The consequences of climate change do not impact all Californians equally, and here in the San Joaquin Valley, community members and agricultural workers are on the frontlines of the air pollution, water scarcity and increased heat that are inextricably tied to climate change. Our health, well-being and future prosperity depend...
Opinion: Agencies Should Follow CARB’s Leadership on Emissions From Gas Appliances
California led the nation earlier this year with the country’s first gas-powered vehicle phase-out, but the state’s air regulators aren’t stopping there. An overlooked directive during a recent California Air Resources Board meeting was the first step in phasing out gas-powered appliances in our homes, citing the health and climate...
US Formally Exits Paris Pact Aiming to Curb Climate Change
BERLIN — The United States on Wednesday formally left the Paris Agreement, a global pact it helped forge five years ago to avert the threat of catastrophic climate change. The move, long threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates Washington in the world but...
Earth Breaks September Heat Record, May Reach Warmest Year
Earth sweltered to a record hot September last month, with U.S. climate officials saying there’s nearly a two-to-one chance that 2020 will end up as the globe’s hottest year on record. Boosted by human-caused climate change, global temperatures averaged 60.75 degrees (15.97 Celsius) last month, edging out 2015 and 2016 for the...
Hurricane Sally Slows, Gathering a Deluge for the Gulf Coast
WAVELAND, Miss. — Hurricane Sally, a plodding storm with winds of 85 mph, crept toward the northern Gulf Coast early Tuesday as forecasters warned of potentially deadly storm surges and flash floods with up to 2 feet of rain and the possibility of tornadoes. Forecasters stressed “significant” uncertainty as to...
‘Don’t Think Science Knows,’ Trump Says in Sacramento About Climate Change
SACRAMENTO — With the smell of California wildfires in the air, President Donald Trump on Monday ignored the scientific consensus that climate change is playing a central role in historic West Coast infernos and renewed his unfounded claim that poor forest management is mostly to blame. The fires are threatening...
Fires Raise Fight Over Climate Change Before Trump’s Visit
BEAVERCREEK, Ore. — With crews battling wildfires that have killed at least 35 people, destroyed neighborhoods and enveloped the West Coast in smoke, another fight has emerged: leaders in the Democratic-led states and President Donald Trump have clashed over the role of climate change ahead of his visit Monday to...
Thursday’s Creek Fire Updates: Helicopters Squelch Highway 168 Hot Spots, Check New Evacuation Map
Cal Fire officials said early Thursday that efforts to contain the Creek Fire would include "numerous firefighting air tankers ... as conditions allow" over Fresno and Madera counties. However, as of 1 p.m., a smoke-trapping inversion layer had kept aircraft grounded, Cal Fire said. But FlightRadar24.com showed significant helicopter activity over the...
California Lawmakers Propose Ratepayer Fee Extension for Fighting Wildfires
Facing another catastrophic wildfire season, state lawmakers are proposing last-minute legislation to tap into a utility-bill fee to free up $500 million for training firefighters and other immediate steps. The proposed legislation also sets aside $2.5 billion for future projects related to handling wildfires and adapting to climate change. The...
California Fires Claim 6 Lives, Threaten Thousands of Homes
SANTA CRUZ — Sky-darkening wildfires that took at least six lives and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes blazed throughout California on Friday as firefighting resources strained under the vastness of the infernos authorities were trying to control. Three major complexes encompassing dozens of fires chewed through...