climate-and-environment8.015 min read
Strong El Niño poised to reshape California winter
1 day ago•Source: Los Angeles Times
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123.14 min•10 days ago
Trump reboots bold-fire suppression plan with new Wildland Fire Service as wildfires surge
The Trump administration launches a US Wildland Fire Service and revives a historically controversial policy to stomp out all fires quickly, a move critics say repeats a discredited approach that can lead to larger fires and ecological harm even as wildfires intensify.
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Trump pays $765 million to end California offshore wind and fund gas/geothermal
Los Angeles Times•23 days ago
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El Niño Arrives: SoCal Prepares for a Potentially Wet and Ocean-Changing Winter
Los Angeles Times•29 days ago
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Trump backs Oakland coal export terminal with Defense Production Act funds
Trump says he will invoke the Defense Production Act to invest nearly $700 million in upgrading 13 coal plants, build two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia, restart a shuttered Maryland plant, and fund a West Coast coal export terminal in Oakland to move U.S. coal overseas, arguing it strengthens national energy security; environmental and local groups warn it will raise electricity costs, worsen pollution, and undermine climate goals, and opponents vow to challenge the plan in court.
Google plans 64 million sterile mosquitoes to curb dengue in California and Florida
Google seeks EPA approval to release up to 64 million Wolbachia-infected sterile male Aedes aegypti in California and Florida over two years to reduce disease-carrying mosquito populations. The effort would involve advanced sex-sorting tech, monitoring tools, and strategic releases, building on earlier trials that showed substantial drops in female mosquitoes, though cost and expansion hurdles remain as California faces ongoing dengue risk.
Wind-Fueled Sandy Fire Forces LA-Area Evacuations
A wind-driven brush fire near Simi Valley, the Sandy Fire, expanded rapidly to over 830 acres and forced about 28,000 residents to evacuate as firefighters battled the blaze from the ground and air; shifting winds have at times slowed its spread.
US outlines 10-year Colorado River cuts to stabilize dwindling supplies
The Trump administration is drafting a 10-year framework that would mandate water reductions along the Colorado River—potentially up to 3 million acre-feet annually across California, Arizona, and Nevada—reassessed every two years. The plan, discussed with state leaders in Phoenix, aims to stabilize shrinking reservoir levels at Lake Mead and other bases amid ongoing drought and climate-change impacts, with a federal decision expected in the summer.
California flags acrolein and ethylene oxide as cancer risks far higher than benzene
California officials say two common ambient air contaminants, acrolein and ethylene oxide, may pose cancer risks more than 10 times benzene (about 800 in 1 million), prompting a 45‑day public comment period as OEHHA updates risk values; the finding emerges amid federal rollbacks on ethylene oxide and ongoing concerns about California’s air quality.
Southwest banks on two-year Colorado River cuts to avert looming shortages
California, Arizona and Nevada propose a two-year plan to cut more than 3.2 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2028, with Arizona taking the largest share (about 760,000 ac-ft per year, California 440,000 ac-ft, Nevada 50,000 ac-ft), as Lake Mead sits at 31% capacity and Lake Powell at 24% amid record-low snowpack, in a bid to stabilize the river while seven states continue talks on a longer-term deal.
Desert border expansion scars ancient Indigenous fish-shaped ground etching in Arizona
Trump’s border-wall expansion in the Arizona desert damaged a rare Indigenous intaglio—a roughly 200‑foot ground etching resembling a fish and thought to be at least 1,000 years old—after heavy machinery cut a 60–70‑foot swath inside Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. The project’s DHS waivers to bypass environmental and Indigenous protections have alarmed Native communities and conservationists as hundreds of miles of barriers are rapidly built across the border, prompting calls for accountability and greater site protection.
Trump Admin Pays Wind Developers to Abandon California Offshore Leases
The Interior Department will pay two energy firms, Golden State Wind and Bluepoint Wind, a total of $885 million to abandon their federal offshore wind leases off California, redirecting the investment into oil, gas, and LNG projects. Golden State Wind can recover about $120 million in lease fees after committing to invest in conventional energy assets, while Bluepoint Wind will invest up to $765 million in a U.S.-based LNG facility, with the government reimbursing that amount upon completion. The Morro Bay project, which could have produced up to 2 GW (roughly 1.1 million homes), is effectively terminated. This follows a $1 billion deal with TotalEnergies and signals a shift away from offshore wind toward fossil fuels, drawing scrutiny over legality and impact on California’s clean-energy goals, though some remain optimistic about future wind development in the state.
Energy shocks ripple into Africa and South Asia’s forests and conservation
Rising energy costs and supply disruptions tied to global conflict are spilling from households into Africa and South Asia, threatening forests and conservation programs as people switch to more wood fuels and funding for parks and wildlife protection tightens, risking biodiversity in the region.
SoCal Braces for Potentially Record-Breaking March Heat Wave
A dangerous, multi-day heat wave is forecast for Southern California and much of the U.S. Southwest next week, with highs near 100°F or more (Downtown Los Angeles around 101°F). The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat watch and a Monday heat advisory as temperatures rise 25–35 degrees above normal. The heat threatens babies, young children, and the elderly, prompting Mayor Bass to urge cooling centers at city facilities; residents should stay indoors, hydrate, and limit sun exposure to early morning or evening hours. While wildfire fuels are currently moist, the dry heat could accelerate drying with no significant rain in sight. Downtown L.A. could approach its 1879 March record of 99°F, potentially breaking it.