Families are turning to cargo e-bikes as a car replacement for short trips as bike prices become more accessible. #Petaluma resident Nate Seltenrich shares how he uses his e-bike for everything from school drop-off to grocery runs. #ebikes #cargobikes 🧵 1/2

This month's stories spotlight the innovative materials and natural engineers building climate resilience in the Bay Area, from beavers to “baycrete.” Plus, scientists respond to January's Sierra snowpack report and a Petaluma resident makes the case for electric cargo bikes. buff.ly/vzljU4j 🧵 ⅛

A small city of eight-story apartment buildings has popped up at Brooklyn Basin, a Priority Development Area (PDA) on the East #Oakland waterfront. The 64-acre development adds thousands of new housing units, but does it meet #affordablehousing and #climateresilience goals? 🧵 1/4

#BayArea jurisdictions are pooling resources to tackle shared #climate threats. After more than a decade of delays, five #RedwoodCity mobile home parks finally got flood relief when four jurisdictions joined forces through @oneshoreline.bsky.social to fund a $10 million diversion project. 🧵 1/3

In #PleasantHill, a tricky intersection has been redesigned to improve safety and #accessibility, with wider bike lanes, audible crosswalks, ADA-compliant ramps, and LED lighting systems. The project won the national Complete Streets award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers. 🧵 1/3

In his decade of service as executive director at the San Francisco Estuary Institute, Warner Chabot worked to build partnerships across agencies and elevate the Institute's science while maintaining what he called its "platinum reputation." @sfestuaryinstitute.bsky.social 🧵 1/3

As the Bay Area races to adapt to #sealevelrise, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission is set to vote early this year on major regulatory changes designed to fast-track #wetlandrestoration, levees, and other flood-buffering projects. #BayArea 🧵 1/3

“I was given the privilege of serving 50 brilliant, passionate, public interest scientists. There are now almost 100 of them. It was the best decade of my professional life." Thank you Warner Chabot, who recently retired from SFEI after 11 years of dedicated service as our executive director!

In this month’s stories, tackling climate challenges demands collaboration at every level. From regional agencies streamlining permits to accelerate climate projects to jurisdictions pooling resources to tackle shared #climaterisks, coordination is challenging but essential. buff.ly/XSFe6R3 🧵 1/6

As flash floods become more common, #Concord residents are adjusting commutes, monitoring creeks, and stocking up on free sandbags from Gasoline Alley. Community reporting fellow Gracebelle Ma’ake explores how locals are adapting to increased #flood risks. Comic by Rain Hepting. 🧵 1/3

As the #WorldCup approaches, Bay Area artificial turf fields are at the center of a growing debate. Cities like #Sunnyvale and #Millbrae are now considering bans over health concerns, from chemicals in recycled tire crumbs to #microplastic pollution and dangerous overheating. 🧵 1/3

At a December meeting held by Sustainable Solano, Rio Vista residents learned how gas wells and traffic impact local #airquality and health. Daniela Ramirez, a high school senior interning with Sustainable Solano, interviewed her neighbors about their takeaways. #Solano #RioVista 🧵 1/3

Undaunted by the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant and environmentally destructive policies, nonprofit @greenlatinos.org is fighting for #environmentaljustice in frontline communities. 🧵 1/3

Our bimonthly “KneeDeep with Neighbors” newsletter features local #climatestories & community voices, in English & en español. In our first edition, Concord preps for storms, artificial turf gets a closer look, GreenLatinos stands firm, and Rio Vista speaks up on air quality. buff.ly/5377Iv4 🧵 1/5

Environmental justice advocates and conservation groups are converging on #Sacramento today to demand legislative action to fix SB 131's rollback of #CEQA protections. #SB131 📷: Backyard Productions/Canva 🧵 1/2

UC Santa Cruz researchers are unraveling the mystery of dry-farmed tomatoes—fruits that thrive through California's summer drought without a single drop of water. The “Dirty Girl” tomato, bred from the popular “Early Girl” variety, actually makes more #tomatoes when dry-farmed. 🧵 1/3

Experts predict that the #BayArea faces $150B in coastal #flood risk this century. A new study modeling hard structures (seawalls) and soft solutions (#wetlandrestoration) found that mixing both strategies can protect communities without significantly raising Bay water levels. 🧵 1/3

Most U.S. communities with refineries in their midst wage a constant battle against toxic air. Essential to mitigating the climate crisis, ending fossil fuel is also crucial to quality of life here and now. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/martinez-res...

About one-third of food produced in the United States is wasted, producing an estimated 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Gleaning is the key to reversing that trend. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/gleaning-pro...

Through Oakland Goes Outdoors, 14 #Oakland High students got their first taste of #kayaking in #BallenaBay, learning teamwork, water safety, and Bay ecology. The program gives local students the opportunity to hike, camp, and connect with nature. #NatureEducation 🧵 1/3

As #atmosphericrivers drench the Bay Area, #SantaClara County agencies and nonprofits are mobilizing to protect unhoused residents from #flooding and cold weather—especially those sheltering along waterways like the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek. 🧵 1/3

Mission Creek Stormwater Park in #SanFrancisco can capture approximately 694,000 gallons of #stormwater annually. It's just one of many new #greeninfrastructure projects helping the city reach its goal of managing 1 billion gallons by 2050—but can they keep up with increasingly severe storms? 🧵 1/3

Community resilience comes in many forms — from #Oakland high schoolers kayaking for the first time to drought-resistant #tomatoes and innovative #urbandesign that keeps #stormwater out of the Bay. Get the scoop in this month's newsletter: buff.ly/yYmKhtm 🧵 1/7

Volunteers gathered last month to plant a new #pollinatorgarden at Crossroads Church, a small but crucial step as #monarch populations have declined more than 95% since the 1980s. This garden is one of seven habitats the #ContraCosta Resource Conservation District planned this year. 🧵 1/3

At Pepperwood Preserve's "Learn and Burn" workshops in #Sonoma, volunteers from across the Bay Area are learning how to safely use fire to prevent fire. #GoodFire 📷: Amy Moore 🧵 1/3

At a #Newark city council meeting last month, dozens protested the Mowry Village Project planned on a former junkyard bordering critical #wetlands. Developers say it addresses Newark's #housingcrisis, but environmental groups warn it sacrifices the city's best defense against #sealevelrise. 🧵 1/3

After years of #refinery incidents, #Martinez residents are demanding real protection from toxic pollution. Advocacy group Healthy Martinez is pushing for #airquality monitors, reliable alerts, and clean air refuges for frontline communities. #EnvironmentalJustice 🧵 1/3

Californian's are becoming pragmatic about wildfire resilience. After 95% of it burned in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, No. California's Pepperwood Preserve became a place where you can 'Learn and Burn'. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/prescribed-b...

Wildfires are a constant threat to California's wine country. So the Greenbelt Alliance is helping create Interwoven Greenbelt Buffers: irrigated farmland, managed grasslands, and strategically thinned forests that resist wildfires. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/weaving-fire...

#Wildfire protection doesn't have to start from scratch. Using a pilot site in #Sonoma, a new report from Greenbelt Alliance shows how vineyards, woodlands, and working lands can be woven into a protective buffer. 📷: Greenbelt Alliance 🧵 1/2

Nearly 3 years after a massive release of toxic dust coated Martinez, many residents say the question is no longer what went wrong at the oil refinery, but what it will take to be more resilient the next time something happens #cawater @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/martinez-res...

In this issue, we celebrate stories written or illustrated by KneeDeep's community reporting fellows with funding from the CO2 Foundation. From pollinator gardens to controlled burns and refinery pollution, these journalists-in-training bring fresh perspectives. buff.ly/s5ZzVUf 🧵 1/6

Hands-on experiences with nature aren't just educational—they're essential to cultivating the next generation of #climateleaders. In the newest square on our Climate Quilt, Sydney Quan shares how tending her #schoolgarden was the beginning of her journey to climate action. 📷: Sydney Quan 🧵 1/3

With communities from East Palo Alto to Stockton facing significant #flooding by 2050, the @sfestuary.bsky.social Estuary Youth Council is bringing together young people to learn about #sealevelrise and take action for their future. #Delta #Estuary 📷: Juan Pablo Pérez Burgos 🧵 1/3

For six weeks each autumn, biologist Julie Woodruff leads a team of #citizenscientists catching, banding, and releasing northern saw-whet #owls in the #BayArea. The data they collect helps scientists understand how development and climate change are affecting these tiny raptors. 📷: Amy Moore 🧵 1/3

Data centers powering #AI tools use 10 to 20 times more #energy than traditional servers—and could account for up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028. The environmental impact of the AI boom could depend on whether communities act now to regulate the industry. 📷: Afsoon Razavi 🧵 1/3

The San Francisco Estuary's latest health checkup shows mixed results. The 2025 State of Our Estuary assessment, released this fall, reveals that #wetlandrestoration efforts are paying off and some #tidalmarsh birds are returning. @sfestuaryinstitute.bsky.social @sfestuary.bsky.social 🧵 1/2

You can explore the assessment at the Our Estuary website, developed by @sfestuary.bsky.social and us! www.ourestuary.org

Since 2018, #Pleasanton has battled #PFAS contamination in its #groundwater, taking wells offline and switching entirely to treated water from Zone 7 Water Agency. Comic by Rain Hepting. #ForeverChemicals #BayArea #EastBay 🧵 1/2

#Antioch’s new #desalination plant treats brackish water from the #Delta to produce six million gallons of drinking #water daily. As climate change worsens #drought, #California is planning a dozen more brackish plants by 2040 to diversify the state's water supply. 📷: Magali Gauthier 🧵 1/3

This fall, the city of Antioch's new brackish desalination plant started treating water from the Delta. I wrote about the new facility along with the role brackish desalination is playing in the state's water supply strategy for @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social. www.kneedeeptimes.org/antioch-desa...

As the warming world shrinks California's water supply, every drop spoiled, spent, or saved counts. This month's stories dive into #AI's water crisis, a new #desalination plant for the #Delta, #PFAS contamination in the #TriValley area, and more. buff.ly/WIFcyqj #CaliforniaWater #DataCenters 🧵 1/7

#Oakland artist Courtney Griffith walks local #beaches collecting discarded plastics, burnt wood, and tangled ropes—then turns them into installations that spark reflection on our impact on local ecosystems. #EcoArt #RecycledArt 📷: Courtney Griffith 🧵 1/3

This September, lightning sparked a #wildfire in #ChineseCamp. Photographer Tristan Moore documented the aftermath in this historic #GoldRush town, where residents lost nearly everything but are finding ways forward. #PhotoEssay 🧵 1/3

In southwest #SantaRosa, Latinx youth are measuring #extremeheat disparities in their own neighborhoods. Organized by Greenbelt Alliance and Latino Service Providers, this new youth advisory team is documenting how the area’s sparse tree canopy creates #urbanheatislands. 📷: Amy Moore 🧵 1/3

In #LosAngeles, shade is a rare luxury. Three-quarters of bus stops have no shelter, leaving vulnerable residents exposed to #extremeheat. Journalist Sam Bloch’s new book Shade: The Promise of a Forgotten Natural Resource digs deeper into shade inequity. @samkbloch.bsky.social 📷: Sam Bloch 🧵 1/3

This Saturday, join Everyday Climate Champions & Trellis for an afternoon of hope, connection, and climate action in #SanFrancisco. Enjoy live music & happy hour. Free childcare & activities for kids. Tickets: $5-$25 sliding scale. November 8, 1 - 4 pm, 981 Mission St. Register: buff.ly/aE7CAZL

Climate resilience is happening in our own neighborhoods every day—but these stories rarely get told. KneeDeep Times is building a #communityreporting network to amplify these stories. Read the first dispatches from our new Community Reporting Fellows: buff.ly/GFnelDo 🧵 1/4

The second installment of KneeDeep’s quarterly column “The Practice” spotlights innovative #environmentaldesign projects in progress from #PaloAlto to Ashland, including a #levee that filters wastewater and a commercial lot transformed into a #communitypark. #IndiaBasin 📷: Aaron Ackerman 🧵 1/3

New California legislation exempts many housing projects from #CEQA review to fast-track development. Environmental advocates warn the rushed process could enable unsafe housing in #flood and #fire zones and allow industrial facilities to be built near neighborhoods. Map: MTC/ABAG 🧵 1/3