition-and-examples/\">microns (0.001 millimeters)\u003c/a> — and the most worrying particles in smoke can be less than 2.5 microns wide. For scale, a human hair is about 60 microns wide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re also so light that they can travel huge distances from a raging wildfire. And when it comes to your respiratory system, these tiny traveling particles then become miniscule invaders that first cause damage to your body just by entering it, setting off inflammatory reactions that can make breathing difficult. In serious cases, these reactions can even trigger a heart attack or stroke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=science_1930023]The particles then travel deep into your lungs, and within a few days, the damage they cause can result in bronchitis or pneumonia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Put simply: Even brief exposure to wildfire smoke can cause potentially serious health problems for everyone. People at higher risk include those with asthma, lung disease or heart disease, children and teens, older adults age 65+ and people who don’t live or work indoors. Pregnant people and their unborn infants are at particularly heightened risk from these particulates, which have been associated with low birth weight and premature birth for babies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to prepare for dangerous air quality\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since dangerously unhealthy air from wildfires can sweep in with little to no warning, it’s important to be ready beforehand. The Environmental Protection Agency, \u003ca href=\"https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/be-smoke-ready/\">via its AirNow website\u003c/a>, recommends taking certain steps to ensure you and your home are prepared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find — or make — a portable air purifier\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Air Resources Board recommends portable mechanical air cleaners with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that collects very small particles and does not emit ozone or other harmful substances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These air cleaners dramatically reduce indoor particle levels, in some cases by more than 90%. \u003ca href=\"https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/aircleaners/certified.htm\">Here is a list of devices that are certified by and legal in California\u003c/a>. If you can’t get a portable air purifier, the EPA \u003ca href=\"https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/be-smoke-ready/\">has tips on how to make your own DIY air cleaner from a box fan and filter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1950002\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 3456px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1950002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3456\" height=\"2304\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378.jpg 3456w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3456px) 100vw, 3456px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smoke shrouds a road near Geyserville during a wildfire on Oct. 24, 2019. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Make a ‘clean air room’ — and keep it cool\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EPA suggests designating a ‘clean air room’ in your home, one you can quickly seal off from any outside air and in which you can run a portable clean air filter. If excessive heat is a concern where you live, and you have a room with an air conditioner, this room might be best to select — just be sure to keep the fresh-air intake closed on any air conditioners to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If it’s not feasible to designate a single clean air room, consider purchasing multiple portable air purifiers and ensure your home is properly sealed to outside air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During heat waves, pay attention to temperature forecasts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">know how to stay safe in the heat\u003c/a>. Even if you don’t have air conditioning, keep doors and windows closed. This can reduce pollutant levels by 50%, according to the EPA. If you can’t stay cool at home or at a friend or relative’s house, the EPA suggests seeking relief at a clean air shelter or other large building with air conditioning and good filtration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Stock up on filters for your air purifiers now\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether for portable air purifiers or a central HVAC system (if you have one), it’s a good idea to stock up on replacement air filters before the need arises. If you wait until smoky air descends, the EPA warns, supplies may be out of stock or may not arrive in time to be helpful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re using a central HVAC system, make sure to purchase high-efficiency filters rated MERV-13 or higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11834305]\u003cstrong>Have masks ready to wear\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834305/masks-for-smoke-and-covid-19-what-kind-is-best\">what kind of masks offer the best protection against wildfire smoke, \u003c/a>the answer is still: that collection of N95 or KN95 masks you may have stocked up on due to COVID. If you don’t have any left, now is a good time to stock up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for N95 masks with exhalation valves, it’s worth noting that these masks work well for wildfire smoke and may be easier to breathe through longer-term. But they’re less effective at stopping the spread of diseases like COVID — even with tape over the valve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The least effective options are one‐strap paper dust masks or surgical masks that hook around your ears — they don’t protect against inhaling fine particles. Note that a cloth mask will not adequately protect your lungs from particles found in wildfire smoke, either.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"wildfire-smoke-air-quality\">\u003c/a>How to stay safe when it’s smoky\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Check your local air quality\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1930023/map-heres-your-daily-air-quality-report-for-the-bay-area\">Bookmark our real-time Bay Area air quality map\u003c/a>, which includes data from official EPA AirNow sensors, as well as from dozens of low-cost private sensors manufactured by PurpleAir. There are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1969271/making-sense-of-purple-air-vs-airnow-and-a-new-map-to-rule-them-all\">a few points to keep in mind\u003c/a> if you’re noticing discrepancies between what those sensors are reporting. Keep a close eye on local air quality reports to gauge how much time is safe for you and your family to spend outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 638px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993529\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/wildfires-during-01-understand-the-aqi-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/wildfires-during-01-understand-the-aqi-1.png 638w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/wildfires-during-01-understand-the-aqi-1-160x105.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The air quality index (AQI) is divided into six categories, each corresponding to a different level of health concern. \u003ccite>(Courtesy EPA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When the air quality index (AQI) rises to 101 or above, consider taking steps to reduce exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keep your indoor area purified\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Make sure all doors and windows are closed and turn on those portable air purifiers, or crank your central HVAC system with a MERV-13 or higher-rated filter, if you have one. If you’re running an air conditioner, keep the fresh-air intake closed to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leave your portable air cleaners running continuously and avoid activities that increase indoor pollution. Burning candles, cooking on gas stoves and vacuuming can all increase indoor pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Driving? Don’t let smoke inside your car\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District recommends that on smoky days, you use the “recirculating air” button in your car’s air conditioning system, if you have one (it’s the button with the symbol of a car with a looping arrow inside it).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When your recirculating air is on, your car will stop taking in any air from the outside — and instead, your AC will recirculate the air that’s already inside your car. This will help prevent smoke outside from entering your car while still keeping the inside of your car cool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Help the smoke leave your body\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve been exposed to wildfire smoke, wash your nose out and gargle with clean water. Do this five times a day until the smoke subsides. Take a shower and wash your clothing after being outside, even if your clothes don’t smell particularly smoky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keep pets inside\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether house pets or livestock, domestic animals are affected by wildfire smoke, too. During periods of poor air quality, try to limit their time outside as much as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11960130/4-things-about-californias-wildfire-smoke-climate-change\">wildfires worsen\u003c/a>, it’s become a familiar routine. You wake to see a haze in the sky, and a strange tinge to the light. You start to feel burning in your throat and irritation in your eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1930023/map-heres-your-daily-air-quality-report-for-the-bay-area\">the online air quality map\u003c/a> — the one you probably have bookmarked by now — confirms what you already suspected: that smoke from nearby wildfires is in the air once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unhealthy air quality caused by fires has become an unfortunate reality for Bay Area residents, especially for those whose jobs or living circumstances mean they must spend most of the day outdoors. It might be tempting to try to go on with your day as normal. But the risks to your health from poor air quality due to wildfire smoke are serious and can cause long-lasting damage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, there are several ways you can protect yourself and your loved ones from hazardous air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Jump straight to: \u003c/b>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#wildfire-smoke-air-quality\">How to stay safe when it’s smoky\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Keep reading to find out how to prep your home for more smoky days, when it’s time to really worry about the air outdoors, and what to do when wildfire smoke hits your neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And remember: The following advice can also help protect your respiratory health on days that a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sparetheair.org/\">Spare the Air alert\u003c/a> has been issued, when concentrations of smog are expected to be unhealthy.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why is smoke from a wildfire so dangerous to my health?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What we call “wildfire smoke” is actually an ever-changing mix of particles and gases, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides and trace minerals. Many of these compounds are toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most dangerous thing for your health in wildfire smoke is the particulate matter: that is, the tiny pieces of soot and ash that are invisible to the naked eye. These particles are so small they’re measured in \u003ca href=\"https://sciencenotes.org/what-is-a-micron-definition-and-examples/\">microns (0.001 millimeters)\u003c/a> — and the most worrying particles in smoke can be less than 2.5 microns wide. For scale, a human hair is about 60 microns wide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re also so light that they can travel huge distances from a raging wildfire. And when it comes to your respiratory system, these tiny traveling particles then become miniscule invaders that first cause damage to your body just by entering it, setting off inflammatory reactions that can make breathing difficult. In serious cases, these reactions can even trigger a heart attack or stroke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The particles then travel deep into your lungs, and within a few days, the damage they cause can result in bronchitis or pneumonia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Put simply: Even brief exposure to wildfire smoke can cause potentially serious health problems for everyone. People at higher risk include those with asthma, lung disease or heart disease, children and teens, older adults age 65+ and people who don’t live or work indoors. Pregnant people and their unborn infants are at particularly heightened risk from these particulates, which have been associated with low birth weight and premature birth for babies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to prepare for dangerous air quality\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since dangerously unhealthy air from wildfires can sweep in with little to no warning, it’s important to be ready beforehand. The Environmental Protection Agency, \u003ca href=\"https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/be-smoke-ready/\">via its AirNow website\u003c/a>, recommends taking certain steps to ensure you and your home are prepared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find — or make — a portable air purifier\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Air Resources Board recommends portable mechanical air cleaners with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that collects very small particles and does not emit ozone or other harmful substances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These air cleaners dramatically reduce indoor particle levels, in some cases by more than 90%. \u003ca href=\"https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/aircleaners/certified.htm\">Here is a list of devices that are certified by and legal in California\u003c/a>. If you can’t get a portable air purifier, the EPA \u003ca href=\"https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/be-smoke-ready/\">has tips on how to make your own DIY air cleaner from a box fan and filter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1950002\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 3456px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1950002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3456\" height=\"2304\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378.jpg 3456w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/10/IMG_1378-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3456px) 100vw, 3456px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smoke shrouds a road near Geyserville during a wildfire on Oct. 24, 2019. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Make a ‘clean air room’ — and keep it cool\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EPA suggests designating a ‘clean air room’ in your home, one you can quickly seal off from any outside air and in which you can run a portable clean air filter. If excessive heat is a concern where you live, and you have a room with an air conditioner, this room might be best to select — just be sure to keep the fresh-air intake closed on any air conditioners to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If it’s not feasible to designate a single clean air room, consider purchasing multiple portable air purifiers and ensure your home is properly sealed to outside air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During heat waves, pay attention to temperature forecasts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">know how to stay safe in the heat\u003c/a>. Even if you don’t have air conditioning, keep doors and windows closed. This can reduce pollutant levels by 50%, according to the EPA. If you can’t stay cool at home or at a friend or relative’s house, the EPA suggests seeking relief at a clean air shelter or other large building with air conditioning and good filtration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Stock up on filters for your air purifiers now\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether for portable air purifiers or a central HVAC system (if you have one), it’s a good idea to stock up on replacement air filters before the need arises. If you wait until smoky air descends, the EPA warns, supplies may be out of stock or may not arrive in time to be helpful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re using a central HVAC system, make sure to purchase high-efficiency filters rated MERV-13 or higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have masks ready to wear\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834305/masks-for-smoke-and-covid-19-what-kind-is-best\">what kind of masks offer the best protection against wildfire smoke, \u003c/a>the answer is still: that collection of N95 or KN95 masks you may have stocked up on due to COVID. If you don’t have any left, now is a good time to stock up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for N95 masks with exhalation valves, it’s worth noting that these masks work well for wildfire smoke and may be easier to breathe through longer-term. But they’re less effective at stopping the spread of diseases like COVID — even with tape over the valve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The least effective options are one‐strap paper dust masks or surgical masks that hook around your ears — they don’t protect against inhaling fine particles. Note that a cloth mask will not adequately protect your lungs from particles found in wildfire smoke, either.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"wildfire-smoke-air-quality\">\u003c/a>How to stay safe when it’s smoky\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Check your local air quality\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1930023/map-heres-your-daily-air-quality-report-for-the-bay-area\">Bookmark our real-time Bay Area air quality map\u003c/a>, which includes data from official EPA AirNow sensors, as well as from dozens of low-cost private sensors manufactured by PurpleAir. There are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1969271/making-sense-of-purple-air-vs-airnow-and-a-new-map-to-rule-them-all\">a few points to keep in mind\u003c/a> if you’re noticing discrepancies between what those sensors are reporting. Keep a close eye on local air quality reports to gauge how much time is safe for you and your family to spend outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1993529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 638px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1993529\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/wildfires-during-01-understand-the-aqi-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/wildfires-during-01-understand-the-aqi-1.png 638w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/09/wildfires-during-01-understand-the-aqi-1-160x105.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The air quality index (AQI) is divided into six categories, each corresponding to a different level of health concern. \u003ccite>(Courtesy EPA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When the air quality index (AQI) rises to 101 or above, consider taking steps to reduce exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keep your indoor area purified\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Make sure all doors and windows are closed and turn on those portable air purifiers, or crank your central HVAC system with a MERV-13 or higher-rated filter, if you have one. If you’re running an air conditioner, keep the fresh-air intake closed to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leave your portable air cleaners running continuously and avoid activities that increase indoor pollution. Burning candles, cooking on gas stoves and vacuuming can all increase indoor pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Driving? Don’t let smoke inside your car\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District recommends that on smoky days, you use the “recirculating air” button in your car’s air conditioning system, if you have one (it’s the button with the symbol of a car with a looping arrow inside it).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When your recirculating air is on, your car will stop taking in any air from the outside — and instead, your AC will recirculate the air that’s already inside your car. This will help prevent smoke outside from entering your car while still keeping the inside of your car cool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Help the smoke leave your body\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve been exposed to wildfire smoke, wash your nose out and gargle with clean water. Do this five times a day until the smoke subsides. Take a shower and wash your clothing after being outside, even if your clothes don’t smell particularly smoky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keep pets inside\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether house pets or livestock, domestic animals are affected by wildfire smoke, too. During periods of poor air quality, try to limit their time outside as much as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968622/mapa-reporte-actual-de-la-calidad-del-aire-en-el-area-de-la-bahia\">Leer en español\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Concerned about wildfire smoke in your region? This map shows air quality ratings for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> and California, updated every hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The large circles on the map show Air Quality Index (AQI) values — for ozone and AQI2.5 — as measured at official, outdoor permanent monitoring sites managed in the Bay Area by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/about-air-quality/current-air-quality\">Air Quality Management District\u003c/a> and submitted to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.airnow.gov/\">U.S. EPA’s AirNow database\u003c/a>. Data from these sensors is updated hourly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smaller squares show real-time PM2.5 readings at low-cost, individually owned \u003ca href=\"https://map.purpleair.com/air-quality-standards-us-epa-aqi?opt=%2F1%2Flp%2Fa10%2Fp604800%2FcC0#7.72/37.63/-121.556\">PurpleAir sensors\u003c/a> that may be located indoors or outdoors. Data is updated every four hours. Outliers may be a result of localized activities, such as small fires or exposure to vehicle exhaust. Alternatively, healthy air quality in an otherwise unhealthy location could be the result of a sensor placed in a well-ventilated indoor area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Use the layer selector in the top left corner to toggle between layer views, including current wind and weather patterns, based on hourly weather station data provided by NOAA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If the map does not display below, \u003ca href=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=a5534be2dbad4a168130942a641ab643\">view it here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv style=\"width: 100%;\" align=\"center\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=a5534be2dbad4a168130942a641ab643\" width=\"100%\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Map produced by Matthew Green and \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-soule-6a085819/\">Brendan Soulé\u003c/a>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>What does AQI mean?\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a scale used to measure and report air pollution levels. It tells you how clean or polluted the air is and what health effects might be a concern. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, AQI values above 100 are considered unhealthy. Specifically, values between 101-150 are unhealthy for sensitive groups (like children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease), 151-200 are unhealthy, 201-300 are very unhealthy, and anything over 300 is considered hazardous. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the air quality is poor (AQI above 100), it’s best to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities. Sensitive groups should be especially cautious and may need to stay indoors. Checking the air quality forecast can help you plan your activities accordingly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want more information about air quality and wildfire smoke?\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1926793/protecting-your-health-from-toxic-wildfire-smoke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1969271/making-sense-of-purple-air-vs-airnow-and-a-new-map-to-rule-them-all\">How to read air quality maps properly, from Purple Air to AirNow\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834305/masks-for-smoke-and-covid-19-what-kind-is-best\">Which masks are best for smoke?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Here is an expanded list of other air quality measurement resources:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mobile.arb.ca.gov/breathewell/CityList.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Air Resource Board Breathewell for Mobile\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://aqicn.org/city/california/san-francisco/san-francisco-arkansas-street/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">World Air Quality Index\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://fire.airnow.gov/?lat=37.7576497&lng=-122.4353884&zoom=10\">AirNow is also running a project\u003c/a> that adds data from low-cost sensors to a fire and smoke map.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968622/mapa-reporte-actual-de-la-calidad-del-aire-en-el-area-de-la-bahia\">Leer en español\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Concerned about wildfire smoke in your region? This map shows air quality ratings for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> and California, updated every hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The large circles on the map show Air Quality Index (AQI) values — for ozone and AQI2.5 — as measured at official, outdoor permanent monitoring sites managed in the Bay Area by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/about-air-quality/current-air-quality\">Air Quality Management District\u003c/a> and submitted to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.airnow.gov/\">U.S. EPA’s AirNow database\u003c/a>. Data from these sensors is updated hourly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smaller squares show real-time PM2.5 readings at low-cost, individually owned \u003ca href=\"https://map.purpleair.com/air-quality-standards-us-epa-aqi?opt=%2F1%2Flp%2Fa10%2Fp604800%2FcC0#7.72/37.63/-121.556\">PurpleAir sensors\u003c/a> that may be located indoors or outdoors. Data is updated every four hours. Outliers may be a result of localized activities, such as small fires or exposure to vehicle exhaust. Alternatively, healthy air quality in an otherwise unhealthy location could be the result of a sensor placed in a well-ventilated indoor area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Use the layer selector in the top left corner to toggle between layer views, including current wind and weather patterns, based on hourly weather station data provided by NOAA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If the map does not display below, \u003ca href=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=a5534be2dbad4a168130942a641ab643\">view it here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv style=\"width: 100%;\" align=\"center\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://kqedsf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=a5534be2dbad4a168130942a641ab643\" width=\"100%\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Map produced by Matthew Green and \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-soule-6a085819/\">Brendan Soulé\u003c/a>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>What does AQI mean?\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a scale used to measure and report air pollution levels. It tells you how clean or polluted the air is and what health effects might be a concern. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, AQI values above 100 are considered unhealthy. Specifically, values between 101-150 are unhealthy for sensitive groups (like children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease), 151-200 are unhealthy, 201-300 are very unhealthy, and anything over 300 is considered hazardous. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the air quality is poor (AQI above 100), it’s best to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities. Sensitive groups should be especially cautious and may need to stay indoors. Checking the air quality forecast can help you plan your activities accordingly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want more information about air quality and wildfire smoke?\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1926793/protecting-your-health-from-toxic-wildfire-smoke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1969271/making-sense-of-purple-air-vs-airnow-and-a-new-map-to-rule-them-all\">How to read air quality maps properly, from Purple Air to AirNow\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834305/masks-for-smoke-and-covid-19-what-kind-is-best\">Which masks are best for smoke?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Here is an expanded list of other air quality measurement resources:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mobile.arb.ca.gov/breathewell/CityList.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Air Resource Board Breathewell for Mobile\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://aqicn.org/city/california/san-francisco/san-francisco-arkansas-street/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">World Air Quality Index\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://fire.airnow.gov/?lat=37.7576497&lng=-122.4353884&zoom=10\">AirNow is also running a project\u003c/a> that adds data from low-cost sensors to a fire and smoke map.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "‘A Blessing From Heaven’: How Free Heat Pumps Are Saving Low-Income Californians From Extreme Heat",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">“Flipping the Switch,”\u003c/a> examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maria Franco has lived in the Park Royale Mobile Home Community for 25 years, in the Van Nuys neighborhood in north \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/los-angeles\">Los Angeles.\u003c/a> The community has just under 150 rectangular homes, lined up neatly on a large field of mostly asphalt, with fruit trees popping up here and there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, Franco faced a string of bad luck. The 65-year-old lost her long-time job packing orders at a distribution company when it abruptly moved to another county, a commute too far for her to make.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then her water heater clonked out, so she hauled warm water from her stovetop to her bathroom, scooping it over her head for a shower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was depressed,” Franco said in Spanish. “I was in shock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Southern California summer bore down harshly where she lived in the San Fernando Valley, its temperatures regularly 10 to 15 degrees higher than those on the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To cool off, Franco relied on a fan and a partially functional window air conditioning unit. When her adult kids and grandchildren came by, they found the heat inside oppressive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A knock on her door changed all that. A young contractor named Ben Shamoon stood on her step, wanting to know if he could install a new water heater, and an HVAC system that both cooled and heated her home. The cost to Franco? Absolutely nothing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heat pump customer, Maria Franco, outside her home in Van Nuys on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was an inexplicable experience, a blessing from heaven,” Franco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon won over customers by canvassing trailer parks. By working with families who lived in close proximity, he could buy in bulk and work more efficiently to complete projects faster. The approach maximized incentives from a state program — aimed at supercharging heat pump adoption — to improve homes at no cost to owners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He found a climate solution with a lot of wins — for customers, tradespeople and the planet. The approach cracked the nut of one way to bring heat pumps, which run on electricity rather than gas, to low-income Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Best of all, Shamoon brought safety and comfort to families.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cold calls to San Diego\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In July of 2024, Shamoon was working to get his home upgrading business \u003ca href=\"https://livsmart.pro/\">Bryge\u003c/a>, then called LivSmart Home Services, off the ground. Tons of state and federal money was flowing to homeowners and contractors at the time through an initiative called \u003ca href=\"https://techcleanca.com/\">TECH Clean California\u003c/a>, to help deploy appliances like heat pumps that cut pollution. Low-income customers received the highest incentive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon is based in Los Angeles, but the government incentives in the current funding cycle were exhausted in most parts of the state. He saw that there was some money left — about a million dollars to install heat pump water heaters for low-income customers in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon often passed by a mobile home community at the end of his street. One day, an idea came: why not pitch mobile homeowners on the upgrades?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park Royale Trailer Park in Van Nuys on June 11, 2026. Van Nuys, which is in the San Fernando Valley, has cool winter nights and hot summer days. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He could install the units at no cost to the customer and the roughly $8,885 incentive per job would be enough to pay for the equipment, labor, permits and profit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon and a colleague found a list of San Diego mobile home parks and started cold-calling managers’ offices. Most said no, he could not go door to door, hoping to keep predatory schemes away from residents. Shamoon’s offer of free upgrades was hard to believe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a few said yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Door-knocking his way through each community, Shamoon picked up clients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He found that — along with a higher concentration of potential customers — the mobile home parks were home to many families who made under 80% of the median income in the area, which meant they qualified for state assistance, and higher incentives.[aside postID=science_2001163 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-15-KQED.jpg']“We started to see a trend,” Shamoon said. Not only did most customers qualify for incentives, but like Franco, they needed the help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He met senior citizens who’d been living without working water heaters for months. And people with no air conditioning on days when outside temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just one door after the next, after the next,” Shamoon said. He started to see his work as not just about comfort, but about dignity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As installations began, Shamoon stumbled on wins. Sending contractors to one community cut down on commute times and meant he could get three to four jobs done in a day, as opposed to just one or two. He could bulk order supplies and get lower prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After he and his colleagues first canvassed mobile home parks, word traveled fast through the tightknit communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People who had initially turned his company away visited their neighbors’ homes and were assured that they had indeed paid nothing for their fancy new appliances. They called Shamoon back and wanted in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For most customers who had older, inefficient air conditioners and live in hot, dry areas, their monthly bills went down noticeably.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001322\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">While walking through a neighborhood in Van Nuys, Ben Shamoon (right), founder of Bryge and LivSmart Home Services, showed Evan Kamei, a director at Energy Solutions, one of the ways he creates social media and word of mouth awareness for Bryge. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The process was not without challenges: electrical panels in some homes did not have capacity to power the upgrades. Different mobile home parks had restrictive rules about where appliances could be placed on the outside of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Shamoon was not deterred. He repeated the process, adding installations of heat pumps to warm and cool homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the beginning, he worked with homeowners of all income levels, as there were incentives for people with high incomes too, but he eventually zeroed in on low-income homeowners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wealthier clients proved high-maintenance, despite getting free appliances, he said. Low-income families were incredibly grateful, and experienced a dramatic improvement in their quality of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hundreds of miles north in Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Consultant Evan Kamei started to take notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had never met Shamoon, nor heard of his company before he started seeing its name pop up on spreadsheets. Kamei works in Oakland for Energy Solutions, an environmental consulting company that implements the state’s incentive program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He keeps track of where heat pumps are being installed and how that impacts customer bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001327\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anissa Stull and Evan Kamei of Energy Solutions, an environmental consulting company that implements the state’s incentive program TECH Clean California, at the Park Royale Trailer Park. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kamei realized more and more mobile homeowners were participating in the program thanks to Shamoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His company has installed the majority of the roughly 1,500 TECH-funded heat pump HVAC and water heaters in mobile homes statewide. California’s incentive program has funded about 80,000 heat pump installations on all types of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Franco’s mobile home park, Shamoon has completed 38 projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s the beauty of having a market-based solution of enabling contractors to figure out something that could work,” Kamei said, reflecting on contractor creativity, “It’s not something you typically see with an incentive program like this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A lot of wins, and some limits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What Shamoon is doing, swapping gas-powered heating and cooling for electric versions of appliances, lowers carbon pollution by pulling from the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/07/14/in-historic-first-california-powered-by-two-thirds-clean-energy-becoming-largest-economy-in-the-world-to-achieve-milestone/\">mostly green grid\u003c/a>. But it also could \u003ca href=\"https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/03/gas-stoves-pose-health-risks-are-gas-furnaces-and-other-appliances-safe-to-use/\">improve indoor air quality\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esperanza Sanchez is breathing easier after she upgraded her HVAC system to a heat pump with Shamoon’s help. Sanchez lives in the Blue Star Mobile Home Park in the San Fernando Valley’s Sylmar neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sanchez had previously avoided using her gas heater because it triggered her asthma. “It stung my nose and I couldn’t stand it,” Sanchez said in Spanish. After making the switch, she said her respiratory issues were gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria Franco’s heat pump takes just 15 minutes to cool down her two-bedroom home on a scorching day. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a public health thing. It’s an equity thing,” said Ethan Elkind, a UC Berkeley lawyer and policy researcher who’s studied how low-income Californians can adopt more \u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/clee/research/climate/energy-efficiency/limf-energy-savings-retrofits/\">planet-friendly appliances\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s almost a human rights thing in these really hot climate zones — giving people access to reliable air conditioning,” Elkind said. “It checks a lot of boxes for what we need to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are limits to this solution. There’s no way for the state to provide incentives for every low-income Californian to make the switch. California has doled out more than $219 million so far, but bringing electric appliances to all low-income residents would cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars, Elkind said, money the state does not have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A settlement from a 2016 gas leak in the San Fernando Valley will funnel roughly $30 million in incentives to \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB157\">nearby residents\u003c/a> through TECH starting late this summer. It’s unclear when these funds will again be available for Californians who live outside that region, and are not eligible for the settlement money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One way to stretch the state’s limited funds is to use public dollars to attract private investors, Elkind said. Under this model, the state pays the interest upfront — giving low-income homeowners access to no-interest loans — and covers the loss if a borrower defaults. This safety net eliminates risk for private lenders, allowing them to finance the initial equipment upgrades. Homeowners would then pay back the loan principal over time, using the savings many see from now lower utility bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001325\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A parked car with its front window shaded by a covering, at Park Royal Trailer Park in Van Nuys. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But that could only go so far. National policies incentivizing heat pump adoption like those in the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, done away with under the Trump Administration’s tax bill, would need to be reinstated to achieve large-scale adoption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reaching renters is another story. Gas appliances are cheaper upfront. So landlords have little financial incentive to make the switch — while there are bill savings, those go to renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elkind said achieving this shift would take policies like those slated to roll out in the Bay Area in 2027, requiring all new water heater installations be electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most glaring limit is California’s high cost of electricity. For many, monthly bills for a gas appliance are lower than electric alternatives. But for Californians like Franco, who replaced old, inefficient window air conditioners, their bills often go down. That’s because new technologies use less energy to do the same – and often a better – job.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cool air, hot showers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Three months after that knock on her door, Franco watched two men install her new water heater. It had been half a year since she had the ability to step into her shower, turn a knob and have hot water come out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That first time using the shower was beautiful,” Franco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, she welcomed a new mini-split heating and cooling unit, blowing crisp air in her living room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001321\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The heat pump unit outside Maria Franco’s home in Van Nuys. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The single unit is powerful enough to transform her two-bedroom home from oppressive to refreshing in just 15 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the changes, her gas bill, which covered her furnace, water heater and stove, was $40 to $50 per month. It is now just $10. Her electricity bill went from $150 to around $80. The savings are meaningful given her monthly social security benefits of $1000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without Shamoon and his coworkers, Franco would have never learned about the state incentives, and never made the change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I needed help the most, it came,” Franco said. “If it weren’t for them, we’d be suffering from the heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px; margin: 80px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">“Flipping the Switch,”\u003c/a> examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maria Franco has lived in the Park Royale Mobile Home Community for 25 years, in the Van Nuys neighborhood in north \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/los-angeles\">Los Angeles.\u003c/a> The community has just under 150 rectangular homes, lined up neatly on a large field of mostly asphalt, with fruit trees popping up here and there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, Franco faced a string of bad luck. The 65-year-old lost her long-time job packing orders at a distribution company when it abruptly moved to another county, a commute too far for her to make.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then her water heater clonked out, so she hauled warm water from her stovetop to her bathroom, scooping it over her head for a shower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was depressed,” Franco said in Spanish. “I was in shock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Southern California summer bore down harshly where she lived in the San Fernando Valley, its temperatures regularly 10 to 15 degrees higher than those on the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To cool off, Franco relied on a fan and a partially functional window air conditioning unit. When her adult kids and grandchildren came by, they found the heat inside oppressive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A knock on her door changed all that. A young contractor named Ben Shamoon stood on her step, wanting to know if he could install a new water heater, and an HVAC system that both cooled and heated her home. The cost to Franco? Absolutely nothing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00196-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heat pump customer, Maria Franco, outside her home in Van Nuys on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was an inexplicable experience, a blessing from heaven,” Franco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon won over customers by canvassing trailer parks. By working with families who lived in close proximity, he could buy in bulk and work more efficiently to complete projects faster. The approach maximized incentives from a state program — aimed at supercharging heat pump adoption — to improve homes at no cost to owners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He found a climate solution with a lot of wins — for customers, tradespeople and the planet. The approach cracked the nut of one way to bring heat pumps, which run on electricity rather than gas, to low-income Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Best of all, Shamoon brought safety and comfort to families.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cold calls to San Diego\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In July of 2024, Shamoon was working to get his home upgrading business \u003ca href=\"https://livsmart.pro/\">Bryge\u003c/a>, then called LivSmart Home Services, off the ground. Tons of state and federal money was flowing to homeowners and contractors at the time through an initiative called \u003ca href=\"https://techcleanca.com/\">TECH Clean California\u003c/a>, to help deploy appliances like heat pumps that cut pollution. Low-income customers received the highest incentive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon is based in Los Angeles, but the government incentives in the current funding cycle were exhausted in most parts of the state. He saw that there was some money left — about a million dollars to install heat pump water heaters for low-income customers in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon often passed by a mobile home community at the end of his street. One day, an idea came: why not pitch mobile homeowners on the upgrades?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00233-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park Royale Trailer Park in Van Nuys on June 11, 2026. Van Nuys, which is in the San Fernando Valley, has cool winter nights and hot summer days. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He could install the units at no cost to the customer and the roughly $8,885 incentive per job would be enough to pay for the equipment, labor, permits and profit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shamoon and a colleague found a list of San Diego mobile home parks and started cold-calling managers’ offices. Most said no, he could not go door to door, hoping to keep predatory schemes away from residents. Shamoon’s offer of free upgrades was hard to believe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a few said yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Door-knocking his way through each community, Shamoon picked up clients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He found that — along with a higher concentration of potential customers — the mobile home parks were home to many families who made under 80% of the median income in the area, which meant they qualified for state assistance, and higher incentives.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We started to see a trend,” Shamoon said. Not only did most customers qualify for incentives, but like Franco, they needed the help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He met senior citizens who’d been living without working water heaters for months. And people with no air conditioning on days when outside temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just one door after the next, after the next,” Shamoon said. He started to see his work as not just about comfort, but about dignity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As installations began, Shamoon stumbled on wins. Sending contractors to one community cut down on commute times and meant he could get three to four jobs done in a day, as opposed to just one or two. He could bulk order supplies and get lower prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After he and his colleagues first canvassed mobile home parks, word traveled fast through the tightknit communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People who had initially turned his company away visited their neighbors’ homes and were assured that they had indeed paid nothing for their fancy new appliances. They called Shamoon back and wanted in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For most customers who had older, inefficient air conditioners and live in hot, dry areas, their monthly bills went down noticeably.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001322\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00226-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">While walking through a neighborhood in Van Nuys, Ben Shamoon (right), founder of Bryge and LivSmart Home Services, showed Evan Kamei, a director at Energy Solutions, one of the ways he creates social media and word of mouth awareness for Bryge. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The process was not without challenges: electrical panels in some homes did not have capacity to power the upgrades. Different mobile home parks had restrictive rules about where appliances could be placed on the outside of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Shamoon was not deterred. He repeated the process, adding installations of heat pumps to warm and cool homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the beginning, he worked with homeowners of all income levels, as there were incentives for people with high incomes too, but he eventually zeroed in on low-income homeowners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wealthier clients proved high-maintenance, despite getting free appliances, he said. Low-income families were incredibly grateful, and experienced a dramatic improvement in their quality of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hundreds of miles north in Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Consultant Evan Kamei started to take notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had never met Shamoon, nor heard of his company before he started seeing its name pop up on spreadsheets. Kamei works in Oakland for Energy Solutions, an environmental consulting company that implements the state’s incentive program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He keeps track of where heat pumps are being installed and how that impacts customer bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001327\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00350-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anissa Stull and Evan Kamei of Energy Solutions, an environmental consulting company that implements the state’s incentive program TECH Clean California, at the Park Royale Trailer Park. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kamei realized more and more mobile homeowners were participating in the program thanks to Shamoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His company has installed the majority of the roughly 1,500 TECH-funded heat pump HVAC and water heaters in mobile homes statewide. California’s incentive program has funded about 80,000 heat pump installations on all types of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Franco’s mobile home park, Shamoon has completed 38 projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s the beauty of having a market-based solution of enabling contractors to figure out something that could work,” Kamei said, reflecting on contractor creativity, “It’s not something you typically see with an incentive program like this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A lot of wins, and some limits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What Shamoon is doing, swapping gas-powered heating and cooling for electric versions of appliances, lowers carbon pollution by pulling from the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/07/14/in-historic-first-california-powered-by-two-thirds-clean-energy-becoming-largest-economy-in-the-world-to-achieve-milestone/\">mostly green grid\u003c/a>. But it also could \u003ca href=\"https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/03/gas-stoves-pose-health-risks-are-gas-furnaces-and-other-appliances-safe-to-use/\">improve indoor air quality\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esperanza Sanchez is breathing easier after she upgraded her HVAC system to a heat pump with Shamoon’s help. Sanchez lives in the Blue Star Mobile Home Park in the San Fernando Valley’s Sylmar neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sanchez had previously avoided using her gas heater because it triggered her asthma. “It stung my nose and I couldn’t stand it,” Sanchez said in Spanish. After making the switch, she said her respiratory issues were gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00163-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria Franco’s heat pump takes just 15 minutes to cool down her two-bedroom home on a scorching day. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a public health thing. It’s an equity thing,” said Ethan Elkind, a UC Berkeley lawyer and policy researcher who’s studied how low-income Californians can adopt more \u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/clee/research/climate/energy-efficiency/limf-energy-savings-retrofits/\">planet-friendly appliances\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s almost a human rights thing in these really hot climate zones — giving people access to reliable air conditioning,” Elkind said. “It checks a lot of boxes for what we need to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are limits to this solution. There’s no way for the state to provide incentives for every low-income Californian to make the switch. California has doled out more than $219 million so far, but bringing electric appliances to all low-income residents would cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars, Elkind said, money the state does not have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A settlement from a 2016 gas leak in the San Fernando Valley will funnel roughly $30 million in incentives to \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB157\">nearby residents\u003c/a> through TECH starting late this summer. It’s unclear when these funds will again be available for Californians who live outside that region, and are not eligible for the settlement money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One way to stretch the state’s limited funds is to use public dollars to attract private investors, Elkind said. Under this model, the state pays the interest upfront — giving low-income homeowners access to no-interest loans — and covers the loss if a borrower defaults. This safety net eliminates risk for private lenders, allowing them to finance the initial equipment upgrades. Homeowners would then pay back the loan principal over time, using the savings many see from now lower utility bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001325\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00274-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A parked car with its front window shaded by a covering, at Park Royal Trailer Park in Van Nuys. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But that could only go so far. National policies incentivizing heat pump adoption like those in the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, done away with under the Trump Administration’s tax bill, would need to be reinstated to achieve large-scale adoption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reaching renters is another story. Gas appliances are cheaper upfront. So landlords have little financial incentive to make the switch — while there are bill savings, those go to renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elkind said achieving this shift would take policies like those slated to roll out in the Bay Area in 2027, requiring all new water heater installations be electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most glaring limit is California’s high cost of electricity. For many, monthly bills for a gas appliance are lower than electric alternatives. But for Californians like Franco, who replaced old, inefficient window air conditioners, their bills often go down. That’s because new technologies use less energy to do the same – and often a better – job.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cool air, hot showers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Three months after that knock on her door, Franco watched two men install her new water heater. It had been half a year since she had the ability to step into her shower, turn a knob and have hot water come out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That first time using the shower was beautiful,” Franco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, she welcomed a new mini-split heating and cooling unit, blowing crisp air in her living room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001321\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The heat pump unit outside Maria Franco’s home in Van Nuys. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The single unit is powerful enough to transform her two-bedroom home from oppressive to refreshing in just 15 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the changes, her gas bill, which covered her furnace, water heater and stove, was $40 to $50 per month. It is now just $10. Her electricity bill went from $150 to around $80. The savings are meaningful given her monthly social security benefits of $1000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without Shamoon and his coworkers, Franco would have never learned about the state incentives, and never made the change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I needed help the most, it came,” Franco said. “If it weren’t for them, we’d be suffering from the heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px; margin: 80px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Copycats! This Ant Is Surrounded By Imposters",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\">\u003cp class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Green tree ants are a dominant species in tropical forests stretching from India to northern Australia. Aggressive, industrious and highly territorial, most of their neighbors don’t want to mess with them. With a reputation like that, over millions of years multiple animals evolved to mimic them– some to stay safe, and others to kill. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TRANSCRIPT\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In this tropical rainforest green tree ants are everywhere. And they bite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A single colony can hold up to half a million ants, spreading across a dozen trees and 150 nests — all built by weaving leaves together with silk produced by larvae — their own offspring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They form living chains, to pull leaf edges together while they weave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The canopy bustles with ants that are industrious, aggressive, and highly territorial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what’s this slacker doing? Working hard or hardly working?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This isn’t a green tree ant at all. It’s a wannabe, a young bean bug. Pretty convincing disguise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This proboscis gives it away. It’s how they eat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ants have mandibles. They carry knives, not straws.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bean bugs spend their lives drinking the sap of this bean plant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When bean bugs grow up, they shed their disguise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So why the getup in the first place?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s an example of Batesian mimicry, when a vulnerable species like the bean bug evolves to look like a more dangerous one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A predator is likely to skip a green tree ant meal. It’s not worth the fight risk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By looking like the green tree ant, this docile little bean bug seems like a real threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As an adult, it’s much larger and now has wings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s another ant imposter lurking near the colony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The abdomen of this comb-footed spider resembles the head of a green tree ant – just enough to make predators think twice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This spider isn’t just some harmless bean bug. It’s here to hunt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The comb-footed spider lays a silk trap just outside the ant nest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is an example of aggressive mimicry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where one animal mimics another in order to eat it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But this isn’t the only spider in ant’s clothing around here.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This crab spider mimics the look and behavior of green tree ants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It even waves its front legs around, kinda like the ants’ antennae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crab spider is an ambush hunter who will wait outside the ant nest, until – gotcha!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Enter mimic number 4: these jumping spiders don’t look so much like green tree ants, but they use another type of aggressive mimicry.They smell just like them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also known as chemical mimicry – it’s a convincing enough disguise for the spider to sneak into the ant nest to steal its favorite food: green tree ant larvae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers think that these jumping spiders live their whole lives next to the same colony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As they feed on the larvae, they absorb pheromones, which lend the spiders a convincing green tree ant aroma.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite all the backstabbers, the wannabes, and infiltrators, green tree ants remain a dominant species from India to Papua New Guinea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why have so many different species evolved to look, behave, and smell like this one type of ant?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For millions of years, green tree ants have played such an important role in tropical ecosystems that their neighbors are more likely to survive by mimicking them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are masses of them, so finding a way to eat them means access to an abundant food source. They’re also formidable predators, so looking like them means staying safe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all, mimicry is the highest form of flattery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Or trickery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you liked this video, please consider supporting KQED, the PBS station that produces Deep Look. Donations from viewers like you allow us to continue making our award-winning series. Click the link on-screen or in the description below.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, see more green tree ant action as they battle peppermint stick insects.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In this tropical rainforest green tree ants are everywhere. And they bite.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A single colony can hold up to half a million ants, spreading across a dozen trees and 150 nests — all built by weaving leaves together with silk produced by larvae — their own offspring.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They form living chains, to pull leaf edges together while they weave.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The canopy bustles with ants that are industrious, aggressive, and highly territorial.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But what’s this slacker doing? Working hard or hardly working?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This isn’t a green tree ant at all. It’s a wannabe, a young bean bug. Pretty convincing disguise.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This isn’t a green tree ant at all. It’s a wannabe, a young bean bug. Pretty convincing disguise.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This proboscis gives it away. It’s how they eat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This proboscis gives it away. It’s how they eat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ants have mandibles. They carry knives, not straws.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ants have mandibles. They carry knives, not straws.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bean bugs spend their lives drinking the sap of this bean plant.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bean bugs spend their lives drinking the sap of this bean plant.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When bean bugs grow up, they shed their disguise.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When bean bugs grow up, they shed their disguise.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So why the getup in the first place?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s an example of Batesian mimicry, when a vulnerable species like the bean bug evolves to look like a more dangerous one.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s an example of Batesian mimicry, when a vulnerable species like the bean bug evolves to look like a more dangerous one.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A predator is likely to skip a green tree ant meal. It’s not worth the fight risk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By looking like the green tree ant, this docile little bean bug seems like a real threat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As an adult, it’s much larger and now has wings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s another ant imposter lurking near the colony.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The abdomen of this comb-footed spider resembles the head of a green tree ant – just enough to make predators think twice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The abdomen of this comb-footed spider resembles the head of a green tree ant – just enough to make predators think twice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This spider isn’t just some harmless bean bug. It’s here to hunt.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The comb-footed spider lays a silk trap just outside the ant nest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is an example of aggressive mimicry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Where one animal mimics another in order to eat it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But this isn’t the only spider in ant’s clothing around here.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This crab spider mimics the look and behavior of green tree ants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It even waves its front legs around, kinda like the ants’ antennae.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The crab spider is an ambush hunter who will wait outside the ant nest, until – gotcha!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Enter mimic number 4: these jumping spiders don’t look so much like green tree ants, but they use another type of aggressive mimicry.They smell just like them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also known as chemical mimicry – it’s a convincing enough disguise for the spider to sneak into the ant nest to steal its favorite food: green tree ant larvae.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers think that these jumping spiders live their whole lives next to the same colony.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As they feed on the larvae, they absorb pheromones, which lend the spiders a convincing green tree ant aroma.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite all the backstabbers, the wannabes, and infiltrators, green tree ants remain a dominant species from India to Papua New Guinea.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Why have so many different species evolved to look, behave, and smell like this one type of ant?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For millions of years, green tree ants have played such an important role in tropical ecosystems that their neighbors are more likely to survive by mimicking them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are masses of them, so finding a way to eat them means access to an abundant food source. They’re also formidable predators, so looking like them means staying safe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After all, mimicry is the highest form of flattery.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Or trickery.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you liked this video, please consider supporting KQED, the PBS station that produces Deep Look. Donations from viewers like you allow us to continue making our award-winning series. Click the link on-screen or in the description below.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, see more green tree ant action as they battle peppermint stick insects.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Green tree ants are a dominant species in tropical forests stretching from India to northern Australia. Aggressive, industrious and highly territorial, most of their neighbors don’t want to mess with them. With a reputation like that, over millions of years multiple animals evolved to mimic them– some to stay safe, and others to kill.",
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"subhead": "Green tree ants are a dominant species in tropical forests stretching from India to northern Australia. Aggressive, industrious and highly territorial, most of their neighbors don’t want to mess with them. But that fearsome reputation has a fascinating side effect: over millions of years, multiple animals have evolved to impersonate them – some to stay safe, and others to kill.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\">\u003cp class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Green tree ants are a dominant species in tropical forests stretching from India to northern Australia. Aggressive, industrious and highly territorial, most of their neighbors don’t want to mess with them. With a reputation like that, over millions of years multiple animals evolved to mimic them– some to stay safe, and others to kill. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TRANSCRIPT\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In this tropical rainforest green tree ants are everywhere. And they bite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A single colony can hold up to half a million ants, spreading across a dozen trees and 150 nests — all built by weaving leaves together with silk produced by larvae — their own offspring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They form living chains, to pull leaf edges together while they weave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The canopy bustles with ants that are industrious, aggressive, and highly territorial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what’s this slacker doing? Working hard or hardly working?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This isn’t a green tree ant at all. It’s a wannabe, a young bean bug. Pretty convincing disguise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This proboscis gives it away. It’s how they eat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ants have mandibles. They carry knives, not straws.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bean bugs spend their lives drinking the sap of this bean plant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When bean bugs grow up, they shed their disguise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So why the getup in the first place?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s an example of Batesian mimicry, when a vulnerable species like the bean bug evolves to look like a more dangerous one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A predator is likely to skip a green tree ant meal. It’s not worth the fight risk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By looking like the green tree ant, this docile little bean bug seems like a real threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As an adult, it’s much larger and now has wings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s another ant imposter lurking near the colony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The abdomen of this comb-footed spider resembles the head of a green tree ant – just enough to make predators think twice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This spider isn’t just some harmless bean bug. It’s here to hunt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The comb-footed spider lays a silk trap just outside the ant nest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is an example of aggressive mimicry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where one animal mimics another in order to eat it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But this isn’t the only spider in ant’s clothing around here.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This crab spider mimics the look and behavior of green tree ants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It even waves its front legs around, kinda like the ants’ antennae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crab spider is an ambush hunter who will wait outside the ant nest, until – gotcha!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Enter mimic number 4: these jumping spiders don’t look so much like green tree ants, but they use another type of aggressive mimicry.They smell just like them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also known as chemical mimicry – it’s a convincing enough disguise for the spider to sneak into the ant nest to steal its favorite food: green tree ant larvae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers think that these jumping spiders live their whole lives next to the same colony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As they feed on the larvae, they absorb pheromones, which lend the spiders a convincing green tree ant aroma.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite all the backstabbers, the wannabes, and infiltrators, green tree ants remain a dominant species from India to Papua New Guinea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why have so many different species evolved to look, behave, and smell like this one type of ant?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For millions of years, green tree ants have played such an important role in tropical ecosystems that their neighbors are more likely to survive by mimicking them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are masses of them, so finding a way to eat them means access to an abundant food source. They’re also formidable predators, so looking like them means staying safe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all, mimicry is the highest form of flattery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Or trickery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you liked this video, please consider supporting KQED, the PBS station that produces Deep Look. Donations from viewers like you allow us to continue making our award-winning series. Click the link on-screen or in the description below.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, see more green tree ant action as they battle peppermint stick insects.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Some farming towns in California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-valley\">Central Valley\u003c/a> have sunk by more than 11 feet in recent years because of groundwater pumping, the extraction of water from underground aquifers using wells and electric pumps for drinking, farming and industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While some land subsidence is temporary, excessive pumping can cause aquifers to permanently collapse, reducing storage capacity and damaging homes, roads, bridges and canals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New research from UCLA and Caltech has outlined a way to detect when temporary land subsidence becomes permanent and irreversible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2526041123\">published this week\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003c/em>, uses satellite imagery to identify the “abrupt transition to irreversible damage.” Researchers hope this will give decision makers new tools to keep an eye on water resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you start seeing that the ground is subsiding this fast, like we’re seeing, we’re hoping this is really an early warning signal that, okay, something is wrong, we need to stop pumping groundwater right now,” said \u003ca href=\"https://epss.ucla.edu/epss-welcomes-new-assistant-professor-dr-stacy-larochelle/\">Stacy Larochelle,\u003c/a> an assistant professor at UCLA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larochelle and co-authors found that parts of the Sacramento Valley, which has a centurylong history of groundwater exploitation to sustain the region’s intensive agricultural economy, underwent an abrupt and widespread change around 2021, indicating a shift to rapid, permanent subsidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Essentially, researchers saw if ground movement, as detected by satellites, linked up with water levels in wells, which indicated temporary sinking. If the ground didn’t bounce back when water levels did, the sink was permanent. Larochelle’s hope is that one day this monitoring can be done by satellites alone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We think this is the first time that we’re really able to image this transition with such high- quality data,” Larochelle said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/roland-burgmann\">Roland Bürgmann\u003c/a>, a UC Berkeley geophysicist who was not involved in the research, said the research clearly showed how permanent damage was done to the Sacramento Valley water system by overuse during the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california-drought\">drought\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This could and should have been avoided by proper monitoring and water management,” Bürgmann said. “Every water district in the world should probably be using the kind of satellite imaging data and analysis the authors relied on, so they can recognize when their valuable water storage systems are in danger of such irreversible loss of storage capacity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S Geological Survey’s California Water Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/publications/groundwater-sustainability-and-land-subsidence-californias-central-valley\">estimates 15%\u003c/a> of the Central Valley’s groundwater storage capacity has been permanently lost because of subsidence.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The research, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2526041123\">published this week\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003c/em>, uses satellite imagery to identify the “abrupt transition to irreversible damage.” Researchers hope this will give decision makers new tools to keep an eye on water resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you start seeing that the ground is subsiding this fast, like we’re seeing, we’re hoping this is really an early warning signal that, okay, something is wrong, we need to stop pumping groundwater right now,” said \u003ca href=\"https://epss.ucla.edu/epss-welcomes-new-assistant-professor-dr-stacy-larochelle/\">Stacy Larochelle,\u003c/a> an assistant professor at UCLA. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Larochelle and co-authors found that parts of the Sacramento Valley, which has a centurylong history of groundwater exploitation to sustain the region’s intensive agricultural economy, underwent an abrupt and widespread change around 2021, indicating a shift to rapid, permanent subsidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Essentially, researchers saw if ground movement, as detected by satellites, linked up with water levels in wells, which indicated temporary sinking. If the ground didn’t bounce back when water levels did, the sink was permanent. Larochelle’s hope is that one day this monitoring can be done by satellites alone.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/roland-burgmann\">Roland Bürgmann\u003c/a>, a UC Berkeley geophysicist who was not involved in the research, said the research clearly showed how permanent damage was done to the Sacramento Valley water system by overuse during the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california-drought\">drought\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This could and should have been avoided by proper monitoring and water management,” Bürgmann said. “Every water district in the world should probably be using the kind of satellite imaging data and analysis the authors relied on, so they can recognize when their valuable water storage systems are in danger of such irreversible loss of storage capacity.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The U.S Geological Survey’s California Water Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/publications/groundwater-sustainability-and-land-subsidence-californias-central-valley\">estimates 15%\u003c/a> of the Central Valley’s groundwater storage capacity has been permanently lost because of subsidence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The U.S. Geological Survey’s California Water Center estimates 15% of the Central Valley’s groundwater storage capacity has been permanently lost because of subsidence. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Some farming towns in California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-valley\">Central Valley\u003c/a> have sunk by more than 11 feet in recent years because of groundwater pumping, the extraction of water from underground aquifers using wells and electric pumps for drinking, farming and industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While some land subsidence is temporary, excessive pumping can cause aquifers to permanently collapse, reducing storage capacity and damaging homes, roads, bridges and canals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New research from UCLA and Caltech has outlined a way to detect when temporary land subsidence becomes permanent and irreversible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2526041123\">published this week\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003c/em>, uses satellite imagery to identify the “abrupt transition to irreversible damage.” Researchers hope this will give decision makers new tools to keep an eye on water resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you start seeing that the ground is subsiding this fast, like we’re seeing, we’re hoping this is really an early warning signal that, okay, something is wrong, we need to stop pumping groundwater right now,” said \u003ca href=\"https://epss.ucla.edu/epss-welcomes-new-assistant-professor-dr-stacy-larochelle/\">Stacy Larochelle,\u003c/a> an assistant professor at UCLA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larochelle and co-authors found that parts of the Sacramento Valley, which has a centurylong history of groundwater exploitation to sustain the region’s intensive agricultural economy, underwent an abrupt and widespread change around 2021, indicating a shift to rapid, permanent subsidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Essentially, researchers saw if ground movement, as detected by satellites, linked up with water levels in wells, which indicated temporary sinking. If the ground didn’t bounce back when water levels did, the sink was permanent. Larochelle’s hope is that one day this monitoring can be done by satellites alone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We think this is the first time that we’re really able to image this transition with such high- quality data,” Larochelle said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/roland-burgmann\">Roland Bürgmann\u003c/a>, a UC Berkeley geophysicist who was not involved in the research, said the research clearly showed how permanent damage was done to the Sacramento Valley water system by overuse during the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california-drought\">drought\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This could and should have been avoided by proper monitoring and water management,” Bürgmann said. “Every water district in the world should probably be using the kind of satellite imaging data and analysis the authors relied on, so they can recognize when their valuable water storage systems are in danger of such irreversible loss of storage capacity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S Geological Survey’s California Water Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/publications/groundwater-sustainability-and-land-subsidence-californias-central-valley\">estimates 15%\u003c/a> of the Central Valley’s groundwater storage capacity has been permanently lost because of subsidence.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "californias-displaced-oil-and-gas-workers-fund-is-a-lifeline-now-advocates-say-its-time-to-expand",
"title": "California’s Displaced Oil and Gas Workers’ Fund Is a Lifeline. Now Advocates Say It’s Time to Expand",
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"headTitle": "California’s Displaced Oil and Gas Workers’ Fund Is a Lifeline. Now Advocates Say It’s Time to Expand | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Villarreal spent his second day at Northwest Metrology honing a new skill: calibrating torque wrenches. The company’s Bakersfield headquarters is packed with pressure gauges, weights, and other specialized tools — all designed to ensure that everything from defibrillators to scales for weighing aircraft work without fail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have an extensive client list,” said owner Wayne Moule, who has been serving hospitals, refineries and aerospace companies for decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Moule has a hard time finding employees who are a good fit for the painstaking work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People come in, give us resumes that look great,” Moule said, “but they just don’t have the work ethic. They don’t care about the accuracy. They say they calibrate a piece of equipment, and they don’t. And then I find out about it from a customer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The work is highly technical, requiring up to three years of training and the ability to read and follow 2-inch-thick manuals with detailed instructions for using each piece of equipment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do you know how hard it is to get somebody to read a manual?” Moule said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the job was a good fit for Villarreal, a 55-year-old father of three who spent 30 years working in the oil and gas industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the early days of his career, he worked gritty, hands-on jobs in Bakersfield’s scorching hot oil fields, checking equipment for leaks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, he switched to the administrative side, working out of the sun. In his final job as an engineering technician, Villarreal applied for new drilling permits, kept records and filed reports. He was laid off last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The oil industry has always had its up and downs,” Villarreal said. “I’m not really sure what happened this time … I thought we were doing good, the oil industry, and just, it just changed overnight for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Villarreal landed his new job at Northwest Metrology in May through a state program designed to mitigate the impact on oil and gas workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even with its successes, proponents of the program say it’s falling short. They are urging the state to extend it beyond the current end date in 2027 and provide new benefits, including wage replacement during transitions, college credits for on-the-job experience and at least two years of financial support during apprenticeships.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One morning in late May, a dozen men gathered at the job center in Bakersfield, where they listened with a mixture of skepticism and guarded hope as job counselor Francisco Avila described why California employers want to hire former oil and gas workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re looking for you,” Avila said. “Your experience, your knowledge, your skill set, they want to apply that to their industry.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ When I was first laid off, they [the employer] had told me about this program,” said Strauss, who has been out of work for nearly a year. “However, in my personal life, I had taken on some other opportunities that didn’t pan out as well as what they said that they would provide. So I came back here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The wake-up call\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea for the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund grew out of the abrupt 2020 closure of the Marathon Refinery in Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marathon gave employees just 60 days’ notice and prohibited them from transferring to their other refineries, according to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/fossil-fuel-layoff/\">report \u003c/a>by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company laid off over 750 workers, including 345 unionized staff who received only short-term severance. A year after the layoff, UC Labor Center surveyed the union workers and found nearly a third had taken early withdrawals from their retirement accounts to sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pamphlets and paperwork are seen at a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The United Steel Workers union, whose members comprise the majority of people employed by refineries in California, anticipated members would need help taking the next step. The union lobbied state lawmakers to establish the displaced workers fund, and created the California Oil and Refinery Workers Readiness Program, or CORP, to help members use the resources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We needed something that the members were gonna be able to grasp,” said Rosi Romo, program director for CORP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CORP received $9 million of the new funds, enough to help at least 650 people, and recruited a handful of union members to act as navigators, who could help their coworkers consider their options and take action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it was closing its refineries in Carson and Wilmington, Romo said, “We were able to have them [navigators] on the ground talking to people, enrolling them, and so they were gaining momentum.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide, USW navigators have counseled 400 members, and by June, half of them were enrolled in courses paid for by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila leads a presentation and discussion with displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wilfredo Cruz, a 37-year-old industrial mechanic at the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery, became a navigator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I could help myself and my coworkers to be able to find something new or at least get some sort of training, so we can find our next job,” said Cruz, who had seen his dad become a respiratory therapist after getting laid off from a refinery job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many asked Cruz if they should get started while still on the job. He told them to start as early as possible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some union members transitioned to careers in radiology, wastewater treatment and as EMTS. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cruz enrolled in a cybersecurity program at UC San Diego while he worked at the refinery, listening to lectures while commuting. Though he was laid off in March 2026, months before he expected to complete his education, his wife works a good job, and they have been able to swing it so far.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, left, and Anthony Strauss, 45, right, listen to a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a navigator, Cruz heard his coworkers’ frustrations with the displaced workers’ program and its limitations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some who were working 12- to 16-hour days to wind down refinery operations did not have time for training programs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others who were sole breadwinners for their families faced a dilemma that forced them to consider a lower-paying job or one that doesn’t utilize their technical skills and knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You kinda have to choose,” Cruz said. “Do I go to school? Or do I need a job now? It’s very hard to do both.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of workers over the age of 55 took early retirement, Cruz said. The prospect of going back to school and starting in a brand new industry didn’t seem worth it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Laurie Wallace, another union navigator at the Wilmington refinery, has pressed state lawmakers to extend the lifetime of the fund to give oil and gas workers more time to transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the 50-year-old process technician urged coworkers to take care of their medical check-ups and treatment before they lost their insurance, she did the same. That’s when her doctor told her she had breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I call it divine intervention,” Wallace said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Early detection allowed her to undergo treatment and make a full recovery. She returned to work to help shut down the refinery and counsel her colleagues. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said a lot of them were terrified about losing a career in an industry that had afforded them and their families a comfortable life.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Wallace said she had a different reaction to the closure. “I felt relieved,” she said, excited about the possibilities of working in another industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The refinery laid her off in April. She has since started to earn an associate’s degree and is thinking about becoming a grant writer or driving a forklift.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I always believe that when a door closes, a window opens,” Wallace said. “I just gotta figure out how to crawl through it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Refinery workers in Contra Costa County have also benefited from the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Marathon closed its refinery there in 2020, existing benefits weren’t sufficient for laid-off employees, said Tamia Brown, executive director of the county’s workforce development board. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000873\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown expects that number to climb as severance and unemployment benefits dwindle. But she said people don’t have to wait until that happens to access benefits and other resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said the funds are a huge help but would be even more effective if they covered a longer transition, to allow people to pursue apprenticeships and degree programs, which can take at least two years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In order to get back to a comparable wage, a person may need to learn a new skill set or transfer to a different industry. That takes time,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Extending the benefits would cost the state more, Brown said, but she thinks it’s a worthwhile investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the original $30 million in the fund, $18 million has yet to be spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fund is due to sunset in July of 2027, but advocates are urging lawmakers to extend it, as tens of thousands more industry jobs face elimination over the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Providing support for these workers during their time of need should not be controversial. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Joe Villarreal spent his second day at Northwest Metrology honing a new skill: calibrating torque wrenches. The company’s Bakersfield headquarters is packed with pressure gauges, weights, and other specialized tools — all designed to ensure that everything from defibrillators to scales for weighing aircraft work without fail. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the job was a good fit for Villarreal, a 55-year-old father of three who spent 30 years working in the oil and gas industry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the early days of his career, he worked gritty, hands-on jobs in Bakersfield’s scorching hot oil fields, checking equipment for leaks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, he switched to the administrative side, working out of the sun. In his final job as an engineering technician, Villarreal applied for new drilling permits, kept records and filed reports. He was laid off last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The oil industry has always had its up and downs,” Villarreal said. “I’m not really sure what happened this time … I thought we were doing good, the oil industry, and just, it just changed overnight for me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Villarreal landed his new job at Northwest Metrology in May through a state program designed to mitigate the impact on oil and gas workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even with its successes, proponents of the program say it’s falling short. They are urging the state to extend it beyond the current end date in 2027 and provide new benefits, including wage replacement during transitions, college credits for on-the-job experience and at least two years of financial support during apprenticeships.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One morning in late May, a dozen men gathered at the job center in Bakersfield, where they listened with a mixture of skepticism and guarded hope as job counselor Francisco Avila described why California employers want to hire former oil and gas workers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’re looking for you,” Avila said. “Your experience, your knowledge, your skill set, they want to apply that to their industry.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ When I was first laid off, they [the employer] had told me about this program,” said Strauss, who has been out of work for nearly a year. “However, in my personal life, I had taken on some other opportunities that didn’t pan out as well as what they said that they would provide. So I came back here.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marathon gave employees just 60 days’ notice and prohibited them from transferring to their other refineries, according to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/fossil-fuel-layoff/\">report \u003c/a>by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company laid off over 750 workers, including 345 unionized staff who received only short-term severance. A year after the layoff, UC Labor Center surveyed the union workers and found nearly a third had taken early withdrawals from their retirement accounts to sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The United Steel Workers union, whose members comprise the majority of people employed by refineries in California, anticipated members would need help taking the next step. The union lobbied state lawmakers to establish the displaced workers fund, and created the California Oil and Refinery Workers Readiness Program, or CORP, to help members use the resources.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CORP received $9 million of the new funds, enough to help at least 650 people, and recruited a handful of union members to act as navigators, who could help their coworkers consider their options and take action. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it was closing its refineries in Carson and Wilmington, Romo said, “We were able to have them [navigators] on the ground talking to people, enrolling them, and so they were gaining momentum.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Statewide, USW navigators have counseled 400 members, and by June, half of them were enrolled in courses paid for by the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila leads a presentation and discussion with displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wilfredo Cruz, a 37-year-old industrial mechanic at the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery, became a navigator. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cruz enrolled in a cybersecurity program at UC San Diego while he worked at the refinery, listening to lectures while commuting. Though he was laid off in March 2026, months before he expected to complete his education, his wife works a good job, and they have been able to swing it so far.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, left, and Anthony Strauss, 45, right, listen to a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some who were working 12- to 16-hour days to wind down refinery operations did not have time for training programs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You kinda have to choose,” Cruz said. “Do I go to school? Or do I need a job now? It’s very hard to do both.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A lot of workers over the age of 55 took early retirement, Cruz said. The prospect of going back to school and starting in a brand new industry didn’t seem worth it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Laurie Wallace, another union navigator at the Wilmington refinery, has pressed state lawmakers to extend the lifetime of the fund to give oil and gas workers more time to transition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the 50-year-old process technician urged coworkers to take care of their medical check-ups and treatment before they lost their insurance, she did the same. That’s when her doctor told her she had breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I call it divine intervention,” Wallace said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Early detection allowed her to undergo treatment and make a full recovery. She returned to work to help shut down the refinery and counsel her colleagues. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said a lot of them were terrified about losing a career in an industry that had afforded them and their families a comfortable life.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Wallace said she had a different reaction to the closure. “I felt relieved,” she said, excited about the possibilities of working in another industry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The refinery laid her off in April. She has since started to earn an associate’s degree and is thinking about becoming a grant writer or driving a forklift.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I always believe that when a door closes, a window opens,” Wallace said. “I just gotta figure out how to crawl through it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Refinery workers in Contra Costa County have also benefited from the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Marathon closed its refinery there in 2020, existing benefits weren’t sufficient for laid-off employees, said Tamia Brown, executive director of the county’s workforce development board. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brown expects that number to climb as severance and unemployment benefits dwindle. But she said people don’t have to wait until that happens to access benefits and other resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said the funds are a huge help but would be even more effective if they covered a longer transition, to allow people to pursue apprenticeships and degree programs, which can take at least two years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In order to get back to a comparable wage, a person may need to learn a new skill set or transfer to a different industry. That takes time,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Extending the benefits would cost the state more, Brown said, but she thinks it’s a worthwhile investment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the original $30 million in the fund, $18 million has yet to be spent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fund is due to sunset in July of 2027, but advocates are urging lawmakers to extend it, as tens of thousands more industry jobs face elimination over the next decade.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Providing support for these workers during their time of need should not be controversial. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "With more industry closures looming, labor leaders are urging lawmakers to expand the safety net that has helped more than 600 workers transition to new careers. ",
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"title": "California’s Displaced Oil and Gas Workers’ Fund Is a Lifeline. Now Advocates Say It’s Time to Expand | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Villarreal spent his second day at Northwest Metrology honing a new skill: calibrating torque wrenches. The company’s Bakersfield headquarters is packed with pressure gauges, weights, and other specialized tools — all designed to ensure that everything from defibrillators to scales for weighing aircraft work without fail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have an extensive client list,” said owner Wayne Moule, who has been serving hospitals, refineries and aerospace companies for decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Moule has a hard time finding employees who are a good fit for the painstaking work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People come in, give us resumes that look great,” Moule said, “but they just don’t have the work ethic. They don’t care about the accuracy. They say they calibrate a piece of equipment, and they don’t. And then I find out about it from a customer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The work is highly technical, requiring up to three years of training and the ability to read and follow 2-inch-thick manuals with detailed instructions for using each piece of equipment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do you know how hard it is to get somebody to read a manual?” Moule said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the job was a good fit for Villarreal, a 55-year-old father of three who spent 30 years working in the oil and gas industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the early days of his career, he worked gritty, hands-on jobs in Bakersfield’s scorching hot oil fields, checking equipment for leaks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, he switched to the administrative side, working out of the sun. In his final job as an engineering technician, Villarreal applied for new drilling permits, kept records and filed reports. He was laid off last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The oil industry has always had its up and downs,” Villarreal said. “I’m not really sure what happened this time … I thought we were doing good, the oil industry, and just, it just changed overnight for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Villarreal landed his new job at Northwest Metrology in May through a state program designed to mitigate the impact on oil and gas workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even with its successes, proponents of the program say it’s falling short. They are urging the state to extend it beyond the current end date in 2027 and provide new benefits, including wage replacement during transitions, college credits for on-the-job experience and at least two years of financial support during apprenticeships.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One morning in late May, a dozen men gathered at the job center in Bakersfield, where they listened with a mixture of skepticism and guarded hope as job counselor Francisco Avila described why California employers want to hire former oil and gas workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re looking for you,” Avila said. “Your experience, your knowledge, your skill set, they want to apply that to their industry.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ When I was first laid off, they [the employer] had told me about this program,” said Strauss, who has been out of work for nearly a year. “However, in my personal life, I had taken on some other opportunities that didn’t pan out as well as what they said that they would provide. So I came back here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The wake-up call\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea for the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund grew out of the abrupt 2020 closure of the Marathon Refinery in Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marathon gave employees just 60 days’ notice and prohibited them from transferring to their other refineries, according to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/fossil-fuel-layoff/\">report \u003c/a>by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company laid off over 750 workers, including 345 unionized staff who received only short-term severance. A year after the layoff, UC Labor Center surveyed the union workers and found nearly a third had taken early withdrawals from their retirement accounts to sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pamphlets and paperwork are seen at a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The United Steel Workers union, whose members comprise the majority of people employed by refineries in California, anticipated members would need help taking the next step. The union lobbied state lawmakers to establish the displaced workers fund, and created the California Oil and Refinery Workers Readiness Program, or CORP, to help members use the resources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We needed something that the members were gonna be able to grasp,” said Rosi Romo, program director for CORP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CORP received $9 million of the new funds, enough to help at least 650 people, and recruited a handful of union members to act as navigators, who could help their coworkers consider their options and take action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it was closing its refineries in Carson and Wilmington, Romo said, “We were able to have them [navigators] on the ground talking to people, enrolling them, and so they were gaining momentum.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide, USW navigators have counseled 400 members, and by June, half of them were enrolled in courses paid for by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila leads a presentation and discussion with displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wilfredo Cruz, a 37-year-old industrial mechanic at the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery, became a navigator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I could help myself and my coworkers to be able to find something new or at least get some sort of training, so we can find our next job,” said Cruz, who had seen his dad become a respiratory therapist after getting laid off from a refinery job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many asked Cruz if they should get started while still on the job. He told them to start as early as possible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some union members transitioned to careers in radiology, wastewater treatment and as EMTS. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cruz enrolled in a cybersecurity program at UC San Diego while he worked at the refinery, listening to lectures while commuting. Though he was laid off in March 2026, months before he expected to complete his education, his wife works a good job, and they have been able to swing it so far.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, left, and Anthony Strauss, 45, right, listen to a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a navigator, Cruz heard his coworkers’ frustrations with the displaced workers’ program and its limitations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some who were working 12- to 16-hour days to wind down refinery operations did not have time for training programs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others who were sole breadwinners for their families faced a dilemma that forced them to consider a lower-paying job or one that doesn’t utilize their technical skills and knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You kinda have to choose,” Cruz said. “Do I go to school? Or do I need a job now? It’s very hard to do both.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of workers over the age of 55 took early retirement, Cruz said. The prospect of going back to school and starting in a brand new industry didn’t seem worth it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Laurie Wallace, another union navigator at the Wilmington refinery, has pressed state lawmakers to extend the lifetime of the fund to give oil and gas workers more time to transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the 50-year-old process technician urged coworkers to take care of their medical check-ups and treatment before they lost their insurance, she did the same. That’s when her doctor told her she had breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I call it divine intervention,” Wallace said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Early detection allowed her to undergo treatment and make a full recovery. She returned to work to help shut down the refinery and counsel her colleagues. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said a lot of them were terrified about losing a career in an industry that had afforded them and their families a comfortable life.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Wallace said she had a different reaction to the closure. “I felt relieved,” she said, excited about the possibilities of working in another industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The refinery laid her off in April. She has since started to earn an associate’s degree and is thinking about becoming a grant writer or driving a forklift.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I always believe that when a door closes, a window opens,” Wallace said. “I just gotta figure out how to crawl through it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Refinery workers in Contra Costa County have also benefited from the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Marathon closed its refinery there in 2020, existing benefits weren’t sufficient for laid-off employees, said Tamia Brown, executive director of the county’s workforce development board. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000873\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown expects that number to climb as severance and unemployment benefits dwindle. But she said people don’t have to wait until that happens to access benefits and other resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said the funds are a huge help but would be even more effective if they covered a longer transition, to allow people to pursue apprenticeships and degree programs, which can take at least two years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In order to get back to a comparable wage, a person may need to learn a new skill set or transfer to a different industry. That takes time,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Extending the benefits would cost the state more, Brown said, but she thinks it’s a worthwhile investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the original $30 million in the fund, $18 million has yet to be spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fund is due to sunset in July of 2027, but advocates are urging lawmakers to extend it, as tens of thousands more industry jobs face elimination over the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Providing support for these workers during their time of need should not be controversial. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "this-tiny-oyster-once-thrived-in-california-now-scientists-are-bringing-it-back",
"title": "This Tiny Oyster Once Thrived in California. Now, Scientists Are Bringing It Back",
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"headTitle": "This Tiny Oyster Once Thrived in California. Now, Scientists Are Bringing It Back | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>On a cool July morning, the scent of burning sage drifted across Elkhorn Slough as a quiet circle of more than a dozen volunteers and conservationists, including \u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/\">Amah Mutsun Tribal Band\u003c/a> members, introduced themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They passed around the smoldering bundle in an Indigenous ritual of cleansing and renewal, known as smudging.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group’s task was straightforward: measure each oyster, record its size and secure the shells to biodegradable stakes to carry to a nearby gravel bar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Castro stakes clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them into the mud in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Amah Mutsun Tribal Band member Esak Ordoñez, the gathering was about much more than restoring shellfish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bringing back a reef\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phoebe Racine, estuarine project director at The Nature Conservancy, said the project reflects a broader effort to restore Indigenous stewardship throughout California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs of recovery\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After volunteers finished placing the oysters into the mud, everyone gathered on the boardwalk overlooking the estuary, while tribe members led the group in a traditional Indigenous song to honor and offer thanks to the Creator.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“About 7,500 hatchery-raised oysters got their first taste of estuary water today,” Wasson said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On a cool July morning, the scent of burning sage drifted across Elkhorn Slough as a quiet circle of more than a dozen volunteers and conservationists, including \u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/\">Amah Mutsun Tribal Band\u003c/a> members, introduced themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They passed around the smoldering bundle in an Indigenous ritual of cleansing and renewal, known as smudging.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The group’s task was straightforward: measure each oyster, record its size and secure the shells to biodegradable stakes to carry to a nearby gravel bar. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The group’s task was straightforward: measure each oyster, record its size and secure the shells to biodegradable stakes to carry to a nearby gravel bar. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Castro stakes clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them into the mud in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001415\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Castro stakes clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them into the mud in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Amah Mutsun Tribal Band member Esak Ordoñez, the gathering was about much more than restoring shellfish.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Amah Mutsun Tribal Band member Esak Ordoñez, the gathering was about much more than restoring shellfish.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Bringing back a reef",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bringing back a reef\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Phoebe Racine, estuarine project director at The Nature Conservancy, said the project reflects a broader effort to restore Indigenous stewardship throughout California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After volunteers finished placing the oysters into the mud, everyone gathered on the boardwalk overlooking the estuary, while tribe members led the group in a traditional Indigenous song to honor and offer thanks to the Creator.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“About 7,500 hatchery-raised oysters got their first taste of estuary water today,” Wasson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Researchers at Elkhorn Slough are using hatcheries, habitat restoration and Indigenous stewardship to help bring back the state’s only native oyster and the ecosystem it supports.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On a cool July morning, the scent of burning sage drifted across Elkhorn Slough as a quiet circle of more than a dozen volunteers and conservationists, including \u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/\">Amah Mutsun Tribal Band\u003c/a> members, introduced themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They passed around the smoldering bundle in an Indigenous ritual of cleansing and renewal, known as smudging.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group’s task was straightforward: measure each oyster, record its size and secure the shells to biodegradable stakes to carry to a nearby gravel bar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Castro stakes clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them into the mud in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Amah Mutsun Tribal Band member Esak Ordoñez, the gathering was about much more than restoring shellfish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bringing back a reef\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phoebe Racine, estuarine project director at The Nature Conservancy, said the project reflects a broader effort to restore Indigenous stewardship throughout California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs of recovery\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After volunteers finished placing the oysters into the mud, everyone gathered on the boardwalk overlooking the estuary, while tribe members led the group in a traditional Indigenous song to honor and offer thanks to the Creator.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“About 7,500 hatchery-raised oysters got their first taste of estuary water today,” Wasson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-antidote-to-deadly-shellfish-poisoning-may-be-inside-a-frog",
"title": "The Antidote to Deadly Shellfish Poisoning May Be Inside a Frog",
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"headTitle": "The Antidote to Deadly Shellfish Poisoning May Be Inside a Frog | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Every summer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> warns people not to collect mussels along the coast because they can become toxic during harmful algal blooms, sometimes called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/algae-bloom\">red tides\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most potent poisons is saxitoxin, the cause of paralytic shellfish poisoning, a life-threatening illness. Now, researchers at UCSF and Stanford University say they may have found a potential treatment in an unlikely source: the bullfrog.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a study published Thursday in \u003cem>Nature Communications\u003c/em>, the team found that a protein naturally produced by frogs protected mice from otherwise lethal doses of saxitoxin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Saxitoxin is so potent it’s actually classified as a chemical weapon,” said Daniel Minor, a UC San Francisco biophysicist and the study’s senior author. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1206\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294-768x468.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294-1536x936.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In an aerial view, brownish water from an algal bloom is visible in the San Francisco Bay on Aug. 24, 2022, in Berkeley, California. Sections of the San Francisco Bay are being turned brown by a potentially harmful algal bloom. The California Department of Public Health has identified the algae and says it is currently not harmful to humans but could be fatal to fish and some marine life if exposed to high concentrations of the algae. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cooking, unfortunately, doesn’t destroy the toxin, and contaminated shellfish look, smell and taste perfectly normal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If ingested, the poison shuts down the signals that allow your nerves to communicate. A toxic reaction can begin with tingling or numbness around the mouth and hands before progressing to muscle weakness, paralysis and, in severe cases, the inability to breathe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The discovery of the antidote dates back nearly a century. UCSF physician-scientist Hermann Sommer investigated shellfish poisoning outbreaks along the California coast in the 1920s and ‘30s, and noticed that frogs appeared unusually resistant to the poison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, scientists know frogs produce a protein called saxiphilin that binds tightly to the toxin. Minor’s team wondered whether that natural defense could become a medicine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s basically like a molecular sponge,” Minor said. “Or like the footballers in the World Cup. Somebody can steal the ball from someone else. And so basically, the saxiphilin is able to steal the toxin and filter it either to the liver or the kidneys to be excreted or removed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To test the idea, researchers produced the bullfrog protein in the laboratory and gave it to female mice exposed to high doses of saxitoxin. The protein protected mice before exposure and remained effective even after they had received the toxin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rebecca Tarvin, an evolutionary biologist at UC Berkeley who was not involved in the research, said she was impressed that the scientists tested the protein in multiple ways — preventing, neutralizing and rescuing animals from the toxin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I thought that was sort of a comprehensive approach to assessing its potential for therapeutics,” Tarvin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1284\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594-768x498.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594-1536x996.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rock covered in mussels at Gaviota State Beach is exposed at low tide on Feb. 16, 2015, near Santa Barbara, California. Because of its close proximity to Southern California and Los Angeles population centers, the coastal region of Santa Barbara has become a popular weekend getaway destination for millions of tourists. (George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The findings are still preliminary. The treatment has not been tested in people, and researchers don’t yet know how well it will work against the dozens of related saxitoxins found in nature.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a huge jump in taking something that works in mice and trying to develop it for humans,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the implications could extend well beyond shellfish poisoning. Tarvin believes studying how animals naturally resist toxins could lead to new medications. Some squirrels, for example, have evolved proteins in their blood that bind to rattlesnake venom, helping them survive bites. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Minor said the long-term goal is a treatment hospitals could keep on hand, much like antivenom for snakebites.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a study published Thursday in \u003cem>Nature Communications\u003c/em>, the team found that a protein naturally produced by frogs protected mice from otherwise lethal doses of saxitoxin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If ingested, the poison shuts down the signals that allow your nerves to communicate. A toxic reaction can begin with tingling or numbness around the mouth and hands before progressing to muscle weakness, paralysis and, in severe cases, the inability to breathe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The discovery of the antidote dates back nearly a century. UCSF physician-scientist Hermann Sommer investigated shellfish poisoning outbreaks along the California coast in the 1920s and ‘30s, and noticed that frogs appeared unusually resistant to the poison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, scientists know frogs produce a protein called saxiphilin that binds tightly to the toxin. Minor’s team wondered whether that natural defense could become a medicine.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s basically like a molecular sponge,” Minor said. “Or like the footballers in the World Cup. Somebody can steal the ball from someone else. And so basically, the saxiphilin is able to steal the toxin and filter it either to the liver or the kidneys to be excreted or removed.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To test the idea, researchers produced the bullfrog protein in the laboratory and gave it to female mice exposed to high doses of saxitoxin. The protein protected mice before exposure and remained effective even after they had received the toxin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rebecca Tarvin, an evolutionary biologist at UC Berkeley who was not involved in the research, said she was impressed that the scientists tested the protein in multiple ways — preventing, neutralizing and rescuing animals from the toxin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The findings are still preliminary. The treatment has not been tested in people, and researchers don’t yet know how well it will work against the dozens of related saxitoxins found in nature.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the implications could extend well beyond shellfish poisoning. Tarvin believes studying how animals naturally resist toxins could lead to new medications. Some squirrels, for example, have evolved proteins in their blood that bind to rattlesnake venom, helping them survive bites. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "UCSF scientists discovered that a protein found in bullfrogs protected mice from one of the world's deadliest natural poisons, which can accumulate in fish during harmful algae blooms.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Every summer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> warns people not to collect mussels along the coast because they can become toxic during harmful algal blooms, sometimes called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/algae-bloom\">red tides\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most potent poisons is saxitoxin, the cause of paralytic shellfish poisoning, a life-threatening illness. Now, researchers at UCSF and Stanford University say they may have found a potential treatment in an unlikely source: the bullfrog.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a study published Thursday in \u003cem>Nature Communications\u003c/em>, the team found that a protein naturally produced by frogs protected mice from otherwise lethal doses of saxitoxin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Saxitoxin is so potent it’s actually classified as a chemical weapon,” said Daniel Minor, a UC San Francisco biophysicist and the study’s senior author. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1206\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294-768x468.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-1417752294-1536x936.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In an aerial view, brownish water from an algal bloom is visible in the San Francisco Bay on Aug. 24, 2022, in Berkeley, California. Sections of the San Francisco Bay are being turned brown by a potentially harmful algal bloom. The California Department of Public Health has identified the algae and says it is currently not harmful to humans but could be fatal to fish and some marine life if exposed to high concentrations of the algae. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cooking, unfortunately, doesn’t destroy the toxin, and contaminated shellfish look, smell and taste perfectly normal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If ingested, the poison shuts down the signals that allow your nerves to communicate. A toxic reaction can begin with tingling or numbness around the mouth and hands before progressing to muscle weakness, paralysis and, in severe cases, the inability to breathe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The discovery of the antidote dates back nearly a century. UCSF physician-scientist Hermann Sommer investigated shellfish poisoning outbreaks along the California coast in the 1920s and ‘30s, and noticed that frogs appeared unusually resistant to the poison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, scientists know frogs produce a protein called saxiphilin that binds tightly to the toxin. Minor’s team wondered whether that natural defense could become a medicine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s basically like a molecular sponge,” Minor said. “Or like the footballers in the World Cup. Somebody can steal the ball from someone else. And so basically, the saxiphilin is able to steal the toxin and filter it either to the liver or the kidneys to be excreted or removed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To test the idea, researchers produced the bullfrog protein in the laboratory and gave it to female mice exposed to high doses of saxitoxin. The protein protected mice before exposure and remained effective even after they had received the toxin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rebecca Tarvin, an evolutionary biologist at UC Berkeley who was not involved in the research, said she was impressed that the scientists tested the protein in multiple ways — preventing, neutralizing and rescuing animals from the toxin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I thought that was sort of a comprehensive approach to assessing its potential for therapeutics,” Tarvin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1284\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594-768x498.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/GettyImages-464050594-1536x996.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rock covered in mussels at Gaviota State Beach is exposed at low tide on Feb. 16, 2015, near Santa Barbara, California. Because of its close proximity to Southern California and Los Angeles population centers, the coastal region of Santa Barbara has become a popular weekend getaway destination for millions of tourists. (George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The findings are still preliminary. The treatment has not been tested in people, and researchers don’t yet know how well it will work against the dozens of related saxitoxins found in nature.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a huge jump in taking something that works in mice and trying to develop it for humans,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the implications could extend well beyond shellfish poisoning. Tarvin believes studying how animals naturally resist toxins could lead to new medications. Some squirrels, for example, have evolved proteins in their blood that bind to rattlesnake venom, helping them survive bites. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Minor said the long-term goal is a treatment hospitals could keep on hand, much like antivenom for snakebites.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Writer Laura Fraser was interested in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">climate change\u003c/a> but felt a sense of powerlessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the face of this enormous existential problem, what does recycling and riding a bicycle amount to?” Fraser said, sitting in her San Francisco apartment. “It just felt like nothing, just a drop in the ocean.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, a few years ago, she was hired to edit a book called \u003cem>Electrify\u003c/em>, by Saul Griffith. Working through it, she changed her perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The book points out that 42% of energy-related emissions in the U.S. come from our homes and the vehicles we drive. Its core argument is that swapping polluting appliances and cars for electric versions can meaningfully and quickly bring down emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t understand how much power they have in the climate crisis to cut down on the amount of carbon that they as individuals are creating with their cars, their stoves, their heaters,” Fraser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fraser and her husband, Peter Eckart, faced an obstacle: they are renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Copper induction stove in the kitchen of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart’s Haight-Ashbury apartment in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Renters comprise \u003ca href=\"https://census.bayareametro.gov/households?location=bay_area&year=2020\">46% of Bay Area households\u003c/a>, according to the 2020 Census. For homeowners, changing out gas water heaters, HVAC systems, stoves and cars is doable, albeit expensive. Owners have the decision power to rewire homes and upgrade electric panels, while renters cannot make such large and permanent changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent innovations, however, are giving renters the power to substantially cut the pollution from their day-to-day routines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After learning more about what’s called “electrification,” Fraser and her husband Peter Eckart looked around their Haight-Ashbury apartment, where Fraser’s lived for more than 40 years, with fresh eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001149\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Gradient plug-in heat pump window unit sits in a bedroom office space in the home of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They guessed the heating unit in front of the old living room fireplace was from the 1960s, and leaked gas, a hazard to both health and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser tested this by turning off the gas, disconnecting the pipe from the appliance and placing a balloon tightly around it. The balloon inflated, confirming their suspicions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their six-burner Wolf gas stove emitted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">gas when it was off, too\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peter Eckart lifts an ornate rug to show the Woo Warmer layer installed between the rug pad and the rug in his San Francisco home on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>First, the couple swapped out their heating and cooling. They installed a portable heat pump in a window, which plugged right into the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unit was free as Fraser and Eckart were beta testers. They also put a $200 “hot carpet” — basically an electric blanket — beneath a living room rug to create radiant heating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For cooking, the couple splurged and installed a high-end induction stove for around $7,000. It plugs into a standard wall outlet. Fraser and Eckart chose this stove over a portable induction cooktop because they never plan to move out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001185\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001185\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bumper sticker reading “This is my last gas car” is displayed on a vehicle owned by Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001189\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laura Fraser enters the garage of near her Haight-Ashbury apartment building in San Francisco on May 18, 2026, where the household stores bicycles and other forms of transportation. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To get around town, Fraser and Eckart take public transit and ride e-bikes. “We’ve had them for about five years and love them,” Fraser said. “I always say the best car for San Francisco is an e-bike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For longer trips, the couple hops into Fraser’s gas-powered 2005 Mini-Cooper, which sports a bumper sticker that reads, “This is my last gas car.” They’re not sure how they’ll charge an electric vehicle, as there is no outlet in the garage they rent across the street from their apartment, but that’s a challenge they’ll take on in time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Collectively, if we can make the switch to electricity, we will address the climate problem,” Fraser said. “That feels very empowering to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Everything but the water heater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg live in a two-bedroom Mission apartment with their 5- and 1-year-old children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They switched nearly all of their gas-powered appliances to electric ones, except the water heater, which would require a substantial modification to the apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are both motivated by climate change and work in clean energy and technology. But said they made these changes after reading about the \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/12/gas-propane-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide-exposure-health-risks-switching-electric\">harmful health\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/12/pgaf341/8361964?login=false\">effects\u003c/a> from burning gas indoors, particularly for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An air quality sensor at Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before switching appliances, they bought a $300 air quality \u003ca href=\"https://www.airthings.com/view-plus\">monitor\u003c/a>, which showed a spike in fine particulate matter and carbon dioxide when they used their gas wall furnace and stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Fraser and Eckart, they now use a window heat pump. But instead of replacing their gas stove, they’ve simply placed a $170, two-burner induction cooktop on its surface. They bake and roast food with a $130 small electric toaster oven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many clothes dryers are powered by gas, theirs is nonexistent: They line dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Karina van Schaardenburg hangs laundry to dry alongside her son Isaac at their home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It took a little bit of getting used to,” van Schaardenburg said. They check the weather before hanging their wash. Their previous apartment had no washer and dryer at all, so “this actually just felt like an upgrade,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple has one e-bike and one Prius, which they use for kid drop-offs, grocery runs or other outings. They detach and charge their e-bike battery in their apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While most California apartments have 40-100 amps of power available, Wexler and van Schaardenburg made all these changes on just 35 amps and two electrical circuits. Their setup works well, but with one limit: no microwaving while the induction burners are on high or a fuse blows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Window inserts to keep the home warm in Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s flat in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The couple also spent $1,500 to add customized, removable plexiglass to the front windows. The double panes block street noise and drafts from blowing in their 1899 Victorian apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although electricity is more expensive than gas in California, the couple spends slightly less on monthly utilities because they have been able to retire the inefficient space heaters they used to supplement their gas heating. They feel their investments have increased their comfort and keep their indoor air clean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, “everything that we have changed is completely reversible,” Wexler said. “When we move out, the apartment will be just as it was when we moved in.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Writer Laura Fraser was interested in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">climate change\u003c/a> but felt a sense of powerlessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the face of this enormous existential problem, what does recycling and riding a bicycle amount to?” Fraser said, sitting in her San Francisco apartment. “It just felt like nothing, just a drop in the ocean.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, a few years ago, she was hired to edit a book called \u003cem>Electrify\u003c/em>, by Saul Griffith. Working through it, she changed her perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The book points out that 42% of energy-related emissions in the U.S. come from our homes and the vehicles we drive. Its core argument is that swapping polluting appliances and cars for electric versions can meaningfully and quickly bring down emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t understand how much power they have in the climate crisis to cut down on the amount of carbon that they as individuals are creating with their cars, their stoves, their heaters,” Fraser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fraser and her husband, Peter Eckart, faced an obstacle: they are renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Copper induction stove in the kitchen of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart’s Haight-Ashbury apartment in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Renters comprise \u003ca href=\"https://census.bayareametro.gov/households?location=bay_area&year=2020\">46% of Bay Area households\u003c/a>, according to the 2020 Census. For homeowners, changing out gas water heaters, HVAC systems, stoves and cars is doable, albeit expensive. Owners have the decision power to rewire homes and upgrade electric panels, while renters cannot make such large and permanent changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent innovations, however, are giving renters the power to substantially cut the pollution from their day-to-day routines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After learning more about what’s called “electrification,” Fraser and her husband Peter Eckart looked around their Haight-Ashbury apartment, where Fraser’s lived for more than 40 years, with fresh eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001149\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Gradient plug-in heat pump window unit sits in a bedroom office space in the home of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They guessed the heating unit in front of the old living room fireplace was from the 1960s, and leaked gas, a hazard to both health and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser tested this by turning off the gas, disconnecting the pipe from the appliance and placing a balloon tightly around it. The balloon inflated, confirming their suspicions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their six-burner Wolf gas stove emitted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">gas when it was off, too\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peter Eckart lifts an ornate rug to show the Woo Warmer layer installed between the rug pad and the rug in his San Francisco home on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>First, the couple swapped out their heating and cooling. They installed a portable heat pump in a window, which plugged right into the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unit was free as Fraser and Eckart were beta testers. They also put a $200 “hot carpet” — basically an electric blanket — beneath a living room rug to create radiant heating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For cooking, the couple splurged and installed a high-end induction stove for around $7,000. It plugs into a standard wall outlet. Fraser and Eckart chose this stove over a portable induction cooktop because they never plan to move out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001185\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001185\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bumper sticker reading “This is my last gas car” is displayed on a vehicle owned by Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001189\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laura Fraser enters the garage of near her Haight-Ashbury apartment building in San Francisco on May 18, 2026, where the household stores bicycles and other forms of transportation. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To get around town, Fraser and Eckart take public transit and ride e-bikes. “We’ve had them for about five years and love them,” Fraser said. “I always say the best car for San Francisco is an e-bike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For longer trips, the couple hops into Fraser’s gas-powered 2005 Mini-Cooper, which sports a bumper sticker that reads, “This is my last gas car.” They’re not sure how they’ll charge an electric vehicle, as there is no outlet in the garage they rent across the street from their apartment, but that’s a challenge they’ll take on in time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Collectively, if we can make the switch to electricity, we will address the climate problem,” Fraser said. “That feels very empowering to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Everything but the water heater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg live in a two-bedroom Mission apartment with their 5- and 1-year-old children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They switched nearly all of their gas-powered appliances to electric ones, except the water heater, which would require a substantial modification to the apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are both motivated by climate change and work in clean energy and technology. But said they made these changes after reading about the \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/12/gas-propane-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide-exposure-health-risks-switching-electric\">harmful health\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/12/pgaf341/8361964?login=false\">effects\u003c/a> from burning gas indoors, particularly for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An air quality sensor at Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before switching appliances, they bought a $300 air quality \u003ca href=\"https://www.airthings.com/view-plus\">monitor\u003c/a>, which showed a spike in fine particulate matter and carbon dioxide when they used their gas wall furnace and stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Fraser and Eckart, they now use a window heat pump. But instead of replacing their gas stove, they’ve simply placed a $170, two-burner induction cooktop on its surface. They bake and roast food with a $130 small electric toaster oven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many clothes dryers are powered by gas, theirs is nonexistent: They line dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Karina van Schaardenburg hangs laundry to dry alongside her son Isaac at their home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It took a little bit of getting used to,” van Schaardenburg said. They check the weather before hanging their wash. Their previous apartment had no washer and dryer at all, so “this actually just felt like an upgrade,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple has one e-bike and one Prius, which they use for kid drop-offs, grocery runs or other outings. They detach and charge their e-bike battery in their apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While most California apartments have 40-100 amps of power available, Wexler and van Schaardenburg made all these changes on just 35 amps and two electrical circuits. Their setup works well, but with one limit: no microwaving while the induction burners are on high or a fuse blows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Window inserts to keep the home warm in Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s flat in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The couple also spent $1,500 to add customized, removable plexiglass to the front windows. The double panes block street noise and drafts from blowing in their 1899 Victorian apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although electricity is more expensive than gas in California, the couple spends slightly less on monthly utilities because they have been able to retire the inefficient space heaters they used to supplement their gas heating. They feel their investments have increased their comfort and keep their indoor air clean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, “everything that we have changed is completely reversible,” Wexler said. “When we move out, the apartment will be just as it was when we moved in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-francisco-celebrates-morning-after-pill-for-stis-other-countries-warn-of-antibiotic-resistance",
"title": "San Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tyler Toler has suffered through the trifecta of bacterial STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11869396/once-on-the-brink-of-eradication-syphilis-is-raging-again-in-san-francisco\"> syphilis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the corresponding itching, burning, and rash felt bad enough, the pain of treatment and the social fallout that often followed were worse. Toler dreaded the awkward conversation with his partners, admitting he may have exposed them to an infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people are like, ‘Yeah, cool, thank you for letting me know,’” Toler said. “And then there’s some people that think you’re the dirtiest person on the face of the planet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Toler heard there was a morning-after pill for STIs that could solve all these problems, he wanted in. Doxy PEP, or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, is an antibiotic taken within 72 hours of condomless sex to prevent bacterial infections. Toler hasn’t had an STI in the three years since he started taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can be as much of a promiscuous person as I possibly can and not have to worry about the ramifications as much,” he said with a wry smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-reports-significant-declines-in-sexually-transmitted-infections-in-2025\">syphilis rates dropped 24% last year\u003c/a>, chlamydia went down 18% and gonorrhea dipped 5%, leading local health officials to celebrate the success of Doxy PEP and their decision to distribute it broadly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001385\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bottle of doxycycline hyclate tablets, known as Doxy PEP, sits on the counter at Strut health clinic in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the same time, doctors around the globe caution that using antibiotics this way could contribute to antibiotic resistance, making it harder to treat a range of bacterial infections down the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tension between reducing STIs and stewarding antibiotics responsibly has led to a range of divergent policies around who should get Doxy PEP and when.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to be thoughtful about how we’re using it,” said\u003ca href=\"https://profiles.ucsf.edu/annie.luetkemeyer\"> Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer\u003c/a>, an infectious disease physician and researcher at UCSF. “Antibiotics are an incredible resource. We all worry about antimicrobial resistance.”[aside postID=news_12089597 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg']Gonorrhea has already built resistance to the class of antibiotics that include doxycycline, and research suggests that Doxy PEP is making it worse, Luetkemeyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She is now leading a five-city study, including Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Seattle and San Francisco, to examine whether Doxy PEP increases resistance in other bacteria, as well, including strep pneumoniae, which can cause lung infections like pneumonia, and staph aureus, which can cause skin infections. Earlier studies raised this concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In folks who took Doxy PEP, we saw an increase in doxy-resistant staph aureus,” she said. “The numbers were small, but there was a trend in that direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Developing Doxy PEP policy is a balancing act, weighing the benefits of reduced sexually transmitted infections against the risk of cultivating superbugs that are more difficult to treat. San Francisco officials chose to make Doxy PEP\u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-health-update-updated-recommendations-for-prescribing-doxy-pep\"> widely available\u003c/a> and recommended doctors offer it to anyone who might benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other countries have taken a more conservative approach. The\u003ca href=\"https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Doxycycline-prophylaxis-of-bacterial-STIs-in-the-EU-EEA.pdf\"> European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://ashm.org.au/initiatives/doxy-pep-statement/\"> Australasian Society for Sexual Health Medicine\u003c/a> recommended restricting the use of Doxy PEP for the prevention of syphilis only, with a focus on men who have sex with men who have a history of syphilis infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tyler Toler in Santa Rosa on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both groups decided against recommending it to prevent gonorrhea or chlamydia because they deemed the benefits did not outweigh the risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would argue that for gay men, there is no population-level benefit for getting chlamydia rates down,” said\u003ca href=\"https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/vincent-cornelisse\"> Dr. Vincent Cornelisse\u003c/a>, a sexual health physician and professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of syphilis can be dire: blindness, hearing loss, brain damage. Chlamydia, on the other hand, is more of a nuisance for men, Cornelisse said, uncomfortable, but not dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Australian committee decided prescribing Doxy PEP to prevent it was an excessive use of antibiotics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we need to be a bit tempered in recommending strategies to reduce chlamydia amongst gay men when the strategies themselves might have adverse outcomes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Strut clinic in the San Francisco Castro neighborhood, nearly half the prescriptions the pharmacy fills are for Doxy PEP. Clinicians offer it to everyone who comes into the clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001386\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Hyman Scott (left), medical director at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, speaks with office manager Cantwell Muckenfuss at Strut in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Medical director,\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfaf.org/collections/author/hyman-scott-md-mph/\"> Dr. Hyman Scott\u003c/a>, who also does research in the city’s public health department, is firm in his defense of a broad, open policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 2010s, San Francisco made serious missteps with\u003ca href=\"http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv-aids/hiv-aids-topics/hiv-prevention/3848-truvada-prep-demonstration-project-debuts-in-san-francisco\"> the rollout of PrEP\u003c/a>, pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV, Scott said, placing a lot of restrictions on who should get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guidelines were so confusing and the medication so hard to access, he added, only a quarter of people who actually needed it were taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of things now we’re trying to undo as a result of the way we did it originally,” Scott said. “We cannot make the same mistakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials learned that they have one shot to make a first impression, positive or negative, and that’s the message that will spread through the community, Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So they decided to make their message about Doxy PEP simple and straightforward: everyone is eligible, just talk to your doctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001389\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer, an infectious disease physician, sits in an exam room at Pride Hall on the campus of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The science about Doxy PEP moves freely on social media, and by word of mouth, so many San Franciscans who take it are aware of the risk for antimicrobial resistance, both for themselves and the broader population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was very conflicted about it when I started it,” Toler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when he talked to his older friends who lived through the AIDS epidemic, his feelings shifted. Gay activists fought hard for the research and innovation that made PreP and Doxy PEP possible, Toler said, and they want the younger generations to have the sex lives that they couldn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to take advantage of the science that we have right now,” he said, “for the people that weren’t able to take advantage of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Sexual freedom is booming in San Francisco with the city’s broad offering of Doxy PEP. But doctors worry this approach may risk making these drugs less effective in the future. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tyler Toler has suffered through the trifecta of bacterial STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11869396/once-on-the-brink-of-eradication-syphilis-is-raging-again-in-san-francisco\"> syphilis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the corresponding itching, burning, and rash felt bad enough, the pain of treatment and the social fallout that often followed were worse. Toler dreaded the awkward conversation with his partners, admitting he may have exposed them to an infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people are like, ‘Yeah, cool, thank you for letting me know,’” Toler said. “And then there’s some people that think you’re the dirtiest person on the face of the planet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Toler heard there was a morning-after pill for STIs that could solve all these problems, he wanted in. Doxy PEP, or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, is an antibiotic taken within 72 hours of condomless sex to prevent bacterial infections. Toler hasn’t had an STI in the three years since he started taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can be as much of a promiscuous person as I possibly can and not have to worry about the ramifications as much,” he said with a wry smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-reports-significant-declines-in-sexually-transmitted-infections-in-2025\">syphilis rates dropped 24% last year\u003c/a>, chlamydia went down 18% and gonorrhea dipped 5%, leading local health officials to celebrate the success of Doxy PEP and their decision to distribute it broadly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001385\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bottle of doxycycline hyclate tablets, known as Doxy PEP, sits on the counter at Strut health clinic in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the same time, doctors around the globe caution that using antibiotics this way could contribute to antibiotic resistance, making it harder to treat a range of bacterial infections down the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tension between reducing STIs and stewarding antibiotics responsibly has led to a range of divergent policies around who should get Doxy PEP and when.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to be thoughtful about how we’re using it,” said\u003ca href=\"https://profiles.ucsf.edu/annie.luetkemeyer\"> Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer\u003c/a>, an infectious disease physician and researcher at UCSF. “Antibiotics are an incredible resource. We all worry about antimicrobial resistance.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Gonorrhea has already built resistance to the class of antibiotics that include doxycycline, and research suggests that Doxy PEP is making it worse, Luetkemeyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She is now leading a five-city study, including Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Seattle and San Francisco, to examine whether Doxy PEP increases resistance in other bacteria, as well, including strep pneumoniae, which can cause lung infections like pneumonia, and staph aureus, which can cause skin infections. Earlier studies raised this concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In folks who took Doxy PEP, we saw an increase in doxy-resistant staph aureus,” she said. “The numbers were small, but there was a trend in that direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Developing Doxy PEP policy is a balancing act, weighing the benefits of reduced sexually transmitted infections against the risk of cultivating superbugs that are more difficult to treat. San Francisco officials chose to make Doxy PEP\u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-health-update-updated-recommendations-for-prescribing-doxy-pep\"> widely available\u003c/a> and recommended doctors offer it to anyone who might benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other countries have taken a more conservative approach. The\u003ca href=\"https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Doxycycline-prophylaxis-of-bacterial-STIs-in-the-EU-EEA.pdf\"> European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://ashm.org.au/initiatives/doxy-pep-statement/\"> Australasian Society for Sexual Health Medicine\u003c/a> recommended restricting the use of Doxy PEP for the prevention of syphilis only, with a focus on men who have sex with men who have a history of syphilis infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tyler Toler in Santa Rosa on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both groups decided against recommending it to prevent gonorrhea or chlamydia because they deemed the benefits did not outweigh the risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would argue that for gay men, there is no population-level benefit for getting chlamydia rates down,” said\u003ca href=\"https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/vincent-cornelisse\"> Dr. Vincent Cornelisse\u003c/a>, a sexual health physician and professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of syphilis can be dire: blindness, hearing loss, brain damage. Chlamydia, on the other hand, is more of a nuisance for men, Cornelisse said, uncomfortable, but not dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Australian committee decided prescribing Doxy PEP to prevent it was an excessive use of antibiotics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we need to be a bit tempered in recommending strategies to reduce chlamydia amongst gay men when the strategies themselves might have adverse outcomes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Strut clinic in the San Francisco Castro neighborhood, nearly half the prescriptions the pharmacy fills are for Doxy PEP. Clinicians offer it to everyone who comes into the clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001386\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Hyman Scott (left), medical director at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, speaks with office manager Cantwell Muckenfuss at Strut in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Medical director,\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfaf.org/collections/author/hyman-scott-md-mph/\"> Dr. Hyman Scott\u003c/a>, who also does research in the city’s public health department, is firm in his defense of a broad, open policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 2010s, San Francisco made serious missteps with\u003ca href=\"http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv-aids/hiv-aids-topics/hiv-prevention/3848-truvada-prep-demonstration-project-debuts-in-san-francisco\"> the rollout of PrEP\u003c/a>, pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV, Scott said, placing a lot of restrictions on who should get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guidelines were so confusing and the medication so hard to access, he added, only a quarter of people who actually needed it were taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of things now we’re trying to undo as a result of the way we did it originally,” Scott said. “We cannot make the same mistakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials learned that they have one shot to make a first impression, positive or negative, and that’s the message that will spread through the community, Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So they decided to make their message about Doxy PEP simple and straightforward: everyone is eligible, just talk to your doctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001389\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer, an infectious disease physician, sits in an exam room at Pride Hall on the campus of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The science about Doxy PEP moves freely on social media, and by word of mouth, so many San Franciscans who take it are aware of the risk for antimicrobial resistance, both for themselves and the broader population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was very conflicted about it when I started it,” Toler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when he talked to his older friends who lived through the AIDS epidemic, his feelings shifted. Gay activists fought hard for the research and innovation that made PreP and Doxy PEP possible, Toler said, and they want the younger generations to have the sex lives that they couldn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to take advantage of the science that we have right now,” he said, “for the people that weren’t able to take advantage of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mudskippers are actually fish, but they sure don’t act like it. They breathe using special gill chambers and absorb oxygen through their skin like amphibians. Scanning the lumpy mudscape with their periscope-like eyes, they fiercely guard their burrows and leap to impress potential mates. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Find out how these land-loving fish carved out a life between sea and shore — and why their strange lifestyle might \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">not\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> be so strange after all.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cdiv id=\"meta-origin\" data-coolorigin=\"https%3A%2F%2Fcloud.kqed.org%2Fapps%2Frichdocumentscode%2Fproxy.php%3Freq%3D%2Fcool%2Fclipboard%3FWOPISrc%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcloud.kqed.org%252Findex.php%252Fapps%252Frichdocuments%252Fwopi%252Ffiles%252F5707402_ocdd7q04clzt%26ServerId%3D89caa68f%26ViewId%3D4%26Tag%3D429b630bfc6e3845\">\n\u003cp align=\"left\">From the depths of time, a creature emerges, something fishy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">It’s the majestic mudskipper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">They might look like an evolutionary glitch – as if a fish pressed pause in the middle of evolving into something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But this is no mistake – the mudskipper is very well-suited for this lumpy mudscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">And it absolutely lives up to its name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">A type of amphibious fish, there are dozens of species of mudskippers hopping around the humid, intertidal mudflats in mangrove forests from West Africa to New Guinea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">And in North Queensland, Australia, we found a few of these beauties living side-by-side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Those puffy cheeks aren’t just for cuteness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Mudskippers don’t have lungs, they fill their gill chambers with water and a bubble of air – then seal them tightly. That air bubble keeps the water oxygenated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Like frogs and other amphibians, they also absorb oxygen through their skin – via cutaneous respiration – and through the lining in their mouths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">That’s how these fishy friends can spend about three-quarters of their lives out of water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But they do need to stay wet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">With each blink, the mudskipper submerges its periscope-like eyeballs in fluid-filled chambers to hydrate and wash off debris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Researchers think this may be a clue as to why and how blinking evolved in land animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">With their sharp little chompers, they snatch and slurp down just about anything that fits in their mouths: other fish, insects, worms, and even small crabs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">This mudskipper works hard to defend his mudpatch. It’s in a prime location with the very best mud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">He needs to stay vigilant to fend off jealous neighbors who’d love to take over the lease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Or eat them for lunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">When a predator shows up, they use their trademark skips to bounce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">You thought you knew what fins are for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">You. Have. No. Idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">There are lots of novel ways to use those fishy appendages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Those pelvic fins in the front act kind of like a kick-stand. Or a “fish stand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Male mudskippers do the work of building and maintaining cozy, safe burrows for the females to lay their eggs in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But first they need to get their attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Ooh la-la!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">This species – a bearded mudskipper – prefers to show off its acrobatic tail-stands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Plus these guys have an extra fancy back fin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">It says “back off” or “come hither,” depending on the context. Fighting or mating?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But these species – the barred mudskipper and the Takita’s mudskipper – get airborne.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">The higher, the better. These are fitness displays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">This guy will face off against competitor mudskippers by showing females just how strong and capable he is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Get it, skipper boy!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">If the male’s doing it right, she’ll pick his burrow, and deposit her eggs on the ceiling or walls inside the chamber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">The male then fertilizes the eggs. Over the next week, as they develop and hatch, he fiercely defends the burrow from poachers and other mudskippers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">He’s securing his legacy. The next generation of artful exhibitionists will inherit this muddy paradise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">The Magnificent Mudskipper is literally a fish out of water, but this fish is totally comfortable in his own slimy skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mudskippers are actually fish, but they sure don’t act like it. They breathe using special gill chambers and absorb oxygen through their skin like amphibians. Scanning the lumpy mudscape with their periscope-like eyes, they fiercely guard their burrows and leap to impress potential mates. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Find out how these land-loving fish carved out a life between sea and shore — and why their strange lifestyle might \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">not\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> be so strange after all.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cdiv id=\"meta-origin\" data-coolorigin=\"https%3A%2F%2Fcloud.kqed.org%2Fapps%2Frichdocumentscode%2Fproxy.php%3Freq%3D%2Fcool%2Fclipboard%3FWOPISrc%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcloud.kqed.org%252Findex.php%252Fapps%252Frichdocuments%252Fwopi%252Ffiles%252F5707402_ocdd7q04clzt%26ServerId%3D89caa68f%26ViewId%3D4%26Tag%3D429b630bfc6e3845\">\n\u003cp align=\"left\">From the depths of time, a creature emerges, something fishy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">It’s the majestic mudskipper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">They might look like an evolutionary glitch – as if a fish pressed pause in the middle of evolving into something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But this is no mistake – the mudskipper is very well-suited for this lumpy mudscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">And it absolutely lives up to its name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">A type of amphibious fish, there are dozens of species of mudskippers hopping around the humid, intertidal mudflats in mangrove forests from West Africa to New Guinea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">And in North Queensland, Australia, we found a few of these beauties living side-by-side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Those puffy cheeks aren’t just for cuteness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Mudskippers don’t have lungs, they fill their gill chambers with water and a bubble of air – then seal them tightly. That air bubble keeps the water oxygenated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Like frogs and other amphibians, they also absorb oxygen through their skin – via cutaneous respiration – and through the lining in their mouths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">That’s how these fishy friends can spend about three-quarters of their lives out of water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But they do need to stay wet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">With each blink, the mudskipper submerges its periscope-like eyeballs in fluid-filled chambers to hydrate and wash off debris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Researchers think this may be a clue as to why and how blinking evolved in land animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">With their sharp little chompers, they snatch and slurp down just about anything that fits in their mouths: other fish, insects, worms, and even small crabs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">This mudskipper works hard to defend his mudpatch. It’s in a prime location with the very best mud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">He needs to stay vigilant to fend off jealous neighbors who’d love to take over the lease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Or eat them for lunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">When a predator shows up, they use their trademark skips to bounce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">You thought you knew what fins are for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">You. Have. No. Idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">There are lots of novel ways to use those fishy appendages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Those pelvic fins in the front act kind of like a kick-stand. Or a “fish stand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Male mudskippers do the work of building and maintaining cozy, safe burrows for the females to lay their eggs in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But first they need to get their attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Ooh la-la!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">This species – a bearded mudskipper – prefers to show off its acrobatic tail-stands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Plus these guys have an extra fancy back fin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">It says “back off” or “come hither,” depending on the context. Fighting or mating?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">But these species – the barred mudskipper and the Takita’s mudskipper – get airborne.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">The higher, the better. These are fitness displays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">This guy will face off against competitor mudskippers by showing females just how strong and capable he is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">Get it, skipper boy!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">If the male’s doing it right, she’ll pick his burrow, and deposit her eggs on the ceiling or walls inside the chamber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">The male then fertilizes the eggs. Over the next week, as they develop and hatch, he fiercely defends the burrow from poachers and other mudskippers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">He’s securing his legacy. The next generation of artful exhibitionists will inherit this muddy paradise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp align=\"left\">The Magnificent Mudskipper is literally a fish out of water, but this fish is totally comfortable in his own slimy skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997603/a-corpse-flower-is-about-to-bloom-in-san-francisco-and-its-going-to-stink\">A rare plant\u003c/a> famous for smelling like decaying flesh is about to put on one of nature’s most unusual shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scarlet, the famous corpse flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, is expected to bloom any day now, unleashing one of nature’s strangest spectacles: a towering flower that smells like rotting flesh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Bay Area residents are eagerly awaiting it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These blooms are really short-lived,” said Brandi Eide, curator and conservation lead at the Gardens of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/golden-gate-park\">Golden Gate Park.\u003c/a> “They’re only typically open for about two days. So it’s pretty ephemeral.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That slim window is part of what makes a corpse flower bloom so momentous. The endangered plant, officially known as Amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum, can spend years quietly storing energy underground before suddenly erupting into a flowering event that lasts just between 24 and 48 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycUNj_Hv4_Y\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To attract carrion beetles and flesh flies, the plant releases chemicals that mimic a dead animal. The unsuspecting insects arrive expecting a meal and instead end up pollinating the flower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scent is so convincing that Eide said it evolves throughout the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Eide, it starts with “a little bit of a funk like onion, garlic,” before the stench begins to resemble a “hot garbage truck in the summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then it can change into pretty distinctly dead rodent,” Eide continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other observers have detected notes of stinky feet, spoiled food and sewage. Every bloom brings a different odor.[aside postID=news_12074947 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260221-SUNNYSIDECONSERVATORY00252_TV-KQED.jpg']“If you’ve never seen or smelled it, it’s really something not to be missed,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most years, the plant doesn’t flower at all. Instead, it produces a single giant leaf that can grow up to 15 feet tall, resembling a small tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every once in a while, instead of a leaf, we have a flowering event, which is what we’re witnessing today,” Eide said. “The whole process is always very exciting because it’s so unpredictable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The species is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is currently endangered due to habitat loss, particularly from the expansion of palm oil plantations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During peak bloom, the central stalk, known as the spadix, actually heats up to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit through a process called thermogenesis. That heat helps carry the stench farther into the surrounding environment, making it easier for pollinators to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The temperature fluctuation helps pump the stinky chemicals out into the forest to attract those pollinators from far away,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the final days before opening, the flower’s growth slows, the base swells and the deep burgundy spathe begins to unfurl from the central stalk. This week, staff have been closely monitoring those signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re actually sending pictures back and forth to each other as we speak,” Eide said. “We’re still on watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Corpse flowers are the largest and most “pungent inflorescence,” a term used to describe a cluster of flowers. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Destiny Padilla/Gardens of Golden Gate)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Once the bloom begins, visitors will only have a narrow window to catch it at its smelliest. The strongest odor usually arrives during the first evening and lingers into the next morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, the Conservatory has created a special “maximum stink hour” for members during the final hour of the first night’s extended opening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bloom is expected to draw large crowds. During previous corpse flower events, roughly 7,000 people visited over just a few days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone hoping to experience Scarlet’s stench should keep a close eye on the Conservatory’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/conservatoryofflowers/\">Instagram\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ConservatoryofFlowers/\">Facebook\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">website\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">livestream\u003c/a>. Once blooming is confirmed, the Conservatory will activate extended evening hours and release timed-entry tickets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997603/a-corpse-flower-is-about-to-bloom-in-san-francisco-and-its-going-to-stink\">A rare plant\u003c/a> famous for smelling like decaying flesh is about to put on one of nature’s most unusual shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scarlet, the famous corpse flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, is expected to bloom any day now, unleashing one of nature’s strangest spectacles: a towering flower that smells like rotting flesh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Bay Area residents are eagerly awaiting it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These blooms are really short-lived,” said Brandi Eide, curator and conservation lead at the Gardens of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/golden-gate-park\">Golden Gate Park.\u003c/a> “They’re only typically open for about two days. So it’s pretty ephemeral.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That slim window is part of what makes a corpse flower bloom so momentous. The endangered plant, officially known as Amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum, can spend years quietly storing energy underground before suddenly erupting into a flowering event that lasts just between 24 and 48 hours.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ycUNj_Hv4_Y'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ycUNj_Hv4_Y'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>To attract carrion beetles and flesh flies, the plant releases chemicals that mimic a dead animal. The unsuspecting insects arrive expecting a meal and instead end up pollinating the flower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scent is so convincing that Eide said it evolves throughout the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Eide, it starts with “a little bit of a funk like onion, garlic,” before the stench begins to resemble a “hot garbage truck in the summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then it can change into pretty distinctly dead rodent,” Eide continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other observers have detected notes of stinky feet, spoiled food and sewage. Every bloom brings a different odor.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“If you’ve never seen or smelled it, it’s really something not to be missed,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most years, the plant doesn’t flower at all. Instead, it produces a single giant leaf that can grow up to 15 feet tall, resembling a small tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every once in a while, instead of a leaf, we have a flowering event, which is what we’re witnessing today,” Eide said. “The whole process is always very exciting because it’s so unpredictable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The species is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is currently endangered due to habitat loss, particularly from the expansion of palm oil plantations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During peak bloom, the central stalk, known as the spadix, actually heats up to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit through a process called thermogenesis. That heat helps carry the stench farther into the surrounding environment, making it easier for pollinators to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The temperature fluctuation helps pump the stinky chemicals out into the forest to attract those pollinators from far away,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the final days before opening, the flower’s growth slows, the base swells and the deep burgundy spathe begins to unfurl from the central stalk. This week, staff have been closely monitoring those signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re actually sending pictures back and forth to each other as we speak,” Eide said. “We’re still on watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Corpse flowers are the largest and most “pungent inflorescence,” a term used to describe a cluster of flowers. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Destiny Padilla/Gardens of Golden Gate)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Once the bloom begins, visitors will only have a narrow window to catch it at its smelliest. The strongest odor usually arrives during the first evening and lingers into the next morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, the Conservatory has created a special “maximum stink hour” for members during the final hour of the first night’s extended opening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bloom is expected to draw large crowds. During previous corpse flower events, roughly 7,000 people visited over just a few days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone hoping to experience Scarlet’s stench should keep a close eye on the Conservatory’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/conservatoryofflowers/\">Instagram\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ConservatoryofFlowers/\">Facebook\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">website\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">livestream\u003c/a>. Once blooming is confirmed, the Conservatory will activate extended evening hours and release timed-entry tickets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"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.",
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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
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},
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"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
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},
"restaurantDataById": {},
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"userAgentReducer": {
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"isBot": true
},
"requestOutcomesReducer": {
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}
}
