Environment

Big Basin, nearly wiped out by fire, remains closed as the state struggles to protect nearly 300 parks from climate change. Solutions are costly: thinning forests, adding sand to beaches, moving parking lots and buildings.

Huge gaps exist in scientific knowledge, but California is about to set the world’s first health guidelines for microplastics in drinking water. Yet no one agrees how to test water for the tiny bits of plastic, or how dangerous they are.

Valley residents have waited more than a decade for the end of burns at vineyards and groves that spew smoke. Several board members pushed for quicker action, but the board voted to grant four more years.

On the edge of the Salton Sea, state officials and investors are seeking to turn brine into ‘white gold’ that can power electric cars. But will this help solve the Imperial Valley’s troubles — or add to them?

The air board’s lack of accounting threatens to derail the state’s climate change goals, the audit says. “California is in need of more reliable tools,” state auditor Elaine Howle wrote.

California’s air board will vote this week on stopping burns that spew plumes of smoke that can trigger asthma attacks. The move is long in coming — it was supposed to end a decade ago under state law.

Experts say the state’s cap and trade program may be insufficient in meeting ambitious climate goals. And environmentalists have called the program unfair to polluted communities.

Erasing dozens of Trump’s climate rollbacks is Biden’s priority, and he issued directives on his first day in office. California’s air quality, wildlife, water, forests, farms — and even its light bulbs and washing machines — could be affected by new executive orders, policies and rules. But how likely are they, and when?

Download and read this 53-page overview of all the major issues facing California policymakers.

1. California widens mental health conditions insurers must cover In the past, state law only required treatment for nine serious mental illnesses. Even before the pandemic, more than half of Californians said most people with mental health conditions couldn’t get the help they needed. Some families even dropped private insurance to qualify for treatment in […]