The 2022 Carbon Sequestration Symposium at California State University, Bakersfield, focuses on engaging the community, industry, policymakers, and academia in the topic of carbon sequestration. According to several studies, Kern County has been identified as a prime location for the geological sequestration of carbon dioxide. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Roger Aines, Ph.D., and Kim Mayfield, Ph.D., discuss efforts underway to capture and store carbon dioxide as a viable option to mitigate climate change. Series: "Climate Solutions " [Science] [Show ID: 38157 ..read more

Climate economists have created a value called the "social cost of carbon" in order to better understand the cost/benefit relationship of climate policies and regulations. The social cost of carbon is the cost to society from damages caused by a ton of CO2 emissions. This value is difficult to quantify, with factors such as future societal wealth and global climate damages (such as species extinction) that are impossible to know. Series: "Sustainable California" [Science] [Show ID: 38046 ..read more

In order to reach global net-zero emissions by 2050, we must remove CO2 from the atmosphere as well as prevent further emissions. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) can be accomplished naturally -- through forests, soil sequestration, or mineralization -- and technologically. In fact, we will need both natural and technological CDR methods to get to net-zero. So what methods exist that remove carbon from the atmosphere? What are their respective costs, how do they compare, and which are already on the market? Series: "Sustainable California" [Science] [Show ID: 38045 ..read more

California is a pioneer in researching the impacts of and solutions to climate change. Getting to carbon neutral - or net zero carbon emissions - is key to curbing our increasingly warming planet. Dr. Roger Aines of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory talks with Climate Now's James Lawler about the latest research on ways to capture carbon. Series: "Sustainable California" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 37993 ..read more

Anthropogenic climate and environmental change are among the most immediate threats to global sustainability, including the sustainability of human populations. Although these changes are happening at a rate never recorded before, climate and environmental changes per se are not unprecedented. Moreover, prior environmental changes have sometimes been accompanied by social and technological innovations that mitigated the impact of environmental change on human populations. We explore two such episodes in the history of California, and ask what lessons they may hold for adaptable societies in th ..read more

Katherine Markovich, PhD teamed up with fellow graduate students Stephen Maples and Lauren Foster in the NSF Climate Change Water and Society Integrative Graduate Education Research Traineeship (CCWAS IGERT) to study water resources in Chile. Using water’s signature, the isotopic values for snow, rivers, and groundwater, Dr. Katie Markovich is developing an understanding of Chile’s water portfolio under different climate conditions. Like many of Graham Fogg’s students at UC Davis, she relies on high-powered models to describe future scenarios. California and Chile’s Mediterranean climate is ch ..read more

Grand initiatives such as the National Parks program, begun in the late 1800s, are for many people a hallmark of land conservation. However, the majority of land nationally (~60% overall; ranging from 95% on a state-by-state basis) is privately owned. These private lands can have conservation value too. Join Rangeland Manager Billy Freeman and UC Merced Management Professor Catherine Keske as they explore McKenzie Ranch, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California to discover land conservation strategies that ensure public access and enjoyment of some of the nations otherwise hidden wonders ..read more

Globally, over the past century, coastal fisheries have faced overharvesting and mismanagement. California is no exception. This video recounts stories from fishermen, and others engaged in commercial fisheries, about the decades-long struggle to replenish stocks through a variety of management measures. Through their experiences, we discover the many successes in recovering stocks, the capricious nature of the biology of some species, and also emerging challenges for managing fisheries sustainably, including climate change, regional resources management, access, and local infrastructure. Succ ..read more

Drought, climate change, an aging infrastructure and growing population threaten the water Californias San Joaquin Valley uses to supply most of the nations produce and a large proportion of its livestock and dairy. "Adequate water for food for the nation is a water security issue, and its also a national security issue," says UC Merced CITRIS researcher Roger Bales in a new documentary examining water problems and solutions across the United States and globally. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 33730 ..read more

Yolanda Medrano is a third-year student at UC Merced and is looking to make every step we take count for energy production. She proposes adding energy-producing floor panels to entrances to the library and other high-traffic areas to power doors, increasing building efficiency for the University’s triple zero commitment. Though a costly investment, UC Merced would be the first university to invest in this technology, producing clean energy through walking, and effectively reduce the energy footprint of campus. Series: "Sustainable California" [Science] [Show ID: 33864 ..read more