UCLA Environment

This is photo of a field trip in a Leadership in Water Management class during my undergrad years with Mark Gold. This class is one of the reasons I am researching water issues today ????

? Proud to celebrate the graduate students in my Issues & Methods Doctoral Seminar at the UCLA Institute of the Environment & Sustainability! Although the course is called "Issues and Methods," at its core, it is really about learning the methods to navigate the research process — step by step — as interdisciplinary scholars. Over the past quarter, these students have taken on the challenging work of identifying meaningful research questions, clarifying aims and objectives, designing methodologies, and grappling with the ethics of research, all while bridging disciplines to tackle some of today’s most complex environmental and sustainability issues. But just as important as developing a strong research proposal is learning how to speak across fields and build a community of scholars — and that is what makes this group so special. Together, these students have challenged each other, supported each other, and learned to engage with ideas beyond their own disciplines — embodying the collaborative, interdisciplinary spirit that makes IoES unique. This is the next generation of sustainability researchers — I am grateful to be part of their journey and I cannot wait to see where they take their work! ?????? Here’s a glimpse of the cutting-edge topics they are exploring: ?? Mapping the Landscape of Corporate Climate Strategies ?? Reframing Heat Exposure in Indigenous and Marginalized Communities ?? Improving Chaparral Wildfire Resilience through Conservation Finance ?? Restoring the Salton Sea for Bird Habitat Conservation ?? Rural vs. Urban Disparities in the Energy Transition ?? People and Bears as Neighbors ?? Precarious Employment and Occupational Health in California ?? Low-carbon Alternatives to Refined Oil Byproducts UCLA Environment #UCLA #SustainabilityResearch #PhDLife #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateSolutions #InterdisciplinaryResearch #ResearchCommunity

You’ll find a pot of gold and Bruins at the end of every rainbow ??????? Throwback to UCLA Environment students sham-rocking a field trip at Mono Lake in 2016 ??

In a seminar at UCLA last Thursday, sci-fi legend Kim Stanley Robinson had a clear message: the fight for the future is real, and it’s happening now. He discussed economic levers that could drive a global energy transition, the fallout of defunding scientific research, and why surrendering to cynicism is the greatest risk of all. His seminar’s now available on the IoES website and YouTube channel.

1 in 5 butterflies in the U.S. have disappeared in the last two decades, according to a new study co-authored by UCLA ecologist Travis Longcore. Published today in Science Magazine, it reveals that over 100 species have lost more than half their populations—with 22 species losing more than 90%. The study is the largest, most in-depth butterfly population assessment ever conducted, analyzing over 76,000 surveys and 12.6 million butterfly records. Previous studies point to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change as key drivers of these declines. Key collaborators include scientists at Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Washington State University, and Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

?? Monday Roundup: What You Need to Know About the NOAA Layoffs ?? More than 800 meteorologists and staff at NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration were abruptly fired on Thursday—a move UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain calls “reckless” and a threat to American lives. The layoffs, slashing nearly 10% of NOAA’s workforce, are “spectacularly short-sighted,” Swain warned. “There will be people who die in extreme weather events and related disasters who would not have otherwise.” NOAA houses the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, and two tsunami warning centers—agencies that provide lifesaving forecasts for emergency responders, businesses, and the public. Swain warns the private sector “cannot quickly spin up” to fill the gap—leaving Americans more vulnerable to disasters. The dismissals are the latest in a wave of federal workforce cuts ordered by the Trump Administration via Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In response, the Union of Concerned Scientists issued an open letter to Congress and the Trump Administration, urging policymakers to intervene. “Without a strong NOAA, a cornerstone of the US scientific research enterprise, the world will be flying blind into the growing perils of global climate change,” the letter states. Nearly 150 scientists signed the letter, including UCLA IoES director Alex Hall, as well as IoES faculty members and researchers Daniel Swain, Paul Barber, and Brenda Larison. How do these cuts impact your field? If you work in emergency response, climate policy, or weather forecasting, share your perspective below. ?? NOAA’s hydrographic survey vessel “Thomas Jefferson,” which played a key role in Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts.

Newsweek recently published an op-ed by four UCLA faculty members leading a cluster course on sustainable eating and how even one person's food choices affect the whole planet. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gkXDuHuS #foodstudies #research | UCLA Environment

Kim Stanley Robinson—author of The Ministry for the Future and one of the greatest science fiction writers of our time—will join #UCLAIoES on Thursday, March 6 at the Luskin Conference Center. Robinson will explore the power of narrative in confronting the climate crisis. We’re almost at capacity—RSVP now to secure your spot! https://lnkd.in/g-3gQprp

Alex Hall, the new director of UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, has spent 24 years as a professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. But his journey began at Pomona College in the early ’90s, when a class called “global warming” shifted his path from physics to climate science. Now, as IoES director and founder of UCLA’s Climate and Wildfire Research Initiative, Hall is tackling L.A.’s escalating wildfire crisis—tracing its roots to natural conditions, human activity, and climate change. But he sees more than a crisis—he sees an opportunity. By breaking down academic silos and rethinking how universities approach climate science, Hall believes we can not only adapt but use climate change as a catalyst for a more sustainable, connected society. “The solutions are within our reach,” he says. “And in solving these problems, we may just find a better version of ourselves.” Learn more about Hall’s vision for climate science + society: https://lnkd.in/gskwcVE3

Was happy to talk to Juliet Grable, alongside Alex Hall of UCLA Environment and others. Highlighting the ongoing complexity of getting accurate, compelling and actionable information to folks on the condition of their individual drinking water safety.