A fresh water perspective from Africa
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…
IoES News
Human tales on extinction and endangered species
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…
Hetch Hetchy gushes over wetlands
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…
Students’ pop-song video parodies teach real science
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…
Natural justice
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…
Do eco-friendly wines taste better?
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…
New endangered goby species honors late UCLA student
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…
Methane and microbes—making life happen
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…
Bug banquet – Metta World Peace & UCLA students eat crickets
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…
Los Angeles is a metropolitan den for mountain lions
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,…
College kids: What will their lives be like?
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…
A degree of determination
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…
Building sustainable water sources in Uganda
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…
Environmental lobbying’s clean little secret
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…
L.A. students get an environmental filmmaking debut
It might be time for an update. In 2016, two-thirds of Americans wield video-equipped smartphones capable of telling vivid stories, from street protests to Snapchat. And 15 minutes may be…
Electric vehicle rubber meets the road: a Q&A with J.R. DeShazo
From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., automobile and sustainability experts will join forces for an event that explores the past, present and future of cars and transportation. With audience participation,…
Bringing cities together for a greener future
Luckily, they also have Yoram Cohen in common. Cohen is a UCLA professor of chemical engineering who takes a global approach to sustainability. Last year, while participating in a conference…
California’s urban residents have been left behind by 2006 parks measure
Ten years later, most of that money has been spent. But although the measure prioritized funding for urban, disadvantaged and park-poor communities, residents in those places have seen less than…
Buildings loom large in street-level air quality
L.A. has made progress over the years. The notorious smog that led filmmaker John Waters to remark, “Only in L.A. will you glimpse a green sun or a brown moon,”…
From Star Wars to sugarcane—the journey of Keith Kawaoka
Today, Kawaoka is the deputy director of environmental health for Hawaii. His responsibilities include sanitation, air and water protection, food and drug safety, toxic cleanup and vector-borne diseases. There’s a…
Debate on GMO foods heats up
On Tuesday, a different side of the debate took stage. Four scholars from across the country gathered at UCLA to discuss GMO foods. The event was the latest installment of…