California’s planet-warming pollution shrank by 3% in 2023, one of the largest year-over-year reductions the state has seen, according to a report by nonprofit Next 10.

A swarm of small earthquakes jolted San Ramon over the last month. Scientists said the earthquakes are normal and aren’t indicative of the big one.

In the quiet winter months, the natural world buzzes with activity. Insect migration patterns shift, animal survival tactics kick in, and tiny engineering feats unfold as snowflakes form in the sky.

Thanks to tiny new ultralight radio tags small enough for a fragile butterfly to carry, scientists are getting a rare, real-time look at how western monarchs move through their winter habitat.

Navy Apologizes for 11-Month Delay in Reporting Radioactive Material at Hunters Point “I do appreciate you for owning up to the mistake, but apologies and admissions do not protect our community,” Shamman Walton @kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social www.kqed.org/science/1999...

I am now also on the earthquake beat for @kqednews.kqed.org/ @kqedscience.bsky.social. Always looking for pitches, generally about the Bay Area/CA! Here is my first story: Scientists Say San Ramon’s Latest Earthquake Swarm Is Normal, but Residents Are on Edge www.kqed.org/science/1999...

California clinics' doors are flying open, patients are lining up and ketamine is being prescribed off-label for everything from depression to chronic pain. What’s missing are clear rules to guide its use.

Researchers identified two immune signals that may help explain why a small percentage of young males develop chest pain or shortness of breath after mRNA COVID shots.

A union battle between mental health workers and Kaiser exposes the current reality and future potential of AI’s role in therapy sessions.

A Stanford lab shows that when people use virtual reality to explore an unfamiliar place, it deepens their emotional connection to, and concern about, climate change impacts far from home.

Meet the two high schoolers turning their love of wildlife photography into a Bay Area coyote research project.

A new study from San José State University shows that last winter’s massive battery plant fire in Moss Landing spread a layer of toxic metals across the region.

The errant earthquake warning that lit up phones across Northern California with a notice of a quake in Nevada on Thursday morning was not a result of a problem with the early warning delivery system or MyShake phone application, officials said.

The ghost-white alligator Claude died this week at the age of 30. An initial necropsy found that the alligator had liver cancer. The outpouring of public memories online was immediate and deeply personal:

🌊King Tides to Flood Bay Area Shorelines This Week. Here's Where and When to Safely See Them Beachgoers are in for some of the highest tides of the year. Tidepoolers can expect some of the lowest tides of the year. @kqedscience.bsky.social @kqednews.kqed.org www.kqed.org/science/1999...

This week’s extra high tide could flood shorelines across the Bay Area, offering a preview of how rising seas could reshape the region. Here's what to know about king tides and where to safely see them in the Bay Area:

🏳️‍🌈🌲A Queer Climate Movement Takes Root Along the Russian River “Our mission is to make the sustainability movement feel irresistible ... something you really want to do because it’s fun, sexy & interesting." @kqedarts.bsky.social @kqedscience.bsky.social www.kqed.org/arts/1398417...

California’s electricity rates are the second-highest in the country after Hawaii, and a majority of Californians say the expense is a top concern. The burden is even higher for low-income families.

California adopted new rules to better detect and curb methane leaks from landfills, aiming to reduce the state’s second-largest source of climate-warming pollution.

The Trump administration on Thursday released its plan to open up federal waters off the coast of California to oil drilling, taking a momentous step that state leaders and environmentalists had long expected.

A new study warns that rising seas could flood nearly 250 Bay Area Hazardous sites, putting already vulnerable communities at greater risk of toxic exposure.

Hundreds of CA & Bay Area Hazardous Sites Could Face Future Flooding Power plants. Sewage plants. Fossil fuel ports. Radioactively contaminated sites. These are a few of the 249 sites across the Bay Area that could flood. @kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social www.kqed.org/science/1999...

Soaring health insurance costs are forcing some Californians to make tough choices — from dropping coverage to leaving the state or even the country — as federal subsidies expire and premiums surge.

California stoneworkers are becoming severely ill from silica dust exposure from cutting engineered stone, prompting urgent warnings from doctors and workplace safety experts as Australia’s 2024 ban underscores the urgency.

The Trump administration is not attending this year’s international climate conference, and said the president won’t pursue “vague climate goals.” That leaves the country’s states and cities in the limelight, and California is leading the pack.

A UC Berkeley bioethics professor warns that kids may be susceptible to self-harm or suicide when Character.AI bans youth under 18 from using its chatbots this month.

Federal tax credits for various home electrification upgrades will be expiring on Dec. 31. If you’re among the heat-pump or EV-car-charger curious, read on for how to take advantage of the savings that are disappearing.

If you live in California, you’ve likely heard the term “atmospheric river” thrown around recently. The West Coast is slammed by an onslaught of these massive, fast-moving storm systems every winter.

California’s state veterinarian banned all chicken shows this year to limit the spread of bird flu, leaving county fairs across the state devoid of chickens.

Wind. Downpours. Thunderstorms. Potential power outages. National Weather Service forecasters expect this week’s atmospheric river to bring heavy rain and fierce winds across the Bay Area late Wednesday evening into Thursday.

What can #birds tell us about the health of the #SanFranciscoBay? A lot, it turns out! We’re proud to see Point Blue’s SF Bay Program Leader, Julian Wood, featured in @kqedscience.bsky.social for his insights on the newly launched #SFBayStateOfTheBirds website! 🌎🧪Learn more: shorturl.at/DVYXZ

Hold on to Your Hat: Bay Area Feels More Gusty Winds After Atmospheric River Subsides Wind speeds reached 82 mph in the hills of Marin County. In Hayward, a tree toppled over, smashing a car. Thousands lost power. @kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social www.kqed.org/science/1999...

The bulk of the rain from this week’s atmospheric river has passed over the Bay Area, but forecasters expect high winds to remain through Wednesday evening.

What questions do you have about health insurance? Comment below with your questions or concerns, or email [email protected].

A new website provides scientists, policymakers, and the public with an up-to-date look at which Bay Area bird populations are thriving and which are declining, and what that says about the health of San Francisco Bay’s wetlands and waters.

San Francisco officials and advocates are raising alarms that the U.S. Navy failed to alert the public to high levels of airborne radioactive material detected almost a year ago at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.

A South Bay student uses drone technology to show what’s at stake as rising seas threaten the Bay Area wetlands that act as a natural barrier to flooding.

In the dunes between Monterey and Mexico’s Baja California, researchers discovered a new species of spider that until now, has been hidden in plain sight: Aptostichus ramirezae. The new species was announced in Ecology and Evolution.

Death might seem like the end, but for these five creatures, it’s just part of the job.

Families, students and science enthusiasts filled UCSF’s Mission Bay campus for a day full of science experiments, exhibitions, stage events and lab tours.

Bat ladies. You probably didn’t know this was a thing. www.kqed.org/arts/1398268... via @kqedscience.bsky.social @raealexandra.bsky.social

The Bay Area is more than halfway toward its goal of restoring 100,000 acres of tidal wetlands, which are a natural buffer to floodwaters from future sea level rise. The region now boasts 57,800 acres of restored tidal marsh @kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social www.kqed.org/science/1998...

The Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program published data in September showing that restored tidal marshes nearly quadrupled from 2000 to 2020.

National Weather Service forecasters said the first noteworthy atmospheric river of the season will hit the Bay Area this weekend, with the most rain north of San Francisco.

After a three-year break, the Bay Area Science Festival, Northern California’s largest free science celebration, returns Oct. 25, with more than 120 hands-on experiments, demonstrations, and tours for all ages.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have pushed California toward more strategic planning to prevent the worst wildfire damage, saying it would cost too much unbudgeted money.

Caltrans is inviting the public to weigh in on how lifting a decades-old truck ban on I-580 would impact Oakland, San Leandro and other East Bay communities.

Advocates say Southern sea otters are thriving in California’s Elkhorn Slough, but could face new risks if a proposed law change weakens the Endangered Species Act.

CA Sea Otters Could Face New Threats if Trump Weakens Law for Endangered Animals “It’s mind-boggling when you think about how many species … could actually be affected by a change like this. It’s huge.” @kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social www.kqed.org/science/1998...

A heads-up: your phone might be getting a loud earthquake test alert this morning.