Climate & Environment

Lead levels in soil exceeded state standards in Eaton Fire burn zone, LA County reports

The report didn't find high lead levels in the Palisades Fire area. And the county added that “there is no evidence of widespread contamination from fire-related chemicals.”

A new U.S. flag hangs on a gate at a property destroyed by fire.

Newsom strikes climate deal extending California cap and trade, boosting oil production

Democratic state leaders have proposed a host of energy bills that seek to balance affordability with the state’s ambitious climate goals.

A refinery with multiple exhaust pipes and smoke coming out of one. There is a building in the foreground.

Low birth weight rates rose nearly 50% around Aliso Canyon gas leak, UCLA study finds

A UCLA study in the journal Science Advances also found a likely increase in miscarriages around the methane leak in the northern San Fernando Valley in 2015.

Cool weather to turn into slow warming this weekend

Cool today, slightly warmer over next few days.

An aerial photo of the city of Los Angeles and beyond. In the foreground is the dark green capped Griffith Observatory, in the distance is the downtown L.A. skyline.

Rooftop solar installations are falling in LA. Why?

After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.

SoCal to stay relatively cool

Another cool day is on tap for the region.

A view from a high position into a valley with a long freeway running through populated areas.

First came the wildfire. Then came the scams

As extreme weather becomes more frequent, so too have post-disaster contractor scams like excessive billing and shoddy repairs.

A red and white sign on a sidewalk reads "Unlicensed contractors BEWARE. It is a FELONY to contract without a valid California contractors license in a disaster area."

The rotten egg smell at the Salton Sea isn’t just a nuisance. It can make people sick

UCLA researchers have found that hydrogen sulfide emissions at the Salton Sea are at elevated levels and can cause serious health effects to those that live near the lake.

A lone swing set stands at the shore of a low water level lake

Ancient microbial life could explain minerals detected on Mars, new study finds

Scientists report that they may have found Martian minerals that on Earth are formed by microbes in oxygen-free, muddy environments. But they say other explanations are possible, too.