Community Colleges Respond To Climate Crisis (And Other Headlines)

As I’ve mentioned in the past, the climate crisis deeply impacts Southern California. We feel it with increasingly dangerous heat waves. We see it through more frequent wildfires. My colleagues have reported on solutions already taking place, like retrofitting community centers with solar panels and backup power to create resilience hubs, using special cooling paint on asphalt and testing drought-resilient, sustainable tree species.

Community colleges educate students about climate change crisis

But there could be a new ally that is well-positioned to combat the climate change crisis: community colleges.

Bonnie Ho and Jackie Orchard honed in on West Los Angeles College in Culver City and its new California Center for Climate Change Education — which is poised to teach students about reasons, repercussions and possible remedies to climate change along with giving them hands-on opportunities in the field.

Both federal and state officials are in lockstep with this initiative. California has given them $5 million, while the federal government has put in an additional $1.3 million towards the effort.

“Community colleges to me are really the vehicles for these leaders to be able to realize their goals, ”California Community Colleges chancellor Sonya Christian said. “You’re going to be seeing immediately community colleges playing a much more active and cohesive role in the infrastructure rollout.”

Read the rest of their story to learn all of the possibilities with community colleges at the helm of teaching students about the ins, outs and solutions of climate change.

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• Tomorrow, Los Angeles city workers could walk out on the job for a 24-hour strike. Here are more details on why SEIU Local 721 union members could be the latest workers headed to the picket lines. 
• The historic York wildfire is expected to be contained within a week. The fire in the Mojave National Preserve has already torched over 93,000 acres of desert land. 
• California has three of the largest housing bonds in the state’s history projected to be on ballots in 2024. There is fear that voters would get overwhelmed by all of the spending proposals, even if the bonds are dedicated to fixing the homelessness crisis. CalMatters’ Ben Christopher gave us the details of the record-breaking bond proposals and some of the concerns that come with them. 
• Try your luck by playing the Mega Millions tomorrow when the jackpot grand prize could be an estimated $1.55 billion. This could be the third-largest U.S. lottery total in history. 
• Some local governments within California have been using voters’ tax dollars to lobby the legislature. CalMatters’ Sameea Kamal and Jeremia Kimelman have more details into what these governments lobby for and how much has gone into their efforts. 
• If you’re a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ll definitely want to attend the Jinkx Monsoon: Everything at Stake show at the Orpheum Theatre today and tomorrow. Laugh out loud with Adam Pally & Edi Patterson during their live improvised comedy show at Largo at the Coronet tonight. Listen to people talk about the most pivotal moments in their lives at the Stories @ The Playhouse: In The Blink of an Eye show at the Sierra Madre Playhouse tonight. Check out the rest of the events on this week’s Best Things To Do list.

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The Top Three Tea-Sipping Trends

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

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Bill Ingalls

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Courtesy NASA

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THREE — The U.S. is out of the Women’s World Cup 

The top-ranked United States Women’s National Team made their earliest exit in history from the Women’s World Cup yesterday. It was a close match against third-ranked Sweden, and it all came down to one final penalty kick shootout. Read NPR’s Russell Lewis article for more on the tough match.

TWO — The first pill to treat postpartum depression 

Many birthing parents navigate postpartum depression after giving birth to a child. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has greenlit Zurzuvae, a new drug that could help. The news received some commentary on Twitter about what else could have been funded — paid maternity leave, doulas and in-home postpartum care — instead of the reliance on medication.

ONE — How to watch the Perseid meteor shower 

Mark your calendars, fellow astronomy nerds. It’s time to witness more than 50 shooting stars in one hour in a phenomenon called the Perseid meteor shower on Sunday, Aug. 13. My colleague Jacob Margolis has more information on how you can get the best light show.