blog post California’s Ecosystems in Perpetual Drought By Lori Pottinger Aug 30, 2016 The state’s freshwater species are adapted to a "boom and bust” ecology, but human intervention and drought have taken away the "boom.” An expert interview with river scientist Ted Grantham.
blog post A Weatherman Explains California’s Volatile Climate By Lori Pottinger Jun 10, 2016 What are the links between drought, La Niña, and climate change? An expert interview with the climate scientist who founded the California Weather Blog.
blog post Flood Insurance: Why Don’t People Buy It? By Carolyn Kousky Apr 6, 2016 Flood insurance sales have been falling in the US in recent years, but California bucked the trend this year.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus Mar 23, 2016 Some findings of the current survey: Donald Trump leads with 38 percent support among likely voters in California’s Republican presidential primary; Hillary Clinton has the support of 48 percent of Democratic primary likely voters. Democrats Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez lead the top-two primary for the U.S. Senate, but almost a third of likely voters are undecided. Most Californians view increased spending on the maintenance of roads, highways, and bridges as very important to the state’s future. With much of the state receiving seasonal rainfall, fewer Californians see their regional water supply as a big problem. Crosstabs: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] Time Trends: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] The survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation and the PPIC Donor Circle.
press release Trump Leads with 38 Percent, Clinton Has 48 Percent Support among Primary Likely Voters Mar 23, 2016
blog post State’s Ecosystems Face a Flood of Changes By Lori Pottinger Jan 11, 2016 Talk of drought has turned to worries about floods. How will the state’s drought-starved ecosystems adapt to the taps being turned on again? An expert interview with Josh Viers.
blog post California Depends on Rivers—in the Air By Lori Pottinger Dec 8, 2015 Climate change could bring bigger rains and longer droughts to the state. We talked to Mike Dettinger about "atmospheric rivers” and what they mean for California’s water system.
blog post Do You Know Where Your Water’s Been? By Lori Pottinger Oct 27, 2015 The twin challenges of water quality and quantity are leading to interesting solutions. We explore innovations in water re-use and treatment with David Sedlak.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Don’t Count on El Niño to End the Drought By Jeffrey Mount, Daniel Cayan Jul 9, 2015 El Niño is an unreliable predictor of winter storminess; better to prepare for ongoing drought.
