Fire in the Hole – The Burning of California
Editor’s Note: This month is the one year anniversary of the Tubbs fire, the most destructive wildfire in California history. Fifteen of the 20 largest wildfires in recorded California history have occurred since 2000. Wildfire is nothing new in our state. It is a natural…
Per Capita Davis: The ‘tipping point’ revisited
Back in 2007 when I began writing these articles there were a few terms that captured the discussion about global warming. One was the term in the prior sentence: “global warming.” It may have been adequate at the time, but the soft, fuzzy, cozy, under-a-blanket…
Regional report: Climate change threats, solutions for Sacramento Valley
Over the next few decades, climate change is expected to make the Sacramento region hotter, drier and increasingly prone to extremes like megadroughts, flooding and large wildfires. This is expected to strain the region’s infrastructure for water and energy transmission, agricultural systems, plants and wildlife,…
Per Capita Davis: Who’s going to pick up the tab?
We here in California have our battles over who will pay for massive infrastructure projects such as the tunnels to deliver water to Southern California and high-speed rail to move people up and down the state. Most of what was built, most of what we…
Per Capita Davis: Scientists got it mostly right
The article on the front page of the New York Times was headlined, “The Year Global Warming Turned Model Into Menace.” The article itself basically says that predictions scientists have been making for decades based on computer models have now been proven correct. The planet…
What does affordable housing have to do with climate change?
Throughout California, we are seeing two critical priorities converge: affordable housing and climate resilience. While daunting on their own, these intersections may offer helpful direction about how we might solve both problems. Adequate supplies of high-quality affordable housing and climate resiliency are inextricably linked. Any…
Global impact: 10 climate change insights from UC Davis researchers
Climate change means many different things to many different people, but one thing is clear: the issue touches virtually every aspect of the planet’s natural capital and affects society’s ability to solve pressing issues related to human health, the economy, and ecosystem sustainability. Research at…
Per Capita Davis: Here’s more on science and population
The last column (June 22) generated quite a bit of response. This column responds to some of the responses. Three people let me know about or sent me a copy of an article by David Roberts at Vox titled “I’m an environmental journalist, but I…
Per Capita Davis: The elephant in the room
This column is titled “The Elephant in the Room” because there is an aspect of the climate crisis that is rarely talked about, or at least not given primacy of place in ranking the many factors involved in heating up our planet. The issue is…
Per Capita Davis: What can valley gardeners expect as climate changes?
Three weather phenomena will mark the progress of climate change in our area. First, the West Coast ridge, stubbornly persistent during recent winters, blocking storms and leading to endless sunny days. It was a big factor this winter. Second, loss of tule fog and valley…
Per Capita Davis: Birders detect dramatic changes as Davis climate warms
In 2002, the cover of The New York Times Magazine featured a silhouetted man standing on frosty mauve ice and staring through binoculars into a rosy polar sky. The title read, “Watching the World Melt Away: The future as seen by a lonely scientist at…
Choices for Sustainable Living hosts speakers Kristov, Jones, and DeLaney
Wed May 16 & May 30 – 7 to 9pm – RepowerYolo Office (909 5th St)
Per Capita Davis: News from the ‘Doom and Gloom’ file
Keyword: Climate change impacts I keep folders to collect information on specific topics related to the climate crisis such as solar, renewables, water, the Arctic, etc. I also have folders on general themes, two of which are “Good News” and “Doom and Gloom.” This column…
Resilience Is Key to a Livable Future
We live in a time of change. The impacts of climate change are affecting populations around the world as well as here at home. Whereas in the past the somewhat singular focus of the environmental community has been on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability,…
Per Capita Davis: When scientists disagree
One thing is clear; the climate crisis is real, human burning of fossil fuel is by far the major driver, and we are feeling the predicted effects right now. OK, that was three things. The truth of this cleanly divides scientists from deniers. What is…
Per Capita Davis: Speaking about the climate crisis
A consistent theme in these columns has been an ambiguity from the author over how to talk about the climate crisis in a way that motivates rather than depresses. Two recent news reports take on this topic directly. First, a study published in the Journal…
Spring is springing earlier in polar regions
By Kat Kerlin Spring is arriving earlier, but how much earlier? The answer depends on where on Earth you find yourself, according to a study led by UC Davis. The study, published in Nature’s online journal Scientific Reports, found that for every 10 degrees north…
Writing Program Intern Joins Cool Davis
Cool Davis welcomes Annie Merritt! Annie is an environmental outreach writing intern at Cool Davis, as an undergraduate at UC Davis majoring in Environmental Science and Management with a focus on Natural Resource Management and minoring in Professional Writing. Annie interned at the Center for…
California Snowpack Levels Far Below Average
Although there’s more snow than there was a month ago, the Sierra snowpack remains at levels well below the average. On Thursday, managers for California’s Department of Water Resources found little snowpack when they conducted this winter’s second manual snow survey at Phillips Station, east…
Climate Impacts: 2017 in Review
It’s hard to say that any particular weather event is caused entirely by climate change. It’s possible that none are. On the other hand, scientists are starting to learn how climate change is affecting the weather overall leading to drier, wetter, stronger or longer events…
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Join Ellen Steiner as she presents this morning @BECCconference from 10:30 AM–Noon in Regency E for the session: Telling the Climate Change Story. Ellen will be discussing Best Practices for Conservation Marketing in Times of Crisis. #BECC2019
