Report Land Transitions and Dust in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Jaymin Kwon, Joy Collins Jul 20, 2022 Agricultural operations and wind erosion are two of the largest sources of dust in the San Joaquin Valley, and the valley’s air quality may decline with increased farmland fallowing and a warmer, drier climate. This will impact low-income, rural communities first and foremost, but proactive management can help identify high-risk areas and direct funding to cost-effective interventions.
Report Exploring the Potential for Water-Limited Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley By Caitlin Peterson, Cameron Pittelkow, Mark Lundy Jul 20, 2022 As irrigated farmland comes out of production in the San Joaquin Valley, valley residents will face increased pests, weeds, and dust—as well as a loss of employment and economic activity. Water-limited cropping is one alternative to fallowing that can improve soil health and air quality, create habitat, and keep land in production.
blog post California’s LGBT Population By Hans Johnson Jun 28, 2022 California’s share of adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) is higher than that in the rest of the nation. Our state’s LGBT community includes a broad range of identities and reflects California’s overall racial and ethnic diversity.
blog post A Large California Water Utility Prepares for Climate Change By Sarah Bardeen Jun 27, 2022 How is one of the state’s major water utilities dealing with climate change? We talked to Ken Jenkins, Cal Water’s chief water resource sustainability officer, about his efforts to improve water supply resilience in the face of worsening droughts and other climate-related challenges.
blog post Broad Support among Californians for Admitting Ukrainian Refugees By Dean Bonner Jun 17, 2022 Seven in ten Californians, including solid majorities across regions, support the idea of resettling thousands of refugees from Ukraine.
blog post Homeownership Trends in California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune, Cesar Alesi Perez Jun 14, 2022 California’s homeownership rate is among the lowest in the nation, but varies widely across the state. The share of families owning the home they live in has changed little in the past 60 years.
blog post Racial/Ethnic Differences in Who’s Leaving California By Eric McGhee Jun 8, 2022 The flow of Californians moving to other states has accelerated in recent years. Even within income groups, there are wide racial gaps in who’s exiting.
Report Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune May 18, 2022 Funding for California’s K–12 public schools has reached record highs, but gaps in student outcomes remain. Understanding the benefits of additional funds, and how to distribute those funds, are key concerns for policymakers. This report offers insights from a robust body of research on the extent to which higher spending improves outcomes.
Fact Sheet The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Greg Gartrell May 18, 2022 The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is California’s largest estuary and a vital hub in the state’s water supply system. Three interlinked issues currently face the Delta: an increasingly unreliable water supply, a decline in ecosystem health, and a fragile system of levees. Learn more about this key watershed in our new fact sheet.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Tracking Where Water Goes in a Changing Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta By Greg Gartrell, Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak May 16, 2022 The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta supplies water to roughly 30 million Californians, over 6 million acres of farmland, and countless ecosystems. But the watershed’s climate is changing: recent decades have seen record warmth, higher evaporation, and declining snowpack. We track where the water is going—and how to adapt.