Due to fears of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, some local governments and property owners in California have temporarily ceased farmers market operations, while other markets remain open after bolstering safety measures to prevent spread of the virus. Abruptly closing markets, affected organizers say, hurts farmers and market customers, especially when access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a must to boost…
As California contends with drought, wildfires and other impacts of climate change, a small yet passionate group of residents are attempting to lessen these effects and reduce the state’s carbon emissions. They are ranchers – but not the kind that most people picture when they hear that term. These first-generation ranchers are young, often female and ethnically diverse. Rather than raising beef cattle destined for…
The message at UC Riverside’s Citrus Day for the Industry event was clear: Huanglongbing poses an existential threat to California citrus growers but the defenses are holding and scientists will find better weapons. Over 200 people from the citrus industry and UC Riverside gathered on a windy January day to hear experts talk about the current status of the citrus disease Huanglongbing and the tiny…
This is a followup to an article of mine published on 12/13/18, and was inspired by a recent measurement of the likely ingestion of microplastics by typical Americans through diet and inhalation. The findings are of real concern, given the risky chemicals associated with plastics and new data showing that, once microplastics get into our tissues, they can translocate to other organs and are even showing…
The decommissioning of coal-fired power plants in the continental United States has reduced nearby pollution and its negative impacts on human health and crop yields, according to a new University of California San Diego study. The findings published this week in Nature Sustainability use the U.S. transition in recent years from coal towards natural gas for electric power generation to study the local impacts of…
After a months-long holdup, the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources division will start looking for people to fill six Cooperative Extension advisor openings. UCANR said recruitment for the jobs had been on hold since July because of budget constraints. Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources, said in a statement that while the jobs need to be filled, “there are…
Sustainability is not something that should be left to corporations. To protect the environment, being sustainable should be a very personal, one-on-one decision. Only when every person realizes the part they have to play in protecting the environment will noticeable changes happen. From San Diego whale sightings to the nutrients in farmed foods, there are so many things affected by the collective actions of people…
California’s landmark digital privacy regulations will become the de facto law of the land when they take effect in January, allowing consumers more control over the personal data companies collect about them. Beginning January 1, consumers will be able to ask for direct access to the information about them that companies keep, and request that the data be deleted. Consumers will also be able to…
You know all those recycling containers situated just outside CVS store around town? Ever tossed a bottle or can in one of them, or otherwise tried to dispose of them at your local pharmacy? Surprise! The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) today announced a $3.6 million enforcement action against CVS Health Corp. for failing to meet its obligation to redeem Californians’ deposits…
Climate plans are the order of the day in the presidential primary campaign because carbon pollution is a global threat of unique proportions. But it’s worth asking whether candidates’ plans are based in the reality of the climate, the economy and the election. All three dimensions must come together for any climate plan to achieve its goals – and this is especially true when the…