Environment

The Central California Town That Keeps Sinking

In California’s San Joaquin Valley, the farming town of Corcoran has a multimillion-dollar problem. It is almost impossible to see, yet so vast it takes NASA scientists using satellite technology to fully grasp. Corcoran is sinking.

Over the past 14 years, the town has sunk as much as 11.5 feet in some places — enough to swallow the entire first floor of a two-story house and to at times make Corcoran one of the fastest-sinking areas in the country, according to experts with the United States Geological Survey.

Low-Income Communities Should Benefit From Green Economy, Report Says

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Researchers at the University of Southern California and Occidental College have come up with a roadmap for transitioning the state to a low-carbon economy while improving the lives of the state’s most marginalized people.

Los Angeles’ Green New Deal Focuses on Neighborhoods Most Impacted by Climate Change

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

L.A.’s Green New Deal would strive to dramatically reduce environmental pollution in some of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, and stimulate the creation of green jobs and infrastructure through a $100 million, 10-year program.

Californians with Unsafe Tap Water may See Relief with Budget Trailer Bill

By Alyssa Morones

Every month, Bartolo Chavez goes to the Arvin Community Services District building to pay his water bill for the home he and his wife live in. But he doesn’t use that water for drinking or cooking. To drink, he buys bottled water. For cooking, also bottled water.

This is the way of life in Arvin, where the tap water has been in violation of state health standards for arsenic since 2006.

Children in Child Care Need Environments that Encourage Active Play

By Victoria Tapia

With 434,000 children in subsidized child care and preschool in California, improving early-care environments across the state is crucial for our future. As a child-care provider in South Los Angeles, I know I could do more if I had additional resources.

Newly Released State Data Spurs Concern About Pesticide Use

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Advocates for pesticide reform are demanding that the state beef up efforts to reduce California’s dependence on toxic chemicals in agriculture after newly released data showed pesticide use at near-record highs.

The report released this week by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation shows state farmers used 192 million pounds of pesticide chemicals for crop production in 2016.

Low-Income Californians Most Vulnerable as Climate Change Exacerbates Air Pollution, Report Says

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

California’s air pollution levels are among the worst in the country, and climate change is making the situation worse, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

Despite the state’s efforts to reign in air pollution, 90 percent of California residents are exposed to unhealthy air at some point during the year.

Teen Exposure to Air Pollution Could Reduce IQ Levels Long Term

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Living in a polluted area as a pre-teen and teenager may have long-lasting, detrimental effects on a person’s ability to reason and problem solve, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Southern California and UCLA Center for Health Policy Research tracked more than 1,300 pre-teens living in neighborhoods across Los Angeles and surrounding counties over a 12-year period.

For Minorities and the Poor, Natural Disasters Can Exact Lingering Toll

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

No one is immune to the impacts of natural disasters. Yet for low-income people who already teeter close to the economic edge, a natural disaster can be difficult to rebound from.

Older, Wiser and Fighting Climate Change

By Matt Perry

Mick Smyer launched the website Graying Green to help foster a social movement that would “energize older adults around what is arguably our most important issue.” And where others – including climate change scientists – only saw tired victims, Smyer saw possibilities.

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