Jacob Margolis
What I cover
I cover science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters, as well as investigations and accountability.
My background
I created, wrote and hosted the LAist Studios podcasts, The Big One: Your Survival Guide and The Big Burn: How To Survive In The Age of Wildfires. I was part of the team that won the 2021 Investigative Reporters and Editors Audio Journalism Award for the series "Hot Days: Heat’s Mounting Death Toll On Workers In The U.S. "Most recently, I’ve published investigations into large scale illegal dumping in L.A. County and previously unreported heavy metal concentrations in fire retardants.
My goals
To uncover how science, policy, and power intersect — so people have the information they need to hold decision-makers accountable and protect their communities.
Best way to reach me
You can reach me by email: jmargolis@laist.com. Or for encrypted communications, I'm on Signal: jacobmargolis.1.
-
Water tanks and swimming pools can go a long way. -
It could take hundreds of years for them to recover. -
You don’t have to drive all the way to the desert to get a look at the phenomena. -
Feel free to keep your tree-related questions coming. -
Heat loving, drought tolerant trees can look beautiful and make a difference as our climate keeps getting hotter. -
-
Scientists brought in trees from around the world to see which ones can thrive in hot and dry conditions with minimal water. Will these soon line a road near you? -
The 77,000+ acre fire is driven by high temperatures, strong winds and invasive grasses. -
The Owen Fire was initially spreading at a decent clip but a strong response got it under control. -
It survives by sucking water and nutrients from other plants.
