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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Update 11:50 a.m. Tuesday\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nA major storm boosted by an atmospheric river remains on track to hit Northern California beginning early Wednesday morning and lasting through Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service’s Bay Area office has issued a flood watch for the region from 4 a.m. Wednesday through 4 a.m. Friday, as well as a wind advisory from 4 a.m. Wednesday until 4 a.m. Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountains are under a high wind warning during that same time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/1752310020627423738\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Weather Service also adjusted its forecast to reflect that the “likelihood of reaching flood stage at mainstem rivers across the North Bay has increased to a 30-50% chance at the Russian River at Guerneville, the Napa River at Saint Helena, and the Napa River at Napa.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also said that a “15-35% chance of reaching flood stage remains for the Russian River at Healdsburg in the North Bay and the San Lorenzo River at Big Trees in Santa Cruz County.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/1751951669846577417\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Original story continues: \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the main front of a storm will move through the Bay Area, bringing heavy rains, strong winds and possible flooding in the North Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The heaviest rain is expected between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday. Scattered showers will continue throughout the rest of the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service recently adjusted its forecast — and now predicts the storm system will move through the region slower than initially expected. The storm could drop between 4 and 6 inches on the coastal mountains on Wednesday and 2 and 4 elsewhere across the Bay. The city of San Francisco is expected to receive up to 3 inches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main stem of the Russian River at Guerneville has a 30% chance of rising above the minor flood stage between Thursday and Saturday. Some localized creeks and waterways, such as the Laguna de Santa Rosa at Stony Point Road in Cotati, may also rise above their banks. Other roadside flooding is likely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/1751951669846577417?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also looking at some slight potential for landslides due to how saturated the soils are,” said Rachel Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>High winds may bring down trees and electrical lines, causing power outages. Wind-blown debris may clutter roadways. The Weather Service forecasts peak gusts throughout the Bay Area at 30–40 miles per hour and isolated gusts up to 50 miles per hour on the coast and ridges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/CW3E_Scripps/status/1751008081486758049?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Sierra Nevada, the Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch between Wednesday morning and Friday morning. Snow may accumulate between 1 and 2 feet and up to 3 feet on mountain peaks. Winds may gust up to 50–60 miles per hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Travel might be difficult, as chains could be needed or roads closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Kevin Stark contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "New Fossils Suggest Kelp Forests Have Swayed in the Seas for at Least 32 Million Years",
"headTitle": "New Fossils Suggest Kelp Forests Have Swayed in the Seas for at Least 32 Million Years | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>The kelp forests that hug the Pacific coastline are an underwater jungle. They’re a thicket of colossal algae intermixed with a pageant of life that includes snails, urchins, sea lions, sea otters, and a host of seabirds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The current Pacific kelp forests are the base of very rich shallow marine ecosystems,” says \u003ca href=\"https://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/looy/\">Cindy Looy\u003c/a>, a paleobotanist at the University of California at Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A study published in \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2317054121\">\u003cem>PNAS\u003c/em>\u003c/a> presents new evidence that the first kelps were much older than we once suspected, dating back 32 million years — well before the arrival of many of their present-day animal inhabitants.[aside postID='science_1973217,science_1976045,science_1952335' label='Related coverage']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means that kelp was likely available as a food source for ancient marine mammals. And that the foundation of the ecosystem was already in place when kelp later evolved and grew dramatically in height, providing an even greater range of habitats to the ancestors of the animals we associate with them today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Looy gazes out at the Pacific Ocean from Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Monterey, California, she knows the kelp forest with all its attendant species pulsates just below the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just to think,” she says, “that we now added a little tiny piece of the puzzle of when [the kelps] started and how the ecosystem diversified — that makes me very proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A lucky find at the beach\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jim Goedert is a retired railroad signal inspector. He lives outside of Tacoma, Washington where, for years, he’s regularly driven up to the north side of the Olympic Peninsula to walk along the rocky shoreline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Gray whales and seals come in, and occasionally orcas,” he says. “There are kelp beds offshore.” At low tide, when large swaths of the beach become exposed, Goedert goes in search of fossils including hard, round masses called concretions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We would crack these open,” he says. “And sometimes there’s a crab or some other fossil in these rocks. But I would find these little squiggly veins or roots. I couldn’t really tell what they were.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, during a break on one of his beach walks, Goedert came across a mound that had washed ashore of kelp holdfasts — the root-like structures that fasten the towering algae to the seafloor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And I thought, ‘That’s what that thing is — kelp,'” he says. “It was just an aha moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Goedert packed up some of his best specimens, drove to the post office, and shipped them to Stockholm to a professional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He just kept sending me holdfasts,” recounts \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrm.se/english/researchandcollections/palaeobiology/staffandcontacts/steffenkiel.9003235.html\">Steffen Kiel\u003c/a>, a senior curator at the Swedish Museum of Natural History and a collaborator and friend of Goedert’s. Some of the fossils weren’t that impressive but “sometimes they were, like, wow,” he says. Still, “I just left it alone for a few years because, as usual, I had other things to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991214\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2288px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991214\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2288\" height=\"1626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2.jpg 2288w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-800x569.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-1020x725.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-768x546.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-1536x1092.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-2048x1455.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-1920x1364.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2288px) 100vw, 2288px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fossil showing kelp ‘holdfasts,’ the root-like structures that serve to tether the algae to the seafloor. \u003ccite>(Steffen Kiel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Asking a fossil how old it is\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Kelp fossils are exceedingly rare. “We all know things fossilize — big vertebrates, dinosaurs, things with bones and hard parts,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.ceridwenfraser.com/\">Ceridwyn Fraser\u003c/a>, a marine scientist at the University of Otago in New Zealand. “But kelp is a very squidgy organism.” Plus, says Kiel, “they quickly rot away because they are eaten up by microbes and various animals. Kelps are essential[ly] edible, nutritious soft tissue.” It all adds up to very little kelp making it into the fossil record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years ago, researchers used a single specimen from California to estimate that complex kelps emerged at least 13 or 14 million years ago. (Complex kelps differ from simple kelps in a few ways, including that they have distinct stems and leaves.) More recently, genetics helped push that date back to at least \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790319300892\">30 million years\u003c/a>. But there was no fossil evidence to back that number up, which made Kiel wonder whether the samples he’d received from Goedert might offer some insight. So eventually, he took a closer look, cutting into them and polishing their surfaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On one, a splotch of root-like tendrils appears to be draped across the rock. “That’s the holdfast,” Kiel says, pointing. “I have various specimens where they were sitting on a bivalve shell, on a clamshell or especially often on barnacles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He took one of those fossilized shells that the kelp had glued itself to and performed a chemical analysis involving strontium isotopes to determine its age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We then knew exactly, pretty much exactly, that these fossils were 32 million years old,” Kiel says. “No doubt about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This result confirms the earlier genetics work, but the fossils are stronger proof that complex kelp dates back to the early Oligocene, a time of dramatic global cooling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole world’s oceans got a hell [of a] lot colder right at that time,” Kiel says. “Kelp like it cold. So that was a perfect fit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why the earlier arrival of kelp matters\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The fact that complex kelp has been around for so long means a couple of things. First, it helps resolve a puzzle about an ancient vegetarian marine mammal related to today’s manatees called the desmostylian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were wondering what they were actually feeding on 30 million years ago,” Kiel says. “What kind of green fresh food would there be? And now, our kelp fossils show, yeah, hippo-sized desmostylians most likely were happily feeding on this kelp.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s logical, Looy says: “Kelps can grow incredibly fast, and those desmostylians are relatively big, and they have to eat a lot to stay alive.” Now that the researchers know that both kelp and desmostylians were alive at the same time, “we can more or less rewrite the history of the kelp ecosystems,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s the second insight: “This whole rich ecosystem that we know now must have gradually evolved,” Looy says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is, for millions of years, the kelp ecosystem was quite simple, with the kelps themselves being somewhat short, maybe a few feet tall. Then, around 14 million years ago, much taller kelps evolved, forming the underwater forests we know today. And that’s when a thriving hub of biodiversity slowly began to materialize in this new wealth of vertical habitat — “all these animals that characterize modern kelp ecosystems — full with all sorts of life,” says Kiel, from invertebrates to larger grazers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser, the marine scientist, says the findings are exciting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have been approached before by people who thought they had kelp fossils, and I wasn’t convinced,” says Fraser, who wasn’t involved in the study. “But what we’re looking at are very clearly kelp.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser studies kelp evolution and how its DNA mutates, something she anchors in time using the fossil record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And the annoying thing about kelp is there’s hardly anything known from the fossil record,” Fraser says. “So this will be a tool that I can use now to better understand how kelps are evolving and what’s happened through time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kiel says he’s delighted that, once again, fossils have taught him a familiar yet fundamental lesson about our world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To him, they’re an archive of life throughout Earth’s history — an archive that sometimes washes ashore where all you have to do is look for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=New+fossils+suggest+kelp+forests+have+swayed+in+the+seas+for+at+least+32+million+years&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A new study of kelp forests from the coast of Washington state show that kelp forests, which host all manner of marine life, developed tens of millions of years ago. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The kelp forests that hug the Pacific coastline are an underwater jungle. They’re a thicket of colossal algae intermixed with a pageant of life that includes snails, urchins, sea lions, sea otters, and a host of seabirds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The current Pacific kelp forests are the base of very rich shallow marine ecosystems,” says \u003ca href=\"https://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/looy/\">Cindy Looy\u003c/a>, a paleobotanist at the University of California at Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A study published in \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2317054121\">\u003cem>PNAS\u003c/em>\u003c/a> presents new evidence that the first kelps were much older than we once suspected, dating back 32 million years — well before the arrival of many of their present-day animal inhabitants.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means that kelp was likely available as a food source for ancient marine mammals. And that the foundation of the ecosystem was already in place when kelp later evolved and grew dramatically in height, providing an even greater range of habitats to the ancestors of the animals we associate with them today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Looy gazes out at the Pacific Ocean from Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Monterey, California, she knows the kelp forest with all its attendant species pulsates just below the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just to think,” she says, “that we now added a little tiny piece of the puzzle of when [the kelps] started and how the ecosystem diversified — that makes me very proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A lucky find at the beach\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jim Goedert is a retired railroad signal inspector. He lives outside of Tacoma, Washington where, for years, he’s regularly driven up to the north side of the Olympic Peninsula to walk along the rocky shoreline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Gray whales and seals come in, and occasionally orcas,” he says. “There are kelp beds offshore.” At low tide, when large swaths of the beach become exposed, Goedert goes in search of fossils including hard, round masses called concretions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We would crack these open,” he says. “And sometimes there’s a crab or some other fossil in these rocks. But I would find these little squiggly veins or roots. I couldn’t really tell what they were.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, during a break on one of his beach walks, Goedert came across a mound that had washed ashore of kelp holdfasts — the root-like structures that fasten the towering algae to the seafloor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And I thought, ‘That’s what that thing is — kelp,'” he says. “It was just an aha moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Goedert packed up some of his best specimens, drove to the post office, and shipped them to Stockholm to a professional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He just kept sending me holdfasts,” recounts \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrm.se/english/researchandcollections/palaeobiology/staffandcontacts/steffenkiel.9003235.html\">Steffen Kiel\u003c/a>, a senior curator at the Swedish Museum of Natural History and a collaborator and friend of Goedert’s. Some of the fossils weren’t that impressive but “sometimes they were, like, wow,” he says. Still, “I just left it alone for a few years because, as usual, I had other things to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991214\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2288px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991214\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2288\" height=\"1626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2.jpg 2288w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-800x569.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-1020x725.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-768x546.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-1536x1092.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-2048x1455.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/s169277_fossil_kelp_holdfast_custom-de5c315f6055f703f989b0c2da4d52bba05252a2-1920x1364.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2288px) 100vw, 2288px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fossil showing kelp ‘holdfasts,’ the root-like structures that serve to tether the algae to the seafloor. \u003ccite>(Steffen Kiel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Asking a fossil how old it is\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Kelp fossils are exceedingly rare. “We all know things fossilize — big vertebrates, dinosaurs, things with bones and hard parts,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.ceridwenfraser.com/\">Ceridwyn Fraser\u003c/a>, a marine scientist at the University of Otago in New Zealand. “But kelp is a very squidgy organism.” Plus, says Kiel, “they quickly rot away because they are eaten up by microbes and various animals. Kelps are essential[ly] edible, nutritious soft tissue.” It all adds up to very little kelp making it into the fossil record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years ago, researchers used a single specimen from California to estimate that complex kelps emerged at least 13 or 14 million years ago. (Complex kelps differ from simple kelps in a few ways, including that they have distinct stems and leaves.) More recently, genetics helped push that date back to at least \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790319300892\">30 million years\u003c/a>. But there was no fossil evidence to back that number up, which made Kiel wonder whether the samples he’d received from Goedert might offer some insight. So eventually, he took a closer look, cutting into them and polishing their surfaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On one, a splotch of root-like tendrils appears to be draped across the rock. “That’s the holdfast,” Kiel says, pointing. “I have various specimens where they were sitting on a bivalve shell, on a clamshell or especially often on barnacles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He took one of those fossilized shells that the kelp had glued itself to and performed a chemical analysis involving strontium isotopes to determine its age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We then knew exactly, pretty much exactly, that these fossils were 32 million years old,” Kiel says. “No doubt about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This result confirms the earlier genetics work, but the fossils are stronger proof that complex kelp dates back to the early Oligocene, a time of dramatic global cooling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole world’s oceans got a hell [of a] lot colder right at that time,” Kiel says. “Kelp like it cold. So that was a perfect fit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why the earlier arrival of kelp matters\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The fact that complex kelp has been around for so long means a couple of things. First, it helps resolve a puzzle about an ancient vegetarian marine mammal related to today’s manatees called the desmostylian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were wondering what they were actually feeding on 30 million years ago,” Kiel says. “What kind of green fresh food would there be? And now, our kelp fossils show, yeah, hippo-sized desmostylians most likely were happily feeding on this kelp.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s logical, Looy says: “Kelps can grow incredibly fast, and those desmostylians are relatively big, and they have to eat a lot to stay alive.” Now that the researchers know that both kelp and desmostylians were alive at the same time, “we can more or less rewrite the history of the kelp ecosystems,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s the second insight: “This whole rich ecosystem that we know now must have gradually evolved,” Looy says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is, for millions of years, the kelp ecosystem was quite simple, with the kelps themselves being somewhat short, maybe a few feet tall. Then, around 14 million years ago, much taller kelps evolved, forming the underwater forests we know today. And that’s when a thriving hub of biodiversity slowly began to materialize in this new wealth of vertical habitat — “all these animals that characterize modern kelp ecosystems — full with all sorts of life,” says Kiel, from invertebrates to larger grazers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser, the marine scientist, says the findings are exciting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have been approached before by people who thought they had kelp fossils, and I wasn’t convinced,” says Fraser, who wasn’t involved in the study. “But what we’re looking at are very clearly kelp.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser studies kelp evolution and how its DNA mutates, something she anchors in time using the fossil record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And the annoying thing about kelp is there’s hardly anything known from the fossil record,” Fraser says. “So this will be a tool that I can use now to better understand how kelps are evolving and what’s happened through time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kiel says he’s delighted that, once again, fossils have taught him a familiar yet fundamental lesson about our world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To him, they’re an archive of life throughout Earth’s history — an archive that sometimes washes ashore where all you have to do is look for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=New+fossils+suggest+kelp+forests+have+swayed+in+the+seas+for+at+least+32+million+years&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Should I Buy an Electric Vehicle in California? All Your Questions Answered",
"headTitle": "Should I Buy an Electric Vehicle in California? All Your Questions Answered | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Over the past few years, the KQED garage has become increasingly populated by electric vehicles. And the conversation at our shared office kitchens is turning to them too: how do they compare to cars that run on gas, when is the right time to buy, and what are the ever-changing incentives?\u003cbr>\n[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Albert Gore, executive director of the national advocacy group Zero Emission Transportation Association\"]‘We’re really just beginning to fully realize the impact of the last several years of policymaking and economic activity.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/zero-emission-vehicle-and-infrastructure-statistics/new-zev-sales\">More than a quarter\u003c/a> of the state’s new vehicle sales were electric at the end of last year, according to the state’s energy commission. Getting into the EV game is becoming more and more mainstream. But lots of questions remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So here we’re bringing you answers to the practical queries about incentives and timing and to the bigger picture ones about how much of an impact swapping a gas car for an electric one can have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#rebates\">\u003cstrong>What rebates apply to me and the car I want?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#now\">\u003cstrong>Is now a good time to buy an EV, or should I wait a year or two?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#newused\">\u003cstrong>Should I buy new or used?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#leasebuy\">\u003cstrong>Should I lease or buy?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#charging\">\u003cstrong>How do I charge the car if I park on the street?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#greenest\">\u003cstrong>What is the greenest kind of car?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#traditional\">\u003cstrong>So, is an EV truly greener than a traditional vehicle?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#emissions\">\u003cstrong>From an emissions standpoint, is it better to drive my current gas car into the ground before going electric?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#difference\">\u003cstrong>Does my switching to an EV really make a difference in tackling climate change?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"rebates\">\u003c/a>What rebates apply to me and the car I want?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As a first stop, check out the California Air Resources Board’s \u003ca href=\"https://driveclean.ca.gov/search-incentives\">website\u003c/a>, searchable by zip code.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the \u003cstrong>federal incentives\u003c/strong>:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax2023.shtml\">If you buy new:\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You get up to $7,500 off \u003cem>at checkout\u003c/em> (this instant rebate is new – before you had to claim the tax credit the following year) if:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) (line 11 of your \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040\">Form 1040\u003c/a>) from the year you buy or the year prior is less than:\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$300,000 for married couples filing jointly\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$225,000 for heads of households\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$150,000 for all other filers\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>2. The manufacturer’s retail price (MSRP) is less than:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$80,000 for vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$55,000 for other vehicles\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>3. Final assembly of the vehicle is in North America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>4. A certain percentage of the battery is sourced from the U.S. or a trade partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxused.shtml\">If you buy used\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You get 30% off (up to $4000) at checkout if:\u003cbr>\n1. You buy from a dealer\u003cbr>\n2. You have a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) (line 11 of your \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040\">Form 1040\u003c/a>) less than:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$150,000 for married couples filing jointly\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$112,500 for heads of households\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$75,000 for all other filers\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>3. The car costs $25,000 or less.\u003cbr>\n4. The car is two years older than the year when you buy it (e.g., the car has to be 2022 or earlier if you buy in 2024)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some states have their own incentive programs. California doesn’t right now, as it \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/californias-clean-vehicle-rebate-program-will-transition-helping-low-income-residents\">transitions its program\u003c/a> to focus on low-income residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To find local incentives, check out what your air pollution district and energy utility provider may offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air Quality Management District \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/clean-cars-4-all#:~:text=Clean%20Cars%204%20All%20provides,with%20newer%20and%20cleaner%20transportation.\">runs a program\u003c/a> for people with lower incomes to replace highly polluting vehicles with newer ones or rebates for e-bikes or public transit. There is some funding for home car chargers as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"now\">\u003c/a>Is now a good time to buy an EV, or should I wait a year or two?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>From a cost perspective, yes, it is a good time to buy. Federal and state incentives are bringing certain EVs on par with the cost of gas vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are other factors to consider, like:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Do you drive a lot?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>If yes, then buying an EV could save money. You won’t need to pay for gas, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/true-cost-of-ev\">EVs require less maintenance\u003c/a> than traditional gas engines.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Changes to federal tax credits\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Federal tax credits have changed for the better. You can use them right at checkout instead of waiting for tax season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal tax credits have also changed for the worse. The list of vehicles that qualify for these tax credits has shrunk due to increasing requirements that components come from America or a trade partner. But that list of cars will grow as manufacturers overhaul their production and supply chains.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Do you want a car charger that can work with Tesla’s more built-out and reliable charging network?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Many automakers are standardizing their charging system to the one developed by Tesla. If you’d like that charging system to be native to your vehicle (you could alternatively use an adapter), wait a year or so for 2025 models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pcmag.com/news/electric-vehicles-that-can-charge-at-tesla-superchargers\">Some companies\u003c/a> have inked a deal where their drivers can also charge at Tesla superchargers beginning this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"newused\">\u003c/a>Should I buy new or used?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Both are good options.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Pros for buying used\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Buying used will be cheaper, and even more so if you qualify for federal incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From an emissions standpoint, a used EV is always better, said Scott Moura, UC Berkeley engineering associate professor. “You’re extending its life,” and stretching the greenhouse gas emissions that went into building the car.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Pros for buying new\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Over time, batteries degrade, and mileage doesn’t tell the whole story of battery health. It matters how the battery has been charged (repeated charging at fast chargers degrades batteries faster than charging in a garage) and what kind of physical climate it’s been in. Batteries last longer in temperate versus extreme climates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compare the original range of the vehicle to its range when fully charged by the dealer. Give it a test drive and note how quickly the range declines to get a sense of what shape the battery is in.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"leasebuy\">\u003c/a>Should I lease or buy?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Here again are two good options, depending on what’s right for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, keep this in mind:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you buy, you \u003cem>may\u003c/em> qualify for federal incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you lease, you are more likely to. Leasing can unlock federal incentives if you, or the car you want, don’t qualify for credits if you were to buy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because \u003cem>companies\u003c/em> that buy EVs don’t have the same stringent production and materials requirements in order to access incentives as \u003cem>individuals\u003c/em>. That includes companies that lease cars. And many of those leasing companies will pass the federal incentive savings on to you (although they are not required to).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re worried buying will leave you with a rapidly outdated vehicle, one thing to consider is that most EVs have “over-the-air” updates. That means the software systems will periodically upgrade, and voila, you’ll have new features in your car a few hours later.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"charging\">\u003c/a>How do I charge the car if I park on the street?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not easily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“First of all, let’s recognize that’s difficult. Let’s not ignore it,” UC Berkeley’s Moura said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Options include where you work (only available to some), public and fast charging stations, though the latter could get expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to find ways where we can install a lot of charging points in apartment buildings and multi-unit dwellings without having to upgrade the electrical infrastructure,” Moura said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inês Azevedo, associate professor in energy science and engineering at Stanford University, said policy intervention is needed to build out charging and bolster rebates in low-income communities. EVs are within reach for people in middle and income brackets, but they are far harder to access for people who are low-income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some communities are getting creative with their charging ideas, piloting building public chargers \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/research/pole-mounted-electric-vehicle-charging-preliminary-guidance\">from utility poles and streetlights\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"greenest\">\u003c/a>What is the greenest kind of car?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No car!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most effective individual actions you can take to bring down your personal greenhouse gas emissions \u003ca href=\"https://www.kimnicholas.com/responding-to-climate-change.html\">is to ditch your car\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The best way to get around in terms of emissions and also probably for your pocketbook is to bike, walk or use public transit,” said David Reichmuth, a senior engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Reichmuth also \u003ca href=\"https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/electric-bikes-a-less-polluting-option-for-commutes-and-errands-in-the-new-normal/\">recommends considering an e-bike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Figure out a carpool, Moura said, or even better, take the bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kneedeeptimes.org/stoked-for-car-lite-bike-safe-living/\">a story of one couple who totaled their car and chose not to replace it\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"traditional\">\u003c/a>Is an EV truly greener than a gas vehicle?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In California and most of the U.S., yes (except \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-51697-1\">some rural counties in the Midwest and South\u003c/a>, where hybrids had fewer emissions than EVs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every time you fire up a car that uses gas, you are burning fossil fuels. EVs have zero tailpipe emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s true that manufacturing an EV can create more pollution than making a car with an internal combustion engine (due to the energy required to manufacture the battery). But “over the lifetime of the vehicle, total GHG emissions associated with manufacturing, charging, and driving an EV are \u003ca href=\"https://theicct.org/publication/a-global-comparison-of-the-life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-emissions-of-combustion-engine-and-electric-passenger-cars/\">typically lower than the total GHGs associated with a gasoline car,\u003c/a>” according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths\">federal Environmental Protection Agency\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On average, it takes \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/driving-cleaner-report.pdf\">1-2 years of driving an EV\u003c/a> for an electric vehicle to “repay its carbon debt,” that is, for the emissions that went into making it to match those saved from driving it. And it takes less time if a very green grid powers that EV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s grid currently consists of 60% carbon-free electricity. The state’s goal is to have 100% clean electricity by 2045.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991200\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1991200\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06%E2%80%AFPM-800x447.png\" alt=\"A graphic showing estimates for battery length. \" width=\"800\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-800x447.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-1020x570.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-160x89.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-768x429.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-1536x858.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-1920x1072.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM.png 2016w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Estimates represent model year 2020. Emissions will vary based on assumptions about the specific vehicles being compared, EV battery size and chemistry, vehicle lifetimes, and the electricity grid used to recharge the EV, among other factors. \u003ccite>(U.S. EPA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An EV is also way better for community health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combusting the gas that powers an internal combustion engine releases air pollution like fine particulate matter called PM 2.5, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, among others. [aside tag=\"ev, electric-vehicles\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]Those pollutants can worsen asthma and increase the risk of heart attack, among other health complications. Adopting an EV sooner will bring these health benefits to your community sooner. Note: these air quality benefits are rolling out unequally, as \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/03/california-electric-cars-demographics/\">there are more EVs in higher-income communities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"emissions\">\u003c/a>From an emissions standpoint, is it better to drive my current gas car into the ground before going electric?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>C\u003ca href=\"https://wecanfixit.substack.com/p/the-only-time-buying-new-is-better\">limate scientist Kimberly Nicholas said no\u003c/a>. She writes, “When something burns fossil fuels every time you use it, scrap the old one and get a low-carbon new one as soon as you can afford it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Especially if you’re logging a lot of miles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Azevedo said that older vehicles also tend to be “much more highly emitting” than new ones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exception is if you don’t drive very much. Then go ahead and keep that older car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Generally, I think it makes sense to hold on to the product that you have as long as you can,” Moura said. For one, it could reduce the number of new vehicles you purchase in your lifetime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also noted that the U.S. is building out its own EV supply and manufacturing chains and bolstering sustainability practices as it does so. Waiting may mean you’ll have a car made more sustainably and locally, requiring less shipping.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"difference\">\u003c/a>Does my switching to an EV really make a difference in tackling climate change?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you were the only one who did? No.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But since you won’t be, yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-graphs\">Roughly 27%\u003c/a> of California’s emissions come from passenger vehicles, according to the California Air Resources Board. Your one car won’t significantly move the needle, but en masse, an army of electric vehicles will reduce emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that army is coming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991186\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1991186\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic showing how EV sales in California have grown.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In Q3 of 2023, from July through September, 26.7% of new cars sold in California were zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California mandates that all new cars sold by 2035 be hybrid or electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, emissions from the state’s transportation sector have been decreasing. “It definitely is having an effect in aggregate, no doubt about it,” Moura said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the single most important sector that we need to tackle right now,” Stanford’s Azevedo said. For one thing, the technologies are ready to go: the cars are “nearly perfect substitutes” for those powered by gas, Azevedo said. Costs are declining; sales are increasing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Albert Gore, son of the former Vice President and executive director of the national advocacy group Zero Emission Transportation Association, said this is just the start. “We’re really just beginning to fully realize the impact of the last several years of policymaking and economic activity. There are investments that have been made in huge waves across the country that are going to transform the manufacturing economy in the United States for decades to come,” Gore said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991187\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1991187\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21%E2%80%AFAM-800x616.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"616\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-800x616.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-1020x786.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-160x123.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-768x592.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM.png 1384w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This figure shows the transformation of California’s light-duty fleet, with significant strides being made in fuel efficiency improvements and zero-emission vehicle adoption. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Air Resources Board, December 14, 2023.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To learn more about the costs and emissions of a specific EV, combined with the specific energy mix of the grid in your state, you can check out \u003ca href=\"https://evtool.ucsusa.org/\">this tool by the Union of Concerned Scientists\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.carboncounter.com/#!/explore\">this tool created by folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u003c/a> (fun tip: if you’re a Californian, click on “customize,” then “CA” and then the other states to see how different energy mixes influence vehicle emissions). \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8t6qd-ss-pTvi0bqVzYGog\">This podcast\u003c/a> can answer some of your more specific questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also decrease emissions based on \u003cem>when\u003c/em> you charge. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://energy.stanford.edu/news/charging-cars-needs-move-nighttime-home-daytime-work-stanford-study-finds\">charging an EV in the middle of the day\u003c/a> when solar production is peaking results in a lower carbon footprint than charging in the evening. Presently, California’s electricity rates don’t align with this, and EV owners are incentivized to charge their vehicles at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "More than a quarter of the cars sold in California last quarter were EVs. Here’s everything you need to know about buying an EV in the Bay Area in 2024.",
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"description": "More than a quarter of the cars sold in California last quarter were EVs. Here’s everything you need to know about buying an EV in the Bay Area in 2024.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Over the past few years, the KQED garage has become increasingly populated by electric vehicles. And the conversation at our shared office kitchens is turning to them too: how do they compare to cars that run on gas, when is the right time to buy, and what are the ever-changing incentives?\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘We’re really just beginning to fully realize the impact of the last several years of policymaking and economic activity.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/zero-emission-vehicle-and-infrastructure-statistics/new-zev-sales\">More than a quarter\u003c/a> of the state’s new vehicle sales were electric at the end of last year, according to the state’s energy commission. Getting into the EV game is becoming more and more mainstream. But lots of questions remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So here we’re bringing you answers to the practical queries about incentives and timing and to the bigger picture ones about how much of an impact swapping a gas car for an electric one can have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#rebates\">\u003cstrong>What rebates apply to me and the car I want?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#now\">\u003cstrong>Is now a good time to buy an EV, or should I wait a year or two?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#newused\">\u003cstrong>Should I buy new or used?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#leasebuy\">\u003cstrong>Should I lease or buy?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#charging\">\u003cstrong>How do I charge the car if I park on the street?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#greenest\">\u003cstrong>What is the greenest kind of car?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#traditional\">\u003cstrong>So, is an EV truly greener than a traditional vehicle?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#emissions\">\u003cstrong>From an emissions standpoint, is it better to drive my current gas car into the ground before going electric?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#difference\">\u003cstrong>Does my switching to an EV really make a difference in tackling climate change?\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"rebates\">\u003c/a>What rebates apply to me and the car I want?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As a first stop, check out the California Air Resources Board’s \u003ca href=\"https://driveclean.ca.gov/search-incentives\">website\u003c/a>, searchable by zip code.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the \u003cstrong>federal incentives\u003c/strong>:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax2023.shtml\">If you buy new:\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You get up to $7,500 off \u003cem>at checkout\u003c/em> (this instant rebate is new – before you had to claim the tax credit the following year) if:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) (line 11 of your \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040\">Form 1040\u003c/a>) from the year you buy or the year prior is less than:\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$300,000 for married couples filing jointly\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$225,000 for heads of households\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$150,000 for all other filers\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>2. The manufacturer’s retail price (MSRP) is less than:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$80,000 for vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$55,000 for other vehicles\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>3. Final assembly of the vehicle is in North America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>4. A certain percentage of the battery is sourced from the U.S. or a trade partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxused.shtml\">If you buy used\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You get 30% off (up to $4000) at checkout if:\u003cbr>\n1. You buy from a dealer\u003cbr>\n2. You have a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) (line 11 of your \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040\">Form 1040\u003c/a>) less than:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>$150,000 for married couples filing jointly\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$112,500 for heads of households\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$75,000 for all other filers\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>3. The car costs $25,000 or less.\u003cbr>\n4. The car is two years older than the year when you buy it (e.g., the car has to be 2022 or earlier if you buy in 2024)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some states have their own incentive programs. California doesn’t right now, as it \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/californias-clean-vehicle-rebate-program-will-transition-helping-low-income-residents\">transitions its program\u003c/a> to focus on low-income residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To find local incentives, check out what your air pollution district and energy utility provider may offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air Quality Management District \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/clean-cars-4-all#:~:text=Clean%20Cars%204%20All%20provides,with%20newer%20and%20cleaner%20transportation.\">runs a program\u003c/a> for people with lower incomes to replace highly polluting vehicles with newer ones or rebates for e-bikes or public transit. There is some funding for home car chargers as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"now\">\u003c/a>Is now a good time to buy an EV, or should I wait a year or two?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>From a cost perspective, yes, it is a good time to buy. Federal and state incentives are bringing certain EVs on par with the cost of gas vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are other factors to consider, like:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Do you drive a lot?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>If yes, then buying an EV could save money. You won’t need to pay for gas, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/true-cost-of-ev\">EVs require less maintenance\u003c/a> than traditional gas engines.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Changes to federal tax credits\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Federal tax credits have changed for the better. You can use them right at checkout instead of waiting for tax season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal tax credits have also changed for the worse. The list of vehicles that qualify for these tax credits has shrunk due to increasing requirements that components come from America or a trade partner. But that list of cars will grow as manufacturers overhaul their production and supply chains.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Do you want a car charger that can work with Tesla’s more built-out and reliable charging network?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Many automakers are standardizing their charging system to the one developed by Tesla. If you’d like that charging system to be native to your vehicle (you could alternatively use an adapter), wait a year or so for 2025 models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pcmag.com/news/electric-vehicles-that-can-charge-at-tesla-superchargers\">Some companies\u003c/a> have inked a deal where their drivers can also charge at Tesla superchargers beginning this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"newused\">\u003c/a>Should I buy new or used?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Both are good options.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Pros for buying used\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Buying used will be cheaper, and even more so if you qualify for federal incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From an emissions standpoint, a used EV is always better, said Scott Moura, UC Berkeley engineering associate professor. “You’re extending its life,” and stretching the greenhouse gas emissions that went into building the car.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Pros for buying new\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Over time, batteries degrade, and mileage doesn’t tell the whole story of battery health. It matters how the battery has been charged (repeated charging at fast chargers degrades batteries faster than charging in a garage) and what kind of physical climate it’s been in. Batteries last longer in temperate versus extreme climates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compare the original range of the vehicle to its range when fully charged by the dealer. Give it a test drive and note how quickly the range declines to get a sense of what shape the battery is in.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"leasebuy\">\u003c/a>Should I lease or buy?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Here again are two good options, depending on what’s right for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, keep this in mind:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you buy, you \u003cem>may\u003c/em> qualify for federal incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you lease, you are more likely to. Leasing can unlock federal incentives if you, or the car you want, don’t qualify for credits if you were to buy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because \u003cem>companies\u003c/em> that buy EVs don’t have the same stringent production and materials requirements in order to access incentives as \u003cem>individuals\u003c/em>. That includes companies that lease cars. And many of those leasing companies will pass the federal incentive savings on to you (although they are not required to).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re worried buying will leave you with a rapidly outdated vehicle, one thing to consider is that most EVs have “over-the-air” updates. That means the software systems will periodically upgrade, and voila, you’ll have new features in your car a few hours later.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"charging\">\u003c/a>How do I charge the car if I park on the street?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not easily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“First of all, let’s recognize that’s difficult. Let’s not ignore it,” UC Berkeley’s Moura said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Options include where you work (only available to some), public and fast charging stations, though the latter could get expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to find ways where we can install a lot of charging points in apartment buildings and multi-unit dwellings without having to upgrade the electrical infrastructure,” Moura said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inês Azevedo, associate professor in energy science and engineering at Stanford University, said policy intervention is needed to build out charging and bolster rebates in low-income communities. EVs are within reach for people in middle and income brackets, but they are far harder to access for people who are low-income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some communities are getting creative with their charging ideas, piloting building public chargers \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/research/pole-mounted-electric-vehicle-charging-preliminary-guidance\">from utility poles and streetlights\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"greenest\">\u003c/a>What is the greenest kind of car?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No car!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most effective individual actions you can take to bring down your personal greenhouse gas emissions \u003ca href=\"https://www.kimnicholas.com/responding-to-climate-change.html\">is to ditch your car\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The best way to get around in terms of emissions and also probably for your pocketbook is to bike, walk or use public transit,” said David Reichmuth, a senior engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Reichmuth also \u003ca href=\"https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/electric-bikes-a-less-polluting-option-for-commutes-and-errands-in-the-new-normal/\">recommends considering an e-bike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Figure out a carpool, Moura said, or even better, take the bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kneedeeptimes.org/stoked-for-car-lite-bike-safe-living/\">a story of one couple who totaled their car and chose not to replace it\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"traditional\">\u003c/a>Is an EV truly greener than a gas vehicle?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In California and most of the U.S., yes (except \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-51697-1\">some rural counties in the Midwest and South\u003c/a>, where hybrids had fewer emissions than EVs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every time you fire up a car that uses gas, you are burning fossil fuels. EVs have zero tailpipe emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s true that manufacturing an EV can create more pollution than making a car with an internal combustion engine (due to the energy required to manufacture the battery). But “over the lifetime of the vehicle, total GHG emissions associated with manufacturing, charging, and driving an EV are \u003ca href=\"https://theicct.org/publication/a-global-comparison-of-the-life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-emissions-of-combustion-engine-and-electric-passenger-cars/\">typically lower than the total GHGs associated with a gasoline car,\u003c/a>” according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths\">federal Environmental Protection Agency\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On average, it takes \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/driving-cleaner-report.pdf\">1-2 years of driving an EV\u003c/a> for an electric vehicle to “repay its carbon debt,” that is, for the emissions that went into making it to match those saved from driving it. And it takes less time if a very green grid powers that EV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s grid currently consists of 60% carbon-free electricity. The state’s goal is to have 100% clean electricity by 2045.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991200\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1991200\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06%E2%80%AFPM-800x447.png\" alt=\"A graphic showing estimates for battery length. \" width=\"800\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-800x447.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-1020x570.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-160x89.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-768x429.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-1536x858.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM-1920x1072.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-1.39.06 PM.png 2016w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Estimates represent model year 2020. Emissions will vary based on assumptions about the specific vehicles being compared, EV battery size and chemistry, vehicle lifetimes, and the electricity grid used to recharge the EV, among other factors. \u003ccite>(U.S. EPA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An EV is also way better for community health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combusting the gas that powers an internal combustion engine releases air pollution like fine particulate matter called PM 2.5, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, among others. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Those pollutants can worsen asthma and increase the risk of heart attack, among other health complications. Adopting an EV sooner will bring these health benefits to your community sooner. Note: these air quality benefits are rolling out unequally, as \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/03/california-electric-cars-demographics/\">there are more EVs in higher-income communities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"emissions\">\u003c/a>From an emissions standpoint, is it better to drive my current gas car into the ground before going electric?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>C\u003ca href=\"https://wecanfixit.substack.com/p/the-only-time-buying-new-is-better\">limate scientist Kimberly Nicholas said no\u003c/a>. She writes, “When something burns fossil fuels every time you use it, scrap the old one and get a low-carbon new one as soon as you can afford it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Especially if you’re logging a lot of miles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Azevedo said that older vehicles also tend to be “much more highly emitting” than new ones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exception is if you don’t drive very much. Then go ahead and keep that older car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Generally, I think it makes sense to hold on to the product that you have as long as you can,” Moura said. For one, it could reduce the number of new vehicles you purchase in your lifetime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also noted that the U.S. is building out its own EV supply and manufacturing chains and bolstering sustainability practices as it does so. Waiting may mean you’ll have a car made more sustainably and locally, requiring less shipping.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"difference\">\u003c/a>Does my switching to an EV really make a difference in tackling climate change?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you were the only one who did? No.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But since you won’t be, yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-graphs\">Roughly 27%\u003c/a> of California’s emissions come from passenger vehicles, according to the California Air Resources Board. Your one car won’t significantly move the needle, but en masse, an army of electric vehicles will reduce emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that army is coming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991186\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1991186\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic showing how EV sales in California have grown.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/EV-Sales-Graphic-1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In Q3 of 2023, from July through September, 26.7% of new cars sold in California were zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California mandates that all new cars sold by 2035 be hybrid or electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, emissions from the state’s transportation sector have been decreasing. “It definitely is having an effect in aggregate, no doubt about it,” Moura said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the single most important sector that we need to tackle right now,” Stanford’s Azevedo said. For one thing, the technologies are ready to go: the cars are “nearly perfect substitutes” for those powered by gas, Azevedo said. Costs are declining; sales are increasing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Albert Gore, son of the former Vice President and executive director of the national advocacy group Zero Emission Transportation Association, said this is just the start. “We’re really just beginning to fully realize the impact of the last several years of policymaking and economic activity. There are investments that have been made in huge waves across the country that are going to transform the manufacturing economy in the United States for decades to come,” Gore said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991187\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1991187\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21%E2%80%AFAM-800x616.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"616\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-800x616.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-1020x786.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-160x123.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM-768x592.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-11.40.21 AM.png 1384w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This figure shows the transformation of California’s light-duty fleet, with significant strides being made in fuel efficiency improvements and zero-emission vehicle adoption. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Air Resources Board, December 14, 2023.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To learn more about the costs and emissions of a specific EV, combined with the specific energy mix of the grid in your state, you can check out \u003ca href=\"https://evtool.ucsusa.org/\">this tool by the Union of Concerned Scientists\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.carboncounter.com/#!/explore\">this tool created by folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u003c/a> (fun tip: if you’re a Californian, click on “customize,” then “CA” and then the other states to see how different energy mixes influence vehicle emissions). \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8t6qd-ss-pTvi0bqVzYGog\">This podcast\u003c/a> can answer some of your more specific questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also decrease emissions based on \u003cem>when\u003c/em> you charge. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://energy.stanford.edu/news/charging-cars-needs-move-nighttime-home-daytime-work-stanford-study-finds\">charging an EV in the middle of the day\u003c/a> when solar production is peaking results in a lower carbon footprint than charging in the evening. Presently, California’s electricity rates don’t align with this, and EV owners are incentivized to charge their vehicles at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Why the War in Ukraine Is Bad for Climate Science",
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"content": "\u003cp>Lack of data about conditions in the Russian Arctic is already hampering climate science and will cause ever-growing gaps in our understanding of how climate change affects the fastest-warming region of the planet, scientists warn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the Earth as a whole. And Russia has more Arctic land than any other nation. But, since Russia invaded Ukraine, it’s been increasingly difficult for climate scientists in Russia to collaborate or share data about conditions in the country’s vast frozen areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes basic measurements of temperature and snowfall in the Russian Arctic, as well as more sophisticated details about greenhouse gas emissions and what’s happening to plants and animals in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Excluding such data from climate models makes them less accurate, and the problem will get worse over time, a new study warns. “By neglecting Russian sites, we decrease our chances to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change,” says Efrén López-Blanco of Aarhus University in Denmark, who is one of the authors of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01903-1\">the paper\u003c/a> published in the journal \u003cem>Nature Climate Change.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to build climate models that can accurately predict what will happen to the Arctic in the future, scientists need measurements from across the Arctic. If the available data is concentrated in a few places, like Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, and excludes Russia’s vast Arctic expanses, then the models will be increasingly inaccurate, the study finds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a huge landmass,” says Ken Tape, an ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “You can’t ignore it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Beaver access has been cut off for Western scientists\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tape is already seeing the negative effects of the war on his area of research. He studies beavers, which are \u003ca href=\"https://alaskapublic.org/2020/05/10/beaver-numbers-have-exploded-in-northwest-alaska-and-theyre-having-some-unexpected-effects/\">moving into the tundra\u003c/a> and are often unpopular neighbors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like an intruder,” he says. “The connotations are not positive, you know? Especially if fish is a big resource for you, you’re going to be very skeptical of someone who comes in and dams up fish-bearing streams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists like Tape are studying where beavers are showing up and trying to understand how far North the population will move, how quickly, and at what scale. Such research can help local communities manage the animals: beavers are notorious for turning streams into bogs, for example, which can affect water quality for humans nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The research is also important because when beavers build dams, they can disturb the frozen ground, releasing trapped greenhouse gasses as it thaws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few years ago, Tape helped start the Arctic Beaver Observation Network so scientists all around the Arctic could collaborate and share data. But with the invasion of Ukraine, the dream of Russian collaboration in the project stalled, he says. “We’re having a meeting at the end of February,” he says, “and it’s basically Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia. There’s no one from Russia coming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of that, Western scientists no longer have access to field sites in Russia, he says. Instead, they have to rely on what they can see from space, from satellite images of beaver dams. “You can do a lot from space, but you need to have some boots on the ground confirming what you’re seeing,” Tape says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991178\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People walk next to a cracked panel apartment building in the eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk in 2018. Climate change is causing permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, to thaw across the Arctic. When the earth thaws, it can destabilize building foundations, roads, pipelines and other infrastructure. \u003ccite>(Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>For some, it’s a reminder of Cold War science\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Russian climate scientists who started their careers in the Soviet Union, the current situation can feel eerily familiar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the past — like, Soviet Union past — the data from this part of the world was also limited,” says Vladimir Romanovsky, a permafrost expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who trained in Moscow. In the mid-1970s, young scientists had virtually no contact with Western collaborators, he remembers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when things opened up in the 1990s, he says, his field exploded. “During that time, lots of data became available from the Russian permafrost regions,” he remembers. International scientists started collaborating with Russian scientists to investigate how permafrost was changing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the research findings were explosive. Permafrost is the permanently frozen ground found across the Arctic. As it thaws, it creates massive problems\u003ca href=\"https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/permafrost\"> for the infrastructure built on top of it\u003c/a>, causing roads to buckle, building foundations to crack and pipelines to break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It can also release enormous amounts of planet-warming gasses trapped within the frozen earth. Scientists now warn that virtually all surface permafrost \u003ca href=\"https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/study-near-surface-permafrost-will-be-nearly-gone-2100\">could be gone from the Arctic\u003c/a> by the end of the century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now the data that is so crucial for permafrost science is drying up, Romanovsky says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past, he and other Western scientists received temperature and soil measurements from Russian research facilities. “This year, there may not be any data,” he says. “If this will continue into the future, eventually it may have some impact on our understanding [of permafrost changes.]”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Romanovsky is also concerned about young Russian scientists who are important to the future of climate research in the region. “It’s very discouraging,” he says. “Eventually, I believe that we will be able to communicate openly again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Why+the+war+in+Ukraine+is+bad+for+climate+science&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Lack of data about conditions in the Russian Arctic is already hampering climate science and will cause ever-growing gaps in our understanding of how climate change affects the fastest-warming region of the planet, scientists warn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the Earth as a whole. And Russia has more Arctic land than any other nation. But, since Russia invaded Ukraine, it’s been increasingly difficult for climate scientists in Russia to collaborate or share data about conditions in the country’s vast frozen areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes basic measurements of temperature and snowfall in the Russian Arctic, as well as more sophisticated details about greenhouse gas emissions and what’s happening to plants and animals in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Excluding such data from climate models makes them less accurate, and the problem will get worse over time, a new study warns. “By neglecting Russian sites, we decrease our chances to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change,” says Efrén López-Blanco of Aarhus University in Denmark, who is one of the authors of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01903-1\">the paper\u003c/a> published in the journal \u003cem>Nature Climate Change.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to build climate models that can accurately predict what will happen to the Arctic in the future, scientists need measurements from across the Arctic. If the available data is concentrated in a few places, like Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, and excludes Russia’s vast Arctic expanses, then the models will be increasingly inaccurate, the study finds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a huge landmass,” says Ken Tape, an ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “You can’t ignore it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Beaver access has been cut off for Western scientists\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tape is already seeing the negative effects of the war on his area of research. He studies beavers, which are \u003ca href=\"https://alaskapublic.org/2020/05/10/beaver-numbers-have-exploded-in-northwest-alaska-and-theyre-having-some-unexpected-effects/\">moving into the tundra\u003c/a> and are often unpopular neighbors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like an intruder,” he says. “The connotations are not positive, you know? Especially if fish is a big resource for you, you’re going to be very skeptical of someone who comes in and dams up fish-bearing streams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists like Tape are studying where beavers are showing up and trying to understand how far North the population will move, how quickly, and at what scale. Such research can help local communities manage the animals: beavers are notorious for turning streams into bogs, for example, which can affect water quality for humans nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The research is also important because when beavers build dams, they can disturb the frozen ground, releasing trapped greenhouse gasses as it thaws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few years ago, Tape helped start the Arctic Beaver Observation Network so scientists all around the Arctic could collaborate and share data. But with the invasion of Ukraine, the dream of Russian collaboration in the project stalled, he says. “We’re having a meeting at the end of February,” he says, “and it’s basically Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia. There’s no one from Russia coming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of that, Western scientists no longer have access to field sites in Russia, he says. Instead, they have to rely on what they can see from space, from satellite images of beaver dams. “You can do a lot from space, but you need to have some boots on the ground confirming what you’re seeing,” Tape says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991178\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/gettyimages-1068523518-e0b1af529618017fb8f79cfb212643e56bb07337-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People walk next to a cracked panel apartment building in the eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk in 2018. Climate change is causing permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, to thaw across the Arctic. When the earth thaws, it can destabilize building foundations, roads, pipelines and other infrastructure. \u003ccite>(Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>For some, it’s a reminder of Cold War science\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Russian climate scientists who started their careers in the Soviet Union, the current situation can feel eerily familiar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the past — like, Soviet Union past — the data from this part of the world was also limited,” says Vladimir Romanovsky, a permafrost expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who trained in Moscow. In the mid-1970s, young scientists had virtually no contact with Western collaborators, he remembers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when things opened up in the 1990s, he says, his field exploded. “During that time, lots of data became available from the Russian permafrost regions,” he remembers. International scientists started collaborating with Russian scientists to investigate how permafrost was changing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the research findings were explosive. Permafrost is the permanently frozen ground found across the Arctic. As it thaws, it creates massive problems\u003ca href=\"https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/permafrost\"> for the infrastructure built on top of it\u003c/a>, causing roads to buckle, building foundations to crack and pipelines to break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It can also release enormous amounts of planet-warming gasses trapped within the frozen earth. Scientists now warn that virtually all surface permafrost \u003ca href=\"https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/study-near-surface-permafrost-will-be-nearly-gone-2100\">could be gone from the Arctic\u003c/a> by the end of the century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now the data that is so crucial for permafrost science is drying up, Romanovsky says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past, he and other Western scientists received temperature and soil measurements from Russian research facilities. “This year, there may not be any data,” he says. “If this will continue into the future, eventually it may have some impact on our understanding [of permafrost changes.]”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Romanovsky is also concerned about young Russian scientists who are important to the future of climate research in the region. “It’s very discouraging,” he says. “Eventually, I believe that we will be able to communicate openly again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Why+the+war+in+Ukraine+is+bad+for+climate+science&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "How Kern County's Carbon Removal Industry Can Save California's Oil Country",
"headTitle": "How Kern County’s Carbon Removal Industry Can Save California’s Oil Country | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Omar Hayat sees the future in a patch of dirt near Bakersfield, California, where oil was discovered more than a century ago. That discovery paved the way for Kern County’s lucrative petroleum industry. Now, Hayat hopes to use the same dirt patch to launch a new business — one that may help California reach its ambitious climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to be accepted as a solution,” said Hayat, the executive vice president of operations at California Resources Corporation, one of the state’s leading oil producers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hayat is leading the company’s push to store climate-warming carbon more than a mile underground in the cracks and crevices of ancient rock formations. The firm is one of several companies developing plans to capture carbon from oil and gas plants and the air and store it deep beneath California’s oil country at the foot of the San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kern County is betting those projects will make it the center of California’s nascent carbon removal and storage industry. The county is already the state’s largest oil producer and a top producer of agricultural products, but climate change — and the state’s effort to mitigate it — threatens those economic mainstays. The county hopes the new carbon management industry will help make up for the hundreds of millions in tax revenue it anticipates losing by 2045 when California plans to phase out all oil drilling and eliminate most carbon emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our economy is built on oil and agriculture. This is how we keep our libraries open. This is how we provide Meals on Wheels. This is how we provide our services to the million people here,” said Lorelei Oviatt, the county’s director of planning and natural resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late December, Kern and the federal government took steps that could allow CRC to begin capturing and storing carbon next year. The county published its draft environmental review of the company’s project, and the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/intent-issue-class-vi-underground-injection-control-permits-carbon-terravault-jv\">Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to approve\u003c/a> permits to allow CRC to inject carbon under an oil field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kern has found opportunity in renewable energy, becoming the state’s biggest producer of solar and wind energy. But the county’s push for carbon management amounts to a huge experiment — with its economy and community, as well as California’s climate commitments, hanging in the balance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the \u003ca href=\"https://psbweb.kerncounty.com/planning/pdfs/eirs/ctv1/CTV1_DEIR_Vol_1_Ch_1-12_upd.pdf\">900-page environmental assessment (PDF)\u003c/a>, Kern officials determined that CRC’s project is likely to have “significant and unavoidable” impacts on local air quality, even with measures taken to curb emissions. The report also notes the proximity of proposed pipelines to schools and neighborhoods. Those are among several issues likely to be contested when the public begins weighing in on the project this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the county sees carbon management as critical to its future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s existential,” Oviatt said. “What is this place going to look like in 30 years? What’s it going to look like in five?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Enormous Numbers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In addition to moving quickly towards clean sources of energy, countries \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_LongerReport.pdf\">will need to remove carbon from the air (PDF)\u003c/a> in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, according to the IPCC, the United Nations panel that assesses the science of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, \u003ca href=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dbtfcnfij/images/v1700717007/Global-Status-of-CCS-Report-Update-23-Nov/Global-Status-of-CCS-Report-Update-23-Nov.pdf?_i=AA\">41 commercial carbon capture facilities (PDF)\u003c/a> are \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage/direct-air-capture\">operating worldwide\u003c/a>. Together, they have the capacity to capture much less than 1% of the emissions that countries produce every year — negating annual emissions equivalent to 49 million metric tons of carbon per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, which has positioned itself as a global leader in climate action, wants to pull an unprecedented amount of carbon from the air — 100 million metric tons — by 2045. That represents nearly a quarter of the emissions the state produces today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are enormous numbers, relative to where not just California is today, but where the world is today,” said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the Biden administration is pouring billions into the carbon capture and storage industry, and Kern is racing to get a piece of it. Much of that money goes to regions led by Republican lawmakers who support boosting domestic energy production. Until he resigned from Congress last month, Bakersfield Republican and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy represented much of Kern County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would offer $3.5 billion for companies to demonstrate direct air capture, a process that sucks carbon from the air so that it can be stowed underground. The department recently said it would give $1.2 billion in grants for “Direct Air Capture hubs” in Louisiana and Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carbon removal projects proposed in California, all located in the conservative-leaning Central Valley, earned more than $20 million from the pool of federal funding for feasibility and planning studies, including roughly $12 million to a group led in part by CRC, Hayat’s company, and the city of Bakersfield. The amount is small compared to the billions to be disbursed elsewhere but significant enough to continue fueling ambitions in Kern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991162\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991162\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Omar Hayat, executive vice president of operations at California Resources Corporation. \u003ccite>(Harika Maddala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Several other major oil and gas companies are also racing to launch their own carbon capture facilities in Kern, including Chevron and \u003ca href=\"https://www.aeraenergy.com/responsibility/carbon-frontier/\">Aera Energy\u003c/a>. Though certain details of CRC’s carbon removal proposal have not been made public, its ambitions center on a project called “Carbon TerraVault 1.” The project would be located in the Elk Hills Oil Field, one of the most productive in the nation, near the site where oil was discovered in 1911. The company wants to inject millions of tons of liquefied carbon a mile underground, beginning with carbon dioxide from the oilfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Looking for Hope’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If all of the projects proposed for the county come online, planning director Oviatt said Kern could be home to most of the storage required to achieve the state’s carbon removal goals. Oviatt frames the growth of this industry as inevitable. Even if the projects currently proposed don’t win regulatory approval, she’s confident that more proposals will follow them, she said at a recent public forum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county estimates that the carbon removal industry could generate as much as $64 million per year in tax revenues and create thousands of jobs. Kern envisions much of that money coming from a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://cmbp.kernplanning.com/\">Carbon Management Business Park\u003c/a>, which it sees as a way to bring in emerging climate-friendly industries — including future direct air capture projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the oil industry leaves Kern, more than 16,000 jobs could disappear, and the area’s already-high poverty and unemployment rates could climb. A county-commissioned study estimates the business park could support up to 22,000 permanent jobs, both in carbon removal and adjacent industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s encouraging,” Oviatt said. “We are looking for hope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But realizing that vision is dependent on buy-in from the private sector. Oviatt said a handful of companies have expressed interest in the idea, but so far, none have submitted formal applications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And community support for the county’s vision is hardly unanimous. At an October county Board of Supervisors meeting, residents and environmental activists expressed concerns about the need for pipelines to carry carbon across the state, which could rupture or leak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also questioned whether the proposed TerraVault and business park would worsen air quality. The American Lung Association consistently ranks Kern County’s air as among the most polluted in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It does not make sense to proceed with this park given the current health and air quality conditions in Kern County,” said Emma De La Rosa, an advocate with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other community organizers like Ileana Navarro with the Central California Environmental Justice Network called for greater transparency and questioned the technology’s track record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Projects worldwide have failed to live up to their promise on climate benefits, so why take the risk here in our backyards and in the backyards of already overburdened communities?” the Bakersfield resident asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991163\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991163\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pumping jacks spread throughout an oilfield in Kern County, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The county’s environmental review shows that pipelines carrying carbon dioxide and injection sites are slated to sit within a few miles of a handful of elementary schools and a couple of towns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oviatt said that any future project would be located far away from neighborhoods to reduce the health risks to residents. But she was frank about the county’s prospects if a thriving carbon removal industry fails to take off in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we’re all concerned about our health, but we’re also concerned: Will Kern County survive these policies of the state of California?” Oviatt told the meeting. “I wanted to make sure the community understands that we are at a very, very difficult crossroads.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Kern County’s ‘Gift From God’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Carbon can’t be injected and permanently stowed underground just anywhere, but the storage potential in the Central Valley is “a gift from God,” George Peridas, the energy program director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, said at an April symposium on carbon management. The San Joaquin Valley is one of about three dozen areas nationwide with the potential to store the climate pollutant, according to assessments by the U.S. Geological Survey. That’s because, in theory, depleted oil and gas fields can make ideal reservoirs for captured carbon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, petroleum companies operating in the region have made billions pumping fossil fuels out of the ground. Now, these same corporations hope to also make money by pumping liquefied carbon back underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just like reconfiguring a Lego set,” Hayat, the oil executive, said. “Instead of using that CO2, for example, for increasing oil and gas production, we’re just putting it away for storage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But critics say it’s not so simple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Storing carbon permanently and safely remains a complex technological challenge full of potential pitfalls. Extracting oil is different than ensuring carbon stays buried for thousands of years without leaking, according to Daniel Ress, a staff attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. California already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-07-21/state-releases-draft-plan-to-plug-leaky-oil-wells-many-of-them-in-kern-county\">thousands of uncapped oil wells\u003c/a>, many of which are leaking greenhouse gasses and other pollutants into the air. Ress is concerned that carbon stored underground could escape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m skeptical that this can be done well in this area where there’s so much oil and gas exploration,” Ress said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until now, oil companies have almost exclusively injected carbon to extract more oil from the earth. The CEO of Occidental Petroleum — CRC’s former parent company — \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2023/12/18/carbon-removal-climate-savior-or-distraction-00132266\">said last year\u003c/a> that carbon removal could give the petroleum industry “a license to continue to operate for the next 60, 70, 80 years.” California law prohibits companies from using captured carbon to enhance drilling in the state. Still, some environmentalists like Ress worry that injecting carbon could be used to extend the life of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several major obstacles remain on the path to building and operating carbon capture and storage plants. California has just \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/climate-tech-company-heirloom-opens-us-commercial-carbon-capture-plant-2023-11-09/\">one commercial carbon removal project\u003c/a> in operation. The state has also banned new carbon pipelines until federal regulations are put in place, which could challenge CRC’s ambitious plans. Without pipelines to move the carbon from industrial centers to the vault, the company’s potential customer base is limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But last month, the county and the EPA’s actions boosted CRC’s hope for its TerraVault project. Company president and CEO Francisco Leon called the moves a “significant milestone” in attaining California’s “ambitious climate goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kern is the first county in the state to assess the environmental risks of a carbon storage project, working on the draft for about a year. Still, CRC’s project is facing a potentially lengthy approval process. The planning commission is expected to vote on the project in March, with a vote from county supervisors likely this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is a collaboration between \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/\">KVPR\u003c/a>, Inside Climate News, the Investigative Editing Corps and Report for America.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\">Inside Climate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Omar Hayat sees the future in a patch of dirt near Bakersfield, California, where oil was discovered more than a century ago. That discovery paved the way for Kern County’s lucrative petroleum industry. Now, Hayat hopes to use the same dirt patch to launch a new business — one that may help California reach its ambitious climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to be accepted as a solution,” said Hayat, the executive vice president of operations at California Resources Corporation, one of the state’s leading oil producers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hayat is leading the company’s push to store climate-warming carbon more than a mile underground in the cracks and crevices of ancient rock formations. The firm is one of several companies developing plans to capture carbon from oil and gas plants and the air and store it deep beneath California’s oil country at the foot of the San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kern County is betting those projects will make it the center of California’s nascent carbon removal and storage industry. The county is already the state’s largest oil producer and a top producer of agricultural products, but climate change — and the state’s effort to mitigate it — threatens those economic mainstays. The county hopes the new carbon management industry will help make up for the hundreds of millions in tax revenue it anticipates losing by 2045 when California plans to phase out all oil drilling and eliminate most carbon emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our economy is built on oil and agriculture. This is how we keep our libraries open. This is how we provide Meals on Wheels. This is how we provide our services to the million people here,” said Lorelei Oviatt, the county’s director of planning and natural resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late December, Kern and the federal government took steps that could allow CRC to begin capturing and storing carbon next year. The county published its draft environmental review of the company’s project, and the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/intent-issue-class-vi-underground-injection-control-permits-carbon-terravault-jv\">Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to approve\u003c/a> permits to allow CRC to inject carbon under an oil field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kern has found opportunity in renewable energy, becoming the state’s biggest producer of solar and wind energy. But the county’s push for carbon management amounts to a huge experiment — with its economy and community, as well as California’s climate commitments, hanging in the balance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the \u003ca href=\"https://psbweb.kerncounty.com/planning/pdfs/eirs/ctv1/CTV1_DEIR_Vol_1_Ch_1-12_upd.pdf\">900-page environmental assessment (PDF)\u003c/a>, Kern officials determined that CRC’s project is likely to have “significant and unavoidable” impacts on local air quality, even with measures taken to curb emissions. The report also notes the proximity of proposed pipelines to schools and neighborhoods. Those are among several issues likely to be contested when the public begins weighing in on the project this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the county sees carbon management as critical to its future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s existential,” Oviatt said. “What is this place going to look like in 30 years? What’s it going to look like in five?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Enormous Numbers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In addition to moving quickly towards clean sources of energy, countries \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_LongerReport.pdf\">will need to remove carbon from the air (PDF)\u003c/a> in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, according to the IPCC, the United Nations panel that assesses the science of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, \u003ca href=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dbtfcnfij/images/v1700717007/Global-Status-of-CCS-Report-Update-23-Nov/Global-Status-of-CCS-Report-Update-23-Nov.pdf?_i=AA\">41 commercial carbon capture facilities (PDF)\u003c/a> are \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage/direct-air-capture\">operating worldwide\u003c/a>. Together, they have the capacity to capture much less than 1% of the emissions that countries produce every year — negating annual emissions equivalent to 49 million metric tons of carbon per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, which has positioned itself as a global leader in climate action, wants to pull an unprecedented amount of carbon from the air — 100 million metric tons — by 2045. That represents nearly a quarter of the emissions the state produces today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are enormous numbers, relative to where not just California is today, but where the world is today,” said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the Biden administration is pouring billions into the carbon capture and storage industry, and Kern is racing to get a piece of it. Much of that money goes to regions led by Republican lawmakers who support boosting domestic energy production. Until he resigned from Congress last month, Bakersfield Republican and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy represented much of Kern County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would offer $3.5 billion for companies to demonstrate direct air capture, a process that sucks carbon from the air so that it can be stowed underground. The department recently said it would give $1.2 billion in grants for “Direct Air Capture hubs” in Louisiana and Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carbon removal projects proposed in California, all located in the conservative-leaning Central Valley, earned more than $20 million from the pool of federal funding for feasibility and planning studies, including roughly $12 million to a group led in part by CRC, Hayat’s company, and the city of Bakersfield. The amount is small compared to the billions to be disbursed elsewhere but significant enough to continue fueling ambitions in Kern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991162\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991162\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Omar-Hayat-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Omar Hayat, executive vice president of operations at California Resources Corporation. \u003ccite>(Harika Maddala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Several other major oil and gas companies are also racing to launch their own carbon capture facilities in Kern, including Chevron and \u003ca href=\"https://www.aeraenergy.com/responsibility/carbon-frontier/\">Aera Energy\u003c/a>. Though certain details of CRC’s carbon removal proposal have not been made public, its ambitions center on a project called “Carbon TerraVault 1.” The project would be located in the Elk Hills Oil Field, one of the most productive in the nation, near the site where oil was discovered in 1911. The company wants to inject millions of tons of liquefied carbon a mile underground, beginning with carbon dioxide from the oilfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Looking for Hope’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If all of the projects proposed for the county come online, planning director Oviatt said Kern could be home to most of the storage required to achieve the state’s carbon removal goals. Oviatt frames the growth of this industry as inevitable. Even if the projects currently proposed don’t win regulatory approval, she’s confident that more proposals will follow them, she said at a recent public forum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county estimates that the carbon removal industry could generate as much as $64 million per year in tax revenues and create thousands of jobs. Kern envisions much of that money coming from a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://cmbp.kernplanning.com/\">Carbon Management Business Park\u003c/a>, which it sees as a way to bring in emerging climate-friendly industries — including future direct air capture projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the oil industry leaves Kern, more than 16,000 jobs could disappear, and the area’s already-high poverty and unemployment rates could climb. A county-commissioned study estimates the business park could support up to 22,000 permanent jobs, both in carbon removal and adjacent industries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s encouraging,” Oviatt said. “We are looking for hope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But realizing that vision is dependent on buy-in from the private sector. Oviatt said a handful of companies have expressed interest in the idea, but so far, none have submitted formal applications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And community support for the county’s vision is hardly unanimous. At an October county Board of Supervisors meeting, residents and environmental activists expressed concerns about the need for pipelines to carry carbon across the state, which could rupture or leak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also questioned whether the proposed TerraVault and business park would worsen air quality. The American Lung Association consistently ranks Kern County’s air as among the most polluted in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It does not make sense to proceed with this park given the current health and air quality conditions in Kern County,” said Emma De La Rosa, an advocate with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other community organizers like Ileana Navarro with the Central California Environmental Justice Network called for greater transparency and questioned the technology’s track record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Projects worldwide have failed to live up to their promise on climate benefits, so why take the risk here in our backyards and in the backyards of already overburdened communities?” the Bakersfield resident asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991163\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991163\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/Oil-Pumps-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pumping jacks spread throughout an oilfield in Kern County, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The county’s environmental review shows that pipelines carrying carbon dioxide and injection sites are slated to sit within a few miles of a handful of elementary schools and a couple of towns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oviatt said that any future project would be located far away from neighborhoods to reduce the health risks to residents. But she was frank about the county’s prospects if a thriving carbon removal industry fails to take off in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we’re all concerned about our health, but we’re also concerned: Will Kern County survive these policies of the state of California?” Oviatt told the meeting. “I wanted to make sure the community understands that we are at a very, very difficult crossroads.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Kern County’s ‘Gift From God’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Carbon can’t be injected and permanently stowed underground just anywhere, but the storage potential in the Central Valley is “a gift from God,” George Peridas, the energy program director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, said at an April symposium on carbon management. The San Joaquin Valley is one of about three dozen areas nationwide with the potential to store the climate pollutant, according to assessments by the U.S. Geological Survey. That’s because, in theory, depleted oil and gas fields can make ideal reservoirs for captured carbon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, petroleum companies operating in the region have made billions pumping fossil fuels out of the ground. Now, these same corporations hope to also make money by pumping liquefied carbon back underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just like reconfiguring a Lego set,” Hayat, the oil executive, said. “Instead of using that CO2, for example, for increasing oil and gas production, we’re just putting it away for storage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But critics say it’s not so simple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Storing carbon permanently and safely remains a complex technological challenge full of potential pitfalls. Extracting oil is different than ensuring carbon stays buried for thousands of years without leaking, according to Daniel Ress, a staff attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. California already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-07-21/state-releases-draft-plan-to-plug-leaky-oil-wells-many-of-them-in-kern-county\">thousands of uncapped oil wells\u003c/a>, many of which are leaking greenhouse gasses and other pollutants into the air. Ress is concerned that carbon stored underground could escape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m skeptical that this can be done well in this area where there’s so much oil and gas exploration,” Ress said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until now, oil companies have almost exclusively injected carbon to extract more oil from the earth. The CEO of Occidental Petroleum — CRC’s former parent company — \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2023/12/18/carbon-removal-climate-savior-or-distraction-00132266\">said last year\u003c/a> that carbon removal could give the petroleum industry “a license to continue to operate for the next 60, 70, 80 years.” California law prohibits companies from using captured carbon to enhance drilling in the state. Still, some environmentalists like Ress worry that injecting carbon could be used to extend the life of fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several major obstacles remain on the path to building and operating carbon capture and storage plants. California has just \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/climate-tech-company-heirloom-opens-us-commercial-carbon-capture-plant-2023-11-09/\">one commercial carbon removal project\u003c/a> in operation. The state has also banned new carbon pipelines until federal regulations are put in place, which could challenge CRC’s ambitious plans. Without pipelines to move the carbon from industrial centers to the vault, the company’s potential customer base is limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But last month, the county and the EPA’s actions boosted CRC’s hope for its TerraVault project. Company president and CEO Francisco Leon called the moves a “significant milestone” in attaining California’s “ambitious climate goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kern is the first county in the state to assess the environmental risks of a carbon storage project, working on the draft for about a year. Still, CRC’s project is facing a potentially lengthy approval process. The planning commission is expected to vote on the project in March, with a vote from county supervisors likely this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is a collaboration between \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/\">KVPR\u003c/a>, Inside Climate News, the Investigative Editing Corps and Report for America.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\">Inside Climate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-giant-balloons-are-helping-california-prepare-for-intense-storms",
"title": "How Giant Balloons Are Helping California Prepare for Intense Storms",
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"headTitle": "How Giant Balloons Are Helping California Prepare for Intense Storms | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Just before the rays of dawn on Jan. 12 paraded over the cliffs that separate Bodega Bay from the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Adolfo Lopez Miranda and Jacob Morgan inflated a shapeless giant silicone balloon with helium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The duo worked inside a wooden gray shed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few minutes before seven, the two men hiked to a nearby hilltop, carrying the now bulging balloon, around 3 feet long and wide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They attached a tiny red parachute with a translucent cord, added an array of weather sensors, and released it like kids at a birthday party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991143\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991143\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a blue jacket holds a red parachute on a string. A person in a black jacket and blue LA Dodgers hat holds a large white balloon attached to the parachute.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Morgan (left) and Adolfo Lopez Miranda inflate a weather balloon before launching it into an atmospheric river-fueled storm to help forecast precipitation levels and locations in the Bay Area at the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute’s Bodega Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay on Jan. 12, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They watched it lift over the dark ocean toward an incoming rainstorm forced over the Bay Area by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1935067/rivers-in-the-sky-what-you-need-to-know-about-atmospheric-river-storms\">an extended, narrow region in the sky transporting moisture called an atmospheric river\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lopez Miranda and Morgan, engineers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, are attempting to better understand these rivers in the sky, which can dump an onslaught of precipitation \u003cstrong>—\u003c/strong> several inches of rain in less than an hour \u003cstrong>— \u003c/strong>and trigger catastrophic flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Jacob Morgan, engineer, Scripps Institution of Oceanography\"]‘It’s really helpful for getting a better understanding of water availability in California and how we can better manage the water that we have and when we should expect to receive a big load of precipitation.’[/pullquote]The duo flew up from San Diego to the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute’s Bodega Marine Laboratory for this storm. The weather balloon they launched directly into the atmospheric river will send back data on the storm’s course as it approaches the coast of California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, a family of atmospheric rivers dumped so much rain over California that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984643/reluctant-retreat-one-familys-fight-against-climate-induced-flooding\">multiple levees crumbled from the weight and intensity of the water, destroying hundreds of homes and disrupting life for thousands of people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For each storm, the team launches a new balloon every few hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the balloons float higher and higher into the atmosphere, they expand. Attached is a small white styrofoam radiosonde, which collects data — temperature, location, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and pressure — and transmits it to a computer in the wooden shack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the balloon ascends, the atmospheric pressure decreases, and the balloon eventually swells to the size of a school bus. “When it’s that big, the latex is stretched so thin that eventually it pops,” Morgan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991144\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a black jacket and blue LA Dodgers hat holds a large white balloon while another person holds a red parachute on the end of a string attached to the balloon.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adolfo Lopez Miranda (left) and Jacob Morgan prepare to launch a weather balloon into an atmospheric river-fueled storm. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Morgan, the balloon he released on the morning of Jan. 12 burst around 15 miles into the atmosphere and parachuted down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, they might land in a tree or mountain,” Lopez Miranda said. “We know where they are, but sometimes they’re miles away from here where we don’t have access to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"forum_2010101894135,science_1984737,science_19828220\"]All the information the device collects is vital to tell forecasters how fast the storm is approaching, where it’s headed, how warm it will be, and how much rain the storm will likely drop. Within a few hours, the data is uploaded to the university’s database and made available to the National Weather Service to incorporate into real-time forecasting models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really helpful for getting a better understanding of water availability in California and how we can better manage the water that we have and when we should expect to receive a big load of precipitation,” Morgan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the balloons float into the stratosphere, airplanes equipped with similar sensors fly over the storm and survey it from above to understand how the storm is progressing from that perspective above the cloudy mass. The information researchers collect from above and within the storm allows cities, counties and emergency officials to know how to prepare in real time. The information also helps reservoir operators make more informed decisions about how much water to keep in them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This gives us a better idea of the weather and our decision-making with water-related things,” Lopez Miranda said. “I feel like we’re making better decisions now with all the information we’re getting, so you don’t feel like you’re gambling anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991147\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL.jpg\" alt=\"Five people look up toward an overcast sky with vehicles behind them.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Morgan points upward at a weather balloon while Adolfo Lopez Miranda (right) and a group of docents look up to spot it in the clouds. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Scripps balloon project has helped close the gap in knowledge of how a storm will progress, said Lopez-Miranda, who started as an intern with the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These real-time weather observations provide insights into the potential behavior of future storms made more intense by human-caused climate change, said Chad Hecht, a meteorologist at the Centre for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of research that still needs to be done using this data, but what we are seeing is an exacerbation of that feast or famine hydroclimate in California,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991150\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A person looks at a computer screen with green, red, and blue lines on a graph.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Morgan, an engineer with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, looks at a program that follows the location of the weather balloon launched into an atmospheric river-fueled storm. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the pace of human-caused climate change speeding up, the frequency of storms could increase. A study from June 2022 by Bay Area scientists found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983299/san-franciscos-aging-infrastructure-isnt-ready-for-its-wetter-future\">these deluges from the sky could become up to 37% wetter by the end of the century\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our infrastructure is not designed for these big storms, and we’re never going to be able to design it to handle them,” said Kris May, founder of the Pathways Climate Institute, a San Francisco-based consulting firm behind the study. “We’re gonna see more areas that flood that have never flooded before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991146\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991146\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A white balloon with a string hanging from it floats in the sky with clouds behind it.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A weather balloon launched by Adolfo Lopez Miranda and Jacob Morgan heads toward an atmospheric river-fueled storm. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hecht said data collected by these balloon launches and aircraft is only “scratching the surface” of the knowledge needed to understand future weather intensifying because of climate change. Still, in the immediate, the new precipitation information is helping forecasters better inform people and water managers how to prepare for storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To optimize water operations, we need to have the best precipitation forecast as possible because we want to store as much water as possible, but we also don’t want to store too much that leads to flooding impacts,” he said. “We can better prepare, whether that’s going to be on the impactful or beneficial end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California scientists launch weather balloons into atmospheric river-fueled storms to better forecast where they will hit the Bay Area and how hard. The information is all the more important as climate change increases their frequency and intensity.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Just before the rays of dawn on Jan. 12 paraded over the cliffs that separate Bodega Bay from the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Adolfo Lopez Miranda and Jacob Morgan inflated a shapeless giant silicone balloon with helium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The duo worked inside a wooden gray shed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few minutes before seven, the two men hiked to a nearby hilltop, carrying the now bulging balloon, around 3 feet long and wide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They attached a tiny red parachute with a translucent cord, added an array of weather sensors, and released it like kids at a birthday party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991143\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991143\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a blue jacket holds a red parachute on a string. A person in a black jacket and blue LA Dodgers hat holds a large white balloon attached to the parachute.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-13-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Morgan (left) and Adolfo Lopez Miranda inflate a weather balloon before launching it into an atmospheric river-fueled storm to help forecast precipitation levels and locations in the Bay Area at the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute’s Bodega Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay on Jan. 12, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They watched it lift over the dark ocean toward an incoming rainstorm forced over the Bay Area by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1935067/rivers-in-the-sky-what-you-need-to-know-about-atmospheric-river-storms\">an extended, narrow region in the sky transporting moisture called an atmospheric river\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lopez Miranda and Morgan, engineers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, are attempting to better understand these rivers in the sky, which can dump an onslaught of precipitation \u003cstrong>—\u003c/strong> several inches of rain in less than an hour \u003cstrong>— \u003c/strong>and trigger catastrophic flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘It’s really helpful for getting a better understanding of water availability in California and how we can better manage the water that we have and when we should expect to receive a big load of precipitation.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The duo flew up from San Diego to the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute’s Bodega Marine Laboratory for this storm. The weather balloon they launched directly into the atmospheric river will send back data on the storm’s course as it approaches the coast of California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, a family of atmospheric rivers dumped so much rain over California that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984643/reluctant-retreat-one-familys-fight-against-climate-induced-flooding\">multiple levees crumbled from the weight and intensity of the water, destroying hundreds of homes and disrupting life for thousands of people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For each storm, the team launches a new balloon every few hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the balloons float higher and higher into the atmosphere, they expand. Attached is a small white styrofoam radiosonde, which collects data — temperature, location, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and pressure — and transmits it to a computer in the wooden shack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the balloon ascends, the atmospheric pressure decreases, and the balloon eventually swells to the size of a school bus. “When it’s that big, the latex is stretched so thin that eventually it pops,” Morgan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991144\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a black jacket and blue LA Dodgers hat holds a large white balloon while another person holds a red parachute on the end of a string attached to the balloon.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-18-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adolfo Lopez Miranda (left) and Jacob Morgan prepare to launch a weather balloon into an atmospheric river-fueled storm. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Morgan, the balloon he released on the morning of Jan. 12 burst around 15 miles into the atmosphere and parachuted down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, they might land in a tree or mountain,” Lopez Miranda said. “We know where they are, but sometimes they’re miles away from here where we don’t have access to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>All the information the device collects is vital to tell forecasters how fast the storm is approaching, where it’s headed, how warm it will be, and how much rain the storm will likely drop. Within a few hours, the data is uploaded to the university’s database and made available to the National Weather Service to incorporate into real-time forecasting models.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really helpful for getting a better understanding of water availability in California and how we can better manage the water that we have and when we should expect to receive a big load of precipitation,” Morgan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the balloons float into the stratosphere, airplanes equipped with similar sensors fly over the storm and survey it from above to understand how the storm is progressing from that perspective above the cloudy mass. The information researchers collect from above and within the storm allows cities, counties and emergency officials to know how to prepare in real time. The information also helps reservoir operators make more informed decisions about how much water to keep in them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This gives us a better idea of the weather and our decision-making with water-related things,” Lopez Miranda said. “I feel like we’re making better decisions now with all the information we’re getting, so you don’t feel like you’re gambling anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991147\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL.jpg\" alt=\"Five people look up toward an overcast sky with vehicles behind them.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-30-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Morgan points upward at a weather balloon while Adolfo Lopez Miranda (right) and a group of docents look up to spot it in the clouds. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Scripps balloon project has helped close the gap in knowledge of how a storm will progress, said Lopez-Miranda, who started as an intern with the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These real-time weather observations provide insights into the potential behavior of future storms made more intense by human-caused climate change, said Chad Hecht, a meteorologist at the Centre for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of research that still needs to be done using this data, but what we are seeing is an exacerbation of that feast or famine hydroclimate in California,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991150\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A person looks at a computer screen with green, red, and blue lines on a graph.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-38-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Morgan, an engineer with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, looks at a program that follows the location of the weather balloon launched into an atmospheric river-fueled storm. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the pace of human-caused climate change speeding up, the frequency of storms could increase. A study from June 2022 by Bay Area scientists found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983299/san-franciscos-aging-infrastructure-isnt-ready-for-its-wetter-future\">these deluges from the sky could become up to 37% wetter by the end of the century\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our infrastructure is not designed for these big storms, and we’re never going to be able to design it to handle them,” said Kris May, founder of the Pathways Climate Institute, a San Francisco-based consulting firm behind the study. “We’re gonna see more areas that flood that have never flooded before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991146\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991146\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A white balloon with a string hanging from it floats in the sky with clouds behind it.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240112-ARBalloons-27-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A weather balloon launched by Adolfo Lopez Miranda and Jacob Morgan heads toward an atmospheric river-fueled storm. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hecht said data collected by these balloon launches and aircraft is only “scratching the surface” of the knowledge needed to understand future weather intensifying because of climate change. Still, in the immediate, the new precipitation information is helping forecasters better inform people and water managers how to prepare for storms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To optimize water operations, we need to have the best precipitation forecast as possible because we want to store as much water as possible, but we also don’t want to store too much that leads to flooding impacts,” he said. “We can better prepare, whether that’s going to be on the impactful or beneficial end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Californians Eager for Human Composting After They Die",
"headTitle": "Californians Eager for Human Composting After They Die | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>When Dennis Cunningham was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted his death to reflect the values he lived by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A committed civil rights lawyer, he defended the Black Panthers, AIDS protestors, and later, environmental activists from Earth First. In his spare time, he built sculptures out of driftwood, bottle caps, and rusted car parts in his backyard studio in Bernal Heights.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Miranda Mellis, Dennis Cunningham’s daughter\"]‘It was totally in keeping with who he was to not make waste, but to use waste.’[/pullquote]He wanted his body to be part of that same cycle of decay and regeneration. He instructed his kids to have him composted after he died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was totally in keeping with who he was to not make waste, but to use waste,” said Cunningham’s daughter, Miranda Mellis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Cunningham, being turned into soil and spread on the forest floor to fertilize new trees was much more appealing than being burned to ash or entombed in a concrete vault underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Likewise, a growing number of Americans are eager to see more environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional burial and cremation. Human composting is the latest option, though the number of facilities and states that offer it are scarce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s literally illegal to compost a body in the state of California,” said Joe Mellis, Cunningham’s son. “We had to transport his body from California to Washington to do this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven states have legalized human composting to date, including Washington, Colorado, Nevada and New York. It took California lawmakers three tries to pass a law to do the same, but it won’t take effect until 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991119\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991119\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person smiles and holds a pot in their hands in front of a brightly painted building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katrina Spade, founder and CEO of Recompose, in front of the company’s Seattle facility holding a box of soil that was once a human at Recompose Seattle on Oct. 06, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. \u003ccite>(Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cunningham ended up at Recompose, a human composting facility in Seattle. Founder and CEO Katrina Spade said about 15% of their clients are shipped from California and another 14% from other states.[aside label='More Stories on Health' tag='health']“We pick them up at Sea-Tac,” she said about the Seattle-Tacoma airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walking into the lobby of Recompose is like walking into a spa. Meditation music whispers from hidden speakers. Living art tapestries decorate the walls; earthy green and yellow shades cover the windows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the light comes through, we hope it reminds you of the forest light,” Spade said as she toured the gathering space where families can hold ceremonies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The science of human composting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The composting itself happens in a cavernous warehouse in the back that Spade calls the greenhouse. She describes the smell alternately as that of a grassy meadow after a rain and a barnyard. Inside are 34 white hexagonal cylinders, or individual vessels, stacked on top of each other in the shape of a beehive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a new body comes in, the staff lay it in one of the vessels on a bed of wood chips, alfalfa, and straw, Spade said, then they cover it with more of the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A pile of hay sits on a bed inside an opening in a wall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mannequin covered in wood chips and straw rests inside the Threshold Vessel at Recompose Seattle on Oct. 06, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. \u003ccite>(Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The idea to me of being cocooned in that plant material, it’s very safe feeling,” Spade said. “If you were alive, it would probably be a little itchy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wrapped in that cocoon, the microbes and bacteria go to work on the body, naturally raising the temperature inside the vessel to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Under\u003ca href=\"https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=308-47-065\"> Washington state regulations\u003c/a>, natural heat has to be sustained for three straight days to kill off any pathogens.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Katrina Spade, founder and CEO, Recompose\"]‘The idea to me of being cocooned in that plant material, it’s very safe feeling.’[/pullquote]“Seven or eight years I’ve been doing this, and still, when I see that temperature spike, I think, ‘Holy mackerel!’” Spade said, channeling her inner 8th-grade science fair nerd. “It just feels like some sort of miracle, even though it is nature.”\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The body stays in the vessel for about 30 to 40 days. Every week or so, the staff rotate it to let air through, and the body transforms and consolidates into a cubic yard of dark brown dirt, enough to fill the bed of a pickup truck. The staff removes any titanium hips or knees left over in the process, then grinds the bones down to sand and mixes them back in with the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The process takes about two months altogether and costs about \u003ca href=\"https://recompose.life/death-care/#pricing\">$7,000\u003c/a> — about twice the cost of cremation but half that of conventional burial. Environmentally, Spade said composting is way better than both, citing internal company research that shows it saves more than a metric ton of carbon compared to the alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Inspiration and opposition to human composting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During the deadliest period of the COVID-19 pandemic, so many people were being cremated in California, and the emissions violated local air district rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is one of the factors that inspired Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, to carry a bill to legalize human composting in California,\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351\"> AB 351\u003c/a>. It passed the state legislature in 2022 but won’t take effect until 2027 to give regulatory agencies time to prepare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991116\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A room with a large stretcher-like device in it.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Recompose Gathering Space is where the laying-in (funeral) ceremony takes place. The body, shrouded in natural cloth, lies on a dark green bed called the cradle. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The pandemic exacerbated the situation and reminded us of the importance of the choices we make throughout our life cycle,” Garcia told KQED after the bill was signed into law. “It added a sense of urgency of why this needed to be a reality sooner than later here in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garcia’s effort was the third time lawmakers tried to pass the bill. It was held up mainly due to administrative logjams, as the opposition to human composting was minimal and tepid.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Assemblymember Cristina Garcia\"]‘The pandemic exacerbated the situation and reminded us of the importance of the choices we make throughout our life cycle. It added a sense of urgency of why this needed to be a reality sooner than later here in California.’[/pullquote]“I find this bill disgusting and I completely oppose it,” said Serea Abdosh, a 19-year-old student and one of a handful of residents who lodged objections at state legislative hearings in the spring of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Catholic Conference also raised concerns about the safety of composted human remains, pointing out that supporters of the bill relied on just one small, non-peer-reviewed study from Recompose to contend that all toxic elements of the body, like dental implants or chemotherapy treatments, were properly eliminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bishops also argued that composting a human body and scattering the remains was undignified. It “risks people treading over human remains without their knowledge,” the Catholic Conference wrote in a statement, “while repeated dispersions in the same area are tantamount to a mass grave.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recompose’s Spade countered by saying her company has composted many Catholics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had priests bless the body before,” she said. “We’ve had priests bless the soil after.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rabbis have also considered how human composting can comply with Jewish death care rituals, and “some are even creating liturgy, or creating words to say around these kinds of processes,” according to Courtney Applewhite, who studied death and grief during her doctoral research at UC Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rituals after composting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Composting certainly affected the grieving process for Joe and Miranda Mellis after their dad died. Most of his soil was spread on the floor of a forest in Southwest Washington. Another portion went under a beloved hemlock tree on his family’s land in Michigan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the kids kept some compost for themselves. Joe has a box in his home office in Los Angeles. Miranda buried some in the woods behind her house in Olympia. In \u003ca href=\"https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=308-47A-020\">Washington\u003c/a>, human compost can be spread anywhere as long as \u003ca href=\"https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=308-47A-020\">the landowner says it’s OK\u003c/a>. California plans to \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351\">follow suit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A vibrant forest scene.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bells Mountain Forest is a permanently protected natural wilderness. The stewards of Bells Mountain use the soil donated by the Recompose community to revitalize wetlands, riparian habitats, local plants and vulnerable wildlife species. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This tree is a vine maple,” Miranda said as she dodged a spider web and ducked under the low, thin, mossy branches arching out in all directions, a spot she chose because it feels “parental.”[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Miranda Mellis, Dennis Cunningham’s daughter\"]‘I meditate here, and sometimes I talk to him here. I think of this as like a telephone booth to the afterworld. I can just hear him as if he’s sitting right next to me.’[/pullquote]She kneeled next to a little altar she built over the roots, tending a small bowl of rocks and shells her father collected and a jagged crystal surrounded by a ring of pinecones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I meditate here, and sometimes I talk to him here. I think of this as like a telephone booth to the afterworld,” she said. “I can just hear him as if he’s sitting right next to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having her father here, the sense of his body giving back to the earth, it all somehow mitigated the pain of the loss, she said. It made her less afraid of her own mortality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After all of this, I thought, ‘I think I want to do it, too,’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Miranda and Joe say they also want to be composted when they die.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California legalized human composting in 2022, but the law won’t take effect until 2027. This San Francisco man didn’t want to wait.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When Dennis Cunningham was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted his death to reflect the values he lived by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A committed civil rights lawyer, he defended the Black Panthers, AIDS protestors, and later, environmental activists from Earth First. In his spare time, he built sculptures out of driftwood, bottle caps, and rusted car parts in his backyard studio in Bernal Heights.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He wanted his body to be part of that same cycle of decay and regeneration. He instructed his kids to have him composted after he died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was totally in keeping with who he was to not make waste, but to use waste,” said Cunningham’s daughter, Miranda Mellis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Cunningham, being turned into soil and spread on the forest floor to fertilize new trees was much more appealing than being burned to ash or entombed in a concrete vault underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Likewise, a growing number of Americans are eager to see more environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional burial and cremation. Human composting is the latest option, though the number of facilities and states that offer it are scarce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s literally illegal to compost a body in the state of California,” said Joe Mellis, Cunningham’s son. “We had to transport his body from California to Washington to do this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven states have legalized human composting to date, including Washington, Colorado, Nevada and New York. It took California lawmakers three tries to pass a law to do the same, but it won’t take effect until 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991119\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991119\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person smiles and holds a pot in their hands in front of a brightly painted building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katrina Spade, founder and CEO of Recompose, in front of the company’s Seattle facility holding a box of soil that was once a human at Recompose Seattle on Oct. 06, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. \u003ccite>(Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cunningham ended up at Recompose, a human composting facility in Seattle. Founder and CEO Katrina Spade said about 15% of their clients are shipped from California and another 14% from other states.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We pick them up at Sea-Tac,” she said about the Seattle-Tacoma airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walking into the lobby of Recompose is like walking into a spa. Meditation music whispers from hidden speakers. Living art tapestries decorate the walls; earthy green and yellow shades cover the windows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the light comes through, we hope it reminds you of the forest light,” Spade said as she toured the gathering space where families can hold ceremonies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The science of human composting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The composting itself happens in a cavernous warehouse in the back that Spade calls the greenhouse. She describes the smell alternately as that of a grassy meadow after a rain and a barnyard. Inside are 34 white hexagonal cylinders, or individual vessels, stacked on top of each other in the shape of a beehive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a new body comes in, the staff lay it in one of the vessels on a bed of wood chips, alfalfa, and straw, Spade said, then they cover it with more of the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A pile of hay sits on a bed inside an opening in a wall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-MH-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mannequin covered in wood chips and straw rests inside the Threshold Vessel at Recompose Seattle on Oct. 06, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. \u003ccite>(Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The idea to me of being cocooned in that plant material, it’s very safe feeling,” Spade said. “If you were alive, it would probably be a little itchy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wrapped in that cocoon, the microbes and bacteria go to work on the body, naturally raising the temperature inside the vessel to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Under\u003ca href=\"https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=308-47-065\"> Washington state regulations\u003c/a>, natural heat has to be sustained for three straight days to kill off any pathogens.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Seven or eight years I’ve been doing this, and still, when I see that temperature spike, I think, ‘Holy mackerel!’” Spade said, channeling her inner 8th-grade science fair nerd. “It just feels like some sort of miracle, even though it is nature.”\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The body stays in the vessel for about 30 to 40 days. Every week or so, the staff rotate it to let air through, and the body transforms and consolidates into a cubic yard of dark brown dirt, enough to fill the bed of a pickup truck. The staff removes any titanium hips or knees left over in the process, then grinds the bones down to sand and mixes them back in with the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The process takes about two months altogether and costs about \u003ca href=\"https://recompose.life/death-care/#pricing\">$7,000\u003c/a> — about twice the cost of cremation but half that of conventional burial. Environmentally, Spade said composting is way better than both, citing internal company research that shows it saves more than a metric ton of carbon compared to the alternatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Inspiration and opposition to human composting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During the deadliest period of the COVID-19 pandemic, so many people were being cremated in California, and the emissions violated local air district rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is one of the factors that inspired Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, to carry a bill to legalize human composting in California,\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351\"> AB 351\u003c/a>. It passed the state legislature in 2022 but won’t take effect until 2027 to give regulatory agencies time to prepare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991116\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A room with a large stretcher-like device in it.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-05-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Recompose Gathering Space is where the laying-in (funeral) ceremony takes place. The body, shrouded in natural cloth, lies on a dark green bed called the cradle. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The pandemic exacerbated the situation and reminded us of the importance of the choices we make throughout our life cycle,” Garcia told KQED after the bill was signed into law. “It added a sense of urgency of why this needed to be a reality sooner than later here in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garcia’s effort was the third time lawmakers tried to pass the bill. It was held up mainly due to administrative logjams, as the opposition to human composting was minimal and tepid.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘The pandemic exacerbated the situation and reminded us of the importance of the choices we make throughout our life cycle. It added a sense of urgency of why this needed to be a reality sooner than later here in California.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I find this bill disgusting and I completely oppose it,” said Serea Abdosh, a 19-year-old student and one of a handful of residents who lodged objections at state legislative hearings in the spring of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Catholic Conference also raised concerns about the safety of composted human remains, pointing out that supporters of the bill relied on just one small, non-peer-reviewed study from Recompose to contend that all toxic elements of the body, like dental implants or chemotherapy treatments, were properly eliminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bishops also argued that composting a human body and scattering the remains was undignified. It “risks people treading over human remains without their knowledge,” the Catholic Conference wrote in a statement, “while repeated dispersions in the same area are tantamount to a mass grave.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recompose’s Spade countered by saying her company has composted many Catholics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had priests bless the body before,” she said. “We’ve had priests bless the soil after.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rabbis have also considered how human composting can comply with Jewish death care rituals, and “some are even creating liturgy, or creating words to say around these kinds of processes,” according to Courtney Applewhite, who studied death and grief during her doctoral research at UC Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rituals after composting\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Composting certainly affected the grieving process for Joe and Miranda Mellis after their dad died. Most of his soil was spread on the floor of a forest in Southwest Washington. Another portion went under a beloved hemlock tree on his family’s land in Michigan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the kids kept some compost for themselves. Joe has a box in his home office in Los Angeles. Miranda buried some in the woods behind her house in Olympia. In \u003ca href=\"https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=308-47A-020\">Washington\u003c/a>, human compost can be spread anywhere as long as \u003ca href=\"https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=308-47A-020\">the landowner says it’s OK\u003c/a>. California plans to \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351\">follow suit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A vibrant forest scene.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/231211-RECOMPOSE-GETTY-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bells Mountain Forest is a permanently protected natural wilderness. The stewards of Bells Mountain use the soil donated by the Recompose community to revitalize wetlands, riparian habitats, local plants and vulnerable wildlife species. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Recompose)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This tree is a vine maple,” Miranda said as she dodged a spider web and ducked under the low, thin, mossy branches arching out in all directions, a spot she chose because it feels “parental.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She kneeled next to a little altar she built over the roots, tending a small bowl of rocks and shells her father collected and a jagged crystal surrounded by a ring of pinecones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I meditate here, and sometimes I talk to him here. I think of this as like a telephone booth to the afterworld,” she said. “I can just hear him as if he’s sitting right next to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having her father here, the sense of his body giving back to the earth, it all somehow mitigated the pain of the loss, she said. It made her less afraid of her own mortality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After all of this, I thought, ‘I think I want to do it, too,’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Miranda and Joe say they also want to be composted when they die.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ever wonder how those tiny, jumpy flies got onto your bathroom wall? Well, they came out of your sink drain after growing up down in the pipes. A goofy, long “mustache,” fuzzy wings and some aquabatics help them survive in that soggy environment.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>TRANSCRIPT\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Ever wonder where those little insects crawling around your bathroom came from? Bad news: your drain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With all that fluffy hair, it looks like a tiny moth. And some do call it a moth fly. But a fly it is … a drain fly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s called \u003cem>Clogmia \u003c/em>– how appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It grew up over several weeks, out of sight, among things you thought you’d washed away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drain flies sneak in from the outside, through a crack in an old pipe, for example, to sip some water they sensed with this long mustache – their maxillary palps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And here, on the plentiful gunk in your pipes, they’ll grow a family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Welcome, little one! The larva is the length of an eyelash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That gunk it lives in? Those are bits of you: hair, saliva and food. They make a nice meal for bacteria and fungi, which form this dark, living slime called a biofilm. This is what the larvae feed on. It also keeps them well moisturized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the larva ends up submerged, it can still chow down. It sweeps slime particles out of the water with a hairy mouthpart called the labrum and rakes them in with its mandibles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Underwater, it breathes with a bubble on its backside that it collected at the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This allows it to venture through deep pools in your pipes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When larvae, or the more grown-up pupae, like this guy here, end up in a toilet bowl, it can be a shock. You might think the squigglers came out of you. Ew! Don’t worry – they can’t live inside us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though the drain flies in your bathroom muck around in bacteria, they don’t really spread it to humans. They’re not interested in landing on us. Or even leaving the bathroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re in their happy place. When you wash your hands? They protect themselves from the water with their hairy wings. Each hair has ridges that trap air so the drops roll right off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if they’re caught off-guard by a sudden surge, the flies skate across.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they’re not invincible: When they get trapped underwater long enough, they can drown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you find you really need to get rid of them, drain cleaner helps, but it won’t keep them away forever. There’ll always be some slime left behind, deep in your pipes, that could attract the flies again. So, if they want it, why not let ‘em have it?\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ever wonder how those tiny, jumpy flies got onto your bathroom wall? Well, they came out of your sink drain after growing up down in the pipes. A goofy, long “mustache,” fuzzy wings and some aquabatics help them survive in that soggy environment.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>TRANSCRIPT\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Ever wonder where those little insects crawling around your bathroom came from? Bad news: your drain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With all that fluffy hair, it looks like a tiny moth. And some do call it a moth fly. But a fly it is … a drain fly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s called \u003cem>Clogmia \u003c/em>– how appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It grew up over several weeks, out of sight, among things you thought you’d washed away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drain flies sneak in from the outside, through a crack in an old pipe, for example, to sip some water they sensed with this long mustache – their maxillary palps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And here, on the plentiful gunk in your pipes, they’ll grow a family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Welcome, little one! The larva is the length of an eyelash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That gunk it lives in? Those are bits of you: hair, saliva and food. They make a nice meal for bacteria and fungi, which form this dark, living slime called a biofilm. This is what the larvae feed on. It also keeps them well moisturized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the larva ends up submerged, it can still chow down. It sweeps slime particles out of the water with a hairy mouthpart called the labrum and rakes them in with its mandibles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Underwater, it breathes with a bubble on its backside that it collected at the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This allows it to venture through deep pools in your pipes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When larvae, or the more grown-up pupae, like this guy here, end up in a toilet bowl, it can be a shock. You might think the squigglers came out of you. Ew! Don’t worry – they can’t live inside us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though the drain flies in your bathroom muck around in bacteria, they don’t really spread it to humans. They’re not interested in landing on us. Or even leaving the bathroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re in their happy place. When you wash your hands? They protect themselves from the water with their hairy wings. Each hair has ridges that trap air so the drops roll right off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if they’re caught off-guard by a sudden surge, the flies skate across.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they’re not invincible: When they get trapped underwater long enough, they can drown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you find you really need to get rid of them, drain cleaner helps, but it won’t keep them away forever. There’ll always be some slime left behind, deep in your pipes, that could attract the flies again. So, if they want it, why not let ‘em have it?\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Experts Unsure If California Avalanches Will Worsen With Climate Change",
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"content": "\u003cp>As a popular Tahoe ski resort digs out from a tragedy that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972303/one-dead-following-avalanche-at-palisades-tahoe\">killed a skier\u003c/a> and buried several others, scientists said predicting how the warming planet will affect avalanches in California is elusive at best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just after lifts opened on Wednesday, an avalanche tore through the Palisades Tahoe ski resort, creating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?id=100064556774669&story_fbid=790665709761981\">10-foot-deep debris field\u003c/a> that stretched 450 feet long and 150 feet wide. A second avalanche struck in neighboring Alpine Meadows this afternoon, although no one was injured. The U.S. Forest Service and ski resorts take steps to forecast and \u003ca href=\"https://dot.alaska.gov/stwdmno/documents/History_Military_Weapons_Avalanche.pdf\">prevent dangerous slides (PDF)\u003c/a>, and avalanche \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.state.co.us/accidents/us\">fatalities at ski resorts\u003c/a> remain rare: Before this week, the last one in California was four years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11972210,news_11972320 label='More on the Avalanche in Palisades']But what can California’s skiers and snowboarders expect as Sierra Nevada snow patterns become unpredictable due to climate change? Experts say understanding the effects on avalanches is tricky: Climate change is not just a matter of warming temperatures but also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-2/\">altered patterns in storms and snow cover\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An array of factors such as wind, rain, previous snowpack and temperatures can all enter into the equation of what causes a mass of snow to slide down a mountain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are humans working in a natural world. And so everybody does the best they can,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.inscc.utah.edu/~steenburgh/home/\">Jim Steenburgh\u003c/a>, a University of Utah professor of atmospheric sciences and author of the book \u003cem>Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The circumstances that lead to avalanches are multifaceted, Steenburgh said: a weak layer in the snowpack, a steep slope and a trigger — usually people on the slope. The frequency of human-triggered avalanches in the future will largely depend on how many skiers and snowboarders recreate in risky backcountry areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That also means untangling the effects of climate change is especially difficult, or “elusive,” as \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.639433/full\">one team of scientists said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, researchers are making a few predictions. Lower-elevation areas that see less snow in a warmer future \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2107306118\">may see fewer avalanches\u003c/a>, but higher elevations could see more intense storms and the potential effects on avalanches there are uncertain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/04_SROCC_Ch02_FINAL.pdf\">reported (PDF)\u003c/a> in 2019 that there was medium evidence for less avalanche hazards at lower elevations and mixed changes at higher elevations. Though the report predicted an increase in avalanches involving wet snow, they found “no clear direction of trend for overall avalanche activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Avalanches involving wet snow could increase — as could conditions where scarce snow and cold, clear weather combine to cause persistent weak layers in the snowpack, creating “a major threat to recreationists,” a team of researchers from Switzerland, Italy and the U.S. wrote in a 2021 review paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trauma and injuries could rise as snowpacks dwindle, with less snow to cushion blows from the terrain. And wetter avalanches could also increase buried victims’ risk of suffocation in the higher-density snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There will be a higher risk of disastrous events where poorly managed winter tourism activities, transportation routes, and exploitation of natural resources lead to increases in exposure,” the international study said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=science_1939719 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/03/iStock-161822125.jpg']Mixed findings also were reported on other mountain ranges around the planet. Climate warming was \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1716913115\">linked to an increase in wet snow avalanches\u003c/a> in the Western Himalayas — which the researchers said “contradict the intuitive notion that warming results in less snow, and thus lower avalanche activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But three years later, another team \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2107306118\">found\u003c/a> that the number and magnitude of avalanches dropped substantially at low-to-medium elevations of the Vosges Mountains in northeast France as snow became scarce. They predicted that the increases observed in the Alps and Himalayas “will eventually vanish as warming will become more pronounced to reduce snow cover at increasingly higher elevations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Reitzell, president of Ski California, a trade association of 36 ski areas in California and Nevada, said ski resorts in avalanche-prone terrain already have programs to reduce the dangers – regardless of the impacts of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The slope angles aren’t going to change with climate change,” Reitzell said. “The type of snowpack that there is, whether it’s a wet snow versus a drier snow, those are things they would already be analyzing anyway.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Dangerous avalanche conditions’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ski resorts have long used explosives and artillery to trigger avalanches and remove the mass of snow before it can produce avalanches that are dangerous to visitors. “This greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the avalanche threat,” Steenburgh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the deadly event on Wednesday, the Sierra Avalanche Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/central-sierra-nevada\">forecasted\u003c/a> a “considerable” risk of avalanches in the Central Sierra Nevada backcountry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Dangerous avalanche conditions will continue today. New snow and high winds have \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observations/signs-of-instability-red-flags/heavy-snowfall-or-rain/loading-loading-rate/\">loaded\u003c/a> existing weak \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snow-layer/\">layers\u003c/a> in our snowpack. Large avalanches are the main concern today, failing well below our recent storm snow. High winds will also continue to create \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/slab/\">slabs\u003c/a> of wind-blown snow in exposed areas,” the center reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2024/01/12/experts-unsure-if-california-avalanches-will-worsen-with-climate-changes/011024-palisades-avalanche-ap-cm-03/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1991099\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991099\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03.jpg\" alt=\"Two people ski past the bottom of a lift in snowy conditions\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People snowshoe next to a ski lift at Palisades Tahoe on Jan. 10, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Palisades Tahoe said the cause of the avalanche was \u003ca href=\"https://blog.palisadestahoe.com/operations/incident-update/\">under investigation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The resort had already seen a smattering of storms in the months before. Then the wind picked up on Monday night, and light snow started Wednesday morning before the avalanche occurred, according to Chris Johnston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada. The storm dropped about 14 inches of snow on \u003ca href=\"https://www.palisadestahoe.com/mountain-information/snow-and-weather\">the resort’s upper mountain area over 24 hours\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The avalanche occurred just minutes after the resort opened on a steep, black diamond run made famous during \u003ca href=\"https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/squaw-valley-1960\">the 1960 Olympics’ alpine skiing events\u003c/a> at the resort, then called Squaw Valley. It was the first day the famed KT-22 lift had opened for the season. While Palisades \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972320/palisades-tahoe-ski-resort-reopens-in-wake-of-deadly-avalanche\">reopened\u003c/a> on Thursday, KT-22 and nine other lifts \u003ca href=\"https://www.palisadestahoe.com/mountain-information/lift-and-grooming-status\">remained closed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sjsu.edu/people/craig.clements/\">Craig Clements\u003c/a>, a San Jose State University chair and professor of meteorology who teaches a mountain meteorology class that covers avalanche mechanics, said conditions were primed for an avalanche because high winds transported snow to form a thick slab atop weak layers of snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have a weak shear zone there, and so basically, all that new snow can slide … you just need to trigger it,” Clements said. “And then it will slide downslope — and that is dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Predicting the effects of climate change on avalanches is elusive and multi-faceted. Lower-elevation areas may see fewer avalanches, but uncertainties remain about higher elevations.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As a popular Tahoe ski resort digs out from a tragedy that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972303/one-dead-following-avalanche-at-palisades-tahoe\">killed a skier\u003c/a> and buried several others, scientists said predicting how the warming planet will affect avalanches in California is elusive at best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just after lifts opened on Wednesday, an avalanche tore through the Palisades Tahoe ski resort, creating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?id=100064556774669&story_fbid=790665709761981\">10-foot-deep debris field\u003c/a> that stretched 450 feet long and 150 feet wide. A second avalanche struck in neighboring Alpine Meadows this afternoon, although no one was injured. The U.S. Forest Service and ski resorts take steps to forecast and \u003ca href=\"https://dot.alaska.gov/stwdmno/documents/History_Military_Weapons_Avalanche.pdf\">prevent dangerous slides (PDF)\u003c/a>, and avalanche \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.state.co.us/accidents/us\">fatalities at ski resorts\u003c/a> remain rare: Before this week, the last one in California was four years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But what can California’s skiers and snowboarders expect as Sierra Nevada snow patterns become unpredictable due to climate change? Experts say understanding the effects on avalanches is tricky: Climate change is not just a matter of warming temperatures but also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-2/\">altered patterns in storms and snow cover\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An array of factors such as wind, rain, previous snowpack and temperatures can all enter into the equation of what causes a mass of snow to slide down a mountain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are humans working in a natural world. And so everybody does the best they can,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.inscc.utah.edu/~steenburgh/home/\">Jim Steenburgh\u003c/a>, a University of Utah professor of atmospheric sciences and author of the book \u003cem>Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The circumstances that lead to avalanches are multifaceted, Steenburgh said: a weak layer in the snowpack, a steep slope and a trigger — usually people on the slope. The frequency of human-triggered avalanches in the future will largely depend on how many skiers and snowboarders recreate in risky backcountry areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That also means untangling the effects of climate change is especially difficult, or “elusive,” as \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.639433/full\">one team of scientists said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, researchers are making a few predictions. Lower-elevation areas that see less snow in a warmer future \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2107306118\">may see fewer avalanches\u003c/a>, but higher elevations could see more intense storms and the potential effects on avalanches there are uncertain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/04_SROCC_Ch02_FINAL.pdf\">reported (PDF)\u003c/a> in 2019 that there was medium evidence for less avalanche hazards at lower elevations and mixed changes at higher elevations. Though the report predicted an increase in avalanches involving wet snow, they found “no clear direction of trend for overall avalanche activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Avalanches involving wet snow could increase — as could conditions where scarce snow and cold, clear weather combine to cause persistent weak layers in the snowpack, creating “a major threat to recreationists,” a team of researchers from Switzerland, Italy and the U.S. wrote in a 2021 review paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trauma and injuries could rise as snowpacks dwindle, with less snow to cushion blows from the terrain. And wetter avalanches could also increase buried victims’ risk of suffocation in the higher-density snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There will be a higher risk of disastrous events where poorly managed winter tourism activities, transportation routes, and exploitation of natural resources lead to increases in exposure,” the international study said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Mixed findings also were reported on other mountain ranges around the planet. Climate warming was \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1716913115\">linked to an increase in wet snow avalanches\u003c/a> in the Western Himalayas — which the researchers said “contradict the intuitive notion that warming results in less snow, and thus lower avalanche activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But three years later, another team \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2107306118\">found\u003c/a> that the number and magnitude of avalanches dropped substantially at low-to-medium elevations of the Vosges Mountains in northeast France as snow became scarce. They predicted that the increases observed in the Alps and Himalayas “will eventually vanish as warming will become more pronounced to reduce snow cover at increasingly higher elevations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Reitzell, president of Ski California, a trade association of 36 ski areas in California and Nevada, said ski resorts in avalanche-prone terrain already have programs to reduce the dangers – regardless of the impacts of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The slope angles aren’t going to change with climate change,” Reitzell said. “The type of snowpack that there is, whether it’s a wet snow versus a drier snow, those are things they would already be analyzing anyway.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Dangerous avalanche conditions’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ski resorts have long used explosives and artillery to trigger avalanches and remove the mass of snow before it can produce avalanches that are dangerous to visitors. “This greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the avalanche threat,” Steenburgh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the deadly event on Wednesday, the Sierra Avalanche Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/central-sierra-nevada\">forecasted\u003c/a> a “considerable” risk of avalanches in the Central Sierra Nevada backcountry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Dangerous avalanche conditions will continue today. New snow and high winds have \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observations/signs-of-instability-red-flags/heavy-snowfall-or-rain/loading-loading-rate/\">loaded\u003c/a> existing weak \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snow-layer/\">layers\u003c/a> in our snowpack. Large avalanches are the main concern today, failing well below our recent storm snow. High winds will also continue to create \u003ca href=\"https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/slab/\">slabs\u003c/a> of wind-blown snow in exposed areas,” the center reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1991099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2024/01/12/experts-unsure-if-california-avalanches-will-worsen-with-climate-changes/011024-palisades-avalanche-ap-cm-03/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1991099\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1991099\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03.jpg\" alt=\"Two people ski past the bottom of a lift in snowy conditions\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/011024-Palisades-Avalanche-AP-CM-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People snowshoe next to a ski lift at Palisades Tahoe on Jan. 10, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Palisades Tahoe said the cause of the avalanche was \u003ca href=\"https://blog.palisadestahoe.com/operations/incident-update/\">under investigation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The resort had already seen a smattering of storms in the months before. Then the wind picked up on Monday night, and light snow started Wednesday morning before the avalanche occurred, according to Chris Johnston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada. The storm dropped about 14 inches of snow on \u003ca href=\"https://www.palisadestahoe.com/mountain-information/snow-and-weather\">the resort’s upper mountain area over 24 hours\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The avalanche occurred just minutes after the resort opened on a steep, black diamond run made famous during \u003ca href=\"https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/squaw-valley-1960\">the 1960 Olympics’ alpine skiing events\u003c/a> at the resort, then called Squaw Valley. It was the first day the famed KT-22 lift had opened for the season. While Palisades \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972320/palisades-tahoe-ski-resort-reopens-in-wake-of-deadly-avalanche\">reopened\u003c/a> on Thursday, KT-22 and nine other lifts \u003ca href=\"https://www.palisadestahoe.com/mountain-information/lift-and-grooming-status\">remained closed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sjsu.edu/people/craig.clements/\">Craig Clements\u003c/a>, a San Jose State University chair and professor of meteorology who teaches a mountain meteorology class that covers avalanche mechanics, said conditions were primed for an avalanche because high winds transported snow to form a thick slab atop weak layers of snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have a weak shear zone there, and so basically, all that new snow can slide … you just need to trigger it,” Clements said. “And then it will slide downslope — and that is dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "One Mother's Struggle to Prevent Suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge",
"headTitle": "One Mother’s Struggle to Prevent Suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Golden Gate Bridge officials \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971560/san-francisco-finally-installs-suicide-prevention-nets-on-golden-gate-bridge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971560/san-francisco-finally-installs-suicide-prevention-nets-on-golden-gate-bridge\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">have finally installed a stainless steel suicide deterrent net\u003c/a> that extends 1.7 miles along the west and east sides of the bridge. It looks like a chain link fence suspended 20 feet below the pedestrian walkway, connected to the iconic reddish-orange beams of the bridge. The project cost $224 million, and city officials approved it more than a decade ago after years of pushing from suicide prevention advocates. After years of meetings and delays, the advocate’s dreams are a reality. What follows is the story of one family’s struggle and contains the description of suicide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael James Bishop pulled out of his garage on Pine Street in San Francisco around 8:45 a.m. on March 28, 2011. He drove his gray Honda to the parking lot at the Golden Gate Bridge. He scrawled a detailed suicide note and laid it on the passenger seat of his car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sun was shining for the first time in weeks. It was 51 degrees outside. The 28-year-old with brown curly hair, green eyes and silver-rimmed glasses stepped out of his car and walked to the middle of the bridge. Then Bishop turned toward San Francisco and leaped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A motorist who was driving by happened to see my son go over the rail,” said Kay James, Bishop’s mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Swirling ocean waters with nets in foreground seen from above, on a bridge.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Waves crash below the Golden Gate Bridge’s new safety net on Jan. 5, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A half-hour later, U.S. Coast Guard workers recovered his body in the swirling waters below the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When James received a call from the sheriff, she was shocked. “That he would kill himself — never entered my mind. He was so sweet. He was a very gentle young man.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her son had a lot going for him. He was in a relationship with a woman he adored. He played the violin in an orchestra. He was on tap to start a new job at an environmental fund. In fact, that fatal day was supposed to be his first day at work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he’d struggled with depression in the past, and he was overwhelmed. The suicide note said, “I’m so sorry. I just can’t handle things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just felt so devastated,” James said. “You feel like your world is coming to an end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1986047\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1986047\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedestrians and the recently installed safety net on the Golden Gate Bridge on Jan. 5, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her son’s computer history revealed he had researched the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s an iconic landmark, but it’s also a lethal one. Since 1937, about 2000 people have leaped over the guardrail — an average of two to three people a month. Bishop was one of 37 people who jumped to their deaths in 2011.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years that followed, James tirelessly advocated for a deterrent net. When she first started attending meetings before the transit district board of directors, she said they were not convinced a barrier was necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But, when they heard from the families of loved ones, they were very moved, and they changed their minds,” James said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why people choose the Golden Gate Bridge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The stunning location is commonly thought to be one reason why people jump from the magnificent structure into the crashing waves below. But mental health experts say the view is not the draw — instead, accessibility is usually the primary driver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972469\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972469\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240109-BridgeSafetyNet-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Old photos of a mother and son on a wall. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photos of Kay James and her son Michael Bishop hang on the wall of her home in Moraga on Jan. 9, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People who have attempted suicide will say that they felt more comfortable with a given method,” said Matthew Nock, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, “They were comfortable jumping off a bridge, whereas they were afraid to hang themselves or take an overdose, or they didn’t have access to a firearm.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Golden Gate Bridge is the perfect target,” said Mel Blaustein, a psychiatrist at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco who has \u003ca href=\"https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09020296\">researched\u003c/a> bridge suicides for many years. “There’s a parking lot, and there’s a bus that takes you there. It’s easy and fast. And when I say fast, it takes four seconds to hit the water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11971560 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/AP23355641681751-1020x680.jpg']One jumper \u003ca href=\"https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09020296\">reportedly\u003c/a> left a note on the bridge reading, “Why do you make it so easy?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The net is intended to make people rethink their decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s pretty universal agreement that if we know that people are going to try and kill themselves by jumping off a specific bridge, then it’s ethical, reasonable, and clinically wise to put up a netting and prevent those suicides because some percentage of folks who are deterred are never going to try and kill themselves again,” Nock said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A UC Berkeley researcher in the 1970s followed people after they had been stopped on the bridge during a suicide attempt, publishing the findings in a landmark \u003ca href=\"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.goldengate.org/assets/1/6/suicide-deterrent-seiden-study.pdf__;!!Iwwt!WQL2fS495XM_tK3zg56PranBFZsA2LlOqkQexKhe-RTXTTHKT0brzzUEv6qYoRpvUt7i4DAo4Rpn2w%24\">study (PDF)\u003c/a>. The vast majority of people did not go on to die by suicide somewhere else, even years later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For some people, suicide is impulsive,” Nock said. “If they’re stopped from making a suicide, they may never make a suicide attempt again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972468\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972468\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240108-BridgeSafetyNet-61-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A memorial to suicides with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A memorial for those who have died on the Golden Gate Bridge covers a fence at Fort Point in San Francisco on Jan. 8, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kay James wished a net would have deterred her son Michael. She has talked to people who survived suicide attempts at the Golden Gate. They told her they regretted their decision the minute they let go of the guardrail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s really hard for me because I think, ‘If only he would have had a second chance.’ And, of course, with a net, you definitely have a second chance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the \u003ca href=\"https://988lifeline.org/\">Suicide & Crisis Lifeline\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Golden Gate Bridge officials \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971560/san-francisco-finally-installs-suicide-prevention-nets-on-golden-gate-bridge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971560/san-francisco-finally-installs-suicide-prevention-nets-on-golden-gate-bridge\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">have finally installed a stainless steel suicide deterrent net\u003c/a> that extends 1.7 miles along the west and east sides of the bridge. It looks like a chain link fence suspended 20 feet below the pedestrian walkway, connected to the iconic reddish-orange beams of the bridge. The project cost $224 million, and city officials approved it more than a decade ago after years of pushing from suicide prevention advocates. After years of meetings and delays, the advocate’s dreams are a reality. What follows is the story of one family’s struggle and contains the description of suicide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael James Bishop pulled out of his garage on Pine Street in San Francisco around 8:45 a.m. on March 28, 2011. He drove his gray Honda to the parking lot at the Golden Gate Bridge. He scrawled a detailed suicide note and laid it on the passenger seat of his car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sun was shining for the first time in weeks. It was 51 degrees outside. The 28-year-old with brown curly hair, green eyes and silver-rimmed glasses stepped out of his car and walked to the middle of the bridge. Then Bishop turned toward San Francisco and leaped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A motorist who was driving by happened to see my son go over the rail,” said Kay James, Bishop’s mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Swirling ocean waters with nets in foreground seen from above, on a bridge.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Waves crash below the Golden Gate Bridge’s new safety net on Jan. 5, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A half-hour later, U.S. Coast Guard workers recovered his body in the swirling waters below the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When James received a call from the sheriff, she was shocked. “That he would kill himself — never entered my mind. He was so sweet. He was a very gentle young man.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her son had a lot going for him. He was in a relationship with a woman he adored. He played the violin in an orchestra. He was on tap to start a new job at an environmental fund. In fact, that fatal day was supposed to be his first day at work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he’d struggled with depression in the past, and he was overwhelmed. The suicide note said, “I’m so sorry. I just can’t handle things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just felt so devastated,” James said. “You feel like your world is coming to an end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1986047\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1986047\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/01/240105-BridgeSafetyNet-43-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedestrians and the recently installed safety net on the Golden Gate Bridge on Jan. 5, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her son’s computer history revealed he had researched the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s an iconic landmark, but it’s also a lethal one. Since 1937, about 2000 people have leaped over the guardrail — an average of two to three people a month. Bishop was one of 37 people who jumped to their deaths in 2011.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years that followed, James tirelessly advocated for a deterrent net. When she first started attending meetings before the transit district board of directors, she said they were not convinced a barrier was necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But, when they heard from the families of loved ones, they were very moved, and they changed their minds,” James said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why people choose the Golden Gate Bridge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The stunning location is commonly thought to be one reason why people jump from the magnificent structure into the crashing waves below. But mental health experts say the view is not the draw — instead, accessibility is usually the primary driver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972469\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972469\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240109-BridgeSafetyNet-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Old photos of a mother and son on a wall. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photos of Kay James and her son Michael Bishop hang on the wall of her home in Moraga on Jan. 9, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People who have attempted suicide will say that they felt more comfortable with a given method,” said Matthew Nock, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, “They were comfortable jumping off a bridge, whereas they were afraid to hang themselves or take an overdose, or they didn’t have access to a firearm.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Golden Gate Bridge is the perfect target,” said Mel Blaustein, a psychiatrist at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco who has \u003ca href=\"https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09020296\">researched\u003c/a> bridge suicides for many years. “There’s a parking lot, and there’s a bus that takes you there. It’s easy and fast. And when I say fast, it takes four seconds to hit the water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One jumper \u003ca href=\"https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09020296\">reportedly\u003c/a> left a note on the bridge reading, “Why do you make it so easy?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The net is intended to make people rethink their decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s pretty universal agreement that if we know that people are going to try and kill themselves by jumping off a specific bridge, then it’s ethical, reasonable, and clinically wise to put up a netting and prevent those suicides because some percentage of folks who are deterred are never going to try and kill themselves again,” Nock said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A UC Berkeley researcher in the 1970s followed people after they had been stopped on the bridge during a suicide attempt, publishing the findings in a landmark \u003ca href=\"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.goldengate.org/assets/1/6/suicide-deterrent-seiden-study.pdf__;!!Iwwt!WQL2fS495XM_tK3zg56PranBFZsA2LlOqkQexKhe-RTXTTHKT0brzzUEv6qYoRpvUt7i4DAo4Rpn2w%24\">study (PDF)\u003c/a>. The vast majority of people did not go on to die by suicide somewhere else, even years later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For some people, suicide is impulsive,” Nock said. “If they’re stopped from making a suicide, they may never make a suicide attempt again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972468\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972468\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240108-BridgeSafetyNet-61-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A memorial to suicides with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A memorial for those who have died on the Golden Gate Bridge covers a fence at Fort Point in San Francisco on Jan. 8, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kay James wished a net would have deterred her son Michael. She has talked to people who survived suicide attempts at the Golden Gate. They told her they regretted their decision the minute they let go of the guardrail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s really hard for me because I think, ‘If only he would have had a second chance.’ And, of course, with a net, you definitely have a second chance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the \u003ca href=\"https://988lifeline.org/\">Suicide & Crisis Lifeline\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The moment Haleema Bharoocha wakes up in the morning, she scrolls through social media to find out what’s happening in Gaza. The 25-year-old Muslim UC Berkeley graduate student said the footage makes her want to vomit, scream and cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bharoocha couldn’t eat after watching footage \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/08/middleeast/babies-al-nasr-gaza-hospital-what-we-know-intl/index.html#:~:text=Infants%20found%20dead%20and%20decomposing%20in%20evacuated%20hospital%20ICU%20in,Here's%20what%20we%20know&text=The%20bodies%20of%20decomposing%20babies,Baalousha%2C%20reportedly%20on%20November%2027.\">of newborns found dead at a hospital in Gaza\u003c/a>. Nurses had fled during intense fighting.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Sara Ghalaini, a licensed psychotherapist in Berkeley\"]‘If you’re surrounded by it, or witnessing it, you yourself are also part of that even if you don’t realize you are.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How could you have an appetite after you saw decomposing babies in a hospital?” she asked. “It really does feel like I’m kind of hanging on by the last thread that I have in myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, while studying at the library, she said she started to hallucinate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a plastic wrapper that fell. But in my mind, for like two seconds, I thought it was a rat crawling towards me, and I just jumped,” she said. “Or I thought the person sitting next to me was moving. But they weren’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Israel-Hamas war stretches into its 12th week, videos from overseas continue to shock viewers and listeners in the Bay Area. Footage from war has never been palatable. But today, social media provides instantaneous images from the battleground; horrific and violent videos — both real and fake. Every day, social media platforms are rivers of atrocities, which can leave people emotionally triggered, overwhelmed and unstable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shoshanna Howard learned about the initial attacks by Hamas on Israel when she was scrolling through social media. In the days following the Oct. 7 offensive, she happened upon a video that went viral showing what appeared to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/10/07/gaza-hostages-jeep-woman-amanpour-israel-vpx.cnn\">Hamas fighters pulling a woman with blood seeping through her sweatpants out of a truck\u003c/a>. She was limping, handcuffed and blindfolded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That broke me,” Howard said. “I could not fathom what was happening. And then seeing friends calling it liberation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard, who is Jewish and has cousins living in Israel, was mortified that people she cared about were responding to the horrific acts by making statements that, to her, felt anti-Jewish. As the days passed, it became harder and harder to focus on running her communications business in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s when I started to have night terrors,” Howard said. “I was ending my days going into my closet. I would just cry and turn off the lights. Close the door. It just felt like what I had to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These symptoms reflect \u003ca href=\"https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/blog/signs-and-symptoms-of-secondary-trauma/\">secondary trauma\u003c/a>, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.yusracoachinganddevelopment.com/meet-sara\">Sara Ghalaini\u003c/a>, a licensed psychotherapist in Berkeley. She said an individual may experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder if they are exposed to people who have been traumatized or hear descriptions of traumatic events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re surrounded by it or witnessing it, you yourself are also part of that, even if you don’t realize you are,” Ghalaini said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She recommended people who are suffering surround themselves with community. Some people may find relief praying at a mosque, temple or church. Others may feel better after hitting the gym. Ghalaini said we are experiencing a “collective grief” and advised people to be gentle on themselves as there is no quick fix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bharoocha said she feels less helpless when she is protesting. She volunteers for groups that have organized numerous rallies, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/10/25/students-walk-out-class-demanding-uc-berkeley-support-palestine\">mass student walkout on Oct. 25\u003c/a>. “For me, those are spaces to grieve and process,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag=\"mental-health, war\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]Howard found relief in listening to sermons or Hebrew songs online. She said she has \u003ca href=\"https://www.songtell.com/karolina-israel/af-echad-lo-ba-li\">Karolina’s “Af Echad Lo Ba li”\u003c/a> on repeat. But Howard’s major lifeline is talking to her psychotherapist, who recommended taking a break from social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard said that has been “really, really significant” for her mental health. She also suggests people find somewhere safe to talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A place that you can go, that you can let down your guard, that you can speak your truth, and even do the work of accessing deeper truths,” said Robyn Bloom, the director of adult services for Jewish Family and Children’s Services in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many organizations in the Bay Area, like the \u003ca href=\"https://khalilcenter.com/\">Khalil Center\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.jfcs.org/about/resources-during-israel-hamas-war/\">Jewish Family and Children Services\u003c/a> offer mental health support. You can also join a sewing circle or take a walk in nature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s happening is not normal,” Ghalaini said. “What’s happening is awful, and it’s happening to a lot of people whether you’re there or not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghalaini’s best advice is to slow down. Give yourself and the people around you a lot of grace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The moment Haleema Bharoocha wakes up in the morning, she scrolls through social media to find out what’s happening in Gaza. The 25-year-old Muslim UC Berkeley graduate student said the footage makes her want to vomit, scream and cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bharoocha couldn’t eat after watching footage \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/08/middleeast/babies-al-nasr-gaza-hospital-what-we-know-intl/index.html#:~:text=Infants%20found%20dead%20and%20decomposing%20in%20evacuated%20hospital%20ICU%20in,Here's%20what%20we%20know&text=The%20bodies%20of%20decomposing%20babies,Baalousha%2C%20reportedly%20on%20November%2027.\">of newborns found dead at a hospital in Gaza\u003c/a>. Nurses had fled during intense fighting.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How could you have an appetite after you saw decomposing babies in a hospital?” she asked. “It really does feel like I’m kind of hanging on by the last thread that I have in myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, while studying at the library, she said she started to hallucinate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a plastic wrapper that fell. But in my mind, for like two seconds, I thought it was a rat crawling towards me, and I just jumped,” she said. “Or I thought the person sitting next to me was moving. But they weren’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Israel-Hamas war stretches into its 12th week, videos from overseas continue to shock viewers and listeners in the Bay Area. Footage from war has never been palatable. But today, social media provides instantaneous images from the battleground; horrific and violent videos — both real and fake. Every day, social media platforms are rivers of atrocities, which can leave people emotionally triggered, overwhelmed and unstable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shoshanna Howard learned about the initial attacks by Hamas on Israel when she was scrolling through social media. In the days following the Oct. 7 offensive, she happened upon a video that went viral showing what appeared to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/10/07/gaza-hostages-jeep-woman-amanpour-israel-vpx.cnn\">Hamas fighters pulling a woman with blood seeping through her sweatpants out of a truck\u003c/a>. She was limping, handcuffed and blindfolded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That broke me,” Howard said. “I could not fathom what was happening. And then seeing friends calling it liberation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard, who is Jewish and has cousins living in Israel, was mortified that people she cared about were responding to the horrific acts by making statements that, to her, felt anti-Jewish. As the days passed, it became harder and harder to focus on running her communications business in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s when I started to have night terrors,” Howard said. “I was ending my days going into my closet. I would just cry and turn off the lights. Close the door. It just felt like what I had to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These symptoms reflect \u003ca href=\"https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/blog/signs-and-symptoms-of-secondary-trauma/\">secondary trauma\u003c/a>, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.yusracoachinganddevelopment.com/meet-sara\">Sara Ghalaini\u003c/a>, a licensed psychotherapist in Berkeley. She said an individual may experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder if they are exposed to people who have been traumatized or hear descriptions of traumatic events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re surrounded by it or witnessing it, you yourself are also part of that, even if you don’t realize you are,” Ghalaini said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She recommended people who are suffering surround themselves with community. Some people may find relief praying at a mosque, temple or church. Others may feel better after hitting the gym. Ghalaini said we are experiencing a “collective grief” and advised people to be gentle on themselves as there is no quick fix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bharoocha said she feels less helpless when she is protesting. She volunteers for groups that have organized numerous rallies, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/10/25/students-walk-out-class-demanding-uc-berkeley-support-palestine\">mass student walkout on Oct. 25\u003c/a>. “For me, those are spaces to grieve and process,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Howard found relief in listening to sermons or Hebrew songs online. She said she has \u003ca href=\"https://www.songtell.com/karolina-israel/af-echad-lo-ba-li\">Karolina’s “Af Echad Lo Ba li”\u003c/a> on repeat. But Howard’s major lifeline is talking to her psychotherapist, who recommended taking a break from social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard said that has been “really, really significant” for her mental health. She also suggests people find somewhere safe to talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A place that you can go, that you can let down your guard, that you can speak your truth, and even do the work of accessing deeper truths,” said Robyn Bloom, the director of adult services for Jewish Family and Children’s Services in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many organizations in the Bay Area, like the \u003ca href=\"https://khalilcenter.com/\">Khalil Center\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.jfcs.org/about/resources-during-israel-hamas-war/\">Jewish Family and Children Services\u003c/a> offer mental health support. You can also join a sewing circle or take a walk in nature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s happening is not normal,” Ghalaini said. “What’s happening is awful, and it’s happening to a lot of people whether you’re there or not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghalaini’s best advice is to slow down. Give yourself and the people around you a lot of grace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Kaiser Eases Restrictions on Postpartum Depression Care After Investigations",
"headTitle": "Kaiser Eases Restrictions on Postpartum Depression Care After Investigations | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>A year after her son, Nico, was born and she still felt like an empty shell of herself despite multiple attempts to find treatment, Miriam McDonald “came out” as suffering from debilitating postpartum depression, a decision she now says was totally worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For months, McDonald battled her health provider and insurer, Kaiser Permanente, which denied her the one and only FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression, brexanolone. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Miriam McDonald, mother\"]‘No woman should suffer like I did after having a child. The policy was completely unfair. I was in purgatory.’[/pullquote]But since she shared the details of her struggle in a\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879309/theres-only-1-drug-for-postpartum-depression-why-does-kaiser-permanente-make-it-so-hard-to-get\"> 2021 KQED investigation\u003c/a>, Kaiser has revamped its coverage guidelines twice, according to internal documents recently obtained by KQED, and federal regulators — citing KQED’s reporting — have launched an investigation into the insurer that is still ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This will prevent other women from having to go through a year of depression to find something that works,” McDonald said after learning of Kaiser’s policy changes. “No woman should suffer like I did after having a child. The policy was completely unfair. I was in purgatory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When McDonald experienced her first symptoms of postpartum depression in 2019, including suicidal thoughts, Kaiser’s written guidelines required patients to try and fail four medications and electroconvulsive therapy before they would be eligible for brexanolone. But, because the drug was only approved for use up to six months postpartum, experts said this amounted to a blanket denial for all Kaiser patients, a potential violation of state and federal law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One month after KQED published its investigation, Kaiser overhauled its guidelines, instead recommending women try just one medication before becoming eligible for brexanolone, and if that trial could not be completed before the six-month window expired, women could bypass it and go straight to brexanolone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser basically went from having the most restrictive policy to the most robust,” said Joy Burkhard, executive director of the nonprofit\u003ca href=\"https://www.2020mom.org/\"> Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health\u003c/a>. “It’s now a gold standard for the rest of the industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Next, a federal investigation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But the scrutiny over Kaiser didn’t stop there. By late 2022, the federal Department of Labor had launched an investigation into the insurer, according to emails reviewed by KQED. Investigators called McDonald and contacted other patients to discuss the difficulty they had accessing postpartum mental health care, including brexanolone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few months later, in March 2023, Kaiser revised its brexanolone guidelines again, removing all fail-first recommendations. Patients need only decline a trial of another medication. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Kaiser Permanente statement\"]‘Kaiser Permanente is committed to ensuring brexanolone is available when physicians and patients determine it is an appropriate treatment.’[/pullquote]“Since brexanolone was first approved for use, more experience and research have added to information about its efficacy and safety,” Kaiser said in a statement. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to ensuring brexanolone is available when physicians and patients determine it is an appropriate treatment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Labor said in an email to KQED that it “will not confirm or deny the existence of an ongoing investigation” as a matter of policy but added the agency could sue a private insurer and force it to change its policies if they violate federal law. It can also force insurers to provide treatment or reimburse patients who paid out of pocket for treatments the department found improperly denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A new era for postpartum therapies\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Brexanolone came on the market in 2019 with the hope of revolutionizing the treatment of postpartum depression by targeting hormone function instead of the brain’s serotonin system, as typical antidepressants do. \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-post-partum-depression\">In early trials,\u003c/a> women with moderate to severe depression reported relief immediately after the three-day treatment. But brexanolone is expensive, $34,000 per treatment, and must be delivered intravenously during an inpatient hospital stay where patients can be closely monitored for side effects like fainting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the price and finding a hospital certified to administer the drug proved to be prohibitive barriers for new mothers pursuing the treatment. Until recently, Kaiser did not have its own certification and had to refer women to one of only three other approved hospitals in California. [aside label='More Stories on health' tag='health']A new, more accessible pill form of the medication, zuranolone, taken once a day at home over 14 days, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-oral-treatment-postpartum-depression\">was approved by the FDA in August\u003c/a>. In November, Sage Therapeutics, the company that makes both drugs, set the price for zuranolone at $15,900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, less than 1% of health plans have established criteria for when they will cover it, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.2020mom.org/blog/2023/12/15/zurzuvae-the-new-postpartum-depression-drug-now-available-in-the-us-this-is-how-insurers-have-responded\">an analysis\u003c/a> using data from \u003ca href=\"https://www.policyreporter.com/\">Policy Reporter\u003c/a>, a website that tracks insurance policies. Regulators, lawyers, and advocates are watching closely to see how insurance companies will shape policies for the new drug.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll have to see if insurers cover this drug and what fail-first requirements they put in,” said \u003ca href=\"https://psych-appeal.com/meiram-bendat-attorney-founder/\">Meiram Bendat\u003c/a>, an attorney and licensed psychotherapist who represents patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These new policies will be written at a time when the regulatory environment around mental health treatment is shifting. The federal Department of Labor is now cracking down more on potential violations of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity\">2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act\u003c/a>, which requires insurers to cover psychiatric treatments on par with physical treatments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of this summer, insurers must comply with new, stricter reporting and auditing requirements that are intended to increase patient access to mental health care and, advocates say, could compel them to be more careful about the policies they write in the first place. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Meiram Bendat, attorney and licensed psychotherapist, who represents patients\"]‘We’ll have to see if insurers cover this drug and what fail-first requirements they put in.’[/pullquote]In California, insurers must also comply with an even broader state mental health parity law from 2021, making sure their coverage policies are aligned with generally accepted standards of care. Highly awaited \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984855/is-californias-landmark-mental-health-law-working\">regulations for the law\u003c/a> are expected to be released this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many perinatal psychiatrists told KQED it is imperative to treat postpartum depression as quickly as possible to avoid negative impacts, including cognitive and social problems in the baby, anxiety or depression in the husband or partner, or the death of the mother to suicide, which accounts for \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4113321/\">up to 20% of maternal deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s possible this reasoning is why Kaiser was quick to revise its guidelines for brexanolone for the first time in 2021, Burkhard said, who worked at an insurance company before becoming an advocate. But it is unclear what criteria Kaiser will set for the new pill zuranolone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will apply the same evidence-based, expert review process to zuranolone as we do with all medications,” Kaiser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDonald is hopeful that women will now have more choices for care in policy and practice, including treatments that work faster and they can access immediately. She doesn’t want them to be forced on a trial-and-error medication merry-go-round like she was and can choose the treatment that’s right for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has to be more options for women,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A year after her son, Nico, was born and she still felt like an empty shell of herself despite multiple attempts to find treatment, Miriam McDonald “came out” as suffering from debilitating postpartum depression, a decision she now says was totally worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For months, McDonald battled her health provider and insurer, Kaiser Permanente, which denied her the one and only FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression, brexanolone. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But since she shared the details of her struggle in a\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879309/theres-only-1-drug-for-postpartum-depression-why-does-kaiser-permanente-make-it-so-hard-to-get\"> 2021 KQED investigation\u003c/a>, Kaiser has revamped its coverage guidelines twice, according to internal documents recently obtained by KQED, and federal regulators — citing KQED’s reporting — have launched an investigation into the insurer that is still ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This will prevent other women from having to go through a year of depression to find something that works,” McDonald said after learning of Kaiser’s policy changes. “No woman should suffer like I did after having a child. The policy was completely unfair. I was in purgatory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When McDonald experienced her first symptoms of postpartum depression in 2019, including suicidal thoughts, Kaiser’s written guidelines required patients to try and fail four medications and electroconvulsive therapy before they would be eligible for brexanolone. But, because the drug was only approved for use up to six months postpartum, experts said this amounted to a blanket denial for all Kaiser patients, a potential violation of state and federal law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One month after KQED published its investigation, Kaiser overhauled its guidelines, instead recommending women try just one medication before becoming eligible for brexanolone, and if that trial could not be completed before the six-month window expired, women could bypass it and go straight to brexanolone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser basically went from having the most restrictive policy to the most robust,” said Joy Burkhard, executive director of the nonprofit\u003ca href=\"https://www.2020mom.org/\"> Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health\u003c/a>. “It’s now a gold standard for the rest of the industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Next, a federal investigation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But the scrutiny over Kaiser didn’t stop there. By late 2022, the federal Department of Labor had launched an investigation into the insurer, according to emails reviewed by KQED. Investigators called McDonald and contacted other patients to discuss the difficulty they had accessing postpartum mental health care, including brexanolone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few months later, in March 2023, Kaiser revised its brexanolone guidelines again, removing all fail-first recommendations. Patients need only decline a trial of another medication. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Since brexanolone was first approved for use, more experience and research have added to information about its efficacy and safety,” Kaiser said in a statement. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to ensuring brexanolone is available when physicians and patients determine it is an appropriate treatment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Labor said in an email to KQED that it “will not confirm or deny the existence of an ongoing investigation” as a matter of policy but added the agency could sue a private insurer and force it to change its policies if they violate federal law. It can also force insurers to provide treatment or reimburse patients who paid out of pocket for treatments the department found improperly denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A new era for postpartum therapies\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Brexanolone came on the market in 2019 with the hope of revolutionizing the treatment of postpartum depression by targeting hormone function instead of the brain’s serotonin system, as typical antidepressants do. \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-post-partum-depression\">In early trials,\u003c/a> women with moderate to severe depression reported relief immediately after the three-day treatment. But brexanolone is expensive, $34,000 per treatment, and must be delivered intravenously during an inpatient hospital stay where patients can be closely monitored for side effects like fainting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the price and finding a hospital certified to administer the drug proved to be prohibitive barriers for new mothers pursuing the treatment. Until recently, Kaiser did not have its own certification and had to refer women to one of only three other approved hospitals in California. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A new, more accessible pill form of the medication, zuranolone, taken once a day at home over 14 days, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-oral-treatment-postpartum-depression\">was approved by the FDA in August\u003c/a>. In November, Sage Therapeutics, the company that makes both drugs, set the price for zuranolone at $15,900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, less than 1% of health plans have established criteria for when they will cover it, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.2020mom.org/blog/2023/12/15/zurzuvae-the-new-postpartum-depression-drug-now-available-in-the-us-this-is-how-insurers-have-responded\">an analysis\u003c/a> using data from \u003ca href=\"https://www.policyreporter.com/\">Policy Reporter\u003c/a>, a website that tracks insurance policies. Regulators, lawyers, and advocates are watching closely to see how insurance companies will shape policies for the new drug.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll have to see if insurers cover this drug and what fail-first requirements they put in,” said \u003ca href=\"https://psych-appeal.com/meiram-bendat-attorney-founder/\">Meiram Bendat\u003c/a>, an attorney and licensed psychotherapist who represents patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These new policies will be written at a time when the regulatory environment around mental health treatment is shifting. The federal Department of Labor is now cracking down more on potential violations of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity\">2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act\u003c/a>, which requires insurers to cover psychiatric treatments on par with physical treatments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of this summer, insurers must comply with new, stricter reporting and auditing requirements that are intended to increase patient access to mental health care and, advocates say, could compel them to be more careful about the policies they write in the first place. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In California, insurers must also comply with an even broader state mental health parity law from 2021, making sure their coverage policies are aligned with generally accepted standards of care. Highly awaited \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984855/is-californias-landmark-mental-health-law-working\">regulations for the law\u003c/a> are expected to be released this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many perinatal psychiatrists told KQED it is imperative to treat postpartum depression as quickly as possible to avoid negative impacts, including cognitive and social problems in the baby, anxiety or depression in the husband or partner, or the death of the mother to suicide, which accounts for \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4113321/\">up to 20% of maternal deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s possible this reasoning is why Kaiser was quick to revise its guidelines for brexanolone for the first time in 2021, Burkhard said, who worked at an insurance company before becoming an advocate. But it is unclear what criteria Kaiser will set for the new pill zuranolone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will apply the same evidence-based, expert review process to zuranolone as we do with all medications,” Kaiser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDonald is hopeful that women will now have more choices for care in policy and practice, including treatments that work faster and they can access immediately. She doesn’t want them to be forced on a trial-and-error medication merry-go-round like she was and can choose the treatment that’s right for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has to be more options for women,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"id": "here-and-now",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
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