Semafor: “The devastating wildfires that are sweeping Los Angeles may accelerate the flight of home insurance companies from California in spite of recent regulatory changes aimed at retaining them, the state’s previous top insurance official told Semafor. At least two major fires are still raging largely uncontained, aided by ongoing high winds, and 24 people… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Environmental Law
California wildfires map
The Los Angeles Times has this amazing interactive map, based on real-time open data provided by CalFire and the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination. See also Analysing satellite imagery of the Jan 2025 Southern California wildfires: “3.9 micron data from the GOES-16 East and GOES-18 West satellites on the January 2025 Southern California fires. We download the… Continue Reading
Supreme Court’s Contempt for Facts Is a Betrayal of Justice
Scientific American [unpaywalled] – The Supreme Court majority’s recent decisions about homelessness, public health and regulatory power, among others, undermine the role of evidence, expertise and honesty in American democracy. “When the Supreme Court’s Ohio v. EPA decision blocked Environmental Protection Agency limits on Midwestern states polluting their downwind neighbors, a sad but telling coda… Continue Reading
LA wildfire damages set to cost record $135 Billion – 10,000+ buildings destroyed
Semafor – “JPMorgan said this morning, more than double an earlier estimate. That comes as those companies are still rebuilding their reserves from the 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons, which included the deadly Camp Fire in California. Insurers have been fleeing California in recent years as weather-related catastrophes become more common, pushing more homeowners to… Continue Reading
States struggle to curb food waste despite policies
State-level policies alone are insufficient to meet the federal food waste reduction goal in the United States, Nature Food (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43016-024-01092-w – PHYS.org: “…The United States generates more food waste than all but two countries. To address this, the federal government set a goal to cut food waste in half by 2030 compared to 2016… Continue Reading
Free wildfire app Watch Duty overwhelmed with new LA resident and firefighter users
Washington Post [unpaywalled]: “Struggling to keep track of fast moving wildfires and the latest evacuation zones, residents of Los Angeles are rushing to download a free app called Watch Duty. The company said it had gained more than 1.6 million new users since Tuesday, the vast majority in LA County. It’s Apple’s most downloaded free… Continue Reading
How Groups of Birds Got Their Names, with Wondrous Vintage Illustrations by Brian Wildsmith
Marginalia: “A Parliament of Owls and a Murder of Crows…Language is an instrument of great precision and poignancy — our best tool for telling each other what the world is and what we are, for conveying the blueness of blue and the wonder of being alive. But it is also a thing of great pliancy… Continue Reading
Microplastics Are Widespread in Seafood We Eat, Study Finds
Newsweek – “Microplastics and other human-made particles are widespread in the seafood that we eat and could be damaging our health. A recent study by scientists at Portland State University (PSU)’s Applied Coastal Ecology Lab investigated particle pollution in nine species of seafood in Oregon. “If we are disposing of an utilizing products that release… Continue Reading
NIST Database Can Help Increase Recycling of Textiles and Clothing
“You have a bag of heavily used clothes that can no longer be donated taking up space in your closet, so you drop it off at your local recycling center. But what happens to that bag of clothes? You might assume that the clothes would get broken down and reused to make new products. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2025/01/nist-database-can-help-increase-recycling-textiles-and-clothing… Continue Reading
13 dramatic photos that capture the beauty of marine sanctuaries
Be in awe of our National Marine Sanctuary System.”A majestic humpback whale, dramatic coastlines, and a coral reef ecosystem shine in the NOAA and and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s ‘Get Into Your Sanctuary’ photo contest. The winning photos celebrate the National Marine Sanctuary System, which encompasses more than 629,000 square miles and includes 17 national… Continue Reading
Purging Old Clothes? Here’s How to Responsibly Donate and Repurpose Your Castoffs
WireCutter: “If you have piles of old clothes and shoes languishing in your home, figuring out what to get rid of is just half the dilemma. You also have to decide how to unload those castoffs. When it comes to this type of purge, balancing every consideration—what’s practical, moral, and sustainable—can be stressful. Do national… Continue Reading
The Internet Is Not Forever
Zeit Online: “The Internet is forever. At least, that was the promise — and the threat — of the digital age, echoed across browsers, clouds, and platforms. A silent warning accompanied every upload: be careful what you post — this will last forever. But with each passing day, it becomes increasingly clear how deceptive that… Continue Reading
