New interdisciplinary research highlights wildfire impacts on water and ecosystems in arid regions

ASU NEWS - As wildfires increasingly threaten arid regions, a new conceptual framework developed by a team of researchers offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between fire, water quality and ecosystem recovery. Led by Tamara Harms , ASU School of Life Sciences alumna and associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, a collaborative...
By Gabriela Harrod | ASU News |

How scientists rushed to make L.A.’s actual air quality available on your phone

FAST COMPANY - As fires burned tens of thousands of acres across Los Angeles County, officials were warning residents that the air was a “toxic soup” of pollution—fueled by the fact that not only vegetation but cars, buildings, homes, and all the plastics and electronics inside them were going up in flames. But to some...
By Kristin Toussaint | Fast Company |

Yep, you’re probably breathing in plastic chemicals, study finds

LAIST - Chances are you’re inhaling the toxic chemicals used to make plastics more flexible, according to a new study by UC Riverside and Duke researchers. Plasticizers are used in a variety of everyday products like lunch boxes, shower curtains, and garden hoses. The chemicals in this study — known as phthalates — have been...
By Elly Yu | LAist |

Researchers Shocked at Daily Level of Plasticizers in California's Air

SCIENCE ALERT - We live in a world where it is virtually impossible to escape plastics and their associated chemicals. New evidence suggests that in southern California, the average urban resident's exposure to plasticizers – the substances used to soften plastics and make them more flexible – is "through the roof". "No matter who you...
By Carly Cassella | Science Alert |

Airborne plastic chemicals have reached shocking levels

EARTH.COM - Every day, we are unknowingly exposed to a multitude of chemicals. Among these are a group of toxic airborne chemicals known as plasticizers. If you think these are limited to children’s toys, beauty products, or even plastic bags, think again. These robust substances are everywhere, from your lunchbox to your shower curtain, and...
By Sanjana Gajbhiye | Earth.com |

California Airborne Toxin Levels 'Through the Roof,' Study Warns

NEWSWEEK - Toxic airborne chemicals known as plasticizers could be making their way into our nostrils on a daily basis, scientists have warned. Exposure to these chemicals has been associated with fertility issues and neurodevelopmental disorders as well as childhood asthma, despite their use in a wide variety of products. "The levels of these compounds...
By Pandora Dewan | Newsweek |

How to protect plants during a heat wave: Experts offer advice

ABC 7 - As Southern California contends with the summer's extreme heat, it's important to protect your plants from brutal temperatures. "Overall plants can survive short term heat spikes but damage can be more severe if they have heat spikes that last longer," said UC Riverside Professor of Agricultural and Urban Water Management Amir Verdi...
By Shayla Girardin | ABC 7 (KABC) |
CE Advisors & CE Faculty Collaboration Meeting May 23, 2024

CE Advisors & CE Faculty Collaboration Meeting: Exploring Ongoing Agricultural Research at UC Riverside

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) hosted the Cooperative Extension (CE) Advisors and UCR CE Faculty Collaboration Meeting on May 23. CE advisors located in (or serving) over 14 counties across California were invited to learn about the ongoing research by UCR CE faculty to enhance collaboration between...

‘Solar-powered vacuum cleaners’: the native plants that could clean toxic soil

THE GUARDIAN - It almost looked like a garden. In Taylor Yard, a former railyard near downtown Los Angeles, volunteers knelt down to tend to scrubby plants growing in neat rows under the sweltering sun. But beneath the concrete of the 60-acre site overlooking the Los Angeles River, the soils were soaked with an assortment...
By Doug Bierend | The Guardian |

California Battered by Flash Floods and Hurricane-Level Winds

WALL STREET JOURNAL - Torrential rains hammered Southern California, flooding freeways, triggering mudslides that engulfed hillside homes and forcing authorities to rescue people trapped in raging waters. The deluge battered communities from Santa Barbara to San Diego, with up to 11 inches of rain falling in some places since Sunday, shattering rainfall records across the...
By Sara Randazzo, Suryatapa Bhattacharya, and Jim Carlton | The Wall Street Journal |
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