Review
N.Y. Times’ Andrew Revkin on climate change, adaptation and aliens
David Colgan
Award-winning journalist Andy Revkin joined LENS for an intimate look at his evolution of environmental thinking and some potential outcomes for life on Earth.
IoES Magazine
Story
Climate change still up for debate?
Belinda Waymouth
Debate moderators have used immigration, gun control and abortion to contrast the ideological differences of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican counterpart Donald Trump. But they avoided climate change—an…
Story
Environmental visions get a new LENS at upcoming symposium
David Colgan
A new era of stories for our changing planet will debut at UCLA’s EARTH NOW: EARTH 2050, a three-day symposium at the recently opened Luskin Conference Center on October 18,…
Review
L.A. River is a living experiment
Belinda Waymouth
The L.A. River is getting a massive makeover. To many Angelenos, the cement-lined urban waterway has become a symbol of future hope that past environmental harm can be remedied. A…
Story
The $77 billion bug invasion
David Colgan
Ten species of invasive insect account for $77 billion in annual global economic damages, according to the first in-depth study on the subject, published today in Nature Communications. Even that…
Review
A planetary perspective from Kathryn Sullivan, head of NOAA
David Colgan
Sullivan is Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the first American woman to walk in space. She’ll be at UCLA on October 18 to deliver the…
Story
Pacific Ocean’s response to greenhouse gases extends California’s drought
Alison Hewitt
Clues from prehistoric droughts and arid periods in California show that today’s increasing greenhouse gas levels could lock the state into drought for centuries, according to a study led by…
Voices
A fresh water perspective from Africa
Claudia Flores
The borehole well has an electric-powered pump, so power outages also mean water outages. I had bottled water to drink, but then I realized that no power means I can’t…
Review
Human tales on extinction and endangered species
David Colgan
Ursula Heise was surprised by the animal’s intelligence and ability to communicate. She began observing birds and other animals in nature and thinking about their survival through the lens of…
Story
Hetch Hetchy gushes over wetlands
Belinda Waymouth
A different story is unfolding at Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park, where water is being released to conserve and restore wildlife. In a state wracked with drought, the…
Story
Students’ pop-song video parodies teach real science
Pedro Ramirez
It’s also hard to imagine the rapper Macklemore ever reshaping his parody “Thrift Shop” into an ode to the Coriolis effect. But those are two of the entertaining student-made music…
Profile
Natural justice
David Colgan
Just ask Osceola Ward, a UCLA graduate student who teaches disadvantaged kids to advocate for their communities and their futures. Ward wanted to be a lawyer, but his plans changed…
Story
Do eco-friendly wines taste better?
Alison Hewitt
Though consumers remain reluctant to spend more on wine from organic grapes, the new study from UCLA researchers shows that in blind taste-tests professional wine reviewers give eco-certified wines higher…
Story
New endangered goby species honors late UCLA student
David Colgan
Eucyclogobius kristinae—named for the late researcher—officially became its own species on July 29th. Now known commonly as the southern tidewater goby, the species is already endangered, living exclusively in three…
Story
Methane and microbes—making life happen
Belinda Waymouth
But it’s the interaction between the two that truly made life possible—and it may even hold solutions for climate change. As far as greenhouse gases measure up, methane is a…
Voices
Bug banquet – Metta World Peace & UCLA students eat crickets
David Colgan
Combined, these factors are expected to stress the world’s agricultural capacity. But one solution may be right underfoot, so to speak. Insects are easy to digest and grow. They may…
Story
Los Angeles is a metropolitan den for mountain lions
David Colgan
Mountain lions are rarely seen, but they occasionally prowl near human habitats, according to a study by UCLA and the National Park Service published today in PLOS One. The research,…
Voices
College kids: What will their lives be like?
Peter Kareiva
I just finished my first year at UCLA, where I got to know eight graduating seniors quite well. I now feel that “youth as our hope” platitudes have merit. That…
Profile
A degree of determination
David Colgan
Both literally and figuratively, that’s how it was for Valerie Carranza, one of 76 UCLA students who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in environmental science on Sunday. Carranza grew up in…
Review
Building sustainable water sources in Uganda
David Colgan
The UCLA environmental science student will be blogging weekly about the experience. You can follow her adventures on Medium, where she recently chronicled the project she’s working on and her…
Story
Environmental lobbying’s clean little secret
David Colgan
The public perception is that lobbyists fight for lax regulations, saving businesses money by allowing more pollution—often at great cost to public health and natural resources. That’s only one side…