blog post Rethinking Stormwater—From Waste to Treasure By Sarah Bardeen Jul 22, 2024 Unmanaged stormwater can be a flood hazard and a contaminant, but when it’s properly managed, it actually can benefit communities by creating green spaces and recharging aquifers. We spoke with CASQA’s Karen Cowan to learn more about this underappreciated resource.
blog post Unpacking the Supreme Court’s Recent Ruling on the “Chevron Doctrine” By Sarah Bardeen, Brian Gray Jul 17, 2024 What is the Chevron doctrine, and why did the Supreme Court recently abolish it? We asked our senior fellow Brian Gray, a retired environmental law professor, to help us understand the implications of the US Supreme Court’s decision.
blog post Does Managed Retreat Make Sense in Wildfire-Prone Lands? By Sarah Bardeen Jul 8, 2024 The concept of “managed retreat” originated in coastal areas that are dealing with sea level rise. Now, the term is increasingly used in discussions around wildfire—but does that make sense? We asked two researchers to tell us more.
blog post Data Is Key to Protecting California’s Groundwater By Spencer Cole Jun 27, 2024 Implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act has been no simple feat, yet one surprising ally has emerged in the struggle to restore California’s groundwater: data. Learn more about recent improvements and what they mean for water management!
blog post Video: Replenishing Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley By Sarah Bardeen Jun 18, 2024 Groundwater recharge is one of the most promising ways to address groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley. So are we socking away enough water during the wet periods? In an event last week, we shared our latest research on the subject. Read the highlights and watch the video!
blog post Commentary: The San Joaquin Valley Pumps Too Much Water. But There Are Signs of Progress By Caitlin Peterson, Ellen Hanak Jun 10, 2024 When it comes to reducing the overuse of groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley, the recent news has not been great. But is the situation beginning to turn around? Despite some discouraging headlines, we think so. Our recent commentary explains why.
blog post Commentary: California Needs Bold New Strategies to Save What’s Left of Its Freshwater Species By Ted Sommer May 29, 2024 Californians are blessed with a dazzling array of freshwater species, but we now live in a world in which a few extreme events could wipe some species out. Biologist and PPIC-CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow Ted Sommer describes the bold actions needed to meet this moment in a commentary for CalMatters.
blog post Commentary: State Water Regulators Are Listening to and Learning How to Promote Conservation By Ellen Hanak, David Mitchell May 6, 2024 In an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee, senior fellow Ellen Hanak and adjunct fellow David Mitchell commend the State Water Board for adjusting its draft urban water conservation regulations back in March. They say the changes will give needed flexibility to struggling water agencies and help protect low-income customers from extreme rate hikes.
blog post What Are Baseflow Droughts—and Why Should We Care? By Sarah Bardeen Apr 23, 2024 For the six months when California receives no rain, how do its rivers keep flowing? The answer is groundwater. But increasingly frequent and intense droughts are having unexpected effects on this vital resource. We speak with two experts to learn more.
blog post The Holy Grail of a Zero-Carbon Home By Sarah Bardeen Apr 8, 2024 California’s buildings account for one quarter of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions—second only to transportation. So how can California reduce their carbon footprint? We sat down with our advisory council member Dan Dunmoyer of the California Building Industry Association to find out.
