Climate & Environment

Get prepared: Red flag warning means Southern California is facing a serious wildfire threat

A red flag warning has been issued for mountainous areas of Southern California, including in L.A., Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties.

A man wearing the signature yellow jacket and hard hat of wildland firefighters in California stares at a mass of brush that's being consumed by huge orange flames.

California has a fallback plan for Trump’s clean car attacks. Does it go far enough?

Amid a legal fight over California’s power to regulate car and truck pollution, state agencies are suggesting policies that need stable funding, legislative action, or lengthy rulemaking.

Three hydrogen-powered semi-trucks with “Zero Emissions” branding are parked side by side.

There’s a ‘lake’ of oil under LA’s soon-to-close refinery. Who’s going to clean it up?

Climate policies could lead to future refinery closures as Californians transition to electric vehicles.

Smoke billows from an oil refinery near the water, where birds fly. The sky is dusky orange.

Missing deadline to clear fire debris may get pricey for scores of LA property owners

Declaring the lots a public nuisance allows the county to remove ash and rubble while charging owners for the work.

An aerial photo of rows and rows of empty properties, some with clear patches of dirt and others with rubble remaining. A mountain range can be seen in the background.

LA extends hours at some cooling centers as heat wave arrives

Access to air-conditioned spaces is a key public health strategy amid worsening heat, but there are questions about how effective cooling centers are.

A wide view of children and their silhouettes against the sun rays as they jump around in water puddles in a park.

Businesses face 'chaos' as EPA aims to repeal its authority over climate pollution

A lot of companies want the EPA in charge of setting national climate regulations because it helps shield them from lawsuits and creates a predictable environment in which to make investments.

Listen 2:51

An exhaust pipe atop a truck with an overcast sky in the background.

This iconic tortoise in the Mojave Desert is dying out. It could affect the whole ecosystem

The Mojave Desert tortoise has long been considered a threatened species, but in June, California declared it endangered.

Listen 4:32

Extreme heat and fire weather arrives in SoCal. Here’s what to expect

Starting Wednesday, temperatures are expected to be in the high 90s and low 100s in inland areas. Officials warn the public to take precautions.

A boy with dark hair in a white T-shirt stands as fountain water falls all around him in the sun.

Gavin Newsom warms to Big Oil in climate reversal

After years of cracking down on California’s oil industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats are moving to get Kern County wells pumping again to avoid soaring gasoline prices.

Oil pumps operate in a dry, desert-like oil field.

Long Beach’s green bin roll out is underway. Here’s what you need to know

The second-largest city in L.A. County has taken a different approach to a state mandate to divert food waste from landfills.

A new green waste bin reads "city of Long Beach" and sits on a sunny sidewalk in an residential neighborhood.

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