By Ellie Cohen, The Climate Center, and Torri Estrada, Carbon Cycle Institute This opinion piece was originally published on February 11, 2021 in CalMatters. California is in the early stages of a severe multi-decadal drought, exacerbated by the climate crisis. As Dan Walters pointed out in his recent op ed, we must move quickly to prepare for water shortages and … Read more
We’ve got a long way to go to reach net-negative emissions in California by 2030 and increase resilience for communities bearing the brunt of climate change, as outlined in The Climate Center’s Climate-Safe California campaign. One key goal is annually sequestering an additional 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. PUENTES, a local nonprofit organization … Read more
by Karen Ross and Michael Delbar, Cal Matters Highlights New analysis from UC Berkeley found that 300,000 acres of protected rangeland can provide up to $1.4 billion a year in ecosystem benefits and that every dollar spent to protect working rangeland returned $3.43 on the investment in ecosystem benefits Managed grazing can help sequester carbon … Read more
by Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News Highlights New research published in Nature shows that restoring wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands will help heal ecosystems and increase their ability to absorb greenhouse gases Protecting 30% of the priority areas identified in the study could save wildlife at the brink of extinction and would sequester about 465 billion … Read more
by Fiona Harvey, Grist Highlights According to a new study, restoration of Earth’s most degraded areas along with protections for areas still in good condition would help store an amount of carbon equivalent to half of all human-related greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial revolution Restoration and protection would prevent 70% of anticipated species extinctions … Read more
On Wednesday Governor Gavin Newsom issued a new Executive Order N-82-20 that is another step forward in combating climate change. The order establishes the goal of protecting 30% of California’s lands and waters by 2030 while also outlining some initial actions required to get there. The governor’s bold leadership is urgently needed as climate change worsens … Read more
by Scott Pelley, 60 Minutes Highlights In 1988, NASA scientist James Hansen discovered that man made climate change would lead to a global rise in temperatures by the year 2020 “Career fires” or fire events that firefighters would likely only see once in their career, can typically burn up to 50,000 acres and are happening … Read more
by Brian Shobe, CalCAN Highlights A new study by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Climate Science Alliance emphasizes the need for climate adaptation tools and training for farmers due to climate impacts Assembly Bill 1071, the Agricultural Climate Adaptation Tools Bill, would provide the tools and training needed in order for farmers … Read more
by Shannon Osaka, Grist Highlights Preventing forest destruction, ending wildlife trading, and surveillance measures on emerging diseases before they spread are the tactics scientists are hoping will prevent the next pandemic, as published in the nature journal Science Forest destruction, particularly in tropical areas, causes animals to venture into human-populated areas in search of a … Read more
from CalCAN Highlights Changing agricultural practices can allow soils to become regenerative, which can help California reach negative emissions Regenerative Agriculture helps farmers sequester carbon from the atmosphere and bury it deep below ground, directly helping to slow the climate crisis Cap and Trade funds in California help to financially support regenerative ag programs within … Read more
