Top Stories

Martinez Residents Want More Than Apologies — They Want Protection

After a 2022 release of toxic dust and a February 2025 fire, people in the northeast Bay town are tired of waiting for safety improvements.

QUICK READS

 

IN DEPTH

 

CHATTER

 

Hot Feet for
Antarctic Penguins?

Created by Vrinda Manglik for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

GALLERY OF POSTS

 

Martinez Residents Want More Than Apologies — They Want Protection

After a 2022 release of toxic dust and a February 2025 fire, people in the northeast Bay town are tired of waiting for safety improvements.

Weaving Fire Protection Out Of What’s Already There

A new Greenbelt Alliance report shows how existing vineyards, grasslands, and managed forests can slow wildfire and save vulnerable homes.

Fall Plantings Build Pollinator Habitats in Concord

Community groups, climate advocates and a church are coming together to plant pollinator gardens as monarchs, bees see population declines.

Newark Needs Housing, But Could Shoreline Serve A Higher Purpose?

The Bay Area needs more affordable housing, but would 196-homes or a buffer against sea level serve local needs better in the years ahead?

Learning the Art of Burning to Prevent Wildfire

In Santa Rosa’s Pepperwood Preserve, volunteers are learning how controlled fires can clear out natural wildfire fuel before it can spark.

Who Will Inherit the Estuary? Training for a Rough Future

The six-month program teaches students aged 17 -24 about the challenges facing communities around the SF Estuary, from Stockton to East Palo Alto.

Split Verdict Over State of the Estuary

Habitat restoration and pollution regulations are holding the Bay steady, but the Delta is losing some of its ecological diversity, says SF Estuary Partnership scorecard.

Volunteers Catch and Release Tiny Owls For Science

In Santa Rosa, citizen scientists capture northern saw-whet owls to help further research on climate impacts to the bird.

Antioch Desalination Plant Could Boost Local Water Supply

The $120 million plant opened this fall and treats 8 million gallons of brackish water a day, 75% of which is drinkable.

How Cities Can Make AI Infrastructure Green

Data centers fueling AI can suck up massive amounts of energy, water and land, but local policies can mitigate the impact.

What to Know about PFAS in Tri-Valley Water

In this nonfiction comic, explore how the city of Pleasanton is dealing with PFAS- contaminated groundwater.

ReaderBoard

Once a month we share reader announcements: jobs, events, reports, and more.

Artist Repurposes Shoreline Detritus

Courtney Griffith scours beaches and parks for everything from plastic to charcoal, mangled ropes and burnt wood to use in her work.

After The Fire: Scenes from Chinese Camp

One of California’s oldest Gold Rush settlements takes stock after a devastating fire — a photo essay.

Youth Group Tackles Heat Islands in Santa Rosa

A new youth advisory team convened by the Greenbelt Alliance and Latino Service Providers is exploring heat disparities in southwest Santa Rosa.

CEQA Reforms: Boon or Brake for Adaptation? 

California Environmental Quality Act updates may open up more housing, but some are sounding alarms about bypassed environmental regulations.

Repurposing Urban Lots & Waterfronts: Ashland Grove Park, Palo Alto Levee, and India Basin

In this edition of our professional column, we look at how groups are reimagining a lot in Ashland Grove and shorelines in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Backyard Harvests Reduce Waste

A Cupertino Rotary Club program led by Vidula Aiyer harvests backyard fruit and reduces greenhouse gases.

Digging in the Dirt Got Me Into Student Climate Action

A public garden at El Cerrito High School in the East Bay inspired my love of nature and my decision to study environmental science at UCLA.

King Kong Levee: Two Miles Done, Two To Go

Two miles of levee are now in place as part of the project to protect Alviso and parts of San Jose, but construction will last much longer.