Environment

Gov. Newsom and state leaders are going to an international conference to make a statement on California climate change policy. The governor has big shoes to fill compared to former Gov. Jerry Brown.

After nine months of student advocacy, Cal State University officials announced they would pull $162 million in investments from the fossil fuel industry, joining a growing movement.

Gov. Newsom says he supports proposed rules on where new oil wells can go, plus additional pollution controls on existing wells.

Gov. Newsom expands the California drought emergency from 50 counties to statewide, but does not order mandatory water conservation. He did authorize water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks.

A preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor Fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity. Wildfires, and the economic disruption they cause, have a large economic impact. But right now, California has a mostly incomplete picture of how much fires cost the state each year.

Wetlands painstakingly created with millions of dollars are the most devastating victims of the Huntington Beach oil spill. The trio of marshes provides rare feeding and resting grounds for at least 90 species of shorebirds.

The last major oil spill off Huntington Beach was nearly 32 years ago — in almost the same spot. California has 23 offshore oil platforms in federal waters and eight platforms and islands in state waters.

Fire officials are bracing for the worst as scientists predict that climate change could cause more lightning strikes, which often ignite deadly, unpredictable and remote wildfires in Northern California.

Officials warn that next year’s cuts in water supply could go even deeper as severe drought grips nearly 90% of California. North Coast and Bay Area residents cut water use while Southern Californians didn't.

The search is on to help California farmers find less-thirsty tree crops. But will the "Torture Orchard" experiments come through in time as droughts intensify?