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Institutional collapse, not guns and bombs, is most-cited cause of wildlife declines from war

In conflict zones, the most common killers of wildlife are not guns and bombs, but breakdowns in institutions, societies and economies, according to a study by researchers at UC Berkeley.

Clean vehicle rebates benefit wealthy, white Californians, study finds

Have you applied for and received a rebate from California’s clean vehicle incentive program? If so, odds are you live in a high-income neighborhood and not one with a majority Hispanic or African American population.

hand pointing to 4 circular discs with tree, and partial trees designs

New Bacteria Groups, and Stunning Diversity, Discovered Underground

One of the most detailed genomic studies of any ecosystem to date has revealed an underground world of stunning microbial diversity, and added dozens of new branches to the tree of life.

Wildfire management vs. fire suppression benefits forest and watershed

An unprecedented 40-year experiment at Yosemite supports the idea that managing fire, rather than suppressing it, makes wilderness areas more resilient to fire, with the added benefit of resistance to drought.

Development Engineering awarded $3 million from National Science Foundation

NSF has awarded $3 million to UC Berkeley’s Development Engineering program to create new models for training graduate students to find innovative solutions to food, energy and water challenges in developing countries.

Climate refuges identified for endangered snow leopards

A new study of snow leopards’ habitat has found that just one-third of their current range will be a refuge from climate change by 2070.

Climate change could be a greater threat to tropical frogs than deforestation

Changes in climate and land use are expected to reduce the livable area for tropical frogs because these species will increasingly encounter temperatures hot enough to harm their behavior, reproduction and physiology.

Report outlines how to make equity part of California’s low-carbon economy

A new report presents a climate policy equity framework to help California decision-makers reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting economic, social and environmental equity.

How robotic floats coaxed secrets of climate change from the ocean

After 10 days at sea, the research vessel Oceanus is back in port and the team of Berkeley Lab and Berkeley scientists is back on dry land assessing the results of their mission.

City of San Francisco and UC Berkeley to continue collaborating on ‘smart cities’

This is year’s bid by San Francisco and UC Berkeley to win the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge failed, but the momentum continues.

Researchers find climate change already playing major roles

A new study demonstrates that while the effects of future climate change will be significant, the social and economic impacts of our current climate today are often just as severe.

Follow ocean-going robots, and their scientists, for 10 days at sea

What’s life like aboard a scientific research vessel plying the California coast deploying robots to unlock important data about climate change?

Warming world may put most cities off-limits for summer Olympics

Climate change could constrain the Olympics going forward and not just because of rising sea levels.

To improve Beijing’s air quality, cut household fuel use too

China’s plans to curb Beijing’s health-damaging air pollution by focusing on restricting emissions from power plants and vehicles may have limited impact if household use of coal and other dirty fuels is not also curtailed, according to a new study.

California is new headquarters for smart manufacturing institute

On June 20, at a conference of global business leaders in Washington, D.C., President Obama announced the creation of a new $140 million Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), to be headquartered at UCLA, with a Berkeley-based regional center.

Climate change could trigger tropical evacuations, researchers advise

Global warming by just 2 degrees Celsius is likely to force some tropical plant, animal and human populations to relocate hundreds of miles from their current homes this century.

Energy, Climate & Environment News