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…
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…
A paper published by La Kretz postdoc John Benson and National Park Service scientists found that mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains face the possibility of extinction in the near future
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…
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…
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…
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…
Marcia Hale presented at the annual conference of the American Association of Geographers in March 2016, exploring conflict and change in the Los Angeles urban water system. Many changes are…
La Kretz Center scientists are working to save endangered California tiger salamanders, Southwestern pond turtles, and California newts
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…
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…
Alex Ricklefs and Eric Fournier describe the impact of nuclear power plant closures on energy storage needs in the Conversation (http://theconversation.com/). From the article: “Currently in California, energy storage is…
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…
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…
A new study by La Kretz Center and National Park Service scientists finds surprising results
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,…
Joint project by UCLA La Kretz Center and the U.S. National Park Service is first to investigate where the cats hunt in highly urbanized areas
Alex Ricklefs of the CCSC has compiled a presentation on the impact of high heat events on the energy grid. Climate change has increased the number of extreme weather events in turn increasing energy demand.
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…
Dr. Stephanie Pincetl and Dr. Erik Porse authored this week’s post on the Urbanization and Global Environmental Change (UGEC) project blog, Viewpoints. An excerpt: In the United States, the 20th…
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…
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…
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…
by Karen A. Lefkowitz Professors Kathryn Bickel Goldman and Debra Shier are practiced adding machines. Goldman calculates greenhouse gas emissions and Shier tallies wildlife populations. Both can add a new…