New Tools to Visualize the Insides of Volcanos
Penny Wieser, a 2022 Rose Hills Innovator, is developing a new approach to study the magma stored deep beneath a volcano.
Energy, Climate & Environment News
Five UC Berkeley-Led Projects Awarded California Climate Action Grants
The awards will advance research on mitigating wildfire risk, ensuring the equitable distribution of water and improving K-12 climate justice education.
Berkeley Public Health Launches Major Study on Effects of Climate Change and Social Inequality on Deadly Fungal Infections
Researchers launch major study using big data to pinpoint fungal disease emergence and how a changing climate will affect their spread.
Using Tech to Break Bottlenecks in Wildlife Monitoring
A new project funded by a UC Natural Reserve System Climate Award aims to make biodiversity monitoring more efficient.
Building Better Protections for Climate Refugees
The Othering & Belonging Institute hosts panel to mark release of their research brief, “Climate Refugees: Facts and Findings, and Strategies for 'Loss and Damage'".
Racial Gap in Air Quality May Persist Under Biden Program, Study Finds
Partially due due to the administration’s decision not to include racial demographics in a new tool that will be used to evaluate proposed regulations or policies.
Quantifying the Strength of the Land Carbon Sink
New study shows that deforestation, land-use changes, and climate-induced stresses have continually reduced the land sink’s capacity to assimilate carbon.
Rising Groundwater Threatens Thousands of Toxic Sites in the Bay Area
A new report finds that rising groundwater levels in the San Francisco Bay Area could impact more than 5,200 state- and federally-managed contaminated sites at risk.
As Rising Seas Disrupt Toxic Sites, Communities of Color Are at Most Risk
The risk of flood-related contamination will fall disproportionately on the state’s most marginalized communities.
To More Effectively Sequester Biomass and Carbon, Just Add Salt
Researchers from the UC Berkeley have proposed a scalable solution that uses simple, inexpensive technologies to remove carbon from our atmosphere and safely store it for thousands of years.
Rare Beetle, Rediscovered After 55 Years, Named in Honor of Jerry Brown
The new species was found on Brown's Colusa County ranch and will be named Bembidion brownorum.
Will War in Ukraine Escalate the Global Land Rush?
As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, researchers warn that ongoing economic fallout may fuel a new wave of land acquisitions across the globe.
Climate Change, Urbanization Drive Major Declines in L.A.’s Birds
Climate change isn’t the only threat facing California’s birds. Urban sprawl and agricultural development are forcing many native species to adapt to new and unfamiliar habitats.
Discovery Could Lead to New Fungicides to Protect Rice Crops
Biochemists led by Michael Marletta, professor of chemistry and of molecular and cell biology, discovered that the fungus secretes an enzyme that punches holes in the tough outer layer of rice leaves
With Rapidly Increasing Heat and Drought, Can Plants Adapt?
Researcher Isaac Lichter-Marck is the first to provide evidence to resolve a long-standing evolutionary debate: Did iconic desert plants adapt to arid conditions only after they invaded deserts? Or did they come preadapted to the stresses of desert living?
A Big Step Toward ‘Green’ Ammonia and a ‘Greener’ Fertilizer
University of California, Berkeley, chemists have taken a big step toward making ammonia production more environmentally friendly.