I'm glad to see environmental and public health groups sue the EPA to make them do their job: protect the public from pollution, including climate pollution. I'm particularly proud to be a member of one of those groups: NRDC. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Southern California's main air quality regulator (AQMD) just backed off of regulations that would help phase out gas appliances in favor of cleaner electric ones. This happened after the AQMD received a flood of emails that were sent through a platform that uses AI. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Electrifying railways with overhead wires has many benefits: lower pollution, lower operating costs, more reliability, faster train acceleration. Many countries are well ahead of the U.S. in doing this. However there are upfront costs and other challenges. www.etany.org/rail-electri...

It's very disappointing, but totally unsurprising, that the Trump Administration has turned its back on science and the environment by making this regulatory move. We can make progress in reducing the damage from climate change, but only if we face reality. www.latimes.com/environment/...

I found an interesting study on plane versus train emissions in the northeastern U.S. Overall trains usually have lower emissions, but not always. That's what really caught my eye. Why wouldn't trains always be lower? Read on . . . www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

I've been reading "Abundance" (Klein and Thompson, 2025). Part of their argument is a critique of the concept of "degrowth." Degrowth is essentially the idea that our current level of economic activity is unsustainable and that we should therefore reduce and redistribute to make the reduction fair.

This is good news: Europe now generates more of its electricity from renewables than from fossil fuels! The benefits are clear: reduced pollution, improved national security and lower electricity prices. www.latimes.com/environment/...

I was thinking about plug-in hybrid ships. Similar to plug-in hybrid cars they can operate on both liquid fuel and battery power. In the case of ships, the batteries are sufficient to navigate in and around ports while the liquid fuel provides longer range.

A few cities in CA tried to ban gas connections in new buildings to protect the environment. However, these policies have been successfully challenged in court. Now the Trump Administration is piling on by suing two cities over policies they no longer enforce. www.latimes.com/environment/...

I decided to start listening to audiobooks because I realized I have more time to listen than I do to actually read. For example, I can listen to things while doing the dishes or exercising. My local library has some you can stream and there are lots more you can buy. It's been good so far!

I hesitate to fly, in no small part because I worry about the environmental damage. This is paired with a sense that I'm missing out on things, which I sometimes regret. It seems sometimes there are no good choices. But when I drive across the desert and I see how beautiful it is . . .

I just did my first road trip in an electric car! It was Los Angeles to Tucson, which is about 500 miles (805 km). A good solid day of driving each way. Tucson was neat. Got to see Saguaro National Park, downtown, the streetcar, etc. Pics:

Lately the air quality in my part of Greater Los Angeles has been bad. Right now the local Air Quality Management District data say it's "unhealthy" with an air quality index score that's color coded an ominous shade of red on their map. The main culprit is PM 2.5: fine particulate matter.

Truly deranged behavior by Trump. The US should leave Venezuela alone. No war for oil! www.npr.org/2025/12/11/g...

Great piece about the Amtrak Southwest Chief, a train which connects Los Angeles and Chicago over the course of about 43 hours. I've ridden this train from LA to Albuquerque, but not all the way to Chicago . . . yet :) www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Using social media less has proven mental health benefits! What to do instead? Go for a walk, socialize in real life, get some sleep. Scroll less, live more :) www.npr.org/2025/12/02/n...

Great piece about child labor on California farms. Although state law does allow this practice under some conditions, there are widespread problems, including wage theft, exposure to pesticides, inadequate shade for breaks, etc. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Man, it would be sooooooooo stupid to start a war with Venezuela. Like, really, really . . . really stupid. Did I mention it would be stupid? Because, yeah, it would be. www.npr.org/2025/11/18/n...

Trump and Republicans in Congress dismantled USAID, which provided lifesaving aid to vulnerable people around the world. As a result, people are dying. It's cold, cruel and wrong. Support good groups doing similar work if you can, like Doctors Without Borders. www.democracynow.org/2025/11/13/u...

Wishing the rest of the world luck in their meeting in Belem as they try to figure out how to accelerate climate solutions. The U.S. federal government is essentially not even bothering to show up. Luckily many Americans are better than their government on this issue. www.latimes.com/world-nation...

Can we please not force air traffic controllers to be distracted by worrying about how they're going to pay their bills? I don't know about you, but I prefer my air traffic controllers to be rested and focused, not picking up shifts for a taxi app to make ends meet. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Thanks Trump, now America is losing many of its most distinguished researchers. Really smart people are looking at America and thinking "actually, this kind of sucks." youtu.be/yLvO070E_dI?...

Trump and Republicans in Congress are refusing to negotiate with Democrats to preserve existing support that helps people pay for health care. Now the GOP is threatening to withhold food aid from low-income families. Please consider supporting your local food bank. www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Just a reminder that social media isn't really healthy, and it would probably be better to talk to someone face to face if you can. It's not natural to be fed what we want to see all the time. Real life isn't like that. So, to live a life that's more real, you have to unplug, at least, sometimes.

As an alum, I urge USC to reject Trump's compact, which is a critical threat to academic freedom. The compact discriminates against transgender students, faculty and staff and would suppress speech and protests that are disfavored by the regime, among other problems. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Bummer about the federal government shutdown that seems likely to start soon. This is what happens when there's a lack of willingness to strike a reasonable bipartisan compromise. Federal workers and the American people deserve better. www.npr.org/2025/09/30/g...

I learned about the video game "Hollow Knight" on NPR because they had a story about its long-awaited sequel coming out. This was perfect for me because I hadn't even played the original, but so far . . . I like it :)

I had a chance to travel to San Diego to speak at an Accessory Dwelling Unit conference. I'm proud of the message I delivered and that I got here and am heading back by train. Downtown San Diego has come a long way in being a good urban place too :)

I'm against the death penalty in all cases. It's unnecessary, immoral and hypocritical. Apparently the whole "political violence is bad" thing hasn't sunk in for this prosecutor. www.latimes.com/world-nation...

I think I found out why Teslas are so expensive. Forking over obscene amounts of money to Elon doesn't make sense, as his increasingly erratic decision making and toxic political involvement are already harming the brand. Time for new leadership if you ask me. www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Recently I was able to switch what a retirement account I have though work invests in. Before a lot of the investment was in companies on the S&P 500 Index. That was bad because that index includes fossil fuels, weapons, tobacco, alcohol, even casinos, among other things.

Arellano penned a strong critique of racial profiling by ICE, which the Supreme Court just failed to stop by striking down a lower court injunction while the trial proceeds. His solution is to carry his U.S. passport at all times to prove his citizenship. www.latimes.com/california/s...

You know what's good? Solar power is CHEAP and CLEAN. Listen to this podcast on Heated where Emily Atkin and Bill McKibben talk about that, and how we can make it easier for more people, including renters, to get in on the action. heated.world/p/where-does...

Charging an electric car overnight slashes emissions by something like 80% compared to a gasoline car. But what if you want to overachieve and reduce emissions even more? Charge during the day and you can tap into abundant solar power on the grid. www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...

I just made my first political donation of the 2026 election cycle to the Democratic National Committee, which provides campaign tech/data support, voter protection and mobilization services, and strategic transfers of funds to key races. More info here: democrats.org/who-we-are/w...

Lately I've been seeing this idea in climate activism that we need hope, inspiration, community and appreciation for the incredible progress that is still being made despite federal policy headwinds in the United States. It's not about pretending we've solved climate change, it's about how we fight

California's Cap and Trade program is an important strategy to reduce climate and air pollution. It should definitely be extended. From a climate perspective it should also be stricter, because we're not reducing emissions fast enough. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Washington DC is a territory, not a State, and therefore it has no real representation in Congress and Trump is taking over their police force for no real reason. That's dumb and bad. All US territories need, at a bare minimum, real representation in Congress.

I kind of want to visit western Europe, but I don't like how there's literally no reasonable way to do so that doesn't result in a lot of negative climate impact. The other problem is if you fly direct from Los Angeles to, say, London in the morning you arrive in the wee hours of the morning.

The Trump folks are bowing down to their masters in the oil and biofuel industries by trying to weaken environmental regulations on cars. It's as dumb as it is evil when they argue this will save consumers money. Just the opposite. It will mean higher energy bills. www.npr.org/2025/07/29/n...

You know what's getting cheap? Solar plus storage. More inexpensive and better batteries can only help the transition away from fossil fuels and help the electrical grid operate more efficiently. Nice! open.spotify.com/episode/6rxd...

Oops! We're making electricity more expensive and undermining the fight against climate change by prematurely phasing out subsidies for clean, renewable energy, like solar and wind. Maybe we should elect people who have good ideas instead? Just a thought. www.npr.org/2025/07/15/n...

So instead of cutting military aid for Israel, for killing over 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza and maintaining a system of apartheid, we're sactioning a human rights investigator with the UN for doing her job. Disappointing, but not surprising. www.npr.org/2025/07/10/g...

As Republicans are on the cusp of passing their giant tax cuts for the rich and deep cuts to safety net programs, I'm thinking about how America treats so many workers like crap. The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour and federal law does not guarantee any paid sick days or vacation. That sucks.

This bill is a steaming pile of garbage. It cuts taxes for the rich while kicking people off food assistance and health care, and rolling back clean energy investments, all whole exploding the national debt. It's the legislative manifestation of being an asshole. www.npr.org/2025/07/01/n...

Mamdani's platform on housing emphasizes strict rent control and development of 100% affordable housing. If you dig down there's also a bit more about mixed-income housing. However, there's basically nothing about the importance of having enough market-rate housing. www.zohranfornyc.com/platform

I'm feeling off. I've been a little sick, but I'm really sick of idiots starting wars, immigrants being brutalized, environmental protections being gutted and taxes being cut for the rich, WHILE being expected to function as if everything is fine. Everything is NOT fine.

It's concerning that Trump casually suggested on social media that he might decide to assassinate the leader of Iran. Only Congress has the power to declare War, but the President can do things that make war almost inevitable. A war with Iran would be dumb and bad. www.npr.org/2025/06/17/n...

An important but completely unsurprising insight. Republican fiscal policy has always been about hooking up the rich at the expense of the poor. This bill is bad and I hope Congress rejects it. www.npr.org/2025/06/12/n...

I'm glad to see people peacefully protesting Trump's racist immigration policies and to see the state pushing back in court. This problem is 100% Donald Trump's fault. Immigrants are welcome here. Stop tearing apart families and terrorizing our community. www.latimes.com/politics/sto...