In 3 California regions, big cities lag smaller cities in ‘neighborhood biodiversity’
Animal species are less evenly distributed in large urban areas, UCLA-led study finds
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Climate Change, Extreme Heat, & the Future of LA’s Electric Power System
For LA residents climate change is no longer a distant or abstract concept because its effects are already being felt throughout the region. During just the past three years, for example, several new record high maximum daily temperatures have been recorded in numerous LA neighborhoods, with Van Nuys experiencing 118 °F in 2018 and more recently, in 2020, parts of Woodland Hills enduring temperatures of 120 °F. These developments are clearly illustrated in the figure below which shows the percentage of sampled maximum daily temperatures within the LA-Basin that were above different high heat thresholds for each year from 2005 to 2020.
The Case for Gas Bans and Residential Building Electrification: Equity Perspectives on an Emerging Socio-Technical Energy Transition
“Natural gas bans” refer to a diversity of municipal building code changes that disallow certain uses of natural gas in new residential buildings. Gas bans vary in terms of their provisions, but all are intended, along with complementary building electrification programs, to limit the amount of fossil fuels that must be extracted, transported, and burned to meet residential energy needs, thus reducing carbon emissions from buildings, which currently account for approximately 30 percent of the US’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Benefits of Infrastructure Funding Measures Stymied by Barriers in L.A. County
As billions of dollars become available, UCLA-Liberty Hill Foundation report recommends actions for community-informed, integrated infrastructure to improve quality of life for Angelenos Affordable housing adjacent to a public transit…
Human wastewater is feeding harmful algae blooms off of Southern California’s coast
The estimated 23 million people who live along the coast from Tijuana, Mexico, to Santa Barbara, California, produce tons of sewage each day. That sewage is treated by water treatment…
Simulations show how city building configurations affect pedestrians’ air quality
Pollution at street level is worst with buildings in tight rows, UCLA study finds
Drought restrictions had side benefit: Lowering risk of mosquito-borne disease
Study finds Southern California mosquito populations would have been around 40% higher without water-use mandates
State of Fire
UCLA wildfire research reveals the patterns and future threats of blazes in California — and offers a foundation for how to face the flames.
TED Talk: The challenge and responsibility of energy sufficiency with Stephanie Pincetl
In California as we work towards electrification of our energy systems we must consider the impacts those systems have on existing ecologies and how we meet the demands for more…
New book from UCLA urban sustainability experts: Q&A with Stephanie Pincetl
A quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings in California — over 100 million tons per year. And while the state is a leader in setting ambitious climate…
CCSC Part of the Team Awarded $9M Grant for Blockchain-based Renewables Project
The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 64% and net grid electricity consumption by 96% for all project participants over a 25 year period.
Announcing the Candidates for the 2020 Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award
Candidates for the 4th annual Pritzker Award are artists, leaders and inventors under the age of 40 fighting for a more sustainable future. They include a college dropout who invented…
Air conditioning: Environmental loss, human win
With a warming climate, a key win-lose solution is air conditioning. In hotter conditions, workplace productivity suffers, students learn less, and mortality rates are higher. Fortunately, we have a way…
Forward thinking graduate awarded for sustainable change-making at LA Metro
Cris Liban, who received his doctorate from UCLA IoES' Environmental Science and Engineering program, was honored with the Award of Excellence by the Engineering News Record for his initiative and…
Study draws Southern California coastal light pollution into focus
Research led by UCLA professor could inform guidelines to protect wildlife at L.A. beaches
Design with Nature is not about Financial Return—It is a Recognition that Humans Rely on Nature
The Nature of Cities: Nature based solutions, urban ecosystem services, however they are called, have emerged to try to remediate this historical modernist hubris which conceived of cities as technical…
Effort to limit dust pollution in Owens Valley is advancing, but still room to improve
Study produced by national panel of experts including UCLA geography chair Gregory Okin
Drone monitoring of ship emissions could save lives, protect health
Students partnered with tech company on project that explored public health outcomes in L.A. and Long Beach port communities
To accelerate environmental benefits of EVs, prioritize miles over ownership
Papers co-authored by UCLA professor make the case for policy and infrastructure changes
L.A. County taps UCLA to help create first-ever sustainability plan
OurCounty initiative aims for fossil-free future, addresses environmental injustices
UCLA’s Energy Atlas expands to provide consumption data for most of Southern California
Online tool updated to include solar capacity, as California aims for 100% renewable energy
Restoration clash over Ballona Wetlands shows importance of nature in urban areas
Invasive plants cover the largest coastal wetland in Los Angeles County
California ‘browning’ more in the south during droughts
Vegetation in the southern part of the state is being hit harder due to climate change, UCLA-led study finds
Not just homeowners — businesses need sustainable landscaping too
California is coming off the heels of an exceptionally wet February which saw multiple atmospheric rivers drench the state. But this a land of extremes, and while the state is…