LARC-HEAT—an outreach initiative led by UCLA’s IoES and the LA County Department of Public Health, has trained community health workers as Heat Ambassadors, bringing heat safety resources and support directly to residents most vulnerable during heat events. www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/heat...

Heat is killing more Angelenos. UCLA is turning community health workers into a frontline of defense — Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA

As extreme heat becomes California’s deadliest climate threat, UCLA and Los Angeles County are training community health workers to serve as “heat ambassadors,” bringing life-saving information and…

ioes.ucla.edu

🎙️ Alex Hall, director of UCLA’s IoES, was featured on KCRW to discuss a proposal to rank Santa Ana wind events similarly to hurricanes and tornadoes, which could help communities and emergency responders better prepare for wildfire conditions across SoCal. Listen here: www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-r...

🎓 Congrats to Rachel Sheinberg, IoES Ph.D. candidate, who will defend her dissertation this month. Her research shows how LA’s transition to renewable energy impacts affordability & access. She will continue this work at @luskininnovation.bsky.social. Read more: www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/phd-...

💡 The LA RESET Tool, developed by @luskininnovation.bsky.social and the CA Center for Sustainable Communities, is now live to help @ladwp.com ratepayers explore how electrification could shape future energy spending across LA. Learn more: www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/the-...

👏 Congrats to Prof. Ursula Heise on her election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cross-appointed between IoES and the Department of English, her work bridges literature, ethics, and environmental studies. Read more: www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/envi... 🌱

👏 Congrats to @irorotanshi.bsky.social, winner of the 2023 Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award, on receiving the  Goldman Environmental Prize in recognition for her extraordinary leadership in wildlife conservation and environmental advocacy. Read more: www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/dr-i...

🌎🌱🗣️ ICYMI, at IoES's inaugural Richard P. and Linda S. Turco lecture, Prof. Tim Lenton shared that we have a critical choice to make: will we organize to drive positive change in the face of climate crisis? Click the link to learn more: www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/the-...

Environmental assessments need to account for spectrum and brightness of light affecting sensitive species. 🌙 We map impact zones using "moonlight equivalent" measures accounting for species visual sensitivity, then apply spectral tuning and shielding. 🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 1/

Assessing and mapping taxon-specific effects of ecological light pollution for environmental impact analysis

Predicting the adverse effects of light at night is necessary to ensure compliance with laws and regulations that protect species. Using two case stud…

sciencedirect.com

A new UCLA–NRDC report shows massive pricing disparities in who pays what for water from the #ColoradoRiverBasin. Some California urban water agencies shell out over $2,500 per acre-foot of surface water, while some irrigation districts pay $0—for the exact same water. ucla.in/4pC6ODH @nrdc.org

Been waiting for this to come out from colleagues Noah Garrison & Mark Gold of @uclaioes.bsky.social: The team investigated how much major suppliers spend on water from rivers and reservoirs in California, Arizona and Nevada. As covered by @ra-becks.bsky.social: calmatters.org/environment/...

California cities pay a lot for water; some agricultural districts get it for free

Water costs are confusing — even for the experts. A new study shows huge differences in what cities and farm water districts pay for supplies from rivers and reservoirs in California, Arizona, and Nev...

calmatters.org

Excited to record a live episode of the LENS podcast at UCLA on Friday 1/9! "Why Narrative Matters in the Fight Against Climate Change" Thanks @uclaioes.bsky.social @uclalawemmett.bsky.social @jonchristensen.bsky.social for hosting me. RSVP here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🌊 California Kelp Forests: How are they changing? 🌿 Tomorrow (12/2) at 12 PM, UCLA’s La Kretz Center and #EEB dept. will host a virtual seminar led by Billie Beckley (UCSB PhD candidate), exploring disturbance and recovery in California’s kelp ecosystems. 👉 More: www.ioes.ucla.edu/event/ucla-l...

Important new work looking at @ladwp.com's LA100 Equity Strategies: "This case study highlights both the promise and the limitations of applied energy justice in the context of large-scale grid decarbonization." 👉 Read the case study: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Energy justice at the utility scale: Insights from Los Angeles's path to decarbonization

Decarbonization of our energy systems is key to alleviating environmental injustices and enabling a more sustainable, livable planet for all. Yet, wit…

sciencedirect.com

Read our suggestions for how to kickstart the important transformation of our urban environment to help shield residents from the worst effects of rising temperatures @uclaioes.bsky.social @law.ucla.edu @uclasustainablela.bsky.social @luskininnovation.bsky.social law.ucla.edu/news/reducin...

👏 Alex Hall, director of @uclaioes.bsky.social and professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, has been named among the world’s most influential researchers — a distinction reserved for 1 out of every 1,000 scholars.

Alex Hall named among the world’s most influential researchers — Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA

Hall’s research — from climate modeling to wildfire and water forecasting — is now among the most widely referenced in the world, earning him a place on the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list…

ucla.in

Can caterpillars help fight wildfire? UCLA White Mountain Research Center’s Jeff Holmquist highlights how traditional “piyuga” trenches—used to harvest Pandora moth caterpillar larvae—clear flammable debris, helping pines survive wildfires.

An Indigenous Foodway Reduces Wildfire Damage In A Western Forest - Natural Reserve System

Traditional methods of harvesting Pandora moth caterpillars can reduce the risk of wildfire in pine forests.

ucnrs.org

Thanks to @blancabegert.bsky.social for covering this important topic and a bunch of work by my colleagues @uclalawemmett.bsky.social, @uclaioes.bsky.social looking at the LADWP/SoCal Edison comparison + insideclimatenews.org/news/0511202...

Why Are Rates Rising Faster at Investor-Owned Utilities Than at Public Utilities? - Inside Climate News

Case studies from California offer a look into the pros and cons of public and private utilities.

insideclimatenews.org

Our big fire innovation report with LADWP and ~100 external experts, convened and synthesized by @luskininnovation.bsky.social, @uclasustainablela.bsky.social , @uclaioes.bsky.social and a much broader UCLA team of experts is out. innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/2025/10/07/b...

Building resilient utilities: UCLA issues report on key water and power infrastructure needs | UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Smart meters and undergrounding power lines are among promising innovations in addressing climate and fire risks.

innovation.luskin.ucla.edu

In Los Angeles, Tony Pritzker applies an engineer’s discipline to environmental philanthropy—from stormwater systems keeping runoff out of Santa Monica Bay to a global prize at UCLA supporting emerging innovators. “Science is science—and it’s fact-based,” he told @Mongabay.com 🧬🧪 ucla.in/4pZ8sQh

🔥 New Paper Alert 🔥 -- from the incomparable @ioes.ucla.edu Senior Practicum in Environmental Science with the paper led by new alums Sammy Fruman and Bethany Woo --> anonymized smartphone data show park use in extreme heat 1/ #heat #hazards #mobility #cities www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Smartphone location data show park use patterns in extreme heat (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Climate change, combined with the Urban Heat Island effect, will generate more frequent, intense extreme heat events. These events can induce heat str…

sciencedirect.com

🆕 How extreme heat determines diets in rural India Today on VoxDev, Paul Stainier (@upenn.edu), Manisha Shah (@goldmanschool.bsky.social) & @alanbarreca.bsky.social (@ioes.ucla.edu) discuss how extreme heat affects health and nutrition in India: voxdev.org/topic/health...

How extreme heat determines diets in rural India

Extreme heat damages crops and increases the number of strongly undernourished households in terms of calories, iron, and other nutrients. While some households cope by buying food grown elsewhere, th...

voxdev.org

🐘🌱🔊 From decoding software to decoding elephants: 2025 Pritzker finalist Seema Lokhandwala leads the Elephant Acoustics Project, creating early-warning systems that save lives and draw on community wisdom. "Coexistence in India is not led by ecologists and scientists alone." ucla.in/4plAlBW

As chytrid fungus wipes out frogs — 90 species lost and counting — 2025 Pritzker finalist Anthony Waddle of Macquarie University is testing ways to tip the balance back toward survival. “Many in the field have given up, viewing the problem as hopeless, but I see it differently.” ucla.in/3JP1lJz

A new #UCLA study shows how African elephant poop helps ebony trees grow, the slow-growing source of wood used for guitars and pianos 🎸 In areas where elephants are poached, researchers found nearly 70% fewer ebony saplings. ucla.in/47NATtO

Mind-blowing UCLA research shows that ebony trees used in guitar frets, piano keys, and other musical instruments depends on elephants. Specifically: Elephant dung.💩Beautiful article by my colleague @ahewitt.bsky.social also shows importance of continued federal funding. ucla.in/4lPSGUD 🧪

‘It burns my hands, my eyes, my lungs. But what choice do I have?’ For Denica Riadini-Flesch, hearing those words changed everything. Now a 2025 Pritzker Award finalist, she’s proving fashion can restore soil, dignity and women’s futures 🪡🧵🌱 ucla.in/3JxH9ff

⚡️ UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award 🙇‍♂️🌏✨ All under age 40, their work spans continents and cultures, united by a refusal to treat complex problems as inevitable.

2025 Pritzker Award finalists: Anthony Waddle, Denica Riadini-Flesch, Seema Lokhandwala — Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA

Three innovators from Australia, Indonesia and India are redefining how to protect wildlife, restore ecosystems and build equitable futures…

ucla.in

My nominee for the Pritzker Environmental Genius Award (@ioes.ucla.edu) is founder of Elephant Acoustics Project, she uses #bioacoustics to understand India's #elephants & reduce conflict w/ ppl Her goal: Fewer crop losses & injuries + fewer elephants being relocated, captured or killed on roads:

Meet the 2025 Pritzker Environmental Genius Award Candidates #6–9 — Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA

These four nominees are focused on housing, conservation, fashion and public space — tackling environmental issues by redesigning how systems work at the local level…

ioes.ucla.edu