Environmental Studies
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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…
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California’s effort to streamline wildfire prevention could have long-term consequences
Karen Holl, a distinguished professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz, spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about the potential pitfalls Governor Newsom's executive order and emergency proclamation to suspend the California Environmental Quality Act, the Coastal Act and other longstanding regulations in order to remove red tape from projects to reduce fuels from…
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UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. candidate writes environmental children’s book
Brook Thompson, a Ph.D. student in environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz, shared some of her life experiences in her new children’s book, “I Love Salmon and Lampreys: A Native Story of Resilience,” which will be published March 4.
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What's Next for Lithium Valley
Politico’s California climate reporter Blanca Begert hosted a panel discussion with Chris Benner of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Manuel Pastor of the University of Southern California, two experts with a new book out about the Salton Sea region. The event was on Feb. 19 at 12pm at the UC Student and Policy Center.
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We thought these places were useless. They may help save the world.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Scott Winton explained how the soggy, anoxic environment of peatlands make them ideal for sequestering carbon from organic matter. “Those organisms that would break down organic matter and decompose it and recycle it back into nutrients and CO2, they can’t work efficiently. And so the organic matter tends to pile up.”
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UC Santa Cruz report details socioeconomic challenges for Black populations in Monterey, San Benito counties
Compared to other racial groups, Black residents of Monterey and San Benito counties face higher rent burdens, higher incarceration rates and lower levels of education, among other findings, according to a report published last month by UC Santa Cruz researchers. The researchers, Professor Chris Benner and Gabriella Alvarez, say this report underlines the need for implementing programs and…