Now you don't have to join OnlyFans to support UCLA professor Dan Blumstein's marmot research at RMBL in Colorado! Donate directly to Prof. Blumstein's lab here: ucla.in/4fAXY6J 🧪
Alison Hewitt
@ahewitt.bsky.social
UCLA media rep for experts on climate, environment, and humanities; former L.A. journo, lifelong Californian, mom of a parkour kid. Email: http://ucla.in/2SFXReU | newsroom.ucla.edu
Will Colorado's marmots will be OnlyFans' next big stars? The federal funding crisis has driven UCLA biologist Dan Blumstein's lab to seek new ways to keep the 65-year study running. Long-term studies like this are important to understand how organisms respond to a changing world. 🧪
'We're trying this out of frustration': Marmots star in OnlyFans account as researchers desperately look for ways to raise funds amid US budget cuts
As U.S. federal research budgets continue to be slashed, a team of marmot researchers have turned to unconventional sources of funding.
livescience.com
Why are wildfires getting worse? UCLA researchers point to climate change and fuel buildup. “These high-severity, forest-replacing fires used to be uncommon, and now it’s the dominant fire type.” h/t @ahewitt.bsky.social newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/why-...
Why are wildfires getting worse? UCLA researchers point to climate and fuel buildup
A UCLA-led study finds California's forests are burning more severely than at any point in the last 40 years — a change linked to both climate change and forest management.
newsroom.ucla.edu
I strongly urge anyone with strong sentiments on this critical issue to offer a public comment by July 13. You don't need to be a scientist; this rule change would affect everything from disaster response to cancer research--and involves your tax dollars: www.regulations.gov/...
I wanted to share my thoughts on the proposed OMB rule change that would radically transform federal grant-making into an overtly partisan political process. It's highly alarming, and would be devastating for American science (among many other things).
The new proposed OMB rules would be a disaster for American science, technology, and health
In this excerpt from a recent livestream, climate scientist Daniel Swain explains with the newly proposed rules from the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) would be a disaster not only for American science, but also for everything from disaster response to public universities to can
youtu.be
UCLA study finds severe fire is outpacing restorative fire in California. “These high-severity, forest-replacing fires used to be uncommon, and now it’s the dominant fire type,” said UCLA bioclimatologist and senior author Park Williams. newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/hig...
High-severity fires burn 30 times more acreage than 40 years ago, researchers find
From 1985-2024, high-severity forest fire increased thirtyfold in California, outpacing restorative fire, a UCLA study found.
newsroom.ucla.edu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences@pnas.org · last mo.In California, destructive high-severity fires have become the new normal. A study of 4,391 forest fires that occurred in the state from 1985 to 2024 shows an increase of 1,000% in the annual area burned over the study period. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/37Kr50ZhXg5
Dust off the climate models: "Regions with more dust will be a little warmer, leading to higher surface temperatures and faster evaporation. This can alter atmospheric motions and shift where and when rainfall occurs," says lead author and UCLA prof Jasper Kok newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/atm...
Better weather forecasts and climate models could come from new desert-dust research
New UCLA research finds that airborne dust traps about twice as much heat as climate models have estimated.
newsroom.ucla.edu
Nature Communications@natcomms.nature.com · 3mo agoNew analysis shows that #atmospheric #desert #dust keeps about twice as much infrared heat from escaping to space as #ClimateModels predict, highlighting that improving dust in models could sharpen #weather forecasts and #climate projections. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New UCLA research finds that airborne dust traps about twice as much heat as climate models have estimated, even though dust likely cools the planet overall. newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/atm... @uclaupdates.bsky.social @natcomms.nature.com @bsc-cns.bsky.social
Better weather forecasts and climate models could come from new desert-dust research
New UCLA research finds that airborne dust traps about twice as much heat as climate models have estimated.
newsroom.ucla.edu
The first #EarthDay succeeded because of a decade of preparatory work. Here are the lessons for us in 2026. A powerful read from @alejandrocamacho.bsky.social @uclalawemmett.bsky.social. legal-planet.org/2026/04/22/o...
On the Bleakest Earth Day, Trust the Undercurrent of Resistance - Legal Planet
The first Earth Day succeeded because a decade of preparatory work. "Lessons for a Warming Planet" teaches us what we must do now.
legal-planet.org
River riddle solved! The Colorado River disappeared from the geological record for 5 million years. Scientists now know where it went: Into vanished Bidahochi Lake, before eventually spilling over on a course to the Grand Canyon. ucla.in/4dO9niX 🧪
UCLA found the genes that help oak trees thrive in hotter weather. By planting acorns from these heat-adapted trees, they're building climate-resistant forests, say the researchers from UCLA & The Nature Conservancy @uclaupdates @nature.org newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ada...
Adapting oak trees for climate change, one acorn at a time
UCLA researchers and colleagues have pioneered a new conservation approach that uses cutting-edge gene sequencing to save the trees.
newsroom.ucla.edu
Our climate + affordability symposium is this Friday, April 3. Electricity prices are a top-tier political issue for the first time in at least a generation — and they are only getting more important. Come join us for discussions on 3 key themes. ⬇️ law.ucla.edu/academics/ce...
Can Abundance Be Sustainable? Merging Affordability and Climate Policy | UCLA Law
Register now The UCLA Emmett Institute's 2026 Spring symposium will focus on the interplay between affordability and environmental regulation, paying particular attention to recent developments in thr...
law.ucla.edu
Truly. We've published some law & policy recommendations on how to make LA safer from extreme heat: law.ucla.edu/news/reducin...
Reducing Outdoor Vulnerability to Extreme Heat in Los Angeles
Climate change is making life in cities hotter and more dangerous, but cities—Los Angeles included—have not yet adequately responded. The risk and incidence of heat-related illnesses, such as heat ras...
law.ucla.edu
I'm told the catastrophic Washington Post layoffs today include at least 14 climate journalists. Totally gutting. Details: www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team
Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.
climatecoloredgoggles.com
One year after the LA fires, who is accountable for a resilient and equitable recovery? No one, really. But it doesn’t have to be that way, writes our Julia Stein. legal-planet.org/2025/12/23/o...
A Year After the LA Fires, Who’s Accountable for a Resilient Recovery? - Legal Planet
Altadena and the Palisades are moving forward but outcomes depend on survivors’ access to resources. It doesn’t have to be this way.
legal-planet.org
“Left primarily to their own devices in rebuilding, the fire-impacted communities are moving forward, but predictably, the outcomes look much different depending on individual survivors’ access to resources. It didn’t — and doesn’t — have to be this way.” legal-planet.org/2025/12/23/o...
A Year After the LA Fires, Who’s Accountable for a Resilient Recovery? - Legal Planet
Altadena and the Palisades are moving forward but outcomes depend on survivors’ access to resources. It doesn’t have to be this way.
legal-planet.org
Another brief clip from yesterday's rapid response livestream regarding what's at stake with the potential loss of NCAR, and what we can do about it: "What would we lose if the National Center for Atmospheric Research is dismantled? Quite a lot."
What would we lose if the National Center for Atmospheric Research is dismantled? Quite a lot.
In this short excerpt from a longer livestream, Daniel Swain reflects on what would be lost if the National Center for Atmospheric Research were to be dismantled, as has been proposed, and why the present moment is such an important one when voicing support for this irreplaceable weather, climate, w
youtu.be
Weird and wonderful science: How elephant poop leads to guitars and 12 other unusual UCLA research findings from 2025: ucla.in/4p8tXfY 🧪
ICYMI our Policymaking Under Uncertainty: Zone 0 and Vegetation Clearance webinar recording is now available. 👉 Watch the full discussion, read key takeaways, and more: sustainablela.ucla.edu/news/policym...
Policymaking Under Uncertainty: Zone 0 and Vegetation Clearance Webinar Recap
Watch the the first in a series of webinar discussions on defensible space that SLAGC is organizing. During Policymaking Under Uncertainty: Zone 0 and Vegetation Clearance, experts discussed what is a...
sustainablela.ucla.edu
You might know that if you're reading this on the internet, you can thank UCLA. But did you know that UCLA also brought you the nicotine patch and cleaner drinking water through reverse osmosis? 10 Bruin discoveries that are changing the world: ucla.in/4aSQbPl 🧪
Unbelievable. This would be a terrible blow to American science, writ large. It would decimate not only climate research, but also the kind of weather, wildfire, and disaster research that has underpinned half a century of progress in prediction, early warning, and increased resilience.
USA TODAY@usatoday.com · 8mo agoExclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
As Pierce notes, "The Palisades Fire is not at all unique among major wildfires in having the 'hydrants run dry.' Rather, fire hydrant performance in the Palisades seems to represent the rule rather than exception."
Greg Pierce@gregspierce.bsky.social · 8mo agoBased on the unique way that the role of water system infrastructure in the Palisades fire has been covered and perceived, we put out a new issue brief today to answer a simple question: How often have the 'hydrants run dry' in recent major wildfires across the U.S. West?
Based on the unique way that the role of water system infrastructure in the Palisades fire has been covered and perceived, we put out a new issue brief today to answer a simple question: How often have the 'hydrants run dry' in recent major wildfires across the U.S. West?
thanks to @ra-becks.bsky.social for covering our just-released work on how often the 'hydrants run dry' in major wildfires across the U.S. West calmatters.org/environment/...
The hydrants will run dry: Trump's LA fire claims missed the mark, study shows
Echoing state and local officials, a new analysis agrees: hydrant failures in the Palisades fire were ‘the rule rather than the exception.’
calmatters.org
Happy 250th bday to Jane Austen! UCLA lecturer Cailey Hall, teaching Austen & adaptations, says if an adaptation only captures the romance, it’s missed the class commentary, wit & savage insults. “I want my students to appreciate what an incredible hater Austen is.” newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/adap...
Adapting Jane Austen
Lecturer Cailey Hall evokes appreciation for the author by comparing originals like “Pride and Prejudice” with modern takes.
newsroom.ucla.edu
Usually I write about climate change. But for Jane Austen's 250th birthday, I got to sit in on what is surely one of the best classes at UCLA, all about the original novels and Austen adaptations. newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/adap...
Join UCLA's LENS and the @uclalawemmett.bsky.social for a conversation with climate journalist @sammyroth.bsky.social about why narrative matters in the fight against climate change. The Jan 9 event is a live taping of the LENS podcast. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Important new work that will help shape LA's approach to bringing more shade to neighborhoods as a legacy of the mega-event era.
UCLA Emmett Institute@uclalawemmett.bsky.social · 8mo agoHot off the presses 🔥 We have a new report on how the City and County of L.A. can strengthen their responses to extreme heat. We look at ways to reimagine and remake the outdoor urban environment to reduce risks to vulnerable communities. law.ucla.edu/news/reducin...
UCLA launches the STOP Methane Project with Top 25 Plumes in ’25 lists of methane super-polluters. @uclalawemmett.bsky.social legal-planet.org/2025/11/17/p...
Pointing a Finger at Methane - Legal Planet
At COP30 in Brazil, UCLA launches the STOP Methane Project with Top 25 in '25 lists of methane super-polluters.
legal-planet.org
New climate-change side effect: People clash more with wildlife in drought years, says UCLA & UCDavis ecologist @kendallcalhoun.bsky.social. For each inch decrease in annual rainfall, the UCLA study finds a 2-3% jump in conflicts with pumas, bobcats, bears & coyotes newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/cli...
How climate change brings wildlife to the yard
A new UCLA study finds people clash more with wildlife in drought years.
newsroom.ucla.edu