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"title": "Climate Change Is Here. It’s Bad. Here’s What You Can Do",
"headTitle": "Climate Change Is Here. It’s Bad. Here’s What You Can Do | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Submit a Bay Area climate change question for KQED’s science reporters at the \u003ca href=\"#question\">bottom of this post\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s getting hotter. It’s getting smokier. It’s getting scarier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s extreme droughts, heat waves and wildfires \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/factsheets/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Regional_Fact_Sheet_North_and_Central_America.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">will likely worsen\u003c/a> in the coming decades and longer if we don’t get our act together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/07/climate/climate-change-emissions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere\u003c/a> is greater than any time in at least the past \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aav7337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three million years\u003c/a>, and the world has already warmed 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the 1800s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977323 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"A graph shows a red line steadily increasing from the year 1880 to 2019, from around 290 parts per million of carbon dioxide to 410. A jagged black line goes up and down but follows the overall trend of the red line, showing an increase in temperature of about 1.1 degree Celsius.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As carbon dioxide concentrations increase in the atmosphere, the temperature does as well. \u003ccite>(Image courtesy Climate Central)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>People of color are and will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-report-shows-disproportionate-impacts-climate-change-socially-vulnerable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">disproportionately affected by the health and environmental impacts of climate change\u003c/a>, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking all this in is overwhelming. But here’s something that makes it easier: there is still time to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rapid, bold emissions reductions, starting now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">would limit climate change \u003c/a>and its effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1977324 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"A graph shows temperature warming from 1950 to today, with two diverging lines after that. An orange line depicts temperature rise if there are no cuts to current emissions, showing an average increase in temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. A blue line shows what would happen with substantial cuts in emissions, demonstrating warming would level off around 1.5 degrees Celsius.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We decide what future we get. The one that will be recognizable to us, with limited warming, would require coordination across communities, states and countries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While limiting warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) would be “very difficult, requiring immediate, top-level government attention and effort,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton environmental scientist and editor of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change review, it’s “not impossible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if we don’t meet those goals, Oppenheimer said, “there’s no end-of-the-world point where you give up.” Every tenth of a degree matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where you come in. Climate scientists made it crystal clear in the U.N.’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">most recent report\u003c/a> that warming is a “code red for humanity,” according to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This piece is for those who want to respond, but don’t know where to begin.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>All of us\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Maybe you think we’re in two camps here in California: those who believe in climate change and those who don’t. But researchers define us with more nuance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yale Program on Climate Change Communication\u003c/a> divides Americans into six groups: from those deeply concerned about global warming and supportive of policies (“Alarmed”), to those who view it as a hoax (“Dismissive”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 644px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977322 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/6-Americas-Cartoons-Slide-1-e1459619373734.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"644\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/6-Americas-Cartoons-Slide-1-e1459619373734.png 644w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/6-Americas-Cartoons-Slide-1-e1459619373734-160x100.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication divides Americans into six groups in terms of their perceptions of global warming. \u003ccite>(Artwork by Michael Sloan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More than half of people in the U.S.\u003c/a> fall into the “Alarmed” or “Concerned” categories. This means they’re engaged in this issue and ready to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of these folks don’t know what to do with that worry, though, or how to take meaningful action on climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Let’s feel some feelings\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Longtime Bay Area residents will recall a time when the weather didn’t \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893922/california-still-deep-in-drought-despite-stormy-weather-capped-by-atmospheric-river\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whiplash from bone dry to flooded streets\u003c/a>, when skies choked with wildfire smoke were anomalous and average fall temperatures were cooler (\u003ca href=\"https://www.climatecentral.org/graphic/fastest-warming-seasons-2022?location=San%20Francisco&graphicSet=Seasonal+Warming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by 3 degrees Fahrenheit in San Francisco\u003c/a>, to be precise). If you’re a recent Bay Area transplant, I imagine you can think of similar changes wherever you hail from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Facing the climate crisis means grieving the version of the planet we grew up with. That means sitting with painful emotions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sadness, despair, anger and powerlessness are normal, healthy responses to a serious risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are biologically wired to respond with anxiety to real threats,” said Robin Cooper, a San Francisco-based therapist and founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.climatepsychiatry.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Climate Psychiatry Alliance.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977352 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-1020x674.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-800x528.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-768x507.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-1536x1014.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A woman sits among a group of dead trees at an installation by artist Maya Lin, titled “Ghost Forest,” in Madison Square Park, New York, on May 14, 2021. Maya Lin installed 49 dead Atlantic white cedar trees in a park in New York City to warn of climate change. \u003ccite>(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Resisting these feelings is normal too — it’s a means of protecting ourselves. But burying our heads in the sand ultimately leads to the same outcomes as denying the crisis. Take breaks, but face what is happening. At some point it becomes easier to look at the issue than hide from it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, let yourself feel things. There are losses we cannot reverse. There will be more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Feeling the hard emotions lets you move through them and forward. That doesn’t mean you’re free of them — you aren’t, but pushing them down won’t help you move into action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are some ways to process your emotions, since a lot of us are out of practice:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Connect with people. \u003c/b>Talk informally with family or friends, or more formally with a therapist (there are growing networks of \u003ca href=\"https://www.climatepsychiatry.org/climate-aware-therapist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">psychiatrists\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.climatepsychology.us/climate-therapists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">psychologists\u003c/a> with specific training on climate change), or \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/\">grief\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/\">groups\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Connect with your body \u003c/strong>through walking, running, yoga, or any exercise you enjoy.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Connect with nature. \u003c/strong>Environmental psychologist Renee Lertzman said getting out in nature is both calming and “reminds me of why we’re doing this. I’m continually amazed by how incredible life is.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>There are plenty of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/22/808853706/this-earth-day-is-like-no-other-heres-how-to-grieve-and-stay-engaged\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">articles\u003c/a>, books, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101885372/climate-anxiety-and-how-it-can-lead-to-hopefulness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">podcasts\u003c/a> about processing these heavy emotions, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Imagine the future you want\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It’s inspiring to envision a Bay Area less dependent on fossil fuels, with cleaner air, more predictable weather cycles, and a booming green jobs industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air pollution from fossil fuels affects low-income communities and communities of color far more than others, in places close to freeways and industry, like East and West Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studies from Oxfam show the poorest 50% of Americans are responsible for far less carbon pollution \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/extreme-carbon-inequality-why-the-paris-climate-deal-must-put-the-poorest-lowes-582545/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/extreme-carbon-inequality-why-the-paris-climate-deal-must-put-the-poorest-lowes-582545/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">than the average American — about half.\u003c/a> Cleaning up our climate is an act of equity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutting down fossil fuels would save lives. California’s air regulator estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/health-air-pollution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">we see 7,200 premature deaths each year from air pollution\u003c/a>, particularly from pollution related to diesel exhaust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Globally, air pollution from burning fossil fuels is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121000487\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">responsible for 8.7 million deaths annually,\u003c/a> shaking out to more than a tenth of U.S. deaths (deaths from COVID-19 stand at \u003ca href=\"https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nearly 5 million people\u003c/a> globally since the start of the pandemic).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average life expectancy would increase by \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/cardiovascres/article/116/11/1910/5770885#207231589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more than a year\u003c/a> across a world without fossil fuel emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Switching out gas appliances like stoves for electric ones significantly \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/5/7/21247602/gas-stove-cooking-indoor-air-pollution-health-risks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">improves indoor air quality\u003c/a>, which could lead to lower risk for cardiovascular disease in adults and asthma in children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As many of us experienced during the pandemic, converting streets into places for communities to gather brought a lot of joy, with “slow streets” and increased outdoor dining. San Francisco voters decided\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/election/article/JFK-Drive-will-remain-car-free-after-S-F-voters-17570182.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> to make some of these car-free streets permanent\u003c/a>. Should our cities build out a more walkable and bikeable infrastructure, this could be our norm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977345\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977345 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks with his two kids along a street during the San Francisco Bike & Roll to School Day in 2018. \u003ccite>(San Francisco Bicycle Coalition)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Climate action could be a boon for green jobs, like those installing solar panels and restoring wetlands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And climate progress could significantly impact our mental health. That’s because the antidote to climate anxiety is action.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Act\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You do not need to become anything you are not to take action on climate change. The issue is big, and the good part about that is there are endless ways to plug in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate scientist Kim Nicholas says consider where you spend most of your time and where you get the most energy right now. Start there. Ask yourself, “how is it that we as a family, as a business, [or] as a neighborhood, are impacting the climate? What is it that we can do?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While climate activists debate whether to push people to organize for systemic change or focus on individual actuals, they tend to agree that both are needed. Systems need transforming and the largest reductions in emissions will be found there. But individual changes — especially in rich countries like the U.S. — are important, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Action at the systems level\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find a group that works for you:\u003c/strong> Climate journalist and organizer Bill McKibben says the most powerful thing an individual can do is \u003ca href=\"https://climate-xchange.org/2020/09/16/be-a-little-less-of-an-individual-author-and-activist-bill-mckibben/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">be less of an individual.\u003c/a> Your voice will be more powerful with others, and it’s more fun and hopeful to tackle this challenge together. There’s no shortage of groups of people concerned about the climate and taking meaningful action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are groups for \u003ca href=\"https://protectourwinters.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">skiers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://envirn.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nurses\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://artistsandclimatechange.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">artists\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://republicen.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">political conservatives\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eldersclimateaction.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">grandmothers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservationhawks.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hunters\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://climateandsecurity.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">people concerned with national security\u003c/a>. See the range? Groups such as these can help guide you to advocate for more change at the systems level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977351\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977351 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-1020x647.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-1020x647.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-800x507.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-768x487.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-1536x974.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children paint waves on paper as they take part in an event to make art for the youth climate strike on September 20, 2019. \u003ccite>(JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vote for climate candidates: \u003c/strong>The rapid policy reform needed to address the climate crisis requires politicians to enact bolder, faster changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/socf.12422\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Research\u003c/a> shows electing representatives that ranked high on the \u003ca href=\"https://scorecard.lcv.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">League of Conservation Voters National Environmental Scorecard\u003c/a> significantly reduced a state’s carbon dioxide emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0176268017304500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Voting female politicians into office\u003c/a> is linked with stronger climate policies and lower emissions, and could be an underutilized tool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Contact your representatives: \u003c/strong>Call your local, state or federal representative to share your concerns. Sure, there are other ways to get in touch too, like email and snail mail, but activists and lawmakers say the best way to grab a staffer’s attention is to call and not email, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/us/politics/heres-why-you-should-call-not-email-your-legislators.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The New York Times reports\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If your representatives already share your beliefs, thank them for their efforts and ask them to move further or faster.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Action at the individual level\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>While the numbers show that minimizing your carbon footprint won’t get us where we need to go on greenhouse gas reductions alone, “If you live in a rich country, and especially the richer you are, your individual actions really matter,” sustainability scientist Kimberly Nicholas writes in her book “\u003ca href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665274/under-the-sky-we-make-by-kimberly-nicholas-phd/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Under the Sky We Make.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Personal climate actions like skipping drives and flights matter in both reducing carbon, and in changing the perception of a wealthy American ideal — using excessive carbon — that’s quickly getting exported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When changes become a social norm, it becomes more attractive for politicians and companies to take action. Research shows\u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aas8827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> just 25% of a population is needed to create a norm change\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our suggestions reflect actions shown to have the biggest impact, so you can spend your limited time and brain capacity judiciously, though there are plenty of other worthwhile things to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Talk about climate change:\u003c/strong> While the majority of Americans are worried about climate change, most people don’t talk about it, even if they’d like to, says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale’s climate communication program. He says by avoiding talking about the topic, we fail to signal how much it matters to us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe has had thousands of conversations about climate change. She recommends a helpful formula for your discussion: start with what you both care about (like your kids, the beach, birds, etc.), connect that passion with climate change (climate change affects everything, so luckily that’s not hard), and then discuss what’s at stake for what you love, and some solutions that are at work locally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also talk about what you’re doing about climate change (no self-righteousness please though, that won’t help your cause). Lots of folks are changing their behavior based on the climate crisis, and sharing that could contribute to societal shifts. There are \u003ca href=\"https://brightaction.app/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tools to help\u003c/a> your community, company, or place of worship collaborate, or even compete with one another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yale’s climate change communication program has tips on \u003ca href=\"https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/news-events/attaining-meaningful-outcomes-from-conversations-on-climate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to achieve meaningful conversation outcomes\u003c/a>, and you can hear how conversations between a son and his Republican U.S. representative father converted the latter into a \u003ca href=\"https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/j4hk928/trying-to-talk-to-family-about-climate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">conservative climate champion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Drive less: \u003c/strong>The majority of California’s greenhouse gas emissions \u003ca href=\"https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/2000_2019/ghg_inventory_trends_00-19.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">come from transportation\u003c/a>, and for the average U.S. household, gasoline for personal cars \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es102221h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is the the biggest source of emissions\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most emissions come from long car trips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977321\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977321 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1020x573.png\" alt=\"The largest sector is transportation, followed by industrial, electricity, commercial & residential, agriculture, high GWP, and recycling & waste\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1020x573.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1536x863.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-2048x1151.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1920x1079.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">2019 greenhouse gas emissions in California, broken down into sector and subsector. \u003ccite>(Courtesy California Air Resources Board)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reducing travel in gas cars is one of the biggest things you can do, but can be challenging depending where you live. (This is one place where changing the system comes into play — working for better bus, train, biking and walking routes would make our cities and towns more friendly to ditching cars.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, reductions in emissions from car trips help, whether that means having no car, taking public transit more, or switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, there are plenty of physical and mental benefits to other, familiar options like walking and biking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fly less: \u003c/strong>Only 1% of people cause \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378020307779\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">half of the emissions from air travel\u003c/a>. While carbon dioxide emissions from flights are roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231020305689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2.4% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally\u003c/a>, if you’re in that select group of people flying, and flying a lot, cutting down on flights will have an outsized impact on reducing carbon emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eliminate flights that aren’t essential, and if you’re a frequent flyer, set a goal to cut flights in half, or down to a few per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shift away from air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic modeled what less flying can look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Eat a plant-based diet: \u003c/strong>Growing food for us and food to feed animals (that become food for us), plus deforestation (primarily to grow food) accounts for roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24% of global emissions\u003c/a>. Methane comes from cow, sheep, and goat burps and their manure, and nitrous oxide from using fertilizers. Some carbon dioxide is also released from plowing and razing forests. Globally, deforestation is also \u003ca href=\"https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020-02/ipbes_global_assessment_report_summary_for_policymakers_en.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the main driver of the biodiversity crisis.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977346\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977346 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-1020x681.jpg\" alt=\"Four men smile and inspect lettuce in a greenhouse\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A team of veterans inspects organic produce on their farm in San Jose. The Farmer Veteran Coalition is a national nonprofit non-governmental organization in the United States that mobilizes veterans to feed America and transition from military service to a career in agriculture. \u003ccite>(Meg Haywood Sullivan/Climate Visuals Countdown)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beef is more resource intensive than other foods. Producing it requires\u003ca href=\"https://josephpoore.com/Science%20360%206392%20987%20-%20Accepted%20Manuscript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> 22 times more land and emits 62 times more greenhouse gases\u003c/a> per gram of protein than plant proteins like beans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For meat eaters worldwide, cutting back to 1.5 burgers a week would nearly eliminate the need for agricultural expansion, \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">even with a global population of 10 billion.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average American \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eats three burgers a week.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Green your home: \u003c/strong>Energy we use in our homes is the \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es102221h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">second-biggest source of emissions for the average American\u003c/a>. You can change that by installing solar panels and efficient windows, and improving insulation. And when some of the biggest home energy hogs need replacement, choose a more efficient alternative: swap your natural gas furnace and water heater for electric heat pumps, replace your gas stove with an induction one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of these changes aren’t achievable as a renter, but you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/tips-renters-and-rental-property-owners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bring this up with your property owner\u003c/a>, and depending on where you are, there are \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/Low-Income-Weatherization-Program.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">programs\u003c/a> that help with incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Your climate Venn diagram: \u003c/strong>In the podcast “How to Save a Planet,” host and marine biologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ayana Elizabeth Johnson\u003c/a> suggests one way to find your space in climate action: a Venn diagram.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Get out your paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977319 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1020x1020.png\" alt=\"A Venn diagram with three circles: one says "what brings you joy?", another says "What are you good at?" and the third says "What is the work that needs doing?" The convergence of the circles reads "What you should do."\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-768x768.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-2048x2048.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1920x1920.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has created this Venn diagram to help people find their place in climate action. \u003ccite>(Courtesy The All We Can Save Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What are you good at? “What skills, resources, networks, reach, influence are you bringing to the table?” she asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What work needs doing? The crisis is so huge that there are many options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What brings you joy? “What gets you out of bed in the morning? Because this is the work of our lifetime,” Johnson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your job is to move forward on what you identify at the center of those circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Active hope: \u003c/strong>Hope for the climate is not about crossing your fingers and going about your daily routine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a practice, say climate activist Joanna Macy and psychologist Dr. Chris Johnstone in their book “Active Hope.” This kind of hope involves taking stock of our painful reality, identifying what changes you want to see, and beginning to make them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doing these things brings us closer to others doing the same. The hope and action beget more of the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, climate change is here. Yes, it’s bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s hope — contingent on all of us, acting.\u003cbr />\n\u003ca id=\"question\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[hearken src=\"https://modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/embed/8818.js\"]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Submit a Bay Area climate change question for KQED’s science reporters at the \u003ca href=\"#question\">bottom of this post\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s getting hotter. It’s getting smokier. It’s getting scarier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s extreme droughts, heat waves and wildfires \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/factsheets/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Regional_Fact_Sheet_North_and_Central_America.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">will likely worsen\u003c/a> in the coming decades and longer if we don’t get our act together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/07/climate/climate-change-emissions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere\u003c/a> is greater than any time in at least the past \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aav7337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three million years\u003c/a>, and the world has already warmed 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the 1800s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977323 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"A graph shows a red line steadily increasing from the year 1880 to 2019, from around 290 parts per million of carbon dioxide to 410. A jagged black line goes up and down but follows the overall trend of the red line, showing an increase in temperature of about 1.1 degree Celsius.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2020Drawdown_TempCO2_en_title_lg-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As carbon dioxide concentrations increase in the atmosphere, the temperature does as well. \u003ccite>(Image courtesy Climate Central)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>People of color are and will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-report-shows-disproportionate-impacts-climate-change-socially-vulnerable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">disproportionately affected by the health and environmental impacts of climate change\u003c/a>, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking all this in is overwhelming. But here’s something that makes it easier: there is still time to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rapid, bold emissions reductions, starting now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">would limit climate change \u003c/a>and its effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1977324 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"A graph shows temperature warming from 1950 to today, with two diverging lines after that. An orange line depicts temperature rise if there are no cuts to current emissions, showing an average increase in temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. A blue line shows what would happen with substantial cuts in emissions, demonstrating warming would level off around 1.5 degrees Celsius.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/2021IPCC_TempPathways_en_title_lg-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We decide what future we get. The one that will be recognizable to us, with limited warming, would require coordination across communities, states and countries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While limiting warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) would be “very difficult, requiring immediate, top-level government attention and effort,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton environmental scientist and editor of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change review, it’s “not impossible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if we don’t meet those goals, Oppenheimer said, “there’s no end-of-the-world point where you give up.” Every tenth of a degree matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where you come in. Climate scientists made it crystal clear in the U.N.’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">most recent report\u003c/a> that warming is a “code red for humanity,” according to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This piece is for those who want to respond, but don’t know where to begin.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>All of us\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Maybe you think we’re in two camps here in California: those who believe in climate change and those who don’t. But researchers define us with more nuance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yale Program on Climate Change Communication\u003c/a> divides Americans into six groups: from those deeply concerned about global warming and supportive of policies (“Alarmed”), to those who view it as a hoax (“Dismissive”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 644px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977322 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/6-Americas-Cartoons-Slide-1-e1459619373734.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"644\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/6-Americas-Cartoons-Slide-1-e1459619373734.png 644w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/6-Americas-Cartoons-Slide-1-e1459619373734-160x100.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication divides Americans into six groups in terms of their perceptions of global warming. \u003ccite>(Artwork by Michael Sloan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More than half of people in the U.S.\u003c/a> fall into the “Alarmed” or “Concerned” categories. This means they’re engaged in this issue and ready to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of these folks don’t know what to do with that worry, though, or how to take meaningful action on climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Let’s feel some feelings\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Longtime Bay Area residents will recall a time when the weather didn’t \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893922/california-still-deep-in-drought-despite-stormy-weather-capped-by-atmospheric-river\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whiplash from bone dry to flooded streets\u003c/a>, when skies choked with wildfire smoke were anomalous and average fall temperatures were cooler (\u003ca href=\"https://www.climatecentral.org/graphic/fastest-warming-seasons-2022?location=San%20Francisco&graphicSet=Seasonal+Warming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by 3 degrees Fahrenheit in San Francisco\u003c/a>, to be precise). If you’re a recent Bay Area transplant, I imagine you can think of similar changes wherever you hail from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Facing the climate crisis means grieving the version of the planet we grew up with. That means sitting with painful emotions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sadness, despair, anger and powerlessness are normal, healthy responses to a serious risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are biologically wired to respond with anxiety to real threats,” said Robin Cooper, a San Francisco-based therapist and founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.climatepsychiatry.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Climate Psychiatry Alliance.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977352 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-1020x674.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-800x528.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-768x507.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut-1536x1014.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52176_GettyImages-1232894145-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A woman sits among a group of dead trees at an installation by artist Maya Lin, titled “Ghost Forest,” in Madison Square Park, New York, on May 14, 2021. Maya Lin installed 49 dead Atlantic white cedar trees in a park in New York City to warn of climate change. \u003ccite>(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Resisting these feelings is normal too — it’s a means of protecting ourselves. But burying our heads in the sand ultimately leads to the same outcomes as denying the crisis. Take breaks, but face what is happening. At some point it becomes easier to look at the issue than hide from it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, let yourself feel things. There are losses we cannot reverse. There will be more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Feeling the hard emotions lets you move through them and forward. That doesn’t mean you’re free of them — you aren’t, but pushing them down won’t help you move into action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are some ways to process your emotions, since a lot of us are out of practice:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Connect with people. \u003c/b>Talk informally with family or friends, or more formally with a therapist (there are growing networks of \u003ca href=\"https://www.climatepsychiatry.org/climate-aware-therapist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">psychiatrists\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.climatepsychology.us/climate-therapists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">psychologists\u003c/a> with specific training on climate change), or \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/\">grief\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/\">groups\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Connect with your body \u003c/strong>through walking, running, yoga, or any exercise you enjoy.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Connect with nature. \u003c/strong>Environmental psychologist Renee Lertzman said getting out in nature is both calming and “reminds me of why we’re doing this. I’m continually amazed by how incredible life is.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>There are plenty of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/22/808853706/this-earth-day-is-like-no-other-heres-how-to-grieve-and-stay-engaged\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">articles\u003c/a>, books, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101885372/climate-anxiety-and-how-it-can-lead-to-hopefulness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">podcasts\u003c/a> about processing these heavy emotions, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Imagine the future you want\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It’s inspiring to envision a Bay Area less dependent on fossil fuels, with cleaner air, more predictable weather cycles, and a booming green jobs industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air pollution from fossil fuels affects low-income communities and communities of color far more than others, in places close to freeways and industry, like East and West Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studies from Oxfam show the poorest 50% of Americans are responsible for far less carbon pollution \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/extreme-carbon-inequality-why-the-paris-climate-deal-must-put-the-poorest-lowes-582545/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/extreme-carbon-inequality-why-the-paris-climate-deal-must-put-the-poorest-lowes-582545/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">than the average American — about half.\u003c/a> Cleaning up our climate is an act of equity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutting down fossil fuels would save lives. California’s air regulator estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/health-air-pollution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">we see 7,200 premature deaths each year from air pollution\u003c/a>, particularly from pollution related to diesel exhaust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Globally, air pollution from burning fossil fuels is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121000487\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">responsible for 8.7 million deaths annually,\u003c/a> shaking out to more than a tenth of U.S. deaths (deaths from COVID-19 stand at \u003ca href=\"https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nearly 5 million people\u003c/a> globally since the start of the pandemic).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average life expectancy would increase by \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/cardiovascres/article/116/11/1910/5770885#207231589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more than a year\u003c/a> across a world without fossil fuel emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Switching out gas appliances like stoves for electric ones significantly \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/5/7/21247602/gas-stove-cooking-indoor-air-pollution-health-risks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">improves indoor air quality\u003c/a>, which could lead to lower risk for cardiovascular disease in adults and asthma in children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As many of us experienced during the pandemic, converting streets into places for communities to gather brought a lot of joy, with “slow streets” and increased outdoor dining. San Francisco voters decided\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/election/article/JFK-Drive-will-remain-car-free-after-S-F-voters-17570182.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> to make some of these car-free streets permanent\u003c/a>. Should our cities build out a more walkable and bikeable infrastructure, this could be our norm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977345\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977345 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52164_41586088481_efaa2a3126_o-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks with his two kids along a street during the San Francisco Bike & Roll to School Day in 2018. \u003ccite>(San Francisco Bicycle Coalition)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Climate action could be a boon for green jobs, like those installing solar panels and restoring wetlands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And climate progress could significantly impact our mental health. That’s because the antidote to climate anxiety is action.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Act\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You do not need to become anything you are not to take action on climate change. The issue is big, and the good part about that is there are endless ways to plug in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate scientist Kim Nicholas says consider where you spend most of your time and where you get the most energy right now. Start there. Ask yourself, “how is it that we as a family, as a business, [or] as a neighborhood, are impacting the climate? What is it that we can do?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While climate activists debate whether to push people to organize for systemic change or focus on individual actuals, they tend to agree that both are needed. Systems need transforming and the largest reductions in emissions will be found there. But individual changes — especially in rich countries like the U.S. — are important, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Action at the systems level\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find a group that works for you:\u003c/strong> Climate journalist and organizer Bill McKibben says the most powerful thing an individual can do is \u003ca href=\"https://climate-xchange.org/2020/09/16/be-a-little-less-of-an-individual-author-and-activist-bill-mckibben/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">be less of an individual.\u003c/a> Your voice will be more powerful with others, and it’s more fun and hopeful to tackle this challenge together. There’s no shortage of groups of people concerned about the climate and taking meaningful action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are groups for \u003ca href=\"https://protectourwinters.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">skiers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://envirn.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nurses\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://artistsandclimatechange.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">artists\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://republicen.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">political conservatives\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eldersclimateaction.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">grandmothers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservationhawks.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hunters\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://climateandsecurity.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">people concerned with national security\u003c/a>. See the range? Groups such as these can help guide you to advocate for more change at the systems level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977351\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977351 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-1020x647.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-1020x647.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-800x507.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-768x487.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut-1536x974.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52175_GettyImages-1168690967-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children paint waves on paper as they take part in an event to make art for the youth climate strike on September 20, 2019. \u003ccite>(JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vote for climate candidates: \u003c/strong>The rapid policy reform needed to address the climate crisis requires politicians to enact bolder, faster changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/socf.12422\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Research\u003c/a> shows electing representatives that ranked high on the \u003ca href=\"https://scorecard.lcv.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">League of Conservation Voters National Environmental Scorecard\u003c/a> significantly reduced a state’s carbon dioxide emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0176268017304500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Voting female politicians into office\u003c/a> is linked with stronger climate policies and lower emissions, and could be an underutilized tool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Contact your representatives: \u003c/strong>Call your local, state or federal representative to share your concerns. Sure, there are other ways to get in touch too, like email and snail mail, but activists and lawmakers say the best way to grab a staffer’s attention is to call and not email, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/us/politics/heres-why-you-should-call-not-email-your-legislators.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The New York Times reports\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If your representatives already share your beliefs, thank them for their efforts and ask them to move further or faster.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Action at the individual level\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>While the numbers show that minimizing your carbon footprint won’t get us where we need to go on greenhouse gas reductions alone, “If you live in a rich country, and especially the richer you are, your individual actions really matter,” sustainability scientist Kimberly Nicholas writes in her book “\u003ca href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665274/under-the-sky-we-make-by-kimberly-nicholas-phd/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Under the Sky We Make.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Personal climate actions like skipping drives and flights matter in both reducing carbon, and in changing the perception of a wealthy American ideal — using excessive carbon — that’s quickly getting exported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When changes become a social norm, it becomes more attractive for politicians and companies to take action. Research shows\u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aas8827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> just 25% of a population is needed to create a norm change\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our suggestions reflect actions shown to have the biggest impact, so you can spend your limited time and brain capacity judiciously, though there are plenty of other worthwhile things to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Talk about climate change:\u003c/strong> While the majority of Americans are worried about climate change, most people don’t talk about it, even if they’d like to, says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale’s climate communication program. He says by avoiding talking about the topic, we fail to signal how much it matters to us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe has had thousands of conversations about climate change. She recommends a helpful formula for your discussion: start with what you both care about (like your kids, the beach, birds, etc.), connect that passion with climate change (climate change affects everything, so luckily that’s not hard), and then discuss what’s at stake for what you love, and some solutions that are at work locally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also talk about what you’re doing about climate change (no self-righteousness please though, that won’t help your cause). Lots of folks are changing their behavior based on the climate crisis, and sharing that could contribute to societal shifts. There are \u003ca href=\"https://brightaction.app/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tools to help\u003c/a> your community, company, or place of worship collaborate, or even compete with one another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yale’s climate change communication program has tips on \u003ca href=\"https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/news-events/attaining-meaningful-outcomes-from-conversations-on-climate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to achieve meaningful conversation outcomes\u003c/a>, and you can hear how conversations between a son and his Republican U.S. representative father converted the latter into a \u003ca href=\"https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/j4hk928/trying-to-talk-to-family-about-climate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">conservative climate champion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Drive less: \u003c/strong>The majority of California’s greenhouse gas emissions \u003ca href=\"https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/2000_2019/ghg_inventory_trends_00-19.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">come from transportation\u003c/a>, and for the average U.S. household, gasoline for personal cars \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es102221h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is the the biggest source of emissions\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most emissions come from long car trips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977321\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977321 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1020x573.png\" alt=\"The largest sector is transportation, followed by industrial, electricity, commercial & residential, agriculture, high GWP, and recycling & waste\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1020x573.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1536x863.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-2048x1151.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/figure_4_GHG_emissions_by_scoping_plan_subsector-1-1920x1079.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">2019 greenhouse gas emissions in California, broken down into sector and subsector. \u003ccite>(Courtesy California Air Resources Board)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reducing travel in gas cars is one of the biggest things you can do, but can be challenging depending where you live. (This is one place where changing the system comes into play — working for better bus, train, biking and walking routes would make our cities and towns more friendly to ditching cars.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, reductions in emissions from car trips help, whether that means having no car, taking public transit more, or switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, there are plenty of physical and mental benefits to other, familiar options like walking and biking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fly less: \u003c/strong>Only 1% of people cause \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378020307779\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">half of the emissions from air travel\u003c/a>. While carbon dioxide emissions from flights are roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231020305689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2.4% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally\u003c/a>, if you’re in that select group of people flying, and flying a lot, cutting down on flights will have an outsized impact on reducing carbon emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eliminate flights that aren’t essential, and if you’re a frequent flyer, set a goal to cut flights in half, or down to a few per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shift away from air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic modeled what less flying can look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Eat a plant-based diet: \u003c/strong>Growing food for us and food to feed animals (that become food for us), plus deforestation (primarily to grow food) accounts for roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24% of global emissions\u003c/a>. Methane comes from cow, sheep, and goat burps and their manure, and nitrous oxide from using fertilizers. Some carbon dioxide is also released from plowing and razing forests. Globally, deforestation is also \u003ca href=\"https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020-02/ipbes_global_assessment_report_summary_for_policymakers_en.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the main driver of the biodiversity crisis.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977346\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977346 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-1020x681.jpg\" alt=\"Four men smile and inspect lettuce in a greenhouse\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS52166_2543-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A team of veterans inspects organic produce on their farm in San Jose. The Farmer Veteran Coalition is a national nonprofit non-governmental organization in the United States that mobilizes veterans to feed America and transition from military service to a career in agriculture. \u003ccite>(Meg Haywood Sullivan/Climate Visuals Countdown)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beef is more resource intensive than other foods. Producing it requires\u003ca href=\"https://josephpoore.com/Science%20360%206392%20987%20-%20Accepted%20Manuscript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> 22 times more land and emits 62 times more greenhouse gases\u003c/a> per gram of protein than plant proteins like beans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For meat eaters worldwide, cutting back to 1.5 burgers a week would nearly eliminate the need for agricultural expansion, \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">even with a global population of 10 billion.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average American \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eats three burgers a week.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Green your home: \u003c/strong>Energy we use in our homes is the \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es102221h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">second-biggest source of emissions for the average American\u003c/a>. You can change that by installing solar panels and efficient windows, and improving insulation. And when some of the biggest home energy hogs need replacement, choose a more efficient alternative: swap your natural gas furnace and water heater for electric heat pumps, replace your gas stove with an induction one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of these changes aren’t achievable as a renter, but you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/tips-renters-and-rental-property-owners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bring this up with your property owner\u003c/a>, and depending on where you are, there are \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/Low-Income-Weatherization-Program.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">programs\u003c/a> that help with incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Your climate Venn diagram: \u003c/strong>In the podcast “How to Save a Planet,” host and marine biologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ayana Elizabeth Johnson\u003c/a> suggests one way to find your space in climate action: a Venn diagram.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Get out your paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977319 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1020x1020.png\" alt=\"A Venn diagram with three circles: one says "what brings you joy?", another says "What are you good at?" and the third says "What is the work that needs doing?" The convergence of the circles reads "What you should do."\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-768x768.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-2048x2048.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Square-1920x1920.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has created this Venn diagram to help people find their place in climate action. \u003ccite>(Courtesy The All We Can Save Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What are you good at? “What skills, resources, networks, reach, influence are you bringing to the table?” she asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What work needs doing? The crisis is so huge that there are many options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What brings you joy? “What gets you out of bed in the morning? Because this is the work of our lifetime,” Johnson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your job is to move forward on what you identify at the center of those circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Active hope: \u003c/strong>Hope for the climate is not about crossing your fingers and going about your daily routine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a practice, say climate activist Joanna Macy and psychologist Dr. Chris Johnstone in their book “Active Hope.” This kind of hope involves taking stock of our painful reality, identifying what changes you want to see, and beginning to make them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doing these things brings us closer to others doing the same. The hope and action beget more of the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, climate change is here. Yes, it’s bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s hope — contingent on all of us, acting.\u003cbr />\n\u003ca id=\"question\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "The COP26 Summit to Fight Climate Change Has Started. Here's What to Expect",
"headTitle": "The COP26 Summit to Fight Climate Change Has Started. Here’s What to Expect | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>A climate extravaganza got underway in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday. President Biden showed up. So have other world leaders and a small city’s worth of diplomats, business executives and activists. It’s billed as a potential turning point in the struggle to avert the worst effects of climate change, and it has a curious name: COP26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is it worth the hype? What might it accomplish? Here’s what you need to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. What’s a COP?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These climate meetings began in 1992, when countries signed a treaty promising to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and prevent dangerous changes to the climate. Almost every year since then, the parties to this agreement have met to talk about what still needs to be done. It’s called a Conference of Parties, or COP. This is the 26th such meeting. So, COP26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. Who is showing up?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An astonishing collection of people. \u003ca href=\"https://www.icccad.net/our-team/saleemul-huq/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saleemul Huq\u003c/a>, from the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh, has been to every single COP. He calls the meeting, which will last for two weeks, a “multi-ring circus.” In the innermost ring, blue-badged diplomats from almost 200 countries will debate the wording of a statement that’s released at the meeting’s conclusion, which contains any actual decisions. Other venues in Glasgow will be flooded by celebrities, industry groups, climate activists and academic researchers, all with their own priorities. Protests are expected. It looks to be like a session of Congress, a trade show and a political demonstration all rolled into one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"backstage-sponsor-language \">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. What is COP26 supposed to accomplish?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s one main goal: get closer to fulfilling promises that nations made six years ago at COP21 in Paris. Under the Paris Agreement, countries pledged to collectively cut their greenhouse emissions enough to keep the planet from heating up more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with pre-industrial times. Wealthy countries also promised large amounts of aid to poorer nations to help them cope with climate change and to reduce their own greenhouse emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Progress toward those goals has been halting, at best. But pressure is growing for bolder action, because \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scientists say\u003c/a> that planetary warming is accelerating , leading to more frequent and intense heat waves and storms and destruction of ecosystems. The planet already has warmed by about one degree Celsius. Keeping warming below 1.5 degrees C will require quick, drastic cuts in global greenhouse emissions, bringing them practically to zero within about 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m optimistic, not in a naive sense, because the conditions for this are extraordinarily difficult,” says \u003ca href=\"http://christianafigueres.com/#/\">Christiana Figueres\u003c/a>, formerly the United Nations’ climate chief. “This is incredibly difficult. [But] do we need a success out of this? Absolutely. We don’t have the option or the luxury of failure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. Will diplomats sit around a table and negotiate limits on their countries’ greenhouse emissions?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not exactly. The Paris Agreement created a novel method for getting to this goal. It works like a GoFundMe, except for the planet. Countries offer their individual “contributions” — their specific plans to cut heat-trapping emissions. The U.N. then adds them all up and calculates if that sum is enough — or, as now, if a gap remains between those plans and what climate scientists say is needed to avoid the most catastrophic effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Glasgow meeting is forcing countries to declare their plans to cut emissions, and maybe go bigger. “This is arguably the most important COP since 2015” when the Paris Agreement was signed, Figueres says. “We’re going to [go] around the table, we’re going to be transparent with each other. We’re going to say what we did. And above all, what more we are going to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://fletcher.tufts.edu/people/rachel-kyte\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rachel Kyte\u003c/a>, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, says private companies and philanthropists feel the same pressure. “Having the event has an effect,” says Kyte, who is also advising the United Kingdom on aspects of the climate talks. “There is huge pressure from civil society, from the public, from investors, from politicians, to go to Glasgow with something [to offer.] People want to be seen to be doing the right thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. How is this global GoFundMe going so far?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Poorly. Greenhouse gases continue to pour into the atmosphere at a high rate. Even the plans that countries have submitted since Paris would allow global emissions to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/09/17/1038294582/countries-are-breaking-their-climate-promises-the-united-nations-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">continue increasing\u003c/a>. According to the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Climate Action Tracker\u003c/a>, major polluting countries have submitted plans that are either “critically insufficient” or “highly insufficient.” They include \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/russian-federation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russia\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/china/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">China\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/brazil/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brazil\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/india/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">India\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/australia/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Australia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. recently improved its rating to merely “insufficient.” Earlier this year, it \u003ca href=\"https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/United%20States%20of%20America%20First/United%20States%20NDC%20April%2021%202021%20Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">promised\u003c/a> to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half (compared with 2005 levels) by 2030 and to deliver $10 billion a year in climate-focused economic aid to lower-income countries. But those are just promises right now. Congress hasn’t passed legislation that would accomplish this so far, although the Biden administration has offered a new plan that calls for large investments in climate initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nations also have not delivered on their promises regarding “climate finance” — the stream of money that will help poorer countries deal with the consequences of a warming climate. Developing nations emit small quantities of heat-trapping pollution but suffer disproportionately from its effects and have fewer resources available to cope with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not on track. It’s not happening. Why isn’t it happening? That’s the story,” says Saleemul Huq.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is some mildly good news, though. According to the latest \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2021/executive-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">estimate\u003c/a> from the International Energy Agency, if all countries fully carry out their current climate pledges, the global curve of greenhouse emissions eventually will start to bend downward. Under this scenario, average global temperatures would increase by 3.7 degrees Fahrenheit compared with pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. (Those average temperatures have already risen by about two degrees Fahrenheit.) “We are making progress,” Figueres says. “We’re not at the level that we should be, but we’re moving in the right direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. After all the countries put their plans on the table, what remains to be decided?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiators will argue over the wording of the meeting’s final statement. Climate experts are hoping that it will “send a signal” that nations understand the need for deeper emissions cuts to reach that elusive target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Poorer countries, many from Africa, will push hard for specific commitments on financial aid to help them deal with climate-linked disasters. “Poor countries are not responsible for this problem,” says \u003ca href=\"https://cccd.funai.edu.ng/team-member/professor-chukwumerije-okereke/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chukwumerije Okereke\u003c/a>, director of the Centre for Climate Change and Development in Nigeria. “It’s been shipped to them by developed countries, and they’re having to deal with it with little or no help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These countries say that previous commitments for $100 billion a year in “climate finance” — even though still unmet — are woefully inadequate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, negotiators will be trying to work out final details of what’s called “The Paris Rulebook.” These include rules for how countries shall report their emissions targets and how a system of “carbon markets” might work, in which one country can effectively purchase emissions reductions from another country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rachel Kyte says that one thing is already clear. There will be plenty of work still to do when COP26 is over. “People think that the COP is sort of like the World Series, right? And that there’s going to be some, you know, walk-off home run from China or the U.S. And it’s not,” she says. “It’s like an Iditarod, right? Lots of huskies, long and arduous, and maybe it never ends.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A major climate meeting is underway in Glasgow, Scotland. It's a pivotal moment in the struggle against climate change. But it's taking place in the midst of political tensions.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A climate extravaganza got underway in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday. President Biden showed up. So have other world leaders and a small city’s worth of diplomats, business executives and activists. It’s billed as a potential turning point in the struggle to avert the worst effects of climate change, and it has a curious name: COP26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is it worth the hype? What might it accomplish? Here’s what you need to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. What’s a COP?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These climate meetings began in 1992, when countries signed a treaty promising to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and prevent dangerous changes to the climate. Almost every year since then, the parties to this agreement have met to talk about what still needs to be done. It’s called a Conference of Parties, or COP. This is the 26th such meeting. So, COP26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. Who is showing up?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An astonishing collection of people. \u003ca href=\"https://www.icccad.net/our-team/saleemul-huq/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saleemul Huq\u003c/a>, from the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh, has been to every single COP. He calls the meeting, which will last for two weeks, a “multi-ring circus.” In the innermost ring, blue-badged diplomats from almost 200 countries will debate the wording of a statement that’s released at the meeting’s conclusion, which contains any actual decisions. Other venues in Glasgow will be flooded by celebrities, industry groups, climate activists and academic researchers, all with their own priorities. Protests are expected. It looks to be like a session of Congress, a trade show and a political demonstration all rolled into one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"backstage-sponsor-language \">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. What is COP26 supposed to accomplish?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s one main goal: get closer to fulfilling promises that nations made six years ago at COP21 in Paris. Under the Paris Agreement, countries pledged to collectively cut their greenhouse emissions enough to keep the planet from heating up more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with pre-industrial times. Wealthy countries also promised large amounts of aid to poorer nations to help them cope with climate change and to reduce their own greenhouse emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Progress toward those goals has been halting, at best. But pressure is growing for bolder action, because \u003ca href=\"https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scientists say\u003c/a> that planetary warming is accelerating , leading to more frequent and intense heat waves and storms and destruction of ecosystems. The planet already has warmed by about one degree Celsius. Keeping warming below 1.5 degrees C will require quick, drastic cuts in global greenhouse emissions, bringing them practically to zero within about 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m optimistic, not in a naive sense, because the conditions for this are extraordinarily difficult,” says \u003ca href=\"http://christianafigueres.com/#/\">Christiana Figueres\u003c/a>, formerly the United Nations’ climate chief. “This is incredibly difficult. [But] do we need a success out of this? Absolutely. We don’t have the option or the luxury of failure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. Will diplomats sit around a table and negotiate limits on their countries’ greenhouse emissions?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not exactly. The Paris Agreement created a novel method for getting to this goal. It works like a GoFundMe, except for the planet. Countries offer their individual “contributions” — their specific plans to cut heat-trapping emissions. The U.N. then adds them all up and calculates if that sum is enough — or, as now, if a gap remains between those plans and what climate scientists say is needed to avoid the most catastrophic effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Glasgow meeting is forcing countries to declare their plans to cut emissions, and maybe go bigger. “This is arguably the most important COP since 2015” when the Paris Agreement was signed, Figueres says. “We’re going to [go] around the table, we’re going to be transparent with each other. We’re going to say what we did. And above all, what more we are going to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://fletcher.tufts.edu/people/rachel-kyte\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rachel Kyte\u003c/a>, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, says private companies and philanthropists feel the same pressure. “Having the event has an effect,” says Kyte, who is also advising the United Kingdom on aspects of the climate talks. “There is huge pressure from civil society, from the public, from investors, from politicians, to go to Glasgow with something [to offer.] People want to be seen to be doing the right thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. How is this global GoFundMe going so far?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Poorly. Greenhouse gases continue to pour into the atmosphere at a high rate. Even the plans that countries have submitted since Paris would allow global emissions to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/09/17/1038294582/countries-are-breaking-their-climate-promises-the-united-nations-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">continue increasing\u003c/a>. According to the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Climate Action Tracker\u003c/a>, major polluting countries have submitted plans that are either “critically insufficient” or “highly insufficient.” They include \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/russian-federation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russia\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/china/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">China\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/brazil/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brazil\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/india/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">India\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/australia/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Australia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. recently improved its rating to merely “insufficient.” Earlier this year, it \u003ca href=\"https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/United%20States%20of%20America%20First/United%20States%20NDC%20April%2021%202021%20Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">promised\u003c/a> to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half (compared with 2005 levels) by 2030 and to deliver $10 billion a year in climate-focused economic aid to lower-income countries. But those are just promises right now. Congress hasn’t passed legislation that would accomplish this so far, although the Biden administration has offered a new plan that calls for large investments in climate initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nations also have not delivered on their promises regarding “climate finance” — the stream of money that will help poorer countries deal with the consequences of a warming climate. Developing nations emit small quantities of heat-trapping pollution but suffer disproportionately from its effects and have fewer resources available to cope with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not on track. It’s not happening. Why isn’t it happening? That’s the story,” says Saleemul Huq.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is some mildly good news, though. According to the latest \u003ca href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2021/executive-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">estimate\u003c/a> from the International Energy Agency, if all countries fully carry out their current climate pledges, the global curve of greenhouse emissions eventually will start to bend downward. Under this scenario, average global temperatures would increase by 3.7 degrees Fahrenheit compared with pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. (Those average temperatures have already risen by about two degrees Fahrenheit.) “We are making progress,” Figueres says. “We’re not at the level that we should be, but we’re moving in the right direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q. After all the countries put their plans on the table, what remains to be decided?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiators will argue over the wording of the meeting’s final statement. Climate experts are hoping that it will “send a signal” that nations understand the need for deeper emissions cuts to reach that elusive target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Poorer countries, many from Africa, will push hard for specific commitments on financial aid to help them deal with climate-linked disasters. “Poor countries are not responsible for this problem,” says \u003ca href=\"https://cccd.funai.edu.ng/team-member/professor-chukwumerije-okereke/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chukwumerije Okereke\u003c/a>, director of the Centre for Climate Change and Development in Nigeria. “It’s been shipped to them by developed countries, and they’re having to deal with it with little or no help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These countries say that previous commitments for $100 billion a year in “climate finance” — even though still unmet — are woefully inadequate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, negotiators will be trying to work out final details of what’s called “The Paris Rulebook.” These include rules for how countries shall report their emissions targets and how a system of “carbon markets” might work, in which one country can effectively purchase emissions reductions from another country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rachel Kyte says that one thing is already clear. There will be plenty of work still to do when COP26 is over. “People think that the COP is sort of like the World Series, right? And that there’s going to be some, you know, walk-off home run from China or the U.S. And it’s not,” she says. “It’s like an Iditarod, right? Lots of huskies, long and arduous, and maybe it never ends.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Healdsburg Cut Its Water Use in Half. What's in the City's Secret, Water-Saving Sauce?",
"headTitle": "Healdsburg Cut Its Water Use in Half. What’s in the City’s Secret, Water-Saving Sauce? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Cutting water use became a bit of a competition for retiree John Diniakos and his wife Merrilyn Joyce after their city mandated a 40% water restriction back in \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/714/Current-Drought-Information\">June\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wearing a faded green collared shirt tucked into equally worn blue jeans, Diniakos said he now limits his showers to “once every other day, sometimes every three days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He doesn’t want to, but he’s doing it. “I would rather take a shower every day,” he said. “It just feels better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even so, Joyce says she’s winning their water war because she does “laundry much less often.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among a maze of potted succulents beneath a broad magnolia tree in the couple’s front yard is a sign that reads “drought proofed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diniakos and Joyce live in Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. These signs are everywhere around town — the city gave them to residents who participated in its water-saving program. Just like the rest of the state, Healdsburg is gripped by drought. But the city is conserving at a much higher rate than California overall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977231\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977231 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Diniakos and his wife, Merrilyn Joyce. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Healdsburg nearly cut its water use in half in August, compared to the same time last year. Californians overall \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977196/newsom-declares-drought-emergency-across-california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">saved just 5%, \u003c/a>and that’s after Gov. Gavin Newsom asked everyone to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15% back in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom declared a drought emergency across the entire state this week, as conservation targets continue to fall far short.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, what’s in Healdsburg’s secret, water-saving sauce? The city capped household water use and \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/714/Current-Drought-Information\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">banned sprinklers. \u003c/a>And residents largely followed the rules — no surprise there, as the signs of drought are everywhere. A pencil-thin band of the Russian River flows from Lake Mendocino through town. Crunchy front lawns with yellow grass dot the community of 12,000 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were in a dire situation,” said Joyce. “People got that and wanted to do the right thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple practically lives out of buckets in an effort to save, watering plants and soaking greasy pans using grey water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They tracked how much water they used brushing their teeth and showering with a \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/723/Water-Rebates\">phone\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/723/Water-Rebates\">app\u003c/a> that pulls data from a sensor connected to their meter, which Joyce said “made it fun.” She could see how much water they wasted in real time and discovered there’s always an opportunity to “turn the volume down a little bit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that conservation worked: The couple averaged 24 gallons a day this summer and fall — incredible, and well below the city’s allotment of 74 gallons per person, which is about half of what a person in Healdsburg normally uses.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A system in crisis\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What makes Healdsburg’s situation unique is that the Russian River system, starting high in the coastal range and flowing to the ocean, is in crisis. The river sits isolated from the rest of the state. There are no canals or aqueducts connecting it to the state’s vast system of waterways or the meltwaters that originate high in the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike much of the Bay Area, the only water Healdsburg gets is from rain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lake Mendocino is now just \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/current-water-supply-levels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22% full\u003c/a> and for much of the summer it resembled a muddy bathtub. The city saw that the lake levels were depleted and it prompted them to save, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/directory.aspx?EID=85\">Terry\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/directory.aspx?EID=85\">Crowley\u003c/a>, the city’s utilities director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The rainfall totals were the lowest in 100 years,” said Crowley. “We really need to see some rain this winter or it’s going to be very difficult next summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A series of rainstorms are soaking Northern California this week, with most of the precipitation falling across the North Bay. The badly needed showers could help the reservoir bounce back, but it won’t end the drought, not by a long shot. That will take several months of wet weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Lawns should be banned’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Many people in Healdsburg have large yards, and the city took a risk by cutting off water to lawns. But as climate change gets worse and droughts become more frequent, Crowley envisions the city will look very different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[What] I would expect to happen over the next 10 to 15 years is a lot of those lawns would be changed out to drought-tolerant plantings,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowley says around 10% of the city’s residential customers already have swapped their lawns for drought-resistant shrubs, succulents and cacti. Many more have let their lawns become dry and brittle. To help residents, the city offers rebates for various water conservation efforts: converting lawns to droughtscapes, using water-usage tracking apps and purchasing efficient washing machines and low-flow toilets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://waterinthewest.stanford.edu/about/people/newsha-ajami\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Newsha Ajami\u003c/a>, who studies Water in the West at Stanford, says Healdsburg’s conservation tactics — water budgets and limiting outdoor water use — can be applied across the state, because \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/R_1016EH3R.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">half the water cities use is for outdoor irrigation\u003c/a>. Cutting water use in the state’s most populated areas by 50% would be a huge deal for a state with \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/CA/RHI725219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">14 million homes\u003c/a> and growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lawns should be banned,” she said. “Every drop of water that’s used to maintain that lawn can be a drop of water that we can leave in the reservoir if this drought ends up being a 10-year drought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Secondly, Ajami says water monitoring apps made it easy for people to understand their water usage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more information you provide to customers, the more public awareness you create, the better customers respond to different asks that the utilities have,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘We have to adapt’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>But meeting the city’s water budget hasn’t been easy for everyone in Healdsburg. For Megan Bowman, convincing her two teenagers to take shorter showers is constant work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We actually time showers,” she said. “They get three-minute showers and that’s it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977234\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977234 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with a gray shirt and white baseball hat holds a black hose. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Megan Bowman waters her garden with recycled water using a drip system. (Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What’s even more work for Bowman is keeping the dozens of trees on her property alive. Every week she gets 500 gallons of recycled water provided by the city — originally free of charge, now for $45 a week. Residents must buy the pumps and hoses to get the water out of the plastic tanks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bowman douses her thirsty plants and trees with the recycled water nightly through a web of hoses and pumps. The water keeps her yard alive, but not thriving. Some of the redwoods on her one-acre lot have sprouted light green new growth, but others are less verdant and look brown and sad. “They’re really struggling and this one, you can see I think we’re going to lose,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Bowman can afford to pay for the recycled water, not everyone in Healdsburg can. Some of her neighbors are adapting to the drought differently. She says the owners of the house at the top of the hill are buying water from a private company. Across the street the neighbor’s lawn is all dried up. And another neighbor is ditching Healdsburg for the East Coast, fleeing the dual threat of drought and wildfire. “They’re done,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for Bowman, manually watering her plants and taking shorter showers isn’t a reason to leave the city she’s lived in for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is home, I love it here,” she said. “This is part of living in California and this is part of climate change, right? So, we have to change and we have to adapt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Healdsburg receives only a little rain this winter, Bowman says she’ll be out in the yard next summer with her pumps and hoses, trying to figure out how to keep her yard alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Cutting water use became a bit of a competition for retiree John Diniakos and his wife Merrilyn Joyce after their city mandated a 40% water restriction back in \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/714/Current-Drought-Information\">June\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wearing a faded green collared shirt tucked into equally worn blue jeans, Diniakos said he now limits his showers to “once every other day, sometimes every three days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He doesn’t want to, but he’s doing it. “I would rather take a shower every day,” he said. “It just feels better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even so, Joyce says she’s winning their water war because she does “laundry much less often.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among a maze of potted succulents beneath a broad magnolia tree in the couple’s front yard is a sign that reads “drought proofed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diniakos and Joyce live in Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. These signs are everywhere around town — the city gave them to residents who participated in its water-saving program. Just like the rest of the state, Healdsburg is gripped by drought. But the city is conserving at a much higher rate than California overall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977231\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977231 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-9-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Diniakos and his wife, Merrilyn Joyce. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Healdsburg nearly cut its water use in half in August, compared to the same time last year. Californians overall \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977196/newsom-declares-drought-emergency-across-california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">saved just 5%, \u003c/a>and that’s after Gov. Gavin Newsom asked everyone to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15% back in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom declared a drought emergency across the entire state this week, as conservation targets continue to fall far short.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, what’s in Healdsburg’s secret, water-saving sauce? The city capped household water use and \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/714/Current-Drought-Information\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">banned sprinklers. \u003c/a>And residents largely followed the rules — no surprise there, as the signs of drought are everywhere. A pencil-thin band of the Russian River flows from Lake Mendocino through town. Crunchy front lawns with yellow grass dot the community of 12,000 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were in a dire situation,” said Joyce. “People got that and wanted to do the right thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple practically lives out of buckets in an effort to save, watering plants and soaking greasy pans using grey water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They tracked how much water they used brushing their teeth and showering with a \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/723/Water-Rebates\">phone\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/723/Water-Rebates\">app\u003c/a> that pulls data from a sensor connected to their meter, which Joyce said “made it fun.” She could see how much water they wasted in real time and discovered there’s always an opportunity to “turn the volume down a little bit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that conservation worked: The couple averaged 24 gallons a day this summer and fall — incredible, and well below the city’s allotment of 74 gallons per person, which is about half of what a person in Healdsburg normally uses.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A system in crisis\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What makes Healdsburg’s situation unique is that the Russian River system, starting high in the coastal range and flowing to the ocean, is in crisis. The river sits isolated from the rest of the state. There are no canals or aqueducts connecting it to the state’s vast system of waterways or the meltwaters that originate high in the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike much of the Bay Area, the only water Healdsburg gets is from rain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lake Mendocino is now just \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonomawater.org/current-water-supply-levels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22% full\u003c/a> and for much of the summer it resembled a muddy bathtub. The city saw that the lake levels were depleted and it prompted them to save, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/directory.aspx?EID=85\">Terry\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/directory.aspx?EID=85\">Crowley\u003c/a>, the city’s utilities director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The rainfall totals were the lowest in 100 years,” said Crowley. “We really need to see some rain this winter or it’s going to be very difficult next summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A series of rainstorms are soaking Northern California this week, with most of the precipitation falling across the North Bay. The badly needed showers could help the reservoir bounce back, but it won’t end the drought, not by a long shot. That will take several months of wet weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Lawns should be banned’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Many people in Healdsburg have large yards, and the city took a risk by cutting off water to lawns. But as climate change gets worse and droughts become more frequent, Crowley envisions the city will look very different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[What] I would expect to happen over the next 10 to 15 years is a lot of those lawns would be changed out to drought-tolerant plantings,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowley says around 10% of the city’s residential customers already have swapped their lawns for drought-resistant shrubs, succulents and cacti. Many more have let their lawns become dry and brittle. To help residents, the city offers rebates for various water conservation efforts: converting lawns to droughtscapes, using water-usage tracking apps and purchasing efficient washing machines and low-flow toilets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://waterinthewest.stanford.edu/about/people/newsha-ajami\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Newsha Ajami\u003c/a>, who studies Water in the West at Stanford, says Healdsburg’s conservation tactics — water budgets and limiting outdoor water use — can be applied across the state, because \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/R_1016EH3R.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">half the water cities use is for outdoor irrigation\u003c/a>. Cutting water use in the state’s most populated areas by 50% would be a huge deal for a state with \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/CA/RHI725219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">14 million homes\u003c/a> and growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lawns should be banned,” she said. “Every drop of water that’s used to maintain that lawn can be a drop of water that we can leave in the reservoir if this drought ends up being a 10-year drought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Secondly, Ajami says water monitoring apps made it easy for people to understand their water usage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more information you provide to customers, the more public awareness you create, the better customers respond to different asks that the utilities have,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘We have to adapt’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>But meeting the city’s water budget hasn’t been easy for everyone in Healdsburg. For Megan Bowman, convincing her two teenagers to take shorter showers is constant work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We actually time showers,” she said. “They get three-minute showers and that’s it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977234\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977234 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with a gray shirt and white baseball hat holds a black hose. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Healdsburg-Drougth-PHOTOS-19-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Megan Bowman waters her garden with recycled water using a drip system. (Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What’s even more work for Bowman is keeping the dozens of trees on her property alive. Every week she gets 500 gallons of recycled water provided by the city — originally free of charge, now for $45 a week. Residents must buy the pumps and hoses to get the water out of the plastic tanks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bowman douses her thirsty plants and trees with the recycled water nightly through a web of hoses and pumps. The water keeps her yard alive, but not thriving. Some of the redwoods on her one-acre lot have sprouted light green new growth, but others are less verdant and look brown and sad. “They’re really struggling and this one, you can see I think we’re going to lose,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Bowman can afford to pay for the recycled water, not everyone in Healdsburg can. Some of her neighbors are adapting to the drought differently. She says the owners of the house at the top of the hill are buying water from a private company. Across the street the neighbor’s lawn is all dried up. And another neighbor is ditching Healdsburg for the East Coast, fleeing the dual threat of drought and wildfire. “They’re done,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for Bowman, manually watering her plants and taking shorter showers isn’t a reason to leave the city she’s lived in for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is home, I love it here,” she said. “This is part of living in California and this is part of climate change, right? So, we have to change and we have to adapt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Healdsburg receives only a little rain this winter, Bowman says she’ll be out in the yard next summer with her pumps and hoses, trying to figure out how to keep her yard alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Wildfire Torched the Sierra All Summer, Evading Containment. Here’s How Tahoe Protected Itself",
"headTitle": "Wildfire Torched the Sierra All Summer, Evading Containment. Here’s How Tahoe Protected Itself | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Susie Kocher watched with increasing dread as the Caldor Fire roared across the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, churning toward her home near the base of Echo Summit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From high along the granite ridge nearby, the view of Lake Tahoe is normally pristine — a cerulean ocean in the sky, dotted with boats and casinos lining the pine forest along the South Shore. But for two weeks at the end of August, smoke as brown as car exhaust clouded the basin’s air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Kocher well knows, having worked tirelessly for more than a decade to prepare this community for a wildfire as a UC Cooperative Extension forestry adviser, under almost every tree near South Lake Tahoe is a house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She feared the fast approaching edge of the fire, with its flames licking beyond 100 feet in the air. But she worried most about showers of red hot embers, carried over a mile beyond the fire’s edge by wind gusts, stealing entrance into these homes through open vents or siding gaps, burning them from the inside out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A firefighter is not going to help your home if the ember goes in through the attic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the fire approached, she cleared away needles and brush from around her house. With their truck, Kocher’s husband, Rick George, hauled their sailboat and other fire hazards to a vacant lot away from their home. She collected her “wedding dress, my husband’s silver and his mother’s wedding dress,” irreplaceable items to take with her when they evacuated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Aug. 30, officials ordered South Lake Tahoe to evacuate immediately. She joined thousands of others leaving en masse, her face obscured by a heavy blue and red respirator to protect her lungs from the hazardous smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind her as she drove away, ash and a hazy amber glow floated around her home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/UCsierraforest/status/1432458308812619779\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The ‘wake-up moment’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When the Valley Fire in Lake County destroyed 1,300 homes and killed four people in 2015, the wildfire community called it a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976490/showing-climate-change-as-it-happens-a-veteran-photojournalist-on-capturing-californias-intensifying-wildfires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wake-up moment\u003c/a>” to an era of catastrophic wildfire in California, driven in part by climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Caldor, Dixie and other fires this summer make it crystal clear that California’s wildfire crisis is escalating. About 4.3 million acres burned in 2020, a record that could be surpassed by this year’s extreme fire season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is in a dangerous place. Scorching summers coupled with tinderbox dry forests render fire containment ineffective — especially when it’s hot, windy or a combination of the two.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Caldor Fire burned into the Tahoe Basin, it looked like this city, a center of gravity for culture in this part of the Sierra, could (and many thought would) burn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it did not, thanks to the 3,500 firefighters, a timely shift in the winds and years of fire preparations by a myriad of players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Caldor Fire showed the danger California faces, but also a path forward, beginning with \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/09/09/interview-pyrogeographer-crystal-kolden-on-fighting-californias-modern-megafires/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acceptance that wildfires are a part of our lives\u003c/a> and not inherently bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976869/heres-whats-inside-newsoms-whopping-15-billion-climate-spending-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acknowledged\u003c/a> as much when he detailed about $1 billion in new spending for fire breaks, tree thinning and other measures meant to prevent catastrophic wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not going to respond our way out of this wildfire crisis,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A “confluence of all the right ingredients” coalesced to drive the Caldor Fire’s erratic fire behavior, accelerating the arrival of conditions expected to emerge over the next century, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.dri.edu/directory/benjamin-hatchett/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Benjamin Hatchett,\u003c/a> an atmospheric scientist with the Desert Research Institute in Reno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hope Tahoe is the wake-up call,” he said. “We all need to get together and figure out what we’re going to do so that it’s not Tahoe City next year or Truckee next year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977050 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842.jpg\" alt=\"Fire crews manage a back fire while fighting the Caldor Fire. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fire crews manage a back fire in Sly Park, Calif., fighting the Caldor Fire on Monday, Aug, 23, 2021. \u003ccite>(Andrew Nixon/CapRadio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>‘Hat’s off’ for forest thinning\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Caldor Fire ignited on Aug. 14 near Pollock Pines in El Dorado County, and quickly decimated Grizzly Flats, burning a school, church and the post office, leaving little left in the mountain hamlet. To date, the fire has burned more than 1,000 buildings and north of 220,000 acres. Officials lifted the last of the evacuation orders just \u003ca href=\"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FA4qSO7VcAEVKRE.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this week\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/pyrogeog/status/1435358566139904005\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A few days earlier\u003c/a>, the Dixie Fire burned across Kettle Ridge, west of Susanville, and into the Great Basin, becoming the first known wildfire to run across the Sierra Nevada. The flames ripped through high elevation forests usually too saturated with heavy snow melt to burn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977051\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977051\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208.jpg\" alt=\"A burned entrance sign at Walter Tyler Elementary school with charred playground equipment in the background. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Walter Tyler Elementary in Grizzly Flats, Calif. Tuesday, August 17, 2021. \u003ccite>(Andrew Nixon/CapRadio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have any record of that happening before,” Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter said, adding the blaze — 32 times the size of San Francisco — “was exceedingly resistant to control.” The Dixie Fire is California’s largest single fire on record, having consumed nearly 1 million acres across five counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of August, the Caldor Fire had burned into the Tahoe Basin, becoming the second recorded fire to cross the Sierra Nevada. Its erratic fire behavior \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/08/19/caldor-fires-explosive-growth-following-dixie-fires-playbook/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mirrored the Dixie Fire\u003c/a> to the north, and residents watched with alarm as the embers ignited spot fires miles in front of the flames, like missiles shot from behind enemy lines, rendering firefighter containment lines — painstakingly hacked with hand tools and bulldozers — essentially useless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For firefighters, this year has been a grueling slog, and the last two weeks of August were some of the worst.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Since we got here, our first time actually sleeping was yesterday,” said Micah Conant, nearly a week into a shift at the Caldor Fire with his Tahoe Douglas Fire Department crew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The firefighters’ main objective: keep the blaze out of South Lake Tahoe, a dense mountain city of more than 21,000 people, and the surrounding communities, home of Kocher and thousands more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a first line of defense, crews with bulldozers scraped earth bare against homes in Meyers and Christmas Valley, where they expected to make a desperate stand, said Phil Heitzke, a fuels specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the wildfire charged towards the fire line, “we were getting 100 or 150 foot flame lengths,” Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977052\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977052\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cut stumps in the forest near South Lake Tahoe show where preventative forest thinning took place before the Caldor Fire burned the area. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But suddenly, the flames lowered to the forest floor. Firefighters crossed the dozer lines, safely able to work next to the flames, steering the wildfire away from the homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire behavior dropped down as soon as it hit this unit,” Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If crews hadn’t thinned small trees and brush here a few years ago, that wouldn’t have been possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The canopy is open, and that’s the key thing with these fires, having that open canopy so the [wildfire] can’t sustain a crown run” where the fire burns from treetop to treetop, Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the folks who have been working on these projects the last two decades my hat’s off to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A built-in buffer\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of acres have been treated in the Lake Tahoe Basin in the last 15 years, more than is typical for forested mountain communities. The work is not cheap. Paying crews with chain saws to thin overgrown forests can cost around $2,000 an acre.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1977041\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/KQED_Caldor-1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"887\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Comparing that against the value of homes saved — recent home sales in the area have garnered a median price of $750,000 — it looks like a good investment. But here, Lake Tahoe is privileged. The city has a much larger population than most mountain towns and boasts a wealthy, largely white conservation community that can afford to pay for expertise needed to get good at winning competitive grants. “There’s a political pressure there,” Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents and others have treated more than 40% of the Tahoe Basin since 2008 with mechanical thinning and “good fire,” the intentional burning of thick underbrush to slow down future wildfires. Additionally, hundreds of homeowners around the Tahoe Basin have prepared their houses and properties to withstand wildfire including cleaning needles, trees and debris around homes, and installing new roofs and vent covers to prevent embers from getting inside a house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=https://services6.arcgis.com/1KtlSd2mklZMBKaz/ArcGIS/rest/services/Tahoe_Forest_Fuels_Tx_OFFICIAL_Public_View/FeatureServer&source=sd\">map\u003c/a> of treatments in the area shows an extensive, though patchy, jigsaw puzzle of mechanical thinning and pile burns on both sides of Highway 50. The Forest Service said in the past five years many of those fuel treatments in the Tahoe Basin included prescribed fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“South Lake Tahoe and that whole area has done an absolutely extraordinary job of doing a lot of work to reduce fuels,” said Crystal Kolden, a UC Merced fire scientist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bob Larsen’s home is about a block away from where the Caldor Fire stopped. He credits the areas of treated forest with saving his and his neighbors homes and said the 2007 Angora Fire, which incinerated 240 homes southwest of South Lake Tahoe, galvanized the community around fire preparations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://projects.capradio.org/california-fire-history/#9.69/39.0438/-120.1474\" style=\"border: 0px #ffffff none;\" name=\"myiFrame\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0px\" marginwidth=\"0px\" height=\"500px\" width=\"100%\" allowfullscreen class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Angora] highlighted the importance of doing something about the overstocked forest and trying to make sure that homeowners are doing the work that they need to do to provide that defensible space,” Larsen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of forest treatments, he said his neighborhood had a “buffer between sort of the very hot fire and fire that was more manageable, I think is a big part of why they were able to succeed and why we are so lucky.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977053\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977053\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Larsen stands in the forest near his home. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Fire here is expected\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>For roughly four decades, California wildfires have advanced higher and higher into the backcountry, rising in elevation at a rate of 25 feet per year, with the largest growth in the Sierra Nevada, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk4286/files/inline-files/Warming_Enabled_e2009717118.full_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new study\u003c/a> from researchers at UC Merced and elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers say the fire’s spread is driven by warmer and dryer conditions with snow melting earlier in the year. Warming temperatures have driven a fivefold increase in summertime forest fires across California, felt most dramatically in the Sierra Nevada, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1944993/study-climate-change-a-leading-driver-of-californias-wildfires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">research published in 2019, a year before last summer’s record-torching fire season\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://tahoe.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/257/2020/04/Integrated-Vulnerability-Assessment-of-Climate-Change-in-the-Lake-Tahoe-Basin_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California Tahoe Conservancy’s assessment of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s vulnerability to climate change\u003c/a>, the basin can expect to see higher temperatures, more extreme storms, less snow, more drought stress and larger areas burned by wildfires over the next century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s something that’s happening today,” said South Lake Tahoe Mayor Pro Tem Devin Middlebrook. “[Preparing for big fires] isn’t something that we can put off for 20 or 30 years,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977057\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A CalFire truck drives on a smoke-filled Highway 50 between Pollock Pines and Strawberry, as the Caldor Fire burns nearby. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Culture of suppression\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Fire experts say a policy of fire prevention has left forest stands across the state thick with overgrown brush and trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the Great Fire of 1910, which burned 20 million acres across the northwest and killed 86 people, California forest managers began actively suppressing wildfires. The majority of the tens of millions of acres of forest in California are controlled by the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1935, that agency passed the 10 a.m. rule, a mandate dictating any fire must be controlled by the next day at 10 a.m. Although this policy was rescinded in 1974, this way of managing forests has led to more than 80 years of suppressing fires by federal firefighters and Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What experts say is often missing from this conversation is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/09/16/the-racist-removal-of-native-americans-in-california-is-often-missing-from-wildfire-discussions-experts-say/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">racist removal of Native American people\u003c/a> from California in the mid-19th century. More than \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/revealing-the-history-of-genocide-against-californias-native-americans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">16,000 were killed\u003c/a>, others were forced onto reservations and many were enslaved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with their physical beings, the knowledge of taking care of the land through forest thinning and cultural burns was also removed. This action resulted in overgrown forests, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.csuchico.edu/geop/department/dhankins.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don Hankins\u003c/a>, a Plains Miwok fire expert at Chico State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If California was “still stewarded continuously with Indigenous fire, we would definitely not see the same level of fires that we’re seeing,” he said in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are indications that the state is changing its fire policies. Having spent \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$3.4 billion on wildfire suppression last year\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976869/heres-whats-inside-newsoms-whopping-15-billion-climate-spending-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$1 billion in new spending\u003c/a> for fire breaks, forest thinning, and other measures to stop megafires before they get out of control. Crowfoot, of the Natural Resources Agency, indicated the state is prepared to expand “upfront, proactive actions,” and the package includes $19 million for the state to work with tribes on prescribed burns, up from just $1 million last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California lawmakers have also passed \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB332\">a\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB332\">bill\u003c/a> that wouldn’t hold prescribed burners liable if a fire escapes it’s containment lines, unless they are grossly negligent. Lastly, a federal Senate infrastructure bill could provide more than \u003ca href=\"https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20210910/114025/BILLS-117SConRes14pp.pdf\">$16 \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20210910/114025/BILLS-117SConRes14pp.pdf\">billion\u003c/a> over a decade for fuels management.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Megafires push forest communities to the brink\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A trail of cars lined Highway 50 during South Lake Tahoe’s evacuation on Aug. 30, but Bill Schaeffer, wearing a T-shirt, the same moody gray color as the smoke-darkened sky, pushed his bike toward the fire. The scruffy man with long locks hurried to gather his belongings at home in time to catch a bus out of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just two weeks prior, Schaeffer, 68, was unhoused, like he had been on and off for almost two decades. He recently moved into a small, affordable home with the help of a local support group for unhoused people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I lose my place to live, then I’m going to probably be forced back to being homeless again,” he said, noting that rents here, like elsewhere throughout California, have risen to be “sky high.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known to the outside world as a sparkling tourist area, South Lake Tahoe is home to the resort staff, bartenders and thousands of others who live and work there, keeping the machinery of the place humming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Construction workers Jose Mora and Henry Jose Mendoza fled South Lake Tahoe, too, taking shelter at an evacuation center in Carson City, Nevada. Mendoza only had the clothes on his body because they didn’t have time to pack before leaving. The friends were confused whether or not they needed to evacuate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977058\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jose Mora (right) and Henry Jose Mendoza, both construction workers, fled South Lake Tahoe during the Caldor Fire, taking shelter at an evacuation center in Carson City, Nevada. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We were looking at Facebook, and then the news,” said Mora. “We were just waiting. Then we received a call and we [saw] the map and we just started getting whatever we could.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the eve of the evacuation, Donarae Reynolds and her husband bustled around their home in the \u003ca href=\"https://goldenbearha.org/current-conditions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden Bear neighborhood just outside South Lake Tahoe\u003c/a>, packing medications, clothes and other essentials into their cars and camper trailer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’d removed unrecoverable family photos from the walls, and stowed their passports, living trust and other important documents in a safety deposit box at the bank. Their neighborhood was ready when the evacuation order came in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all simply got in our cars and waved to each other and we took off,” Reynolds said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reynolds’ neighborhood was uniquely prepared for this day to come. In 2019, Reynolds and her neighbors held an \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/news/tahoeland/2019/10/02/climate-change-is-increasing-tahoes-risk-of-wildfire-these-residents-want-to-be-ready/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">evacuation drill to prepare for disasters like the Caldor Fire. \u003c/a>They’ve also held clean-up days and got residents to sign up for emergency alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it were a situation where you had no warning and everyone just had to scramble, I think that it would have been a totally different kind of an evacuation,” Reynolds said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The neighbors kept up with each other while they were evacuated, trading Ring doorbell camera footage and aerial views of the neighborhood to see if the fire had reached it. The fire spared their homes this time, and they’ve since returned to Golden Bear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977060\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe is mostly empty, after evacuees waited hours to leave the area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe is mostly empty on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, after evacuees waited hours to leave the area. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A matter of survival\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Back in Tahoe with her home and its two decks still standing, Kocher said she feels fortunate to live in South Lake Tahoe with ample fire prevention and suppression assets, especially when nearby communities don’t have the same resources to stop the flames.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m concerned for those communities,” she said. “It’s a matter of survival unless we get our act together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s easy to blame the fires all on a warming climate, but UC Berkeley fire science professor Scott Stephens said the lack of prevention efforts and the overgrown forests amount to the “vast majority” of the state’s current problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatchett, with the Desert Research Institute, said that still-rising temperatures, increasingly arid conditions, and other impacts of climate change is like “pouring gas” on wildfires and why “we need climate action now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even climate action, he admits, won’t stop the sheer volume of dead brush and trees in forests from burning or prevent the amount of global warming already baked into the atmosphere. But, yet, he has hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not going to stop that train,” he admitted, “but we might be able to divert it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"description": "About 3,500 firefighters and years of preventative fire preparations largely saved South Lake Tahoe from the Caldor Fire. ",
"title": "Wildfire Torched the Sierra All Summer, Evading Containment. Here’s How Tahoe Protected Itself | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Susie Kocher watched with increasing dread as the Caldor Fire roared across the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, churning toward her home near the base of Echo Summit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From high along the granite ridge nearby, the view of Lake Tahoe is normally pristine — a cerulean ocean in the sky, dotted with boats and casinos lining the pine forest along the South Shore. But for two weeks at the end of August, smoke as brown as car exhaust clouded the basin’s air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Kocher well knows, having worked tirelessly for more than a decade to prepare this community for a wildfire as a UC Cooperative Extension forestry adviser, under almost every tree near South Lake Tahoe is a house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She feared the fast approaching edge of the fire, with its flames licking beyond 100 feet in the air. But she worried most about showers of red hot embers, carried over a mile beyond the fire’s edge by wind gusts, stealing entrance into these homes through open vents or siding gaps, burning them from the inside out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A firefighter is not going to help your home if the ember goes in through the attic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the fire approached, she cleared away needles and brush from around her house. With their truck, Kocher’s husband, Rick George, hauled their sailboat and other fire hazards to a vacant lot away from their home. She collected her “wedding dress, my husband’s silver and his mother’s wedding dress,” irreplaceable items to take with her when they evacuated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Aug. 30, officials ordered South Lake Tahoe to evacuate immediately. She joined thousands of others leaving en masse, her face obscured by a heavy blue and red respirator to protect her lungs from the hazardous smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind her as she drove away, ash and a hazy amber glow floated around her home.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003ch3>The ‘wake-up moment’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When the Valley Fire in Lake County destroyed 1,300 homes and killed four people in 2015, the wildfire community called it a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976490/showing-climate-change-as-it-happens-a-veteran-photojournalist-on-capturing-californias-intensifying-wildfires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wake-up moment\u003c/a>” to an era of catastrophic wildfire in California, driven in part by climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Caldor, Dixie and other fires this summer make it crystal clear that California’s wildfire crisis is escalating. About 4.3 million acres burned in 2020, a record that could be surpassed by this year’s extreme fire season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is in a dangerous place. Scorching summers coupled with tinderbox dry forests render fire containment ineffective — especially when it’s hot, windy or a combination of the two.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Caldor Fire burned into the Tahoe Basin, it looked like this city, a center of gravity for culture in this part of the Sierra, could (and many thought would) burn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it did not, thanks to the 3,500 firefighters, a timely shift in the winds and years of fire preparations by a myriad of players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Caldor Fire showed the danger California faces, but also a path forward, beginning with \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/09/09/interview-pyrogeographer-crystal-kolden-on-fighting-californias-modern-megafires/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acceptance that wildfires are a part of our lives\u003c/a> and not inherently bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976869/heres-whats-inside-newsoms-whopping-15-billion-climate-spending-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acknowledged\u003c/a> as much when he detailed about $1 billion in new spending for fire breaks, tree thinning and other measures meant to prevent catastrophic wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not going to respond our way out of this wildfire crisis,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A “confluence of all the right ingredients” coalesced to drive the Caldor Fire’s erratic fire behavior, accelerating the arrival of conditions expected to emerge over the next century, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.dri.edu/directory/benjamin-hatchett/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Benjamin Hatchett,\u003c/a> an atmospheric scientist with the Desert Research Institute in Reno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hope Tahoe is the wake-up call,” he said. “We all need to get together and figure out what we’re going to do so that it’s not Tahoe City next year or Truckee next year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1977050 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842.jpg\" alt=\"Fire crews manage a back fire while fighting the Caldor Fire. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2842-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fire crews manage a back fire in Sly Park, Calif., fighting the Caldor Fire on Monday, Aug, 23, 2021. \u003ccite>(Andrew Nixon/CapRadio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>‘Hat’s off’ for forest thinning\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Caldor Fire ignited on Aug. 14 near Pollock Pines in El Dorado County, and quickly decimated Grizzly Flats, burning a school, church and the post office, leaving little left in the mountain hamlet. To date, the fire has burned more than 1,000 buildings and north of 220,000 acres. Officials lifted the last of the evacuation orders just \u003ca href=\"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FA4qSO7VcAEVKRE.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this week\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/pyrogeog/status/1435358566139904005\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A few days earlier\u003c/a>, the Dixie Fire burned across Kettle Ridge, west of Susanville, and into the Great Basin, becoming the first known wildfire to run across the Sierra Nevada. The flames ripped through high elevation forests usually too saturated with heavy snow melt to burn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977051\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977051\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208.jpg\" alt=\"A burned entrance sign at Walter Tyler Elementary school with charred playground equipment in the background. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/DSCF2208-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Walter Tyler Elementary in Grizzly Flats, Calif. Tuesday, August 17, 2021. \u003ccite>(Andrew Nixon/CapRadio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have any record of that happening before,” Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter said, adding the blaze — 32 times the size of San Francisco — “was exceedingly resistant to control.” The Dixie Fire is California’s largest single fire on record, having consumed nearly 1 million acres across five counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of August, the Caldor Fire had burned into the Tahoe Basin, becoming the second recorded fire to cross the Sierra Nevada. Its erratic fire behavior \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/08/19/caldor-fires-explosive-growth-following-dixie-fires-playbook/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mirrored the Dixie Fire\u003c/a> to the north, and residents watched with alarm as the embers ignited spot fires miles in front of the flames, like missiles shot from behind enemy lines, rendering firefighter containment lines — painstakingly hacked with hand tools and bulldozers — essentially useless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For firefighters, this year has been a grueling slog, and the last two weeks of August were some of the worst.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Since we got here, our first time actually sleeping was yesterday,” said Micah Conant, nearly a week into a shift at the Caldor Fire with his Tahoe Douglas Fire Department crew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The firefighters’ main objective: keep the blaze out of South Lake Tahoe, a dense mountain city of more than 21,000 people, and the surrounding communities, home of Kocher and thousands more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a first line of defense, crews with bulldozers scraped earth bare against homes in Meyers and Christmas Valley, where they expected to make a desperate stand, said Phil Heitzke, a fuels specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the wildfire charged towards the fire line, “we were getting 100 or 150 foot flame lengths,” Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977052\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977052\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51740_IMG_1817-1-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cut stumps in the forest near South Lake Tahoe show where preventative forest thinning took place before the Caldor Fire burned the area. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But suddenly, the flames lowered to the forest floor. Firefighters crossed the dozer lines, safely able to work next to the flames, steering the wildfire away from the homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire behavior dropped down as soon as it hit this unit,” Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If crews hadn’t thinned small trees and brush here a few years ago, that wouldn’t have been possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The canopy is open, and that’s the key thing with these fires, having that open canopy so the [wildfire] can’t sustain a crown run” where the fire burns from treetop to treetop, Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the folks who have been working on these projects the last two decades my hat’s off to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A built-in buffer\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of acres have been treated in the Lake Tahoe Basin in the last 15 years, more than is typical for forested mountain communities. The work is not cheap. Paying crews with chain saws to thin overgrown forests can cost around $2,000 an acre.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1977041\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/KQED_Caldor-1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"887\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Comparing that against the value of homes saved — recent home sales in the area have garnered a median price of $750,000 — it looks like a good investment. But here, Lake Tahoe is privileged. The city has a much larger population than most mountain towns and boasts a wealthy, largely white conservation community that can afford to pay for expertise needed to get good at winning competitive grants. “There’s a political pressure there,” Heitzke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents and others have treated more than 40% of the Tahoe Basin since 2008 with mechanical thinning and “good fire,” the intentional burning of thick underbrush to slow down future wildfires. Additionally, hundreds of homeowners around the Tahoe Basin have prepared their houses and properties to withstand wildfire including cleaning needles, trees and debris around homes, and installing new roofs and vent covers to prevent embers from getting inside a house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=https://services6.arcgis.com/1KtlSd2mklZMBKaz/ArcGIS/rest/services/Tahoe_Forest_Fuels_Tx_OFFICIAL_Public_View/FeatureServer&source=sd\">map\u003c/a> of treatments in the area shows an extensive, though patchy, jigsaw puzzle of mechanical thinning and pile burns on both sides of Highway 50. The Forest Service said in the past five years many of those fuel treatments in the Tahoe Basin included prescribed fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“South Lake Tahoe and that whole area has done an absolutely extraordinary job of doing a lot of work to reduce fuels,” said Crystal Kolden, a UC Merced fire scientist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bob Larsen’s home is about a block away from where the Caldor Fire stopped. He credits the areas of treated forest with saving his and his neighbors homes and said the 2007 Angora Fire, which incinerated 240 homes southwest of South Lake Tahoe, galvanized the community around fire preparations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://projects.capradio.org/california-fire-history/#9.69/39.0438/-120.1474\" style=\"border: 0px #ffffff none;\" name=\"myiFrame\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0px\" marginwidth=\"0px\" height=\"500px\" width=\"100%\" allowfullscreen class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Angora] highlighted the importance of doing something about the overstocked forest and trying to make sure that homeowners are doing the work that they need to do to provide that defensible space,” Larsen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of forest treatments, he said his neighborhood had a “buffer between sort of the very hot fire and fire that was more manageable, I think is a big part of why they were able to succeed and why we are so lucky.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977053\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977053\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51741_IMG_1815-1-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Larsen stands in the forest near his home. \u003ccite>(Danielle Venton/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Fire here is expected\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>For roughly four decades, California wildfires have advanced higher and higher into the backcountry, rising in elevation at a rate of 25 feet per year, with the largest growth in the Sierra Nevada, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk4286/files/inline-files/Warming_Enabled_e2009717118.full_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new study\u003c/a> from researchers at UC Merced and elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers say the fire’s spread is driven by warmer and dryer conditions with snow melting earlier in the year. Warming temperatures have driven a fivefold increase in summertime forest fires across California, felt most dramatically in the Sierra Nevada, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1944993/study-climate-change-a-leading-driver-of-californias-wildfires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">research published in 2019, a year before last summer’s record-torching fire season\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://tahoe.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/257/2020/04/Integrated-Vulnerability-Assessment-of-Climate-Change-in-the-Lake-Tahoe-Basin_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California Tahoe Conservancy’s assessment of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s vulnerability to climate change\u003c/a>, the basin can expect to see higher temperatures, more extreme storms, less snow, more drought stress and larger areas burned by wildfires over the next century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s something that’s happening today,” said South Lake Tahoe Mayor Pro Tem Devin Middlebrook. “[Preparing for big fires] isn’t something that we can put off for 20 or 30 years,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977057\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51299_067_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A CalFire truck drives on a smoke-filled Highway 50 between Pollock Pines and Strawberry, as the Caldor Fire burns nearby. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Culture of suppression\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Fire experts say a policy of fire prevention has left forest stands across the state thick with overgrown brush and trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the Great Fire of 1910, which burned 20 million acres across the northwest and killed 86 people, California forest managers began actively suppressing wildfires. The majority of the tens of millions of acres of forest in California are controlled by the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1935, that agency passed the 10 a.m. rule, a mandate dictating any fire must be controlled by the next day at 10 a.m. Although this policy was rescinded in 1974, this way of managing forests has led to more than 80 years of suppressing fires by federal firefighters and Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What experts say is often missing from this conversation is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/09/16/the-racist-removal-of-native-americans-in-california-is-often-missing-from-wildfire-discussions-experts-say/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">racist removal of Native American people\u003c/a> from California in the mid-19th century. More than \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/revealing-the-history-of-genocide-against-californias-native-americans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">16,000 were killed\u003c/a>, others were forced onto reservations and many were enslaved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with their physical beings, the knowledge of taking care of the land through forest thinning and cultural burns was also removed. This action resulted in overgrown forests, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.csuchico.edu/geop/department/dhankins.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don Hankins\u003c/a>, a Plains Miwok fire expert at Chico State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If California was “still stewarded continuously with Indigenous fire, we would definitely not see the same level of fires that we’re seeing,” he said in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are indications that the state is changing its fire policies. Having spent \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$3.4 billion on wildfire suppression last year\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976869/heres-whats-inside-newsoms-whopping-15-billion-climate-spending-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$1 billion in new spending\u003c/a> for fire breaks, forest thinning, and other measures to stop megafires before they get out of control. Crowfoot, of the Natural Resources Agency, indicated the state is prepared to expand “upfront, proactive actions,” and the package includes $19 million for the state to work with tribes on prescribed burns, up from just $1 million last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California lawmakers have also passed \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB332\">a\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB332\">bill\u003c/a> that wouldn’t hold prescribed burners liable if a fire escapes it’s containment lines, unless they are grossly negligent. Lastly, a federal Senate infrastructure bill could provide more than \u003ca href=\"https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20210910/114025/BILLS-117SConRes14pp.pdf\">$16 \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20210910/114025/BILLS-117SConRes14pp.pdf\">billion\u003c/a> over a decade for fuels management.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Megafires push forest communities to the brink\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A trail of cars lined Highway 50 during South Lake Tahoe’s evacuation on Aug. 30, but Bill Schaeffer, wearing a T-shirt, the same moody gray color as the smoke-darkened sky, pushed his bike toward the fire. The scruffy man with long locks hurried to gather his belongings at home in time to catch a bus out of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just two weeks prior, Schaeffer, 68, was unhoused, like he had been on and off for almost two decades. He recently moved into a small, affordable home with the help of a local support group for unhoused people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I lose my place to live, then I’m going to probably be forced back to being homeless again,” he said, noting that rents here, like elsewhere throughout California, have risen to be “sky high.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known to the outside world as a sparkling tourist area, South Lake Tahoe is home to the resort staff, bartenders and thousands of others who live and work there, keeping the machinery of the place humming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Construction workers Jose Mora and Henry Jose Mendoza fled South Lake Tahoe, too, taking shelter at an evacuation center in Carson City, Nevada. Mendoza only had the clothes on his body because they didn’t have time to pack before leaving. The friends were confused whether or not they needed to evacuate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977058\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/Image-from-iOS-copy-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jose Mora (right) and Henry Jose Mendoza, both construction workers, fled South Lake Tahoe during the Caldor Fire, taking shelter at an evacuation center in Carson City, Nevada. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We were looking at Facebook, and then the news,” said Mora. “We were just waiting. Then we received a call and we [saw] the map and we just started getting whatever we could.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the eve of the evacuation, Donarae Reynolds and her husband bustled around their home in the \u003ca href=\"https://goldenbearha.org/current-conditions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden Bear neighborhood just outside South Lake Tahoe\u003c/a>, packing medications, clothes and other essentials into their cars and camper trailer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’d removed unrecoverable family photos from the walls, and stowed their passports, living trust and other important documents in a safety deposit box at the bank. Their neighborhood was ready when the evacuation order came in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all simply got in our cars and waved to each other and we took off,” Reynolds said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reynolds’ neighborhood was uniquely prepared for this day to come. In 2019, Reynolds and her neighbors held an \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/news/tahoeland/2019/10/02/climate-change-is-increasing-tahoes-risk-of-wildfire-these-residents-want-to-be-ready/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">evacuation drill to prepare for disasters like the Caldor Fire. \u003c/a>They’ve also held clean-up days and got residents to sign up for emergency alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it were a situation where you had no warning and everyone just had to scramble, I think that it would have been a totally different kind of an evacuation,” Reynolds said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The neighbors kept up with each other while they were evacuated, trading Ring doorbell camera footage and aerial views of the neighborhood to see if the fire had reached it. The fire spared their homes this time, and they’ve since returned to Golden Bear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1977060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1977060\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe is mostly empty, after evacuees waited hours to leave the area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/10/RS51290_048_Meyers_CaldorFire_08312021-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe is mostly empty on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, after evacuees waited hours to leave the area. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A matter of survival\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Back in Tahoe with her home and its two decks still standing, Kocher said she feels fortunate to live in South Lake Tahoe with ample fire prevention and suppression assets, especially when nearby communities don’t have the same resources to stop the flames.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m concerned for those communities,” she said. “It’s a matter of survival unless we get our act together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s easy to blame the fires all on a warming climate, but UC Berkeley fire science professor Scott Stephens said the lack of prevention efforts and the overgrown forests amount to the “vast majority” of the state’s current problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatchett, with the Desert Research Institute, said that still-rising temperatures, increasingly arid conditions, and other impacts of climate change is like “pouring gas” on wildfires and why “we need climate action now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even climate action, he admits, won’t stop the sheer volume of dead brush and trees in forests from burning or prevent the amount of global warming already baked into the atmosphere. But, yet, he has hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not going to stop that train,” he admitted, “but we might be able to divert it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Facing Drought, Wildfires, Scorching Heat, Bay Area Wineries Are Changing How They Grow Grapes",
"headTitle": "Facing Drought, Wildfires, Scorching Heat, Bay Area Wineries Are Changing How They Grow Grapes | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen above for a KQED podcast episode of this story created by The Bay team.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a foggy September morning farmworkers harvest plump, dark purple grapes at \u003ca href=\"https://hamelfamilywines.com/\">Hamel Family Wines\u003c/a> in Sonoma County. But winemaker John Hamel II recognizes these Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are very different from others grown in Sonoma and Napa counties. The green vines are flourishing mostly without direct watering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These vines haven’t received a drop of water since 2017,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamel stopped watering 80% of his vines after realizing that’s what some growers do in places like France. The method is called dry farming, and uses little to no water to irrigate vineyards. The result is grapes with thicker skins and tastier wine, says Hamel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This season will be slightly lower in yield, but we actually feel like this has potential to be a very good vintage,” he said of this year’s harvest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is in a second year of drought and for many North Bay grape growers, the hot, dry conditions mean lost crops. In 2020 some growers lost 20% or more of their crops because of dry conditions, fires, or smoke tainting the flavor of their grapes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the climate warms, winemakers and grape growers are changing the direction they grow vines, picking earlier, covering crops with shade cloth, and adapting in other ways. Others have invested in solar panels, electric vehicles, and climate action plans. Some, like Hamel, have shifted to dry farming and are using a lot less water or none at all. At least one Bay Area winery is using “sunscreen” on grape leaves to protect harvests from excessive heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rethinking growing practices is critical, Hamel says, because back-to-back dry years are more frequent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now every year is warm and dry,” he said. “I think it’s good to realize that you’re never fully in control, and being able to adapt to the best of your ability is the job. It’s humbling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976969\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1976969\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"The only water these grape vines received since 2017 was from fog and rain.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eighty percent of the vines at Hamel Family Wines have not received any irrigation this year. That number has grown from 20% in 2017. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All growers are feeling pressure from drought, fire and heat, but do warming temperatures pose an existential threat to wine?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353907512_Global_warming_and_wine_quality_are_we_close_to_the_tipping_point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> released this summer by \u003ca href=\"https://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/people/kaan-kurtural#/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kaan Kurtural\u003c/a>, a UC Davis viticulture specialist, found that California’s wine industry is “not at a tipping point” because of climate change or its effects — although heat waves and fires can have an immediate impact on winemaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I tell the growers, their grapevines are not going to die,” he said. “They might not be economical to grow for one or two years, but they always come back. There are very resilient plants. So we’re able to adapt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also found that the climate has warmed steadily in California since the 1980s. But he says this has not been bad for the industry — a warmer climate helped establish the state as a premier wine growing region globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As it became warmer we started harvesting sweeter grapes, and with sweeter grapes, the wine ratings have steadily increased,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5689930505&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the negative impacts of climate change, Kurtural says the state’s $40 billion wine market is strong and growers will adapt to make sure it stays that way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are growing grapes at the lowest costs for the grossest profit,” he said. “As long as growers are making money, they will keep them because it’s a business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Dry farming through a drought\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Dry farming in California is not a widely used tactic — it’s just one way some growers like Hamel are acclimating to a warming world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not just turning off the water and hoping for the best,” Hamel said. “Even in a year where we received less than half of normal rainfall with a hot summer the vines are doing well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamel began dry farming before the current drought, and he’s glad he did. The roots of his vines had years to acclimate, growing deeper and finding underground sources of water. As a result, they are now well-prepared for dry times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the first year where we’ve really had a payback,” he said. “The vines have been trained to deal with a drought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamel says he saved 2 million gallons of water last year and plans to eventually dry farm almost the entirety of his 100 acres in the coming years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976958\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976958 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Hamel Family Wines doesn't use any water on 80% of it's 100 acres.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For John Hamel II, dry farming is about preserving a future for Hamel Family Wines as droughts worsen because of climate change. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“[We’re] essentially training the vine to endure more drought each season,” he said. “The drought doesn’t make things easier by any means. We really are on the razor’s edge all season.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drought is not new in California. But Hamel says the pendulum swings between wet and dry years have been more radical in recent years. “We have high rainfall years, close to double the amount of average rain, or we have almost half of the normal rainfall and it’s super difficult to get through an entire season,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" tag=\"climate-change\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.712622/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> by Kurtural, the UC Davis viticulture specialist, found growers can use half of the water they normally use without compromising the taste or color of wine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But dry farming isn’t a viable option for all wine grape growers, said Connor Bockman with \u003ca href=\"https://rdwinery.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RD Winery\u003c/a>, Napa’s first Vietnamese-owned winery. The growers use drip irrigation to limit water use and utilize a practice called deficit irrigation where vines are only given water when they reach a certain level of stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says switching from irrigation to dry farming takes time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In comparison to other crops — orchards, annual field crops, and others — high-quality wine grapes use a relatively small amount of water,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RD Winery had less fruit on the vine this year. Exactly how much of that is caused by drought is “hard to say,” Bockman said, but their harvest is “40% to 50% under expected yield.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he says, the grapes are of both “great quality and concentration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Impacts of wildfire smoke\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976959\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976959 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A fire circled two vineyards at Green and Red Vineyards in Napa County the summer of 2020.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A lightning-sparked fire burned right up to some of the vines at Green and Red Vineyards in 2020. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some winemakers are already feeling the pain that comes with the short-term effects of climate change. Smoke from wildfires, made worse by drought and heat waves, can sully whole harvests with a fumy aroma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, a series of lightning-sparked fire, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/17/lnu-lightning-complex-includes-hennessey-gamble-15-10-spanish-markley-13-4-11-16-walbridge/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LNU Lightning Complex,\u003c/a> consumed 363,000 acres and burned just feet from \u003ca href=\"https://greenandred.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Green and Red Vineyards\u003c/a> in the hills of Napa County. Winery owner Tobin Heminway says most of the 31-acre vineyard acted as a fire break, but the wildfire did burn a few of the vines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were evacuated, and it came up and almost burnt our house down, which is up above on the property, and the fire circled two of our vineyards,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vines survived, but smoke tainted their grapes and they lost all of their reds. This year they picked a few weeks early, after heat waves ripened their grapes sooner than expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had these radical growth spurts in the beginning of the season,” she said. “[The grapes] ripened earlier.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says the yield is smaller this year, but the grapes are “good quality” and “intense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976960\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976960 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"The winemakers tour the vineyard in a jeep showcasing how the fire surrounded the vineyard.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For Green and Red Vineyard operators Tobin Heminway and Raymond Hannigan, the winery is more than grapes and vines. It represents family legacy. Jay Heminway, Tobin’s father, founded the winery and passed away two years ago. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Heminway took over the winery in 2019 after her father, Jay Heminway, passed away. Since then, she’s experienced one climate impact after another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an emotionally crazy time to live,” she said. “How do we survive and live in this environment, which is becoming less and less friendly?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heminway has considered foregoing the Zinfandel vines her father planted in the early 1970s for a different varietal. But every time she walks through the vineyard, she thinks about her dad, and removing the vineyard is too closely tied to the legacy he planted and grew. With drought, fires and heat waves continuing to stress her winemaking, she’s aware that climate change is also jeopardizing her family history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re all questioning what we are doing here,” she said. “Do we have any control? In farming, we’re dependent on Mother Nature and Mother Nature is pissed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Using grape leaf “sunscreen” for heat waves\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976965\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976965 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-800x300.jpg\" alt=\"A wine grape grower in Napa County uses a clay spray on grape leaves to protect grapes from the hot temperatures. The liquid clay acts like sunscreen for the leaves lowering the temperature.\" width=\"800\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-800x300.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-1020x382.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-160x60.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-768x288.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Winemakers at Green and Red Vineyard in Napa County use a clay spray on grape leaves to protect grapes from hot temperatures. The liquid clay acts like sunscreen for the leaves, lowering the temperature. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wildfires and drought aren’t the only climate effects pressuring vines at Green and Red Vineyards. Scorching heat waves earlier this summer singed the leaves, exposing grapes to the scorching sun. For Aaron Whitlatch, the vineyard’s winemaker, losing another crop wasn’t an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I liken it to being a chef that doesn’t get to complete their meal,” he said. “They spent all day chopping things and preparing it, and then you just don’t get to put it out on the plate for people to enjoy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To protect the grapes from turning into raisins on the vine, Whitlatch turned to a human idea: sunscreen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s actually sunscreen for the leaves, not so much for the grapes themselves,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The solution, borrowed from wineries in Australia, was already being used at a few other Northern California wineries. He tried it on his Petite Sirah vineyard, which is heavily exposed to sun on a hill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He sprayed the leaves with white organic liquid clay, which after it has dried, coats them in a cooling white powder and prevents shriveling or turning, ensuring the grapes are shielded from high heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Whitlatch says heat waves and drought this year will likely cut the total yield in half and he’s aware that future harvests remain in jeopardy as the climate emergency continues to worsen globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified Connor Bockman.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "California is in a second year of drought and for many North Bay grape growers, the hot, dry conditions mean lost crops.",
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"headline": "Facing Drought, Wildfires, Scorching Heat, Bay Area Wineries Are Changing How They Grow Grapes",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen above for a KQED podcast episode of this story created by The Bay team.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a foggy September morning farmworkers harvest plump, dark purple grapes at \u003ca href=\"https://hamelfamilywines.com/\">Hamel Family Wines\u003c/a> in Sonoma County. But winemaker John Hamel II recognizes these Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are very different from others grown in Sonoma and Napa counties. The green vines are flourishing mostly without direct watering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These vines haven’t received a drop of water since 2017,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamel stopped watering 80% of his vines after realizing that’s what some growers do in places like France. The method is called dry farming, and uses little to no water to irrigate vineyards. The result is grapes with thicker skins and tastier wine, says Hamel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This season will be slightly lower in yield, but we actually feel like this has potential to be a very good vintage,” he said of this year’s harvest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is in a second year of drought and for many North Bay grape growers, the hot, dry conditions mean lost crops. In 2020 some growers lost 20% or more of their crops because of dry conditions, fires, or smoke tainting the flavor of their grapes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the climate warms, winemakers and grape growers are changing the direction they grow vines, picking earlier, covering crops with shade cloth, and adapting in other ways. Others have invested in solar panels, electric vehicles, and climate action plans. Some, like Hamel, have shifted to dry farming and are using a lot less water or none at all. At least one Bay Area winery is using “sunscreen” on grape leaves to protect harvests from excessive heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rethinking growing practices is critical, Hamel says, because back-to-back dry years are more frequent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now every year is warm and dry,” he said. “I think it’s good to realize that you’re never fully in control, and being able to adapt to the best of your ability is the job. It’s humbling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976969\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1976969\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"The only water these grape vines received since 2017 was from fog and rain.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHT-WINE-FOG-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eighty percent of the vines at Hamel Family Wines have not received any irrigation this year. That number has grown from 20% in 2017. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All growers are feeling pressure from drought, fire and heat, but do warming temperatures pose an existential threat to wine?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353907512_Global_warming_and_wine_quality_are_we_close_to_the_tipping_point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> released this summer by \u003ca href=\"https://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/people/kaan-kurtural#/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kaan Kurtural\u003c/a>, a UC Davis viticulture specialist, found that California’s wine industry is “not at a tipping point” because of climate change or its effects — although heat waves and fires can have an immediate impact on winemaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I tell the growers, their grapevines are not going to die,” he said. “They might not be economical to grow for one or two years, but they always come back. There are very resilient plants. So we’re able to adapt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also found that the climate has warmed steadily in California since the 1980s. But he says this has not been bad for the industry — a warmer climate helped establish the state as a premier wine growing region globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As it became warmer we started harvesting sweeter grapes, and with sweeter grapes, the wine ratings have steadily increased,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5689930505&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the negative impacts of climate change, Kurtural says the state’s $40 billion wine market is strong and growers will adapt to make sure it stays that way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are growing grapes at the lowest costs for the grossest profit,” he said. “As long as growers are making money, they will keep them because it’s a business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Dry farming through a drought\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Dry farming in California is not a widely used tactic — it’s just one way some growers like Hamel are acclimating to a warming world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not just turning off the water and hoping for the best,” Hamel said. “Even in a year where we received less than half of normal rainfall with a hot summer the vines are doing well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamel began dry farming before the current drought, and he’s glad he did. The roots of his vines had years to acclimate, growing deeper and finding underground sources of water. As a result, they are now well-prepared for dry times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the first year where we’ve really had a payback,” he said. “The vines have been trained to deal with a drought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamel says he saved 2 million gallons of water last year and plans to eventually dry farm almost the entirety of his 100 acres in the coming years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976958\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976958 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Hamel Family Wines doesn't use any water on 80% of it's 100 acres.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-3-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For John Hamel II, dry farming is about preserving a future for Hamel Family Wines as droughts worsen because of climate change. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“[We’re] essentially training the vine to endure more drought each season,” he said. “The drought doesn’t make things easier by any means. We really are on the razor’s edge all season.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drought is not new in California. But Hamel says the pendulum swings between wet and dry years have been more radical in recent years. “We have high rainfall years, close to double the amount of average rain, or we have almost half of the normal rainfall and it’s super difficult to get through an entire season,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.712622/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> by Kurtural, the UC Davis viticulture specialist, found growers can use half of the water they normally use without compromising the taste or color of wine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But dry farming isn’t a viable option for all wine grape growers, said Connor Bockman with \u003ca href=\"https://rdwinery.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RD Winery\u003c/a>, Napa’s first Vietnamese-owned winery. The growers use drip irrigation to limit water use and utilize a practice called deficit irrigation where vines are only given water when they reach a certain level of stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says switching from irrigation to dry farming takes time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In comparison to other crops — orchards, annual field crops, and others — high-quality wine grapes use a relatively small amount of water,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RD Winery had less fruit on the vine this year. Exactly how much of that is caused by drought is “hard to say,” Bockman said, but their harvest is “40% to 50% under expected yield.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he says, the grapes are of both “great quality and concentration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Impacts of wildfire smoke\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976959\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976959 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A fire circled two vineyards at Green and Red Vineyards in Napa County the summer of 2020.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-6-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A lightning-sparked fire burned right up to some of the vines at Green and Red Vineyards in 2020. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some winemakers are already feeling the pain that comes with the short-term effects of climate change. Smoke from wildfires, made worse by drought and heat waves, can sully whole harvests with a fumy aroma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, a series of lightning-sparked fire, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/17/lnu-lightning-complex-includes-hennessey-gamble-15-10-spanish-markley-13-4-11-16-walbridge/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LNU Lightning Complex,\u003c/a> consumed 363,000 acres and burned just feet from \u003ca href=\"https://greenandred.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Green and Red Vineyards\u003c/a> in the hills of Napa County. Winery owner Tobin Heminway says most of the 31-acre vineyard acted as a fire break, but the wildfire did burn a few of the vines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were evacuated, and it came up and almost burnt our house down, which is up above on the property, and the fire circled two of our vineyards,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vines survived, but smoke tainted their grapes and they lost all of their reds. This year they picked a few weeks early, after heat waves ripened their grapes sooner than expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had these radical growth spurts in the beginning of the season,” she said. “[The grapes] ripened earlier.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says the yield is smaller this year, but the grapes are “good quality” and “intense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976960\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976960 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"The winemakers tour the vineyard in a jeep showcasing how the fire surrounded the vineyard.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/WINE-DROUGHT-ROMERO-8-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For Green and Red Vineyard operators Tobin Heminway and Raymond Hannigan, the winery is more than grapes and vines. It represents family legacy. Jay Heminway, Tobin’s father, founded the winery and passed away two years ago. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Heminway took over the winery in 2019 after her father, Jay Heminway, passed away. Since then, she’s experienced one climate impact after another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an emotionally crazy time to live,” she said. “How do we survive and live in this environment, which is becoming less and less friendly?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heminway has considered foregoing the Zinfandel vines her father planted in the early 1970s for a different varietal. But every time she walks through the vineyard, she thinks about her dad, and removing the vineyard is too closely tied to the legacy he planted and grew. With drought, fires and heat waves continuing to stress her winemaking, she’s aware that climate change is also jeopardizing her family history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re all questioning what we are doing here,” she said. “Do we have any control? In farming, we’re dependent on Mother Nature and Mother Nature is pissed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Using grape leaf “sunscreen” for heat waves\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976965\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976965 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-800x300.jpg\" alt=\"A wine grape grower in Napa County uses a clay spray on grape leaves to protect grapes from the hot temperatures. The liquid clay acts like sunscreen for the leaves lowering the temperature.\" width=\"800\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-800x300.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-1020x382.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-160x60.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE-768x288.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/DROUGHTWINESIDE.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Winemakers at Green and Red Vineyard in Napa County use a clay spray on grape leaves to protect grapes from hot temperatures. The liquid clay acts like sunscreen for the leaves, lowering the temperature. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wildfires and drought aren’t the only climate effects pressuring vines at Green and Red Vineyards. Scorching heat waves earlier this summer singed the leaves, exposing grapes to the scorching sun. For Aaron Whitlatch, the vineyard’s winemaker, losing another crop wasn’t an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I liken it to being a chef that doesn’t get to complete their meal,” he said. “They spent all day chopping things and preparing it, and then you just don’t get to put it out on the plate for people to enjoy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To protect the grapes from turning into raisins on the vine, Whitlatch turned to a human idea: sunscreen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s actually sunscreen for the leaves, not so much for the grapes themselves,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The solution, borrowed from wineries in Australia, was already being used at a few other Northern California wineries. He tried it on his Petite Sirah vineyard, which is heavily exposed to sun on a hill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He sprayed the leaves with white organic liquid clay, which after it has dried, coats them in a cooling white powder and prevents shriveling or turning, ensuring the grapes are shielded from high heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Whitlatch says heat waves and drought this year will likely cut the total yield in half and he’s aware that future harvests remain in jeopardy as the climate emergency continues to worsen globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified Connor Bockman.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly (or #UNGA if you’re Twitter) got off to a flying start last week, with a primary focus on two key issues: pandemic recovery and environmental action. The agenda included the General Assembly’s first global meeting on renewable energy since 1981, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres stated definitively last Tuesday: “The war on our planet must end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='science_1976869']The gathering of more than a hundred world leaders and diplomats to discuss climate change and other environmental matters, of course prompted a variety of celebrities to chime in and share their viewpoints, too. (Perhaps, not since “\u003cem>Parks and Recreation”\u003c/em> dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2089306/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an entire episode\u003c/a> to a Model U.N. has the work of the intergovernmental body been so thoroughly absorbed and regurgitated by pop culture in so short a space of time.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a handy roundup of what some of the non-politicians — hosts of late night, BTS, and Camila Cabello among them — had to say for themselves about the climate last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>BTS performs at the U.N.\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Probably the most high profile — and, let’s be honest, bizarre — clash of policy and pop culture came on Monday when pop superstars \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuEY7HMZpY8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BTS gathered on stage at U.N. headquarters a day before\u003c/a> the General Assembly officially opened. The singers, dressed in smart suits, appeared as “special presidential envoys of the Republic of Korea.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After an introduction by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the boy band spoke of gratitude, optimism and how caring for nature helped so many young people through COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we believe in the possibilities and hope,” said Kim Seok-jin (better known to BTS fans as Jin), “even when the unexpected happens, we will not lose our way, but discover new ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The song “Permission to Dance,” he announced “is our message of welcome that we want to share with everyone today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, above them on a big screen, \u003cem>this\u003c/em> happened:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SmQOZWNyWE\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Camila Cabello and friends write a letter\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, pop star and former Fifth Harmony singer, Camila Cabello gathered more than 60 celebrities together to sign \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/build-back-better-entertainment-industry-letter/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an open letter\u003c/a> demanding climate action. Addressed to the CEOs of 14 major media companies — including Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Netflix, Fox, Facebook, Disney and Sony — the letter asked them to publicly back President Biden’s climate agenda and supporting legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It said in part:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cp class=\"after-p before-p\">The plan currently before Congress will protect people’s health and clean up our drinking water. It will create a just transition away from dirty fossil fuels and create millions of new jobs. It will protect communities from climate change through investments in clean energy, clean transportation, and infrastructure upgrades. And it will make sure we finally prioritize and invest in the low-income communities and communities of color that are hit hardest by both fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts. This plan will create a stronger, brighter, and more just America—and we need you to help make this vision a reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Shakira, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake signed the letter, along with other major stars including: Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn, Kerry Washington, Hugh Jackman, Dua Lipa, Don Cheadle, Ellen DeGeneres, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, Jimmy Fallon, Barbra Streisand and Sigourney Weaver.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Late night hosts do “Climate Night”\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBoYb6RhcL4&t=438s\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last Wednesday, all the late-night hosts dedicated episodes to the climate crisis under the banner of one “Climate Night,” with a mixed bag of results. \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfJlGyqrj0E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seth Myers and James Corden joined forces\u003c/a> for a 3-minute segment that broadcast on both NBC and CBS before their shows (which featured interviews with John Kerry and Bill Gates, respectively). “Climate is a universal topic,” Corden said inanely. “Please learn all you can and then call your congressman.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elsewhere, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5aAbfxcP5M&t=67s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Samantha Bee\u003c/a> focused on aging infrastructure and overflowing sewage, and Trevor Noah talked endangered coffee beans, wine grapes and sea turtles. Also, Jimmy Fallon told Dr. Jane Goodall — a woman who’s trying to get literally \u003ca href=\"https://www.treesforjane.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a trillion trees\u003c/a> planted over the next decade — that “\u003cem>The Tonight Show”\u003c/em> would plant one for her. (\u003cem>One\u003c/em>! And it was \u003cem>tiny\u003c/em>!)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13877066']On the plus side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcFlDnxiBiM&t=55s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Colbert\u003c/a> had the decency to acknowledge that late night’s dedicated evening of shows was about as likely to stop climate change as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13877066/imagine-and-all-the-other-ways-celebrities-are-making-lockdown-worse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gal Gadot’s version of “Imagine”\u003c/a> was to stop COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there was a leader of the pack though, it was \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBoYb6RhcL4&t=438s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Kimmel\u003c/a>, who brought on actual real-life climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. Kimmel also used his monologue to share some under-discussed political info. “Joe Biden is on track to approve more oil and gas permits than any year of the Trump administration,” Kimmel said at one point. “And the Democrats in Congress left fossil fuel subsidies in their big climate bill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Harry and Meghan attend Global Citizen Live\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976896\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976896 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visit One World Trade Center on Sept. 23, two days before their appearance at the Global Citizen Live event in New York City. \u003ccite>(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Duke and Duchess traveled to New York last week, to attend Saturday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.globalcitizen.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Global Citizen Live\u003c/a> concert in Central Park. The couple’s primary mission was to talk about COVID-19 vaccine accessibility, but the theme of the festival was: “Defend the planet. Defeat poverty.” It featured performances by Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, and many other special guests. Simultaneous concerts also took place in Paris, Rio, L.A., London, Mumbai, Lagos, Sydney and more, as part of a 24-hour streaming event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/global-citizen-live-everything-to-know/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Global Citizen says its mission\u003c/a> is to: “call on world leaders, major corporations, and foundations” to combat “catastrophic climate change.” It seeks to secure commitment from governments and other powerful leaders to reach net zero emissions; “conserve, restore and grow” more trees; and “for the wealthiest nations to deliver on their promise to give $100 billion annually to address the climate needs of developing countries.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nothing \u003cem>too\u003c/em> ambitious, then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXrXnCG64Og\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How useful celebrity interventions can possibly be when it comes to a crisis of this magnitude is impossible to say. But, look on the bright side. At least they gave us something to look at last week that featured neither fire nor flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No wonder that BTS video has been watched 22 million times already.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly (or #UNGA if you’re Twitter) got off to a flying start last week, with a primary focus on two key issues: pandemic recovery and environmental action. The agenda included the General Assembly’s first global meeting on renewable energy since 1981, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres stated definitively last Tuesday: “The war on our planet must end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The gathering of more than a hundred world leaders and diplomats to discuss climate change and other environmental matters, of course prompted a variety of celebrities to chime in and share their viewpoints, too. (Perhaps, not since “\u003cem>Parks and Recreation”\u003c/em> dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2089306/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an entire episode\u003c/a> to a Model U.N. has the work of the intergovernmental body been so thoroughly absorbed and regurgitated by pop culture in so short a space of time.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a handy roundup of what some of the non-politicians — hosts of late night, BTS, and Camila Cabello among them — had to say for themselves about the climate last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>BTS performs at the U.N.\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Probably the most high profile — and, let’s be honest, bizarre — clash of policy and pop culture came on Monday when pop superstars \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuEY7HMZpY8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BTS gathered on stage at U.N. headquarters a day before\u003c/a> the General Assembly officially opened. The singers, dressed in smart suits, appeared as “special presidential envoys of the Republic of Korea.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After an introduction by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the boy band spoke of gratitude, optimism and how caring for nature helped so many young people through COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we believe in the possibilities and hope,” said Kim Seok-jin (better known to BTS fans as Jin), “even when the unexpected happens, we will not lose our way, but discover new ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The song “Permission to Dance,” he announced “is our message of welcome that we want to share with everyone today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, above them on a big screen, \u003cem>this\u003c/em> happened:\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/9SmQOZWNyWE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/9SmQOZWNyWE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch3>Camila Cabello and friends write a letter\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, pop star and former Fifth Harmony singer, Camila Cabello gathered more than 60 celebrities together to sign \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/build-back-better-entertainment-industry-letter/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an open letter\u003c/a> demanding climate action. Addressed to the CEOs of 14 major media companies — including Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Netflix, Fox, Facebook, Disney and Sony — the letter asked them to publicly back President Biden’s climate agenda and supporting legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It said in part:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cp class=\"after-p before-p\">The plan currently before Congress will protect people’s health and clean up our drinking water. It will create a just transition away from dirty fossil fuels and create millions of new jobs. It will protect communities from climate change through investments in clean energy, clean transportation, and infrastructure upgrades. And it will make sure we finally prioritize and invest in the low-income communities and communities of color that are hit hardest by both fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts. This plan will create a stronger, brighter, and more just America—and we need you to help make this vision a reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Shakira, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake signed the letter, along with other major stars including: Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn, Kerry Washington, Hugh Jackman, Dua Lipa, Don Cheadle, Ellen DeGeneres, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, Jimmy Fallon, Barbra Streisand and Sigourney Weaver.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Late night hosts do “Climate Night”\u003c/h3>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/bBoYb6RhcL4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/bBoYb6RhcL4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Last Wednesday, all the late-night hosts dedicated episodes to the climate crisis under the banner of one “Climate Night,” with a mixed bag of results. \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfJlGyqrj0E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seth Myers and James Corden joined forces\u003c/a> for a 3-minute segment that broadcast on both NBC and CBS before their shows (which featured interviews with John Kerry and Bill Gates, respectively). “Climate is a universal topic,” Corden said inanely. “Please learn all you can and then call your congressman.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elsewhere, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5aAbfxcP5M&t=67s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Samantha Bee\u003c/a> focused on aging infrastructure and overflowing sewage, and Trevor Noah talked endangered coffee beans, wine grapes and sea turtles. Also, Jimmy Fallon told Dr. Jane Goodall — a woman who’s trying to get literally \u003ca href=\"https://www.treesforjane.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a trillion trees\u003c/a> planted over the next decade — that “\u003cem>The Tonight Show”\u003c/em> would plant one for her. (\u003cem>One\u003c/em>! And it was \u003cem>tiny\u003c/em>!)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On the plus side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcFlDnxiBiM&t=55s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Colbert\u003c/a> had the decency to acknowledge that late night’s dedicated evening of shows was about as likely to stop climate change as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13877066/imagine-and-all-the-other-ways-celebrities-are-making-lockdown-worse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gal Gadot’s version of “Imagine”\u003c/a> was to stop COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there was a leader of the pack though, it was \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBoYb6RhcL4&t=438s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Kimmel\u003c/a>, who brought on actual real-life climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. Kimmel also used his monologue to share some under-discussed political info. “Joe Biden is on track to approve more oil and gas permits than any year of the Trump administration,” Kimmel said at one point. “And the Democrats in Congress left fossil fuel subsidies in their big climate bill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Harry and Meghan attend Global Citizen Live\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976896\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1976896 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/GettyImages-1342104290-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visit One World Trade Center on Sept. 23, two days before their appearance at the Global Citizen Live event in New York City. \u003ccite>(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Duke and Duchess traveled to New York last week, to attend Saturday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.globalcitizen.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Global Citizen Live\u003c/a> concert in Central Park. The couple’s primary mission was to talk about COVID-19 vaccine accessibility, but the theme of the festival was: “Defend the planet. Defeat poverty.” It featured performances by Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, and many other special guests. Simultaneous concerts also took place in Paris, Rio, L.A., London, Mumbai, Lagos, Sydney and more, as part of a 24-hour streaming event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/global-citizen-live-everything-to-know/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Global Citizen says its mission\u003c/a> is to: “call on world leaders, major corporations, and foundations” to combat “catastrophic climate change.” It seeks to secure commitment from governments and other powerful leaders to reach net zero emissions; “conserve, restore and grow” more trees; and “for the wealthiest nations to deliver on their promise to give $100 billion annually to address the climate needs of developing countries.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nothing \u003cem>too\u003c/em> ambitious, then.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/pXrXnCG64Og'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/pXrXnCG64Og'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>How useful celebrity interventions can possibly be when it comes to a crisis of this magnitude is impossible to say. But, look on the bright side. At least they gave us something to look at last week that featured neither fire nor flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No wonder that BTS video has been watched 22 million times already.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "EPA to Phase Out Use of Potent Heat-Trapping Gases Used in Refrigerators, Air Conditioners",
"headTitle": "EPA to Phase Out Use of Potent Heat-Trapping Gases Used in Refrigerators, Air Conditioners | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In what officials call a key step to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new rule, which follows through on a law Congress passed last year, is intended to decrease U.S. production and use of HFCs by 85% over the next 15 years, part of a global phaseout designed to slow global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HFCs are greenhouse gases that are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide. They often leak through pipes or appliances that use compressed refrigerants and are considered a major driver of global warming. President Joe Biden has pledged to embrace a 2016 global agreement to greatly reduce HFCs by 2036.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy, a former EPA administrator, said the new rule was “a win on climate and a win on jobs and American competitiveness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule is expected to reduce harmful emissions by the equivalent of 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, McCarthy said, a total similar to three years of emissions from the U.S. power sector.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the phasedown is backed by a coalition of industry groups that see it as an opportunity to “supercharge” American leadership on domestic manufacturing and production of alternative refrigerants. The industry has long been shifting to the use of alternative refrigerants and pushed for a federal standard to avoid a patchwork of state laws and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This action reaffirms what President Biden always says — that when he thinks about climate, he thinks about jobs,” Regan said, echoing a Biden refrain about climate change. Transitioning to safer alternatives and more energy-efficient cooling technologies is expected to generate more than $270 billion in cost savings and public health benefits over the next 30 years, Regan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A pandemic relief and spending bill passed by Congress last December directs the EPA to sharply reduce production and use of HFCs. The measure won wide support and was hailed as the most significant climate change law in at least a decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Besides targeting HFCs, the American Innovation and Manufacturing, or AIM, Act also promotes technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide produced by power and manufacturing plants and calls for reductions in diesel emissions by buses and other vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who is chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was an influential backer of the law, along with Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Both represent states that are home to chemical companies that produce alternative refrigerants and sought regulatory certainty through federal action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The HFC provision was supported by an unusual coalition that included major environmental and business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, American Chemistry Council and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. The chemistry council represents major companies including Dow, DuPont, Honeywell, Chemours and Arkema.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration said it also is taking other steps to ensure reductions in HFCs, including creation of an interagency task force to prevent illegal trade, production, use or sale of the climate-damaging gases. The task force will be led by the Department of Homeland Security, and EPA’s offices of Air and Radiation and Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working with the departments of Justice, State and Defense, the task force will “detect, deter and disrupt any attempt to illegally import or produce HFCs in the United States,” the White House said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/23/fact-sheet-biden-administration-combats-super-pollutants-and-bolsters-domestic-manufacturing-with-new-programs-and-historic-commitments/\">fact sheet.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joseph Goffman, a top official with EPA’s air and radiation office, said the experience of the European Union shows that enforcement is an important part of an HFC crackdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, (the EU) has experienced a lot of illegal activity” on HFC imports and other issues, Goffman said. “We’re going to be vigorous and proactive” in trying to stop illegal imports, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Biden issued an executive order in January that embraces a 2016 amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on ozone pollution. That amendment calls for the United States and other large industrialized countries to reduce HFCs by 85% by 2036. The State Department has prepared documents for formal ratification of the amendment, but the White House has not submitted them to the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCarthy insisted “there is no hold up” on the amendment, but said she did not know when Biden would submit the matter to the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In what officials call a key step to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new rule, which follows through on a law Congress passed last year, is intended to decrease U.S. production and use of HFCs by 85% over the next 15 years, part of a global phaseout designed to slow global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HFCs are greenhouse gases that are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide. They often leak through pipes or appliances that use compressed refrigerants and are considered a major driver of global warming. President Joe Biden has pledged to embrace a 2016 global agreement to greatly reduce HFCs by 2036.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy, a former EPA administrator, said the new rule was “a win on climate and a win on jobs and American competitiveness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule is expected to reduce harmful emissions by the equivalent of 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, McCarthy said, a total similar to three years of emissions from the U.S. power sector.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the phasedown is backed by a coalition of industry groups that see it as an opportunity to “supercharge” American leadership on domestic manufacturing and production of alternative refrigerants. The industry has long been shifting to the use of alternative refrigerants and pushed for a federal standard to avoid a patchwork of state laws and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This action reaffirms what President Biden always says — that when he thinks about climate, he thinks about jobs,” Regan said, echoing a Biden refrain about climate change. Transitioning to safer alternatives and more energy-efficient cooling technologies is expected to generate more than $270 billion in cost savings and public health benefits over the next 30 years, Regan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A pandemic relief and spending bill passed by Congress last December directs the EPA to sharply reduce production and use of HFCs. The measure won wide support and was hailed as the most significant climate change law in at least a decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Besides targeting HFCs, the American Innovation and Manufacturing, or AIM, Act also promotes technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide produced by power and manufacturing plants and calls for reductions in diesel emissions by buses and other vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who is chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was an influential backer of the law, along with Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Both represent states that are home to chemical companies that produce alternative refrigerants and sought regulatory certainty through federal action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The HFC provision was supported by an unusual coalition that included major environmental and business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, American Chemistry Council and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. The chemistry council represents major companies including Dow, DuPont, Honeywell, Chemours and Arkema.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration said it also is taking other steps to ensure reductions in HFCs, including creation of an interagency task force to prevent illegal trade, production, use or sale of the climate-damaging gases. The task force will be led by the Department of Homeland Security, and EPA’s offices of Air and Radiation and Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working with the departments of Justice, State and Defense, the task force will “detect, deter and disrupt any attempt to illegally import or produce HFCs in the United States,” the White House said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/23/fact-sheet-biden-administration-combats-super-pollutants-and-bolsters-domestic-manufacturing-with-new-programs-and-historic-commitments/\">fact sheet.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joseph Goffman, a top official with EPA’s air and radiation office, said the experience of the European Union shows that enforcement is an important part of an HFC crackdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, (the EU) has experienced a lot of illegal activity” on HFC imports and other issues, Goffman said. “We’re going to be vigorous and proactive” in trying to stop illegal imports, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Biden issued an executive order in January that embraces a 2016 amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on ozone pollution. That amendment calls for the United States and other large industrialized countries to reduce HFCs by 85% by 2036. The State Department has prepared documents for formal ratification of the amendment, but the White House has not submitted them to the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCarthy insisted “there is no hold up” on the amendment, but said she did not know when Biden would submit the matter to the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Here’s What’s Inside Newsom’s Whopping $15 Billion Climate Spending Plan",
"headTitle": "Here’s What’s Inside Newsom’s Whopping $15 Billion Climate Spending Plan | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion climate package Thursday, as he stood in a cloud of wildfire smoke during a visit to the KNP Complex fires burning in Sequoia National Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a backdrop of 1,000-year-old sequoia trees that nearly burned in recent days, and a park entrance sign wrapped in fire-protecting foil, the governor outlined the details of the largest climate investment in state history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our kids are going to inherit a world with 8-degree higher temperatures than they have today,” he said. “That’s the track we’re on. That’s the inheritance we’re leaving to our kids, unless we do something radically different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NATION-LEADING-15B-CLIMATE-PACKAGE.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">multiyear package\u003c/a> is one of the final pieces of California’s record-high state budget, which Newsom signed with great fanfare in July, after agreeing to ongoing summer negotiations with lawmakers to refine the state’s spending plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Summer temperatures in California have already risen by an average of 3 degrees Fahrenheit, and that heat is baking the state’s forests, which are overgrown with fuel from decades of aggressive fire suppression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change is a\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1944993/study-climate-change-a-leading-driver-of-californias-wildfires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> lead driver\u003c/a> of more frequent and ferocious summer forest fires in California, especially in the Sierra Nevada and the state’s North Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Traditions, lifestyle, people, places wiped off the map,” said Newsom, whose package carves out more than $1.5 billion for wildfire response. “That’s what climate is about, this pollution blanket we put up in the air. Question is, will these trees survive us?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Responding to the worst drought in a generation\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Another impact of warming: a diminishing rainy season in California, with the state now experiencing longer dry periods, leaving it forced to increasingly depend on big, soaking atmospheric rivers to make up the difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"climate-change\"]About $5.2 billion — roughly a third of the package — will be spent on immediate drought relief and water measures, including money for projects to boost water recycling, reduce flooding risks, and clean up contaminated groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this week, state water officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976840/alarm-bells-as-drought-worsens-and-californians-come-up-short-on-water-conservation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rang alarm bells\u003c/a> about a possible third year of drought, warning water providers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that they might not receive any allocations next year. Nearly 90% of the state is currently in category of “extreme drought” or worse, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">latest U.S. Drought Monitor\u003c/a> data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians reduced their home water use by less than 2% in July, compared to the same time last year, even after Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/07/california-water-use-drought/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">urged residents to conserve 15%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of the new climate plan, the state will spend $815 million to help secure what little water is left in reservoirs and fund contingency planning initiatives for smaller communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Preventing megafires\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The plan also \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-science-business-california-gavin-newsom-f867c179fa49f32c0ed7098e98e33aeb\">earmarks about $1 billion\u003c/a> in new spending for fire breaks, tree thinning, and other measures meant to prevent fires from burning out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not going to respond our way out of this wildfire crisis,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot during a morning video call with reporters in advance of Newsom’s signing event. “Expanding our upfront, proactive actions is essential to address the wildfire risks we now face.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That package includes $19 million for the state to work with tribes on prescribed burns, up from just $1 million last year, and training for firefighters. The state also plans to invest in micro-lumber mills and other businesses that reuse old wood from overgrown forests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Forest thinning is expensive, and the market is slim for the wood that comes from removed trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This summer’s Dixie and Caldor fires were the first two wildfires on record to burn over the crest of the Sierra Nevada, a remarkable feat given that forests at high elevations are usually too saturated from heavy winter snow to burn out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowfoot commended South Lake Tahoe officials for conducting years of proactive fuel treatments, a move he said that helped save the city of 22,000 people from being consumed by the Caldor Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The climate plan also directs $3.9 billion over the next three years to expand use of electric vehicles in the state, in accordance with \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/cars/california-2035-zev-mandate/index.html\">Newsom’s mandate\u003c/a> that only zero-emission new passenger cars and trucks be sold in California by 2035. That pot includes funding for new consumer rebates, the production of thousands of buses and heavy-duty trucks, and incentives for low-income Californians to trade in their gas cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California will also spend $3.7 billion to prepare communities to deal with sea level rise, fund energy-efficient homes, and invest in low-income communities and communities of color, with the goal of improving air quality and reducing heat disparities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists were quick to cheer the state’s latest climate spending plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This decade is really the most consequential for the future of our planet,” said Jason Barbose, a policy manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We need to be spending billions to address climate change. This budget is an important down payment for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion climate package Thursday, as he stood in a cloud of wildfire smoke during a visit to the KNP Complex fires burning in Sequoia National Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a backdrop of 1,000-year-old sequoia trees that nearly burned in recent days, and a park entrance sign wrapped in fire-protecting foil, the governor outlined the details of the largest climate investment in state history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our kids are going to inherit a world with 8-degree higher temperatures than they have today,” he said. “That’s the track we’re on. That’s the inheritance we’re leaving to our kids, unless we do something radically different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NATION-LEADING-15B-CLIMATE-PACKAGE.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">multiyear package\u003c/a> is one of the final pieces of California’s record-high state budget, which Newsom signed with great fanfare in July, after agreeing to ongoing summer negotiations with lawmakers to refine the state’s spending plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Summer temperatures in California have already risen by an average of 3 degrees Fahrenheit, and that heat is baking the state’s forests, which are overgrown with fuel from decades of aggressive fire suppression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change is a\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1944993/study-climate-change-a-leading-driver-of-californias-wildfires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> lead driver\u003c/a> of more frequent and ferocious summer forest fires in California, especially in the Sierra Nevada and the state’s North Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Traditions, lifestyle, people, places wiped off the map,” said Newsom, whose package carves out more than $1.5 billion for wildfire response. “That’s what climate is about, this pollution blanket we put up in the air. Question is, will these trees survive us?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Responding to the worst drought in a generation\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Another impact of warming: a diminishing rainy season in California, with the state now experiencing longer dry periods, leaving it forced to increasingly depend on big, soaking atmospheric rivers to make up the difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>About $5.2 billion — roughly a third of the package — will be spent on immediate drought relief and water measures, including money for projects to boost water recycling, reduce flooding risks, and clean up contaminated groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this week, state water officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976840/alarm-bells-as-drought-worsens-and-californians-come-up-short-on-water-conservation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rang alarm bells\u003c/a> about a possible third year of drought, warning water providers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that they might not receive any allocations next year. Nearly 90% of the state is currently in category of “extreme drought” or worse, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">latest U.S. Drought Monitor\u003c/a> data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians reduced their home water use by less than 2% in July, compared to the same time last year, even after Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/07/california-water-use-drought/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">urged residents to conserve 15%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of the new climate plan, the state will spend $815 million to help secure what little water is left in reservoirs and fund contingency planning initiatives for smaller communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Preventing megafires\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The plan also \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-science-business-california-gavin-newsom-f867c179fa49f32c0ed7098e98e33aeb\">earmarks about $1 billion\u003c/a> in new spending for fire breaks, tree thinning, and other measures meant to prevent fires from burning out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not going to respond our way out of this wildfire crisis,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot during a morning video call with reporters in advance of Newsom’s signing event. “Expanding our upfront, proactive actions is essential to address the wildfire risks we now face.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That package includes $19 million for the state to work with tribes on prescribed burns, up from just $1 million last year, and training for firefighters. The state also plans to invest in micro-lumber mills and other businesses that reuse old wood from overgrown forests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Forest thinning is expensive, and the market is slim for the wood that comes from removed trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This summer’s Dixie and Caldor fires were the first two wildfires on record to burn over the crest of the Sierra Nevada, a remarkable feat given that forests at high elevations are usually too saturated from heavy winter snow to burn out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowfoot commended South Lake Tahoe officials for conducting years of proactive fuel treatments, a move he said that helped save the city of 22,000 people from being consumed by the Caldor Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The climate plan also directs $3.9 billion over the next three years to expand use of electric vehicles in the state, in accordance with \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/cars/california-2035-zev-mandate/index.html\">Newsom’s mandate\u003c/a> that only zero-emission new passenger cars and trucks be sold in California by 2035. That pot includes funding for new consumer rebates, the production of thousands of buses and heavy-duty trucks, and incentives for low-income Californians to trade in their gas cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California will also spend $3.7 billion to prepare communities to deal with sea level rise, fund energy-efficient homes, and invest in low-income communities and communities of color, with the goal of improving air quality and reducing heat disparities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists were quick to cheer the state’s latest climate spending plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This decade is really the most consequential for the future of our planet,” said Jason Barbose, a policy manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We need to be spending billions to address climate change. This budget is an important down payment for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>How are young people coping with climate change? The answer, according to one study, is not well, and for good reason.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955\">forthcoming study\u003c/a>, researchers with the U.K.’s University of Bath and other schools spoke to 10,000 people in 10 countries, all of whom were between the ages of 16 and 25, to gauge how they feel about climate change. The prevailing response could be summed up in two words: incredibly worried. And the respondents say governments aren’t doing enough to combat climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey arrives more than six weeks before the world’s nations are set to gather in Glasgow, Scotland, at an annual meeting convened by the United Nations to address climate change. Scientists say that nations aren’t passing the right kinds of bold policies to avert the worst effects of climate change. The survey suggests that young people around the world grasp how widespread and dangerous political inaction is on climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study concluded that there’s a correlation between negative emotions, such as worry, and beliefs that government responses to climate change have been inadequate. So the way governments have been addressing — or failing to address — climate change is directly affecting the mental health of young people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of those surveyed, nearly 60% reported that they felt either “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, and more than half said climate change made them feel “afraid, sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and/or guilty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Positive feelings such as optimism were reported least among the respondents, researchers said. In fact, 77% said that they considered the future to be frightening, and 56% agreed with the viewpoint that humanity is doomed, according to the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many young people, those feelings of fear and worry affect their ability to function, too, results showed. More than 45% of the respondents said the way they feel about climate change adversely affects their day-to-day lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for those living in poorer countries in the Southern Hemisphere, who are more likely to be affected by natural disasters worsened by climate change, the outlook is even worse: Overall, they’re more worried, and their ability to function is even more impeded, researchers found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young people also said they were generally dissatisfied with how their governments have been handling the realities of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across all the countries represented — the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, France, Finland, India, Nigeria, Portugal and the Philippines — 65% of young people felt their government was failing them on climate change and 60% felt that the government had been dismissing citizens’ distress over it. Nearly half of those who said they talk with other people about climate change said that their concerns were ignored, according to researchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combating climate change individually isn’t enough on its own, the researchers said. Those in power have a responsibility to act to protect not only the Earth, but also the mental health of those who stand to inherit the planet, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As one 16-year-old included in the study wrote, “I think it’s different for young people. For us, the destruction of the planet is personal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Young+People+Are+Anxious+About+Climate+Change+And+Say+Governments+Are+Failing+Them&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>How are young people coping with climate change? The answer, according to one study, is not well, and for good reason.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955\">forthcoming study\u003c/a>, researchers with the U.K.’s University of Bath and other schools spoke to 10,000 people in 10 countries, all of whom were between the ages of 16 and 25, to gauge how they feel about climate change. The prevailing response could be summed up in two words: incredibly worried. And the respondents say governments aren’t doing enough to combat climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey arrives more than six weeks before the world’s nations are set to gather in Glasgow, Scotland, at an annual meeting convened by the United Nations to address climate change. Scientists say that nations aren’t passing the right kinds of bold policies to avert the worst effects of climate change. The survey suggests that young people around the world grasp how widespread and dangerous political inaction is on climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study concluded that there’s a correlation between negative emotions, such as worry, and beliefs that government responses to climate change have been inadequate. So the way governments have been addressing — or failing to address — climate change is directly affecting the mental health of young people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of those surveyed, nearly 60% reported that they felt either “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, and more than half said climate change made them feel “afraid, sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and/or guilty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Positive feelings such as optimism were reported least among the respondents, researchers said. In fact, 77% said that they considered the future to be frightening, and 56% agreed with the viewpoint that humanity is doomed, according to the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many young people, those feelings of fear and worry affect their ability to function, too, results showed. More than 45% of the respondents said the way they feel about climate change adversely affects their day-to-day lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for those living in poorer countries in the Southern Hemisphere, who are more likely to be affected by natural disasters worsened by climate change, the outlook is even worse: Overall, they’re more worried, and their ability to function is even more impeded, researchers found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young people also said they were generally dissatisfied with how their governments have been handling the realities of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across all the countries represented — the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, France, Finland, India, Nigeria, Portugal and the Philippines — 65% of young people felt their government was failing them on climate change and 60% felt that the government had been dismissing citizens’ distress over it. Nearly half of those who said they talk with other people about climate change said that their concerns were ignored, according to researchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combating climate change individually isn’t enough on its own, the researchers said. Those in power have a responsibility to act to protect not only the Earth, but also the mental health of those who stand to inherit the planet, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As one 16-year-old included in the study wrote, “I think it’s different for young people. For us, the destruction of the planet is personal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Young+People+Are+Anxious+About+Climate+Change+And+Say+Governments+Are+Failing+Them&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "California’s Sustainable Farms, Models for Agriculture in Warming World, Need Help Surviving It",
"headTitle": "California’s Sustainable Farms, Models for Agriculture in Warming World, Need Help Surviving It | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>The bustle of birds and insect pollinators is the first thing you notice at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, about 100 miles northeast of San Francisco in the Capay Valley, where Judith Redmond and her partners started farming four decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this early morning in August, a hot, dry wind is blowing through the valley, fanning the flames that are devouring the parched lands on either side of Redmond’s 400-acre organic farm, where chickens, pigs and sheep forage alongside vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and flowers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day before, that wind fueled a fast-moving fire about 25 miles northwest of the farm that incinerated dozens of mobile homes. The massive Caldor and Dixie fires were continuing to spread to the east and north, and a gray smoky haze hung in the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fire is just one of the farm’s climate-related challenges, Redmond said. “At the moment, all of us are very, very concerned about the water situation and the drought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers have always labored at the mercy of the elements, but climate change has brought overlapping calamities of wildfires, drought, prolonged heat waves and power outages. Small-scale sustainable farmers with direct access to consumers through community-supported agriculture, or CSA, programs hold the key to boosting agricultural resilience in the face of a warming world. They know how to reduce agriculture’s carbon emissions, curb water and air pollution and boost biodiversity. But economic incentives and policies still favor large industrial farms that rely on chemicals and fossil fuels and raise only a few types of livestock or crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without access to the same subsidies, technical assistance and other resources available to large-scale operations, small farms are struggling to survive a rapidly changing climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a long time we were seeing an increase in both large and small farms, but in the last ag census we saw a decline in small farms,” said Jeanne Merrill, policy director at California Climate and Agriculture Network, or CalCAN, a coalition of sustainable and organic farming organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diversified small and midsize farmers, who tend to 500 acres or less, can’t rely on the stable of consultants and university extension advisers that help larger operations get through extreme weather events, said Merrill. “It is getting much harder with water constraints, with heat events, with catastrophic wildfire to survive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fires aren’t likely to make it through vast acres of irrigated crops on large farms, said Evan Wiig, communications director for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. But, he said, since 2017, the most destructive fire season in California on record at the time, “we’ve seen small farmers hit at an unprecedented scale.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976684\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1976684\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-800x534.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-1020x681.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-1536x1026.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-1920x1283.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Judith Redmond, one of six owners of Full Belly Farm, samples a turkey fig. \u003ccite>(Liza Gross)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wildfires mostly skirted the edges of Full Belly Farm until a few years ago, when the Sand Fire torched a 25-acre field of heirloom wheat on its way to burning thousands of acres. Securing their “extremely expensive” fire insurance is a constant struggle, Redmond said. “Every year is more difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s no wonder that small farms are disappearing in California, even as experts say the need for sustainable farming has never been greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sustainable agriculture is “urgently needed” to tackle the environmental and climate crisis, agricultural experts argued in a 2019 \u003ca href=\"https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/doi/10.1525/elementa.356/112494/Securing-the-future-of-US-agriculture-The-case-for\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paper\u003c/a>. But the U.S. agricultural system, they wrote, puts practitioners “at a distinct disadvantage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal farm policy is set up to support chemically dependent monocultures through things like crop insurance and university research assistance, said Liz Carlisle, a lead author on the study and assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “It’s definitely not set up for something like a 20-acre diversified vegetable farm with a community-supported agricultural operation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s an entire apparatus built around industrial farming to standardize technologies like synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to maximize production for just a few crops, said study coauthor Ryan Galt, who directs the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at the University of California, Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of federal money goes to funding commodities like corn and soy that provide cheap raw materials for meat and processed food, Galt said. “There are a patchwork of programs that help out diversified farming systems, but they’re pretty meager compared to those resources that are channeled towards propping up commodity production.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another major barrier to sustainable farming is access to affordable land. Close to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/74672/eib-161.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">45%\u003c/a> of California farmland is rented, which vastly increases overhead expenses and makes it harder for farmers to invest in long-term sustainability practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early farmers who moved away from monocultures, harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that contaminate water resources were highly motivated to implement environmentally friendly practices, Galt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do you know the kind of will and intelligence that takes? They had to really go against the grain and be supermotivated,” he said. “There weren’t any incentives for them to do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Replacing fossil fuels with biology\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Agriculture accounts for \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10%\u003c/a> of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from industrial practices used to manage crops and livestock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of the work on U.S. farms runs on fossil fuel power, Carlisle said. “The fertility comes from synthetic fertilizer. For the most part, that’s fossil fuel derived. The pest control comes from synthetic pesticides that are fossil fuel derived. And, of course, a lot of work is done by diesel-powered tractors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contrast, smaller farms rely on people power and organisms in the farm system to do the work, Carlisle said. Fertility comes from the manure of an animal or from soil-building cover crops. While pest control comes from planting flowers that attract beneficial insects, or from creating a functioning ecosystem where no single population of organisms gets out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You also have the work that would be done with a diesel-powered tractor more frequently done by people,” Carlisle said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redmond and her partners have long experimented with such fossil-free approaches to produce environmentally sustainable, chemical-free food as pioneers of the CSA movement. Everything they do is geared toward farming for “more layers of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They see building soil health as critical not just to fertilizing crops but also to boosting the farm’s resilience to climate change. They avoid or minimize tilling the soil, which supports healthy microbial communities and sequesters carbon. The use of so-called cover crops—non-cash crops planted to prevent soil erosion and nurture soil health—adds organic matter to soil, which helps retain moisture in the event of drought and absorbs water during floods. Using compost and pasture-grazing their sheep also feeds soils while planting hedgerows flush with native vegetation attracts pollinators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This low-carbon, high-touch approach to farming keeps their farmhands employed year-round.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Redmond walks along a field of ornamental broomcorn and flowers, sparrows and chickadees dart past dragonflies to a grove of Asian pears. Decades ago, Redmond’s crew started planting bushes, trees and shrubs that would grow naturally in the region to provide habitat and food for native beneficial insects. In turn, the beneficial insects control pests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s California Climate Hub highlighted some of the farm’s practices to show growers how they can adapt to changing climate conditions and maintain productivity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Full Belly Farm has been doing “a lot of really innovative work” experimenting with practices like no-till farming while advocating for practices that nurture the land, said Emilie Winfield, who led the project at the Climate Hub while still a graduate student at the UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like a natural choice to partner with them, because they’ve been thinking about these issues for a long time,” said Winfield, who now coordinates the Marin Resource Conservation District’s North Coast Soil Hub. Plus, she added, they’re going to see “fairly severe impacts from climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Average maximum temperatures in the region are likely to increase by more than \u003ca href=\"https://cal-adapt.org/tools/annual-averages/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3 degrees\u003c/a> Fahrenheit within the next 30 years, according to Cal Adapt, bringing more heat waves, lower soil moisture and more plant stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To protect their diverse pepper crops, Redmond and her partners erected a large shade structure over two-acres of jalapeños, Jimmy Nardellos and several other pepper varieties. The shade cloth keeps the peppers from getting sunburned, reducing stress on the plants, and plastic mulch retains water in the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The plants just look absolutely healthy and happy,” Redmond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some tomatoes have lost their flowers in the heat. No flowers means no fruit. And heat can also disrupt pollination in corn, which loses kernels when pollen fails to find every silk tube.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The region has seen several searing heat waves this season, which increases water demands. Full Belly Farm has two wells on the property, and in a normal year draws water from the creek that flows along its eastern edge. This is not a normal year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly half of the state, including the Capay Valley, is in “exceptional” drought. Redmond’s local water district ended water deliveries that feed the creek and farmers to the south in late June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redmond said the farm will probably rely on groundwater, as it did when the creek went dry during the devastating five-year drought that ended in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we’ve really changed our plans for the fall,” Redmond said. “We’re growing less, we’re not going to have cover crops. There’s various pieces of land that we rent that we’re just not going to be able to plant because there’s just not enough water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Creating a sustainability safety net\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>For agriculture to reduce its carbon footprint and survive the challenges of a rapidly changing climate, experts like Carlisle and Galt believe, it will need to replace fossil-fuel intensive management with “knowledge-intensive” management. Farmers like Redmond acquired a deep understanding of how to harness the region’s natural resources over years of experimenting with different strategies to figure out how to boost productivity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the difference between seeing biodiversity as an asset to the farm or a threat, Carlisle said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In most indigenous food systems, there was not a clear distinction between wild lands, and a farm,” Carlisle said. “Ecological agriculture is a functioning ecosystem that looks, in many ways, like the surrounding natural ecosystem. It’s just managed for the purpose of growing human foods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So-called agroecology requires valuing human knowledge and labor, but the current system has been optimized to minimize both, Carlisle said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Less than 2% of the population farms in the United States,” she said. “What we need to be optimizing for in a world where we’re facing climate change, and a lot of other challenges, is minimizing fossil fuel use, and embracing the idea that people can have really good lives and really good jobs on farms, if we actually prioritize that as a society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the approach many European countries have taken, said Galt of UC Davis, referring to initiatives in the \u003ca href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming_en\">European Union\u003c/a>, which has invested in organic farming as the future of its agricultural production. But there’s still not much direct federal support for U.S. farmers who want to pursue sustainable practices, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has a suite of climate smart agriculture programs, including the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/\">Healthy Soils Program\u003c/a>, which subsidizes practices like cover cropping and no-till farming, and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/\">State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program\u003c/a>, or SWEEP, which provides funds for irrigation that conserves water and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those programs ran out of money and didn’t get funded in the pandemic budget that passed last year, said CalCAN’s Merrill. In the budget bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed earlier in the summer, both healthy soils and SWEEP received increased funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are good things, but there was no money yet for farmland conservation or the alternative manure management program,” Merrill said, referring to practices like pasture grazing that reduce potent greenhouse gas emissions in contrast to industrial dairies that store animal waste in large open pits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a historic surplus delaying passage of the final budget, “there’s a lot yet to be decided,” Merrill said. “Will we see funding that prioritizes climate resilience for small and midscale farmers? That’s the outstanding question.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when programs offer financial incentives for sustainable practices, the hurdles to accessing those funds can be high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to think about what a system looks like that really supports small and innovative farmers,” said Winfield of the Marin Resource Conservation District. “If the applications are too lengthy or if some of the reporting is too time consuming, we’re putting a lot of demands on farmers’ and ranchers’ time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carlisle believes every sustainable farmer needs access to someone who can answer questions about how to manage vegetation that could fuel wildfires on their property, for example, or help crops tolerate droughts. That technical assistance, she said, should be linked with cost-sharing public funds to help farmers implement recommended measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the things we’re asking farmers to do, in adapting to climate change and mitigating climate change, have tremendous public benefit,” Carlisle said. “We’re asking them to manage public resources like the atmosphere and the soil and the watershed. So we need to have programs like the healthy soils initiative available to pitch in for things that farmers are doing on behalf of all of us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the funding for those programs is woefully inadequate to cover the scale of transition needed for farmers to adapt to climate change, Carlisle said. If taxpayer money is going to support agriculture, she said, “let’s target it for public benefit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of insuring commodity crops like corn, for example, farmers could be paid for cover cropping as ecological insurance to mitigate the risk of flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sustainable farmers provide “multiple, pretty massive benefits” for society without compensation, Galt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you look at Full Belly, you’ve probably greatly reduced the amount of runoff pollution from the farm compared to a conventional farm. You’ve created a ton of wildlife habitat that benefits the area around you and you’re absorbing more water more slowly in the ecosystems, so you’re not contributing to flash floods downstream. And you’re sequestering carbon in the soil, which is benefiting all of us,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Galt added, “They also provide really good wages and benefits to farmworkers, which we don’t often see on farms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the only thing farmers get in return for all these services, Galt said, is the revenue from selling whatever they produce on the farm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s making it hard for some small farmers to compete in the highly consolidated agricultural industry. A recent survey of dozens of small farms that sell to consumers through farmers markets and CSAs in four mid-Atlantic states found that most farmers earned near poverty-level wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As California struggles to cope with another disastrous fire season in the midst of a punishing drought, Galt sees an opportunity. “The costs of climate change are becoming really apparent,” he said. “Can we use this moment and do something quickly?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redmond and Full Belly Farm aren’t waiting for policymakers to give sustainable farmers their due. “We’ve learned to adapt to a changing environment,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In talking with other farmers, she said, she realized that everyone’s in the same day-to-day, season-to-season planning mode, figuring out how to survive the abnormal vagaries of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to keep going. We have to keep harvesting. We have to keep our crew employed,” she said. “I think that’s where most people are at.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Small-scale sustainable farmers with direct access to consumers through community-supported agriculture programs hold the key to boosting agricultural resilience in a warming world. But economic incentives and policies still favor large industrial farms.",
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"description": "Small-scale sustainable farmers with direct access to consumers through community-supported agriculture programs hold the key to boosting agricultural resilience in a warming world. But economic incentives and policies still favor large industrial farms.",
"title": "California’s Sustainable Farms, Models for Agriculture in Warming World, Need Help Surviving It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The bustle of birds and insect pollinators is the first thing you notice at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, about 100 miles northeast of San Francisco in the Capay Valley, where Judith Redmond and her partners started farming four decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this early morning in August, a hot, dry wind is blowing through the valley, fanning the flames that are devouring the parched lands on either side of Redmond’s 400-acre organic farm, where chickens, pigs and sheep forage alongside vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and flowers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day before, that wind fueled a fast-moving fire about 25 miles northwest of the farm that incinerated dozens of mobile homes. The massive Caldor and Dixie fires were continuing to spread to the east and north, and a gray smoky haze hung in the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fire is just one of the farm’s climate-related challenges, Redmond said. “At the moment, all of us are very, very concerned about the water situation and the drought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers have always labored at the mercy of the elements, but climate change has brought overlapping calamities of wildfires, drought, prolonged heat waves and power outages. Small-scale sustainable farmers with direct access to consumers through community-supported agriculture, or CSA, programs hold the key to boosting agricultural resilience in the face of a warming world. They know how to reduce agriculture’s carbon emissions, curb water and air pollution and boost biodiversity. But economic incentives and policies still favor large industrial farms that rely on chemicals and fossil fuels and raise only a few types of livestock or crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without access to the same subsidies, technical assistance and other resources available to large-scale operations, small farms are struggling to survive a rapidly changing climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a long time we were seeing an increase in both large and small farms, but in the last ag census we saw a decline in small farms,” said Jeanne Merrill, policy director at California Climate and Agriculture Network, or CalCAN, a coalition of sustainable and organic farming organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diversified small and midsize farmers, who tend to 500 acres or less, can’t rely on the stable of consultants and university extension advisers that help larger operations get through extreme weather events, said Merrill. “It is getting much harder with water constraints, with heat events, with catastrophic wildfire to survive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fires aren’t likely to make it through vast acres of irrigated crops on large farms, said Evan Wiig, communications director for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. But, he said, since 2017, the most destructive fire season in California on record at the time, “we’ve seen small farmers hit at an unprecedented scale.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976684\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1976684\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-800x534.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-1020x681.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-1536x1026.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1-1920x1283.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/JudithEatingFigs-2048x1368-1.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Judith Redmond, one of six owners of Full Belly Farm, samples a turkey fig. \u003ccite>(Liza Gross)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wildfires mostly skirted the edges of Full Belly Farm until a few years ago, when the Sand Fire torched a 25-acre field of heirloom wheat on its way to burning thousands of acres. Securing their “extremely expensive” fire insurance is a constant struggle, Redmond said. “Every year is more difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s no wonder that small farms are disappearing in California, even as experts say the need for sustainable farming has never been greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sustainable agriculture is “urgently needed” to tackle the environmental and climate crisis, agricultural experts argued in a 2019 \u003ca href=\"https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/doi/10.1525/elementa.356/112494/Securing-the-future-of-US-agriculture-The-case-for\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paper\u003c/a>. But the U.S. agricultural system, they wrote, puts practitioners “at a distinct disadvantage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal farm policy is set up to support chemically dependent monocultures through things like crop insurance and university research assistance, said Liz Carlisle, a lead author on the study and assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “It’s definitely not set up for something like a 20-acre diversified vegetable farm with a community-supported agricultural operation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s an entire apparatus built around industrial farming to standardize technologies like synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to maximize production for just a few crops, said study coauthor Ryan Galt, who directs the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at the University of California, Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of federal money goes to funding commodities like corn and soy that provide cheap raw materials for meat and processed food, Galt said. “There are a patchwork of programs that help out diversified farming systems, but they’re pretty meager compared to those resources that are channeled towards propping up commodity production.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another major barrier to sustainable farming is access to affordable land. Close to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/74672/eib-161.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">45%\u003c/a> of California farmland is rented, which vastly increases overhead expenses and makes it harder for farmers to invest in long-term sustainability practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early farmers who moved away from monocultures, harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that contaminate water resources were highly motivated to implement environmentally friendly practices, Galt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do you know the kind of will and intelligence that takes? They had to really go against the grain and be supermotivated,” he said. “There weren’t any incentives for them to do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Replacing fossil fuels with biology\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Agriculture accounts for \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10%\u003c/a> of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from industrial practices used to manage crops and livestock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of the work on U.S. farms runs on fossil fuel power, Carlisle said. “The fertility comes from synthetic fertilizer. For the most part, that’s fossil fuel derived. The pest control comes from synthetic pesticides that are fossil fuel derived. And, of course, a lot of work is done by diesel-powered tractors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contrast, smaller farms rely on people power and organisms in the farm system to do the work, Carlisle said. Fertility comes from the manure of an animal or from soil-building cover crops. While pest control comes from planting flowers that attract beneficial insects, or from creating a functioning ecosystem where no single population of organisms gets out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You also have the work that would be done with a diesel-powered tractor more frequently done by people,” Carlisle said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redmond and her partners have long experimented with such fossil-free approaches to produce environmentally sustainable, chemical-free food as pioneers of the CSA movement. Everything they do is geared toward farming for “more layers of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They see building soil health as critical not just to fertilizing crops but also to boosting the farm’s resilience to climate change. They avoid or minimize tilling the soil, which supports healthy microbial communities and sequesters carbon. The use of so-called cover crops—non-cash crops planted to prevent soil erosion and nurture soil health—adds organic matter to soil, which helps retain moisture in the event of drought and absorbs water during floods. Using compost and pasture-grazing their sheep also feeds soils while planting hedgerows flush with native vegetation attracts pollinators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This low-carbon, high-touch approach to farming keeps their farmhands employed year-round.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Redmond walks along a field of ornamental broomcorn and flowers, sparrows and chickadees dart past dragonflies to a grove of Asian pears. Decades ago, Redmond’s crew started planting bushes, trees and shrubs that would grow naturally in the region to provide habitat and food for native beneficial insects. In turn, the beneficial insects control pests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s California Climate Hub highlighted some of the farm’s practices to show growers how they can adapt to changing climate conditions and maintain productivity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Full Belly Farm has been doing “a lot of really innovative work” experimenting with practices like no-till farming while advocating for practices that nurture the land, said Emilie Winfield, who led the project at the Climate Hub while still a graduate student at the UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like a natural choice to partner with them, because they’ve been thinking about these issues for a long time,” said Winfield, who now coordinates the Marin Resource Conservation District’s North Coast Soil Hub. Plus, she added, they’re going to see “fairly severe impacts from climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Average maximum temperatures in the region are likely to increase by more than \u003ca href=\"https://cal-adapt.org/tools/annual-averages/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3 degrees\u003c/a> Fahrenheit within the next 30 years, according to Cal Adapt, bringing more heat waves, lower soil moisture and more plant stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To protect their diverse pepper crops, Redmond and her partners erected a large shade structure over two-acres of jalapeños, Jimmy Nardellos and several other pepper varieties. The shade cloth keeps the peppers from getting sunburned, reducing stress on the plants, and plastic mulch retains water in the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The plants just look absolutely healthy and happy,” Redmond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some tomatoes have lost their flowers in the heat. No flowers means no fruit. And heat can also disrupt pollination in corn, which loses kernels when pollen fails to find every silk tube.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The region has seen several searing heat waves this season, which increases water demands. Full Belly Farm has two wells on the property, and in a normal year draws water from the creek that flows along its eastern edge. This is not a normal year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly half of the state, including the Capay Valley, is in “exceptional” drought. Redmond’s local water district ended water deliveries that feed the creek and farmers to the south in late June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redmond said the farm will probably rely on groundwater, as it did when the creek went dry during the devastating five-year drought that ended in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we’ve really changed our plans for the fall,” Redmond said. “We’re growing less, we’re not going to have cover crops. There’s various pieces of land that we rent that we’re just not going to be able to plant because there’s just not enough water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Creating a sustainability safety net\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>For agriculture to reduce its carbon footprint and survive the challenges of a rapidly changing climate, experts like Carlisle and Galt believe, it will need to replace fossil-fuel intensive management with “knowledge-intensive” management. Farmers like Redmond acquired a deep understanding of how to harness the region’s natural resources over years of experimenting with different strategies to figure out how to boost productivity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the difference between seeing biodiversity as an asset to the farm or a threat, Carlisle said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In most indigenous food systems, there was not a clear distinction between wild lands, and a farm,” Carlisle said. “Ecological agriculture is a functioning ecosystem that looks, in many ways, like the surrounding natural ecosystem. It’s just managed for the purpose of growing human foods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So-called agroecology requires valuing human knowledge and labor, but the current system has been optimized to minimize both, Carlisle said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Less than 2% of the population farms in the United States,” she said. “What we need to be optimizing for in a world where we’re facing climate change, and a lot of other challenges, is minimizing fossil fuel use, and embracing the idea that people can have really good lives and really good jobs on farms, if we actually prioritize that as a society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the approach many European countries have taken, said Galt of UC Davis, referring to initiatives in the \u003ca href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming_en\">European Union\u003c/a>, which has invested in organic farming as the future of its agricultural production. But there’s still not much direct federal support for U.S. farmers who want to pursue sustainable practices, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has a suite of climate smart agriculture programs, including the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/\">Healthy Soils Program\u003c/a>, which subsidizes practices like cover cropping and no-till farming, and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/\">State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program\u003c/a>, or SWEEP, which provides funds for irrigation that conserves water and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those programs ran out of money and didn’t get funded in the pandemic budget that passed last year, said CalCAN’s Merrill. In the budget bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed earlier in the summer, both healthy soils and SWEEP received increased funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are good things, but there was no money yet for farmland conservation or the alternative manure management program,” Merrill said, referring to practices like pasture grazing that reduce potent greenhouse gas emissions in contrast to industrial dairies that store animal waste in large open pits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a historic surplus delaying passage of the final budget, “there’s a lot yet to be decided,” Merrill said. “Will we see funding that prioritizes climate resilience for small and midscale farmers? That’s the outstanding question.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when programs offer financial incentives for sustainable practices, the hurdles to accessing those funds can be high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to think about what a system looks like that really supports small and innovative farmers,” said Winfield of the Marin Resource Conservation District. “If the applications are too lengthy or if some of the reporting is too time consuming, we’re putting a lot of demands on farmers’ and ranchers’ time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carlisle believes every sustainable farmer needs access to someone who can answer questions about how to manage vegetation that could fuel wildfires on their property, for example, or help crops tolerate droughts. That technical assistance, she said, should be linked with cost-sharing public funds to help farmers implement recommended measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the things we’re asking farmers to do, in adapting to climate change and mitigating climate change, have tremendous public benefit,” Carlisle said. “We’re asking them to manage public resources like the atmosphere and the soil and the watershed. So we need to have programs like the healthy soils initiative available to pitch in for things that farmers are doing on behalf of all of us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the funding for those programs is woefully inadequate to cover the scale of transition needed for farmers to adapt to climate change, Carlisle said. If taxpayer money is going to support agriculture, she said, “let’s target it for public benefit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of insuring commodity crops like corn, for example, farmers could be paid for cover cropping as ecological insurance to mitigate the risk of flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sustainable farmers provide “multiple, pretty massive benefits” for society without compensation, Galt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you look at Full Belly, you’ve probably greatly reduced the amount of runoff pollution from the farm compared to a conventional farm. You’ve created a ton of wildlife habitat that benefits the area around you and you’re absorbing more water more slowly in the ecosystems, so you’re not contributing to flash floods downstream. And you’re sequestering carbon in the soil, which is benefiting all of us,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Galt added, “They also provide really good wages and benefits to farmworkers, which we don’t often see on farms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the only thing farmers get in return for all these services, Galt said, is the revenue from selling whatever they produce on the farm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s making it hard for some small farmers to compete in the highly consolidated agricultural industry. A recent survey of dozens of small farms that sell to consumers through farmers markets and CSAs in four mid-Atlantic states found that most farmers earned near poverty-level wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As California struggles to cope with another disastrous fire season in the midst of a punishing drought, Galt sees an opportunity. “The costs of climate change are becoming really apparent,” he said. “Can we use this moment and do something quickly?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redmond and Full Belly Farm aren’t waiting for policymakers to give sustainable farmers their due. “We’ve learned to adapt to a changing environment,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In talking with other farmers, she said, she realized that everyone’s in the same day-to-day, season-to-season planning mode, figuring out how to survive the abnormal vagaries of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to keep going. We have to keep harvesting. We have to keep our crew employed,” she said. “I think that’s where most people are at.”\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/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What California Can Learn From The South About Wildfire Prevention",
"headTitle": "What California Can Learn From The South About Wildfire Prevention | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In early May, flames began to spread through a pine forest, consuming a dense carpet of leaves and underbrush. The burn was the definition of a “good fire,” intentionally ignited to clear vegetation that could fuel future infernos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It happened in the state leading the nation in controlled burns: Florida.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Western states contend with increasingly catastrophic wildfires, some are looking to the Southeastern U.S., where prescribed fire is widespread thanks to policies put in place decades ago. From 1998 to 2018, \u003ca href=\"https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/2/2/30/htm\">70% of all controlled burning\u003c/a> in the country was in the Southeast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a continent apart, both regions have a similar need for fire. For thousands of years, forests and woodlands experienced regular burning, both sparked by lightning and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along\">used by Native American tribes\u003c/a>, which prevented the build up of flammable growth. Without fire, the landscape is prone to intense, potentially devastating wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite that risk, Western states have struggled to expand the use of controlled burns. This month, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/08/09/1026137249/with-extreme-fires-burning-forest-service-stops-good-fires-too\">U.S. Forest Service suspended them\u003c/a> because of the extensive fires burning in record-dry conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, several Western states are moving to adopt the fire policies pioneered by Florida and other Southern states as a hedge against the future. They include training for burn leaders and providing liability protection for them. The bigger challenge is changing the culture around fire, so that residents know that tolerating a little smoke from good fires can help stop the destructive blazes that cloud the air for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have this generational gap in fire knowledge in the Western U.S. that we’re trying to rebuild now,” says Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension. “But Florida and the Southeast still have it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How good fire became routine in the South\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Low-intensity fires were once common across the U.S.. Tribes would burn woodlands to encourage plant growth, improve food and weaving resources, and attract game. In the fast-growing forests of the Southeast, fires would happen every few years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After colonization, some settlers in the Southeast adopted similar burning practices on lands taken from tribes. But by the early 1900s, the era of fire suppression began. Burning was seen as a threat to timber harvests. The U.S. Forest Service implemented an edict to extinguish all fires. On billboards and in ads, Smokey Bear spread the idea that fire was the enemy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the 1960s, land managers realized that many landscapes had become choked with brush, grasses, and small trees. In the Southeast, where the majority of land is privately owned, some residents had continued controlled burning and wanted to see the practice grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here since the 1800s, my family has been,” says Frank Riley, executive director of the Chestatee-Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Commission, a nonprofit in Demorest, Ga., that works on land management. “They used to light a fire and just let it burn till it quit, wherever over yonder it quit. Because it kept the forest open. The deer had something to eat. The cattle back then had something to eat because it burned all the briars and bushes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1990, Florida passed a law to encourage prescribed burns, recognizing that the state would lose significant biodiversity without it. After firestorms burned almost 500,000 acres in 1998, the law was strengthened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Florida set up a certification system for burn managers, also known as “burn bosses,” requiring candidates to get special training on weather and landscape conditions for safe burning. With that certification, burners are protected from liability lawsuits in the rare event a burn gets out of control, unless it’s shown there was “gross negligence” on their part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In total, 11 Southern states have burn manager certification programs. As a result, controlled burning has become part of the social fabric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The city embraces the natural areas that surround it,” says Morgan Varner, director of fire research at \u003ca href=\"https://talltimbers.org/\">Tall Timbers\u003c/a>, a research station and land conservancy in Tallahassee, Fla. “They love the green space and they associate that with the burning that takes place. So there’s a bit of a social license that has to be reborn or restored in the rest of the country that’s really not present.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Varner says many private landowners burn every other year, usually in the spring. As long as the weather and wind conditions are safe, burn bosses can get a required permit in 15 minutes over the phone. In Western states, prescribed burn planning can take weeks or even months in some places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t just accept it there — they look for it,” says Crystal Kolden, a fire scientist at the University of California, Merced. “They demand it, because they know how important it is for maintaining those landscapes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Western states have a long way to go\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Florida has \u003ca href=\"https://gacc.nifc.gov/sacc/predictive/intelligence/NationalYTDbyStateandAgency.pdf\">done prescribed burns on more than 1.6 million acres\u003c/a> so far this year. California has only burned around 35,000 acres. The state is 2.5 times larger than Florida.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/08/13/california-u-s-forest-service-establish-shared-long-term-strategy-to-manage-forests-and-rangelands/\">recently signed an agreement\u003c/a> with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce vegetation on 1 million acres of public lands, but the goal is still out of reach. Experts estimate that tens of millions of acres need addressing statewide, but lack of funding, personnel and political will has limited the work on public lands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About half of California is privately owned, and landowners have had little support from public agencies to conduct burns on their property. Permits from firefighting agencies and air quality regulators can be cumbersome to secure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very important that we have private landowners and community groups involved because they are managing and taking care of the lands around our towns and communities,” Quinn-Davidson says. “They’re critical in this larger vision of California living with fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While federal and state firefighters are protected from liability claims for prescribing burning, most burn bosses on private land in California are unable to get insurance to protect themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I go out and I burn, I have no liability protection,” Quinn-Davidson says. “I’m assuming full responsibility for those projects. And most of the time, we’re doing those projects for public benefit, to reduce wildfire risk, to restore habitat, for cultural reasons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California legislators are \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB332\">currently considering a bill\u003c/a> that would protect burners from being charged for the firefighting resources that would be needed if a burn escapes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An earlier version of the bill would have copied laws from Southeastern states, protecting burners from civil liability, too, unless they were grossly negligent. After opposition from the insurance industry, that provision was removed. While rare, some prescribed burns have escaped and burned into developed areas, threatening or even destroying homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Western states are beginning to move in the same direction. In March, \u003ca href=\"https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2021/03/18/gov-signs-bipartisan-measure-to-improve-forest-management-help-n-m-avoid-catastrophic-fires/\">New Mexico passed a law\u003c/a> limiting liability for prescribed burning and establishing a burn boss training program. \u003ca href=\"https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SB762\">Oregon passed a bill in July\u003c/a> that established its first burn boss certification, as well as a bill that directs agencies to study issues around liability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the federal level, several Democratic senators are hoping to help states with added funding from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/National%20Prescribed%20Fire%20Act%20of%202020%20One%20Pager.pdf\">National Prescribed Fire Act of 2021\u003c/a>, which would provide $300 million for federal agency burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Western states have a long way to go, some experts say the resurgence of burning has already begun, led by communities and Native American tribes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May, Quinn-Davidson helped lead the first burn manager certification course in California. Fourteen local groups, known as \u003ca href=\"https://calpba.org/\">prescribed burn associations\u003c/a>, recently formed to help private landowners with burns across the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is, in some ways, in the dark ages with prescribed fire,” Varner says. “But they’re in a time now, a special time, that they can go from No. 49 in the country to No. 1.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Why+The+South+Is+Decades+Ahead+Of+The+West+In+Wildfire+Prevention&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Another destructive fire season has California searching for ways to prevent it. The Southeast just might have the answers: setting controlled fires before the wildfires come.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In early May, flames began to spread through a pine forest, consuming a dense carpet of leaves and underbrush. The burn was the definition of a “good fire,” intentionally ignited to clear vegetation that could fuel future infernos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It happened in the state leading the nation in controlled burns: Florida.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Western states contend with increasingly catastrophic wildfires, some are looking to the Southeastern U.S., where prescribed fire is widespread thanks to policies put in place decades ago. From 1998 to 2018, \u003ca href=\"https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/2/2/30/htm\">70% of all controlled burning\u003c/a> in the country was in the Southeast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a continent apart, both regions have a similar need for fire. For thousands of years, forests and woodlands experienced regular burning, both sparked by lightning and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along\">used by Native American tribes\u003c/a>, which prevented the build up of flammable growth. Without fire, the landscape is prone to intense, potentially devastating wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite that risk, Western states have struggled to expand the use of controlled burns. This month, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/08/09/1026137249/with-extreme-fires-burning-forest-service-stops-good-fires-too\">U.S. Forest Service suspended them\u003c/a> because of the extensive fires burning in record-dry conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, several Western states are moving to adopt the fire policies pioneered by Florida and other Southern states as a hedge against the future. They include training for burn leaders and providing liability protection for them. The bigger challenge is changing the culture around fire, so that residents know that tolerating a little smoke from good fires can help stop the destructive blazes that cloud the air for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have this generational gap in fire knowledge in the Western U.S. that we’re trying to rebuild now,” says Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a fire adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension. “But Florida and the Southeast still have it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How good fire became routine in the South\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Low-intensity fires were once common across the U.S.. Tribes would burn woodlands to encourage plant growth, improve food and weaving resources, and attract game. In the fast-growing forests of the Southeast, fires would happen every few years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After colonization, some settlers in the Southeast adopted similar burning practices on lands taken from tribes. But by the early 1900s, the era of fire suppression began. Burning was seen as a threat to timber harvests. The U.S. Forest Service implemented an edict to extinguish all fires. On billboards and in ads, Smokey Bear spread the idea that fire was the enemy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the 1960s, land managers realized that many landscapes had become choked with brush, grasses, and small trees. In the Southeast, where the majority of land is privately owned, some residents had continued controlled burning and wanted to see the practice grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here since the 1800s, my family has been,” says Frank Riley, executive director of the Chestatee-Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Commission, a nonprofit in Demorest, Ga., that works on land management. “They used to light a fire and just let it burn till it quit, wherever over yonder it quit. Because it kept the forest open. The deer had something to eat. The cattle back then had something to eat because it burned all the briars and bushes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1990, Florida passed a law to encourage prescribed burns, recognizing that the state would lose significant biodiversity without it. After firestorms burned almost 500,000 acres in 1998, the law was strengthened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Florida set up a certification system for burn managers, also known as “burn bosses,” requiring candidates to get special training on weather and landscape conditions for safe burning. With that certification, burners are protected from liability lawsuits in the rare event a burn gets out of control, unless it’s shown there was “gross negligence” on their part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In total, 11 Southern states have burn manager certification programs. As a result, controlled burning has become part of the social fabric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The city embraces the natural areas that surround it,” says Morgan Varner, director of fire research at \u003ca href=\"https://talltimbers.org/\">Tall Timbers\u003c/a>, a research station and land conservancy in Tallahassee, Fla. “They love the green space and they associate that with the burning that takes place. So there’s a bit of a social license that has to be reborn or restored in the rest of the country that’s really not present.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Varner says many private landowners burn every other year, usually in the spring. As long as the weather and wind conditions are safe, burn bosses can get a required permit in 15 minutes over the phone. In Western states, prescribed burn planning can take weeks or even months in some places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t just accept it there — they look for it,” says Crystal Kolden, a fire scientist at the University of California, Merced. “They demand it, because they know how important it is for maintaining those landscapes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Western states have a long way to go\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Florida has \u003ca href=\"https://gacc.nifc.gov/sacc/predictive/intelligence/NationalYTDbyStateandAgency.pdf\">done prescribed burns on more than 1.6 million acres\u003c/a> so far this year. California has only burned around 35,000 acres. The state is 2.5 times larger than Florida.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/08/13/california-u-s-forest-service-establish-shared-long-term-strategy-to-manage-forests-and-rangelands/\">recently signed an agreement\u003c/a> with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce vegetation on 1 million acres of public lands, but the goal is still out of reach. Experts estimate that tens of millions of acres need addressing statewide, but lack of funding, personnel and political will has limited the work on public lands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About half of California is privately owned, and landowners have had little support from public agencies to conduct burns on their property. Permits from firefighting agencies and air quality regulators can be cumbersome to secure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very important that we have private landowners and community groups involved because they are managing and taking care of the lands around our towns and communities,” Quinn-Davidson says. “They’re critical in this larger vision of California living with fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While federal and state firefighters are protected from liability claims for prescribing burning, most burn bosses on private land in California are unable to get insurance to protect themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I go out and I burn, I have no liability protection,” Quinn-Davidson says. “I’m assuming full responsibility for those projects. And most of the time, we’re doing those projects for public benefit, to reduce wildfire risk, to restore habitat, for cultural reasons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California legislators are \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB332\">currently considering a bill\u003c/a> that would protect burners from being charged for the firefighting resources that would be needed if a burn escapes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An earlier version of the bill would have copied laws from Southeastern states, protecting burners from civil liability, too, unless they were grossly negligent. After opposition from the insurance industry, that provision was removed. While rare, some prescribed burns have escaped and burned into developed areas, threatening or even destroying homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Western states are beginning to move in the same direction. In March, \u003ca href=\"https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2021/03/18/gov-signs-bipartisan-measure-to-improve-forest-management-help-n-m-avoid-catastrophic-fires/\">New Mexico passed a law\u003c/a> limiting liability for prescribed burning and establishing a burn boss training program. \u003ca href=\"https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SB762\">Oregon passed a bill in July\u003c/a> that established its first burn boss certification, as well as a bill that directs agencies to study issues around liability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the federal level, several Democratic senators are hoping to help states with added funding from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/National%20Prescribed%20Fire%20Act%20of%202020%20One%20Pager.pdf\">National Prescribed Fire Act of 2021\u003c/a>, which would provide $300 million for federal agency burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Western states have a long way to go, some experts say the resurgence of burning has already begun, led by communities and Native American tribes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May, Quinn-Davidson helped lead the first burn manager certification course in California. 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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is, in some ways, in the dark ages with prescribed fire,” Varner says. “But they’re in a time now, a special time, that they can go from No. 49 in the country to No. 1.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Why+The+South+Is+Decades+Ahead+Of+The+West+In+Wildfire+Prevention&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-to-get-or-make-a-free-low-cost-air-purifier-for-your-home",
"title": "How to Get — Or Make — a Free Or Low-Cost Air Purifier For Your Home",
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"headTitle": "How to Get — Or Make — a Free Or Low-Cost Air Purifier For Your Home | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bay Area residents have navigated hazardous smoke each year since 2017. At this point, “smoke days” are expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year is no exception. Wildfires are burning across Northern California, producing noxious air that covers large swaths of the state, forcing people to evacuate or spend weeks inside to spare their lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/KQEDscience/status/1432805403394519040?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1975710/how-to-keep-indoor-air-clean-during-a-wildfire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> keep that indoor air clean\u003c/a>, it’s crucial to limit additional contaminants, like gas from stoves, fumes from scented candles, and outdoor air that may sneak in through leaky windows or exhaust fans. It’s also important to clean that indoor air. The best way to do this is with an air purifier or, if you have in-home air filtration, \u003ca href=\"https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2018/11/14/qa-how-to-protect-yourself-and-your-family-from-wildfire-smoke/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">upgrading the filters you use in your system\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But preparation — including acquiring air purifiers — is expensive and largely left up to individuals, says Amee Raval, policy and research director at the environmental justice organization \u003ca href=\"https://apen4ej.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Asian Pacific Environmental Network\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are very few programs run by state and local governments to help people secure air purifiers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re told every year, that preparedness means going out and spending hundreds of dollars on air purifiers,” Raval said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These individual approaches are based on how much money you have and worsen the divide between people who have the means to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and people who don’t,” Raval said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now the government and county run approaches are largely failing us,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until we address the root causes of these extreme fires (a century of fire suppression and warming temperatures driven by burning fossil fuels to start), individuals, community groups and governments must adapt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We asked counties, government agencies, and community-based organizations about programs that provide free or discounted assistance to help people attain cleaner indoor air when the smoke hits. Here’s what we found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#localgov\">Resources run by local government\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#community\">Resources run by community organizations\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#air\">How to make your own air purifier\u003cbr>\n\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#diy\">Tips for using your DIY air purifier\u003cbr>\n\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Where are the programs?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Counties and state agencies point to the\u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s\u003c/a> new \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/news-and-events/page-resources/2021-news/082621-cafp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clean Air Filtration Program\u003c/a>. The district will spend $350,000 to provide 3,000 portable air purifiers to mostly people with respiratory illnesses. The program will prioritize low-income areas and residents, and install larger air purifiers at homeless shelters and cooling centers. The regulator’s goal is to distribute all air purifiers before the end of this fire season, and to expand the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California Air Resources Board\u003c/a> doesn’t offer free air filters but intends to spend \u003ca style=\"color: #41a62a\" href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/wildfire-smoke-clean-air-center-grant/about\">$5 million\u003c/a> to help communities upgrade ventilation systems and purchase portable air cleaners for cooling centers this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this is a start, the scope of these programs are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976556\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1976556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"A Roots Community Health Program flyer advertises a program in which it partners with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. One aspect of this program involves receiving a free air purifier for your home.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Roots Community Health Program flyer advertises an air filter partner program with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Julia Hatton, CEO at \u003ca href=\"https://risingsunopp.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rising Sun Center for Opportunity\u003c/a>, a workforce development organization that helps people make their homes more climate resilient, says there are a lot of programs that will measure air quality in local communities. “But they don’t necessarily offer any solutions for the residents of those communities,” Hatton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says many conversations around air quality are focused on installing air quality monitors in homes, “which is great. But if someone finds out their indoor air quality is really bad and they don’t have the ability to address that issue or leave the house, you’re not really contributing to a solution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatton says distributing air purifiers could be straightforward for programs like hers, which regularly provide other energy upgrades and could include air purifiers in their services. Funding, she says, is another story. She’d like to see financial support come from the entities responsible for sparking some of the state’s wildfires, like PG&E, or local or state air districts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nonprofit organization, \u003ca href=\"https://aea.us.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Association for Energy Affordability,\u003c/a> also focuses on energy efficiency and healthy housing, centering their work in low-income communities. Andy Brooks is senior director of the West Coast office and agrees more programs are needed to secure air purifiers for communities around the Bay Area, “everyone in my space talks about it all the time,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A reason there are not more programs providing air purifiers or other filtration, he says, is that a lot of funding for housing improvements comes from utilities and must be tied to energy efficiency. Air purifiers do not fall into that category.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brooks says collaboration between the Bay Area’s air district and organizations like his could address both energy and carbon use in residences, as well as health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counties reported few resources for people seeking free or discounted air purifiers, apart from the air district’s program. Several suggested people seek a respite from poor indoor air quality by going to public centers with strong air systems. But during a pandemic, community centers can be a hard sell, and put people at more risk of exposure to COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clean air respite centers, or cooling centers, are largely being underutilized,” Raval said. “And that’s because the solutions aren’t being designed with the leadership and partnership of community residents and advocates in mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raval says working with community groups will help better get the word out and build trust in centers like these, which are a good way to serve the community as a whole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State and local counties do have some initiatives addressing cleaning up air in people’s homes, such as weatherization programs for people with low or fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While “weatherizing” a home includes things like installing carbon monoxide filters and water-saving devices, it also involves improvements that will keep dangerous particulates out of your house, says Michael Kent, hazardous materials ombudsman at \u003ca href=\"https://cchealth.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contra Costa Health Services\u003c/a>. Improvements like sealing cracks, replacing damaged windows, and putting weatherstripping around drafty windows or doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/Assistance-HomeEnergyEfficiency.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Department of Community Services and Development\u003c/a> also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/FindServicesInYourArea.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">weatherization programs\u003c/a>, including the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and the state cap-and-trade funded Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP). All \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/programs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three programs\u003c/a> are available for low-income households at no cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Resources run by local government\u003cbr>\n\u003ca id=\"localgov\">\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/news-and-events/page-resources/2021-news/082621-cafp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Clean Air Filtration Program\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 3,000 air purifiers for Bay Area counties, plus larger purifiers for shelters and emergency centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for: \u003c/strong>Medi-Cal patients and undocumented people without Medi-Cal. Most people who will qualify must have “moderate to severe” or “poorly controlled” asthma and be enrolled in the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outreach/publications/fact-sheets/asthma-mitigation-FAQ_final_080521r_web%20pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Asthma Mitigation Project\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Email the air district: airfilters@baaqmd.gov. Note: the process could take several weeks, according to partner organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Resources run by community organizations\u003ca id=\"community\">\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Several community-based organizations are building or providing materials and training for people to make their own air purifiers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968863/helping-kids-protect-themselves-from-dirty-air-one-diy-filter-at-a-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">out of a box fan and filter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of them is the East Oakland-based community organization \u003ca href=\"http://www.homiesempowerment.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Homies Empowerment\u003c/a>. The nonprofit already provides free food, toiletries, diapers and other basics at their \u003ca href=\"http://www.homiesempowerment.com/freedom-store.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FREEdom Store\u003c/a>. In September of last year, customers said they were struggling to breathe. So the Homies Empowerment team added air purifiers to their offerings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We took matters into our own hands and we did it do-it-yourself, DIY, style,” one of the group’s founders, César Cruz, said. The organization raised money to purchase a hundred fans and air filters. “They went like hotcakes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the group is partnering with \u003ca href=\"https://www.acemakerspace.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ace Makerspace\u003c/a>, to bring the community 500 DIY air purifier kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community-based organizations providing air purifiers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.homiesempowerment.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cstrong>Homies Empowerment\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 500 DIY air purifier kits, with instructions in various languages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for:\u003c/strong> “You can be from anywhere,” Cruz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Air purifier kits will be at the FREEdom Store, 7631 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605. The store is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"https://northfoca.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cstrong>North Fair Oaks Community Alliance\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 40 DIY air purifier kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for:\u003c/strong> Priority for residents of North Fair Oaks in San Mateo County, a community of roughly 4,200 households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">North Fair Oaks Community Alliance President Ever Rodriguez said “ideally, we would like to open it up to the surrounding communities. If more resources are available, we will be happy to continue giving those out to our surrounding neighbors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Contact \u003ca href=\"https://northfoca.org/contact/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">North Fair Oaks Community Alliance\u003c/a> directly. Purifier kits available in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.brightlinedefense.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cstrong>Brightline Defense\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 20 DIY air purifiers, and workshops on assemblage and use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for:\u003c/strong> SRO tenants anywhere in San Francisco, with a focus on SRO tenant leaders from Central City SRO Collaborative. The DIY purifiers are intended to be shared between tenants, as SRO rooms are small, and air can be cleaned relatively quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Contact Brightline Defense directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>How to make your own air purifier\u003ca id=\"air\">\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Not able to access an air purifier through any of the narrow means above? No problem. You can make your own:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Materials:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>A new, 20″ box fan (the cord should come out of the bottom, not the center)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A 20″ x 20″ MERV 12 or 13 furnace/HVAC filter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Heavy-duty tape (clear plastic or duct tape)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Steps:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Place the MERV filter on the back of the fan (the filter can be put on the front too, but can stress the motor).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Make sure the filter is facing the correct direction for air to flow through.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Tape around the edges, making a seal between the box fan and the filter.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Cost: roughly $40\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The makeshift devices are “not rocket science,” but are effective, said \u003ca href=\"https://cires.colorado.edu/council-fellows/jose-luis-jimenez\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose-Luis Jimenez\u003c/a>, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He’s been looking into how \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-to-diy-an-air-purifier/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Do-It-Yourself purifiers\u003c/a> can help filter air from both COVID-19 and wildfire smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He points to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132317305498?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">peer-reviewed study\u003c/a> out of Singapore, which found similar DIY air filters removing around 75% of particulate matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The purifiers in that study pulled air from outside, something doctors and scientists recommend avoiding when thick wildfire smoke infiltrates indoors. Instead, they say, it’s better to keep the windows closed and to focus on cleaning the air that’s already in your home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also more effective to clean the air in a limited area, says \u003ca href=\"https://wcec.ucdavis.edu/about/directory/theresa-pistochini/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Theresa Pistochini\u003c/a>, engineering manager at the \u003ca href=\"https://wcec.ucdavis.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You want a smaller, enclosed space,” she said. “Like a bedroom that you’re trying to drop the smoke levels in. When [the smoke] was really bad, a couple of us were sleeping in one room, so we could manage to filter better,” she said, referring to her experience during the 2018 Camp Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Tips for your DIY filter\u003c/strong>\u003ca id=\"diy\">\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Use a MERV 12 or 13 filter. HEPA filters are stronger but their thickness could cause the box fan to overheat or fail. Placing the filter on the back of the fan reduces the filtration a little, but is recommended over placing the filter on the front, which can tax the motor more.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli> Purchase box fans at a local hardware store or larger retailer. If filters are harder to find, try \u003ca href=\"https://filterbuy.com/air-filters/20x20x2/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8cCGBhB6EiwAgORey__i0-xU7wUDMz_YAqv2_KD_kQ8pcodn1qMap6cebT5jyA8vnJ_A1xoC_5MQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Filter Buy\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.target.com/p/aerostar-ac-furnace-air-filter-health-merv-13-box-of-6/-/A-80014134?preselect=80014135#lnk=sametab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Target\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.homedepot.com/p/BestAir-20-x-20-x-1-Pleated-Air-Filter-FPR-10-MERV-13-B1-2020-13-6/314412067\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Home Depot\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\">Don’t leave the DIY purifier unattended, it could become a fire hazard.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\">Place the DIY purifier in the middle of the room at a height midway between the floor and the ceiling.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\">DIY air purifiers are a short-term solution, for a few months or “until it’s visibly obstructed with smoke or dirt” Pistochini said.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jrodriguez\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez\u003c/a> contributed reporting to this post.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bay Area residents have navigated hazardous smoke each year since 2017. At this point, “smoke days” are expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year is no exception. Wildfires are burning across Northern California, producing noxious air that covers large swaths of the state, forcing people to evacuate or spend weeks inside to spare their lungs.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>To\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1975710/how-to-keep-indoor-air-clean-during-a-wildfire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> keep that indoor air clean\u003c/a>, it’s crucial to limit additional contaminants, like gas from stoves, fumes from scented candles, and outdoor air that may sneak in through leaky windows or exhaust fans. It’s also important to clean that indoor air. The best way to do this is with an air purifier or, if you have in-home air filtration, \u003ca href=\"https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2018/11/14/qa-how-to-protect-yourself-and-your-family-from-wildfire-smoke/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">upgrading the filters you use in your system\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But preparation — including acquiring air purifiers — is expensive and largely left up to individuals, says Amee Raval, policy and research director at the environmental justice organization \u003ca href=\"https://apen4ej.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Asian Pacific Environmental Network\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are very few programs run by state and local governments to help people secure air purifiers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re told every year, that preparedness means going out and spending hundreds of dollars on air purifiers,” Raval said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These individual approaches are based on how much money you have and worsen the divide between people who have the means to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and people who don’t,” Raval said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now the government and county run approaches are largely failing us,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until we address the root causes of these extreme fires (a century of fire suppression and warming temperatures driven by burning fossil fuels to start), individuals, community groups and governments must adapt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We asked counties, government agencies, and community-based organizations about programs that provide free or discounted assistance to help people attain cleaner indoor air when the smoke hits. Here’s what we found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#localgov\">Resources run by local government\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#community\">Resources run by community organizations\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#air\">How to make your own air purifier\u003cbr>\n\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#diy\">Tips for using your DIY air purifier\u003cbr>\n\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Where are the programs?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Counties and state agencies point to the\u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s\u003c/a> new \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/news-and-events/page-resources/2021-news/082621-cafp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clean Air Filtration Program\u003c/a>. The district will spend $350,000 to provide 3,000 portable air purifiers to mostly people with respiratory illnesses. The program will prioritize low-income areas and residents, and install larger air purifiers at homeless shelters and cooling centers. The regulator’s goal is to distribute all air purifiers before the end of this fire season, and to expand the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California Air Resources Board\u003c/a> doesn’t offer free air filters but intends to spend \u003ca style=\"color: #41a62a\" href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/wildfire-smoke-clean-air-center-grant/about\">$5 million\u003c/a> to help communities upgrade ventilation systems and purchase portable air cleaners for cooling centers this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this is a start, the scope of these programs are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976556\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1976556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"A Roots Community Health Program flyer advertises a program in which it partners with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. One aspect of this program involves receiving a free air purifier for your home.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2021/08/BreatheOaklandFlyer-1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Roots Community Health Program flyer advertises an air filter partner program with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Julia Hatton, CEO at \u003ca href=\"https://risingsunopp.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rising Sun Center for Opportunity\u003c/a>, a workforce development organization that helps people make their homes more climate resilient, says there are a lot of programs that will measure air quality in local communities. “But they don’t necessarily offer any solutions for the residents of those communities,” Hatton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says many conversations around air quality are focused on installing air quality monitors in homes, “which is great. But if someone finds out their indoor air quality is really bad and they don’t have the ability to address that issue or leave the house, you’re not really contributing to a solution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatton says distributing air purifiers could be straightforward for programs like hers, which regularly provide other energy upgrades and could include air purifiers in their services. Funding, she says, is another story. She’d like to see financial support come from the entities responsible for sparking some of the state’s wildfires, like PG&E, or local or state air districts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nonprofit organization, \u003ca href=\"https://aea.us.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Association for Energy Affordability,\u003c/a> also focuses on energy efficiency and healthy housing, centering their work in low-income communities. Andy Brooks is senior director of the West Coast office and agrees more programs are needed to secure air purifiers for communities around the Bay Area, “everyone in my space talks about it all the time,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A reason there are not more programs providing air purifiers or other filtration, he says, is that a lot of funding for housing improvements comes from utilities and must be tied to energy efficiency. Air purifiers do not fall into that category.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brooks says collaboration between the Bay Area’s air district and organizations like his could address both energy and carbon use in residences, as well as health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counties reported few resources for people seeking free or discounted air purifiers, apart from the air district’s program. Several suggested people seek a respite from poor indoor air quality by going to public centers with strong air systems. But during a pandemic, community centers can be a hard sell, and put people at more risk of exposure to COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clean air respite centers, or cooling centers, are largely being underutilized,” Raval said. “And that’s because the solutions aren’t being designed with the leadership and partnership of community residents and advocates in mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raval says working with community groups will help better get the word out and build trust in centers like these, which are a good way to serve the community as a whole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State and local counties do have some initiatives addressing cleaning up air in people’s homes, such as weatherization programs for people with low or fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While “weatherizing” a home includes things like installing carbon monoxide filters and water-saving devices, it also involves improvements that will keep dangerous particulates out of your house, says Michael Kent, hazardous materials ombudsman at \u003ca href=\"https://cchealth.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contra Costa Health Services\u003c/a>. Improvements like sealing cracks, replacing damaged windows, and putting weatherstripping around drafty windows or doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/Assistance-HomeEnergyEfficiency.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Department of Community Services and Development\u003c/a> also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/FindServicesInYourArea.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">weatherization programs\u003c/a>, including the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and the state cap-and-trade funded Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP). All \u003ca href=\"https://www.csd.ca.gov/programs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three programs\u003c/a> are available for low-income households at no cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Resources run by local government\u003cbr>\n\u003ca id=\"localgov\">\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/news-and-events/page-resources/2021-news/082621-cafp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Clean Air Filtration Program\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 3,000 air purifiers for Bay Area counties, plus larger purifiers for shelters and emergency centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for: \u003c/strong>Medi-Cal patients and undocumented people without Medi-Cal. Most people who will qualify must have “moderate to severe” or “poorly controlled” asthma and be enrolled in the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outreach/publications/fact-sheets/asthma-mitigation-FAQ_final_080521r_web%20pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Asthma Mitigation Project\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Email the air district: airfilters@baaqmd.gov. Note: the process could take several weeks, according to partner organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Resources run by community organizations\u003ca id=\"community\">\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Several community-based organizations are building or providing materials and training for people to make their own air purifiers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968863/helping-kids-protect-themselves-from-dirty-air-one-diy-filter-at-a-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">out of a box fan and filter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of them is the East Oakland-based community organization \u003ca href=\"http://www.homiesempowerment.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Homies Empowerment\u003c/a>. The nonprofit already provides free food, toiletries, diapers and other basics at their \u003ca href=\"http://www.homiesempowerment.com/freedom-store.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FREEdom Store\u003c/a>. In September of last year, customers said they were struggling to breathe. So the Homies Empowerment team added air purifiers to their offerings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We took matters into our own hands and we did it do-it-yourself, DIY, style,” one of the group’s founders, César Cruz, said. The organization raised money to purchase a hundred fans and air filters. “They went like hotcakes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the group is partnering with \u003ca href=\"https://www.acemakerspace.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ace Makerspace\u003c/a>, to bring the community 500 DIY air purifier kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community-based organizations providing air purifiers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.homiesempowerment.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cstrong>Homies Empowerment\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 500 DIY air purifier kits, with instructions in various languages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for:\u003c/strong> “You can be from anywhere,” Cruz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Air purifier kits will be at the FREEdom Store, 7631 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605. The store is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"https://northfoca.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cstrong>North Fair Oaks Community Alliance\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 40 DIY air purifier kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for:\u003c/strong> Priority for residents of North Fair Oaks in San Mateo County, a community of roughly 4,200 households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">North Fair Oaks Community Alliance President Ever Rodriguez said “ideally, we would like to open it up to the surrounding communities. If more resources are available, we will be happy to continue giving those out to our surrounding neighbors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Contact \u003ca href=\"https://northfoca.org/contact/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">North Fair Oaks Community Alliance\u003c/a> directly. Purifier kits available in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.brightlinedefense.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cstrong>Brightline Defense\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Supply:\u003c/strong> 20 DIY air purifiers, and workshops on assemblage and use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>Who’s it for:\u003c/strong> SRO tenants anywhere in San Francisco, with a focus on SRO tenant leaders from Central City SRO Collaborative. The DIY purifiers are intended to be shared between tenants, as SRO rooms are small, and air can be cleaned relatively quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u003cstrong>How to access:\u003c/strong> Contact Brightline Defense directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>How to make your own air purifier\u003ca id=\"air\">\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Not able to access an air purifier through any of the narrow means above? No problem. You can make your own:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Materials:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>A new, 20″ box fan (the cord should come out of the bottom, not the center)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A 20″ x 20″ MERV 12 or 13 furnace/HVAC filter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Heavy-duty tape (clear plastic or duct tape)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Steps:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Place the MERV filter on the back of the fan (the filter can be put on the front too, but can stress the motor).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Make sure the filter is facing the correct direction for air to flow through.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Tape around the edges, making a seal between the box fan and the filter.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Cost: roughly $40\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The makeshift devices are “not rocket science,” but are effective, said \u003ca href=\"https://cires.colorado.edu/council-fellows/jose-luis-jimenez\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose-Luis Jimenez\u003c/a>, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He’s been looking into how \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-to-diy-an-air-purifier/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Do-It-Yourself purifiers\u003c/a> can help filter air from both COVID-19 and wildfire smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He points to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132317305498?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">peer-reviewed study\u003c/a> out of Singapore, which found similar DIY air filters removing around 75% of particulate matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The purifiers in that study pulled air from outside, something doctors and scientists recommend avoiding when thick wildfire smoke infiltrates indoors. Instead, they say, it’s better to keep the windows closed and to focus on cleaning the air that’s already in your home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also more effective to clean the air in a limited area, says \u003ca href=\"https://wcec.ucdavis.edu/about/directory/theresa-pistochini/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Theresa Pistochini\u003c/a>, engineering manager at the \u003ca href=\"https://wcec.ucdavis.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You want a smaller, enclosed space,” she said. “Like a bedroom that you’re trying to drop the smoke levels in. When [the smoke] was really bad, a couple of us were sleeping in one room, so we could manage to filter better,” she said, referring to her experience during the 2018 Camp Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Tips for your DIY filter\u003c/strong>\u003ca id=\"diy\">\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Use a MERV 12 or 13 filter. HEPA filters are stronger but their thickness could cause the box fan to overheat or fail. Placing the filter on the back of the fan reduces the filtration a little, but is recommended over placing the filter on the front, which can tax the motor more.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli> Purchase box fans at a local hardware store or larger retailer. If filters are harder to find, try \u003ca href=\"https://filterbuy.com/air-filters/20x20x2/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8cCGBhB6EiwAgORey__i0-xU7wUDMz_YAqv2_KD_kQ8pcodn1qMap6cebT5jyA8vnJ_A1xoC_5MQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Filter Buy\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.target.com/p/aerostar-ac-furnace-air-filter-health-merv-13-box-of-6/-/A-80014134?preselect=80014135#lnk=sametab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Target\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.homedepot.com/p/BestAir-20-x-20-x-1-Pleated-Air-Filter-FPR-10-MERV-13-B1-2020-13-6/314412067\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Home Depot\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\">Don’t leave the DIY purifier unattended, it could become a fire hazard.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\">Place the DIY purifier in the middle of the room at a height midway between the floor and the ceiling.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\">DIY air purifiers are a short-term solution, for a few months or “until it’s visibly obstructed with smoke or dirt” Pistochini said.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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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",
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"meta": {
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"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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},
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"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"
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},
"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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"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": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
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},
"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"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",
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"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": {
"site": "news",
"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)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"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",
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"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/",
"meta": {
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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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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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