Environmental Studies
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In the Central Valley, residents fight against California policies that incentivize pollution marketed as renewable energy
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha is skeptical of a state funding program to build digesters that produce methane fuel from cow waste. “Any time you build this new infrastructure, you’re entrenching us even further into the fossil fuel economy,” she said.
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What Americans can learn from the longtime playbook of U.S. imperialism abroad
Associate professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Lily Pearl Balloffet and Professor of Environmental Studies Gregory S. Gilbert argue that U.S. imperialism is now being deployed at home, and Latin America holds clues on what might come next and effective strategies to resist.
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In the Arizona desert, a farm raising fish raises questions about water use
The seafood industry needs to reduce its reliance on catching small wild fish to feed bigger farmed ones that humans eat, said Pallab Sarker, an assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who studies sustainability in the aquaculture industry. He said seabirds and mammals rely on small species like anchovies and mackerel commonly…
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UC Santa Cruz research finds viable alternative to using wild-caught ingredients in fishmeal
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz successfully developed an aquaculture feed for rainbow trout that removes fishmeal entirely, substituting it with leftover marine microalgae sourced from the human dietary supplement industry.
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Trump administration dismisses nearly 400 scientists working on congressionally mandated national climate report
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Mijin Cha was one of hundreds of expert authors on the National Climate Assessment who were recently dismissed from that work by the Trump Administration. “I’m worried who will do the NCA moving forward and putting something forward that is false,” she said. Additional coverage in the Washington Post and…
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We can’t plant our way out of climate change
Forests with diverse tree species are more resilient to climate extremes and better at storing carbon, according to recent studies conducted in China and Panama. Karen D. Holl of the University of California, Santa Cruz, notes that the studies merely add “to the list of reasons” for diverse plantings — their importance is undeniable.
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New research finds substantial peat deposits in Colombia’s conflicted Amazon
Research led by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Scott Winton found that Colombia may have extensive peatlands, sequestering an amount of carbon equivalent to 70 years worth of the country’s emissions.
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Ahead of Earth Day, peek inside the living laboratory where redwoods meet modern science
Environmental Studies Professor Greg Gilbert uses a technology called sonic tomography to look inside redwoods for signs of a fungus that has been infecting them since the CZU fire. The technology uses sound waves to create a picture of the inside of a tree.
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Diverse forests and forest rewilding offer resilience against climate change
Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl says there will always be trade-offs among benefits when conducting specific reforestation projects. “We can’t do it all at once,” she said. “If your goal is maximizing biodiversity, then reintroducing all the fauna and natural processes makes a lot of sense. If you’re trying to maximize timber production, it’s probably…
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A Better Next Big Thing
Environmental Studies and Sociology Professor Chris Benner is featured in a documentary film about the world’s largest and cleanest lithium supply in California’s Salton Sea region. Benner discusses the clean energy transition and how to support local communities in the process.
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Geoengineering could be crucial in the fight against climate change. But first scientists need to learn how to talk to the public about it.
Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah shared her insights from working to help the geoengineering sector incorporate governance and public-engagement best-practices documented by social science research. “It’s really, really hard to be taken seriously,” she said. “There’s a handful of scientists who I think bend over backwards to support social science and to advocate for the inclusion…
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Fact check: Trump falsely claims ‘I invaded Los Angeles.’ His water releases didn’t go to LA
President Donald Trump continues to claim that he sent fire-plagued Los Angeles the critical water he says California’s leaders refused to provide. In reality, the water was directed to a dry lake basin elsewhere in the Central Valley – more than 100 miles north of Los Angeles. “The only way that water got to LA is if an Angeleno…