blog post Mapping Farms by Size in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Zaira Joaquín Morales, Ellen Hanak Aug 30, 2023 The San Joaquin Valley will have to adapt to a future with less water for irrigation under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Some have raised concerns that this could put smaller farms at a disadvantage—but is this true? To gain insight on this issue, we decided to take a closer look, exploring where San Joaquin Valley farms of different sizes are located—and what they grow.
blog post Tropical Storm Hilary Wallops Southern California By Jeffrey Mount Aug 23, 2023 Tropical Storm Hilary hammered Southern California on Sunday, after making a destructive run over Baja California. The damage was real, but thankfully there was no loss of life. But there are a few things we do know—or can surmise—about why this rare event occurred, and the dangers such events will pose to California now and in the future.
blog post The Ocean Is More than a Pretty Place to Californians By Deja Thomas Jul 31, 2023 Two in three Californians—including solid majorities among both inland and coastal residents--believe the condition of oceans and beaches are very important to the state's economy and quality of life. Majorities say that plastics, marine debris, and declining marine life in the Pacific are major problems.
blog post Commentary: California Is a Model for Climate Change Action When International Efforts Fall Short By Mark Baldassare Jul 25, 2023 California offers a model for overcoming national and international inaction on climate change, and three in four Californians—including majorities across regions—say the state’s role as a world leader in fighting climate change is important to them.
blog post Video: Californians and the Environment By Stephanie Barton Jul 20, 2023 PPIC’s Dean Bonner and Mark Baldassare discuss our latest Statewide Survey, which examines Californians’ views on climate change and its effects, environmental policies, and other topics.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jul 12, 2023 Key findings of the survey include: Most Californians think it is very important that the state take steps now to respond to climate change, though views vary across party lines. An overwhelming majority say that extreme weather events are a problem in their part of the state. A majority believe the use of electric vehicles helps address climate change; half have seriously considered getting one, and nearly one in ten have already done so.
blog post Californians Like Voting on Environmental Issues By Mark Baldassare Jul 12, 2023 According to a new PPIC Statewide Survey, Californians value their ability to vote on environmental issues—and are so far unsupportive of a referendum on new oil wells that will appear on next year's ballot.
blog post Renewing California’s Groundwater: Ready, Set, Recharge! By Caitlin Peterson, Sarah Bardeen Jun 21, 2023 California’s wet winter has been a boon for the parched state, and farmers and water managers have been scrambling to funnel some of that abundance into the ground. But how is recharge going—and what could be improved? We get on-the-ground insights from Daniel Mountjoy of Sustainable Conservation and Aaron Fukuda of the Tulare Irrigation District.
blog post The Toll of the San Joaquin Valley Floods: “It’s Not Pretty” By Sarah Bardeen Apr 26, 2023 Lois Henry is the engine behind the small but mighty two-person journalistic operation that is SJV Water, an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. We asked her about the flooding she’s seen so far this year—and what might happen as the weather heats up.
blog post Californians See a Need for Immediate Action on Climate Change By Dean Bonner Apr 21, 2023 Three in four Californians think it is necessary to take steps to counter the effects of climate change right away. Views vary across party lines, and this partisan divide has widened over the past two decades.