News & Commentary

California Companies Secure $700 Million for Cement Decarbonization

April 11, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaLauren Kubiak

The Department of Energy recently announced that 33 industrial projects, including two California-based companies, will receive federal funding to decarbonize.

Now Is the Time to Go All In on California Water Reuse

December 20, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaDr. Mark Gold

The state now has the country’s most robust, comprehensive water reuse regulations—and it must commit to investing in water reuse facilities for a more climate-resilient future.

Drought-Proofing Los Angeles County

December 8, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaDr. Mark Gold

L.A. County releases an ambitious new plan to switch to 80 percent local water to address increasing droughts from climate change.

New Report Details Strategies for Tackling Building Embodied Carbon

September 13, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaLauren Kubiak, Jaden Kielty

A new report released today from Arup in partnership with NRDC details the policies adopted and needed to reduce emissions from embodied carbon in California.

The Proposed Colorado River Deal: A Short-Term Band-Aid for a Long-Term Problem

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogWest, California, Arizona, Nevada, MexicoDr. Mark Gold

The Colorado River conservation proposal from Arizona, California, and Nevada reduces diversions by 1 million acre feet a year. Is this enough to make river management sustainable?

A Blueprint for Advanced Industrial Manufacturing in New York

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New YorkIan Wells

New York can lead the nation in low-carbon industrial manufacturing. Here is how.

Triangle T Water District and the Absurdities of CA Water

May 3, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

While it may not be an outlier, the absurdity of the Triangle T Water District is a great example of why people say that in California, water flows uphill towards money.

California’s Climate Whiplash

April 17, 2023 ExplainerCaliforniaNicole Greenfield

The state broke snowfall records after three of its driest years ever. Now floods wreak havoc. These swings are the new normal—and they’re very hard to manage.

Is This the End of California’s Rivers?

April 10, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

Documentary film River's End explores the threats to California's rivers and fisheries, and the people fighting to save them.

Riparian Forests: How California Farmers Can Protect Waterways

March 22, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma

California can work with growers to scale up riparian forest buffers along farm and rangelands to help sequester carbon, protect waterways, and improve biodiversity.

The Lower Klamath River Will Soon Flow Freely Again

March 21, 2023 DispatchCalifornia, WestNicole Greenfield

Sparking hope for the West’s rivers and beyond, a decades-long battle leads to the world’s biggest dam removal project.

To Lead on Climate, New York State Should Aim High on Clean Industry

March 21, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New YorkIan Wells

The federal government is rolling out programs to support deployment of emerging technologies that can dramatically reduce emissions from industrial manufacturing. New York should seize the opportunity to clean up its industrial base, attract new industrial investment, and become a…

New York Is Exposing the Fashion Industry for What It Is: a Climate Nightmare

February 13, 2023 DispatchNew York, New York City, InternationalNicole Greenfield

The state’s Fashion Act seeks to set a new trend of holding big brands accountable for their exploitation of workers and the environment.

Six Colorado Basin States Lay Down a Marker for California

January 31, 2023 Expert BlogArizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, WestEd Osann

The "Consensus Based Modeling Alternative" is a positive development in addressing the current water emergency. It’s unfortunate that California did not join in this recommendation.

Proponents of CA Water Infrastructure Cause Permit Delays

January 31, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

The permitting process isn’t broken. What’s most lacking is good faith by proponents of new infrastructure projects.

Fighting a Flood of Misinformation about CA Water

January 26, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

For more than a decade, the science has been clear that we need to reduce diversions from the Bay-Delta in average and drier years.

New York Can Cut Emissions, Create Jobs with Industrial Decarbonization

January 24, 2023 Expert BlogNew YorkIan Wells

Policymakers now have the opportunity to capture billions in new federal incentives, grow the state’s clean industrial economy, and save and create good jobs through investing in industrial decarbonization.

California Can Pave the Way on Decarbonizing Cement

December 14, 2022 Expert BlogCaliforniaChristina Theodoridi, Jaden Kielty

Following a law enacted in 2021, all cement used in California will need to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

DWR's Unsustainable Initial Water Supply Allocation for 2023

December 12, 2022 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

Instead of gutting environmental protections, maybe this is the year that California finally reforms these unreasonable water supply contracts.

NY and NJ: Centers of Action on Low Carbon Concrete Buying

October 13, 2022 Expert BlogNew York, New York City, New Jersey, EastSasha Stashwick

This has been a breakout year for policies aimed at reducing embodied carbon in the built environment, with Buy Clean and other public procurement initiatives emerging as among the most critical platforms for decarbonizing heavy industry.