The Compost: Here’s the scoop on EV sales
Welcome to The Compost, a weekly newsletter on key environmental news impacting Southern California. Subscribe now to get it in your inbox! In today’s edition…
It hasn’t been the happiest of new years so far in the world of electric vehicles.
First came the news that, after surging for a decade, EV sales dropped significantly in the last half of 2023 amid high prices, unreliable charging and other barriers. But is it a temporary blip or a sign that we’ll miss state and federal goals to transition to EVs? Russ Mitchell with the Los Angeles Times looked at how we got here and what it might mean for the near-future of EVs. …READ MORE…
A leading local automaker is feeling the pinch. Bloomberg reports that Irvine-based Rivian has a cash problem as demand for electric vehicles slows at a time when the company, along with other smaller EV manufacturers, can least afford it. …READ MORE…
In the wake of these trends, automakers have been pressing the Biden administration for more time to reduce EV prices and to ramp up charging infrastructure. And it appears that message has landed, as Reuters reports the administration is getting ready to delay proposed requirements to aggressively cut tailpipe emissions and to ramp up electric vehicle sales. …READ MORE…
On the other hand, a new study hammered home the public health consequences to keeping gas-powered vehicles on our roads. The study, covered by Katie Myer with Grist, shows “a widespread transition to EVs could avoid nearly 3 million asthma attacks and hundreds of infant deaths, in addition to millions of lower and upper respiratory ailments.” …READ MORE…
The good news for those who care about reducing emissions is that surveys show interest in getting an EV remains high. Camila Domonoske with NPR reports that it seems we’re simply nearing the end of the standard adoption curve for new technology where “innovators” and “early adopters” drive sales. Now we just need prices and charging to catch up so mainstream consumers can buy in. …READ MORE…
— By Brooke Staggs, environment reporter
ENERGIZE
Above-ground power lines favored: A judge is urging regulators not to make Southern California Edison bury power lines for a long-awaited Riverside project. Opponents say above-ground lines could spark wildfires and harm property values. But I wrote about how there’s also a growing push to limit delays on clean energy projects if we want to have any chance of meeting goals to reduce emissions from fossil fuels. …READ MORE…
PROTECT
Radioactive material on ocean floor?: New research suggests the seafloor off the Palos Verdes Peninsula may contain low levels of radioactive materials, Michael Hixon reports. The news comes on the heels of previous reports that the harmful insecticide DDT is spread across the ocean there at high concentrations. …READ MORE…
Smarter sand replenishment: Local lawmakers have fought for years to get the millions of dollars needed to start sand replenishment projects to help reverse erosion of Southern California beaches caused by development, rising seas and other impacts of climate change. But Laylan Connelly reports that UC Irvine researchers are recommending new data and methods that could allow leaders to make smarter decisions about where sand infusions can do the most good. …READ MORE…
Lead in tumblers sparks suits: Stanley faces more lawsuits over lead in its products, including the tumbler that recently went viral. “The lawsuit complaints note Stanley competitors — Hydro Flask, Owala and Klean Kanteen — use lead-free manufacturing processes for their products.” …READ MORE…
HYDRATE
Rover helps clean local waters: Think of it like a Roomba for water. Since a trial started Feb. 1 in Huntington Harbor, Laylayn Connelly reports a rover device “has brought in about 200 gallons of trash during five cleanups – everything from sticks and twigs to bags, bottles, cigarette butts, balloons and cans of paint. It has filled about six 32-gallon trash cans.” …READ MORE…
Latest storm impacts: As the latest major winter storm eases across Southern California, here’s a look at some SCNG stories that covered rainfall totals, flooding and other impacts.
- Mud slides, trees fall and power is zapped as 3-day storm lashes Southern California
- Orange County rain map: Where the most rain fell this week
- How much rain did DTLA — and LAX, Long Beach and Burbank airports — get in February?
- Odors come after storm-caused power outage at Hyperion, damaged equipment repair
- Storm adds more rain to saturated Palos Verdes Peninsula, prompts calls for state help
- More damage at Wayfarers Chapel reported as Palos Verdes Peninsula endures Day 2 of rain
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VOTE
Senate candidates on climate: Wondering how top candidates in California’s competitive U.S Senate race come down on climate issues? Sammy Roth at the Los Angeles Times dug into the background and chatted with Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam B. Schiff (Steve Garvey didn’t respond to requests) about their positions on key issues. …READ MORE…
REGULATE
Bill takes aim at invasive pests: An Inland Empire legislator is asking the state to take action to prevent fruit fly infestations like the one that is seeing Redlands’ orange trees being stripped of their fruit. Beau Yarbrough reports the bill would require the state to detect and eradicate invasive species that could harm California agriculture. …READ MORE…
- Dive deeper: Learn more about the pests and local citrus quarantines in this great explainer graphic from Kurt Snibbe.
Push for expanding local monument grows: Veterans who find solace in the San Gabriel Mountains National monument are helping to lobby for its expansion. Steve Scauzillo has the tale. …READ MORE…
Food waste recycling lags: Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, Amy Taxin with the Associated Press reports the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it’s widely accepted next year’s ambitious waste-reduction targets won’t be met. …READ MORE…
- Common questions: I rounded up answers to eight common questions about recycling food scraps at home.
Fair animals could get reprieve: A bill backed by an Orange County nonprofit would change state law so kids can enter animals in county fairs without sentencing their beasts to death and their people to drawn-out legal battles. Teri Sforza has the wild tale that inspired the law. …READ MORE…
TRANSPORT
Zero-emission trains coming to the IE: Arrow trains have been ferrying passengers between Redlands and San Bernardino on low-emission diesel fuel since October 2022. But by fall, David Downey reports up to half of those 9-mile trips could be on trains that don’t spew any pollution. …READ MORE…
- Quote: “It’s the first of its kind in the United States. I am excited, and I am hopeful that it takes hold and that people replicate this in other areas.”
Wall should help keep trains running: A $7.2 million “catchment wall” will be built at a landslide area in northern San Clemente to hold back the slipping hillside and get passenger train service running through to San Diego again, Laylan Connelly reports. …READ MORE…
CELEBRATE
Oil company land could soon be restored: More than 150 acres of Long Beach wetlands, near the city’s border with Orange County, is at last on the path to restoration after a massive land swap deal that’s been years in the making cleared a major hurdle, Chris Haire reports. …READ MORE…
EXPLORE
Kayak in Death Valley?: When my husband and I visited Death Valley around this time of year back in 2019, the most magical moment for me was standing in Badwater Basin, where we felt fortunate to see a bit of water cutting through the salt flats and reflecting the desert sky. So seeing images now of people kayaking in that same spot is hard to believe! If you want to try for yourself, now is the time to go, since park officials told our Bay Area News Group colleagues that the lake might be too shallow for kayaking in just a couple weeks. …READ MORE…
PITCH IN
Keep those sprinklers off: For this week’s tip on how Southern Californians can help the environment… With the amount of rain Southern California has received in recent weeks, and more potentially on the way by Monday, it’s safe to say you won’t need to water outdoor landscaping for some time. So be sure your sprinklers and irrigation systems are turned off, and help save water by remembering to always switch them off when storms arrive.
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