blog post New Laws Address Water Affordability and Wildfire Risks By Henry McCann, Gokce Sencan Nov 16, 2020 The pandemic and recession forced tough decisions in Sacramento this year. Despite challenging circumstances, several high-priority bills covering safe drinking water and wildfire risk reduction were enacted.
blog post Ensuring Water Equity and Utility Solvency: Lessons from Phoenix By Caitrin Chappelle Oct 12, 2020 Water utilities face a growing challenge: taking in enough money to maintain complex water systems while also providing safe, affordable water. We talked to Kathryn Sorensen of Phoenix Water Services about Phoenix’s equity innovations.
blog post Commentary: 3 Lessons for California’s Water Funding Challenges in Today’s Recession By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Oct 1, 2020 California’s water managers have been busy keeping water systems safe and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. But addressing the fiscal consequences of the economic recession is just beginning.
blog post When a Lack of Air Conditioning is a Public Health Threat By Lori Pottinger Aug 17, 2020 California is getting hotter, which is leading to public health inequities caused by a lack of air conditioning. We talked to Kelly Sanders of the University of Southern California about addressing “air conditioning deserts."
blog post The Virus Detectives: Tracking COVID-19 in Bay Area Wastewater By Lori Pottinger Aug 3, 2020 Public health officials are struggling to keep up with testing and monitoring of COVID-19. Wastewater can provide a window into outbreaks. We talked to Eileen White of EBMUD about the agency’s role in tracking the spread of the virus.
blog post The Role of Community Colleges in Supporting Mental Health By Olga Rodriguez Jun 17, 2020 With two-thirds of California community college students reporting higher levels of mental distress during the pandemic, colleges can play a central role in providing counseling, financial assistance, and other support.
blog post Managing Freshwater Ecosystems in a Pandemic By Jeffrey Mount Jun 8, 2020 Efforts to maintain the health of California’s freshwater ecosystems have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet maintaining momentum on this work is key to reducing the impact of a hotter, drier climate.
blog post The Economic Toll of COVID-19 on Small Business By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune May 19, 2020 With many small businesses closing, laying off employees, or reducing workers’ hours, policy efforts that support these businesses will be important for California’s economic recovery.
blog post How Is the Pandemic Affecting Wildfire Preparedness? By Henry McCann, Van Butsic Apr 27, 2020 Catastrophic wildfires in recent years set off a wave of efforts to reduce this risk across the state. The COVID-19 pandemic could complicate this work.
