Environment + Climate

Environmental, atmospheric and oceanic researchers at UCLA will create a first-of-its-kind model of how coastal waters will react to climate change this century.

Efforts to hit Gov. Brown’s water reduction target could have unintended, and potentially harmful, consequences for the health of Californians and their communities.

UCLA Transportation has added 41 electric vehicles to its fleet of eco-friendly vehicles, thanks to a generous gift from the Ray Fladeboe Trust. The donation brings the number of fully equipped EVs in use around the campus to 250-plus.

UCLA geographer Judith Carney is part of an international team of interdisciplinary researchers who have sequenced the complete genome of African rice (Oryza glaberrima). The findings were reported online Sunday in the scholarly journal Nature Genetics.

Nearly 4 in 10 Los Angeles County residents live in environmentally vulnerable communities burdened by air pollution and other risk factors, according to a study by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and The Environmental Defense Fund.

Glen MacDonald, formerly the director of UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, is the first holder of a new chair named after legendary conservationist John Muir. Mark Gold is now acting director of IoES.

Water researchers from UCLA, the Natural History Museum and elsewhere are helping the region understand issues, history and possible solutions related to the drought. A discussion series featuring panels of experts begins July 10.

Among the group's other recommendations: household water meters that measure indoor and outdoor water use separately, and stronger incentives for drought-resistant landscaping.

Professor Yoram Cohen suggests that water reclamation, water recycling and reuse could become very important for health and conservation in the future.

The Cal EcoMaps site, launched this month, features a detailed interactive map and environmental impact ratings for 172 industrial facilities in Los Angeles County.

Daniela Cusack and her fellow scientists who have been working for two years on finding a strategy to reduce global warming have concluded that we cannot engineer our way out of climate change.

A $500,000 gift from Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky will add a laboratory to the La Kretz Field Station, located in Malibu.

For the fourth straight year, the hospitals in Westwood and Santa Monica have been recognized by Practice Greenhealth for their efforts to recycle, eliminate mercury and reduce medical waste.

A new report by professors from UCLA and five other universities concludes that climate engineering won't suffice, and we have to cut down the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere.

Alex Hall, a professor in UCLA’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Institute of Environment and Sustainability, appears in “Years of Living Dangerously,” airing June 2 on Showtime, and explains how climate change will impact our lives.

Alex Wang and Benjamin van Rooj explore the consequences and goals of China's new environmental protection law in an op-ed in the New York Times.

UC researchers use their expertise to help California cope with one of the most severe droughts on record

A rolling water treatment plant designed by UCLA researchers made a pit stop on campus this week before heading north to the San Joaquin Valley, where it will help address California’s inadequate water supply.

University of California experts gathered for a daylong summit in the state Capitol to discuss impacts and implications of one the most severe droughts on record.

With the worldwide celebration of Earth Day taking place this week in more than 190 countries, a number of organizations have taken note of UCLA’s commitment to sustainability and environmental excellence.

UCLA scientists found that not only have male coquis become smaller, but their mating call has also become shorter and higher pitched; the researchers attribute the change to Puerto Rico's warmer temperatures.

The gift will support research and policy fellows; fund student scholarships and a public service fellowship; support outreach, events and speaker series; and provide resources to attract faculty.

Hosted by Jeanne and Tony Pritzker, the star-studded event raised $650,000 to support UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability research and education initiatives.

Caribbean fighting conch used to be harvested with more meat, but evolved to mature at a smaller size.

The researchers used an innovative technique called clumped isotope thermometry to help determine temperature patterns dating to the last ice age, 20,000 years ago.