Environmental Justice

Too few trees at California’s schools mean there’s little protecting students from a warming planet. Here’s how advocates say the state can pay for more shade.

In an important election year, more than 70 high school students across California called on candidates seeking office to back a variety of climate solutions as part of CalMatters’ Earth Day op-ed contest. These are a few excerpts from finalists.

Kings County agencies and growers may face probation and millions of dollars in fines — which could be the first step toward the state wresting control of groundwater.

Bloomington's controversial embrace of warehouses highlighted the financial appeal but also the cultural tradeoffs for Inland Empire communities confronted by expansion.

The state’s environmental tool skews which communities are designated as disadvantaged, researchers say. Some immigrant neighborhoods could be left out, while other groups are overrepresented.

Federal and California officials say the company illegally installed devices on about one million pickup trucks. Cummins will pay $2 billion in civil fines and funds for pollution control projects.

As offshore wind faces setbacks on the East Coast, California has a chance to establish long-term success. Developers and policymakers at all levels can get there by embracing "ocean justice" principles.

An ongoing CalMatters investigation has shown how California companies and governments avoid the Golden State's strict environmental regulations by shipping toxic waste across state borders. New reporting shows how California exports the risk to Mexico.

Wet weather and planned cuts by California, Arizona and Nevada averted declines that could have threatened water deliveries and power production — but long-term threats to the Colorado River remain.

Ocean wind farms are essential to electrify California's grid with 100% clean energy. But they’re a giant, costly experiment — no one knows how hundreds of towering turbines will transform the remote North Coast.