The Compost: Top climate stories of 2023 - OCRegister

The Compost: Top climate stories of 2023 - Orange County Register

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…

Southern California got a welcome reprieve from being on the front lines of climate change in 2023, with a wet winter and relatively mild summer buffering us from the deadly wildfires and extreme weather that plagued so much of the warming planet this year.

Our state – along with some local governments, regulators and activists of all stripes – also made big moves over the past 12 months to try and rein in global warming.

Some of those efforts got weakened or killed along the way, though, while the fate of others remains unclear. But from a disappearing drought to a controversial hydrogen hub to a fight over an underwater pit, there was certainly no shortage of environmental news this year.

As the year winds down, I took a look at how five major climate and environment stories shaped Southern California in 2023.

I like lists. The Notes app in my iPhone has 227 files in it at the moment, and many of them are lists of my favorite movies I’ve seen this year, hikes I want to go on, books I’d like to read, an evolving gear list for backpacking trips… So here are a few more “top five” lists to help us reflect on what happened this year in the climate and environment spaces.

Five environment stories that got big traffic on Southern California News Group sites in 2023:

Before and after images of Irvine Lake with a billion gallons of new water by Jeff Gritchen Rare monster-looking fish with sharp teeth washes up at OC’s Crystal Cove by Laylan Connelly California’s snowpack near a decade high. What’s it mean for the drought? by Scoot Nickerson Snowy owl 3,000 miles from home appears healthy in Cypress neighborhood by Erika Ritchie Super bloom might hit Southern California; prime wildflower viewing seems certain by Andre Mouchard

Five helpful 2023 climate story roundups from other outlets:

From Grist: A look back at US climate solutions this year From Time (not all climate related, but lots are!): 13 ways the world got better in 2023 From Columbia Climate School: Year in Review: Our Top Stories of 2023 From CNN: Counting down the 10 biggest climate stories of 2023 From Grist: How to describe 2023 in two words? Global boiling.

Five favorite stories I worked on this year:

Tribes celebrate yucca harvest as climate change, encroachment threaten sacred tradition From fossil fuel jobs to clean energy: Profiles of locals who’ve made the jump Climate-friendlier flights are taking off from Southern California Are Southern California students and teachers breathing clean air? Christians and climate change: Southern California churches preach very different messages

What will be the top climate stories of 2024 for Southern California and beyond? Are there key dates, events or milestones you’re looking forward to — or dreading? Do you have a resolution for the new year centered around climate action? Send your thoughts to me at BStaggs@scng.com and you might see them in future coverage!

Have a safe and happy New Year’s, Composters.

— By Brooke Staggs, environment reporter

🖋️ REGULATE

Cleaner gardening ahead: Irvine will start banning gas-powered lawn equipment next summer to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Hanna Kang reports. It’s the first city in Orange County to take that step, with several L.A. County cities already going that route after a state law passed to ban the sale of new gas-fueled landscape gear starting Jan. 1. …READ MORE…

- Dig deeper: I recently wrote about a proposed tax credit that could help landscape businesses recoup expenses for making the switch.

⚡ ENERGIZE

Surprising oil news: “As the world grapples with the existential crisis of climate change, environmental activists want President Joe Biden to phase out the oil industry, and Republicans argue he’s already doing that. Meanwhile, the surprising reality is the United States is pumping oil at a blistering pace and is on track to produce more oil than any country has in history.” …READ MORE…

💧 HYDRATE

Stormwater captured: Thanks to recent rains, officials announced Los Angeles County captured 717 million gallons of stormwater last week. The county has held onto roughly 5 billion gallons of stormwater since Oct. 1, or enough to meet the needs of 121,600 people. …READ MORE…

- Context: I recently took a look at what Southern California water agencies are doing to capture more stormwater.

From toilet to tap: ICYMI, California regulators recently approved new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools and businesses. Colorado has already been doing it. One official said: “It’s at the same drinking water quality, and probably better in many instances.” …READ MORE…

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🛡️ PROTECT

Tiny bubbles to the rescue: Could trillions of nanobubbles, 2,500 times smaller than a grain of salt, finally help ease Lake Elsinore’s decades-long battle against toxic algae blooms? And could they help other communities increasingly struggling with climate change-fueled blooms? I took a look at those questions for a recent story on the Lake Elsinore pilot project. …READ MORE…

Flash forward to 2048: How will climate change reshape the Inland Empire over the next 25 years? For the latest in a series looking at what the inland region will look like in a quarter century, Beau Yarbrough talked to experts about how temperatures, water demands and other issues are expected to play out. …READ MORE…

Kids sue the EPA: “I hope we win for my generation as well as for all future generations because we all deserve a thriving planet to live on,” said Genesis, 17 from Long Beach, whose name is on a lawsuit filed by 18 young people against the EPA over climate change. They argue the agency hasn’t done enough to protect them from global warming. Half of the kids are from Southern California, I learned, with promising precedent in another kids vs. the government lawsuit earlier this year. …READ MORE…

Blimp hangar cleanup funds: Navy officials recently announced a $6 million contract has been awarded for cleaning up the Tustin site where one of two World War II-era airship hangars burned to the ground, Erika Ritchie reports. …READ MORE…

Stinky mystery: The Environmental Protection Agency has joined the investigation into what is causing a potentially dangerous leak and unusual smell from the Chiquita Canyon Landfill near Santa Clarita. …READ MORE…

Let us in: Environmental groups of course support Marine Protected Areas along Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar and Bolsa Chica. But Erika Ritchie reports they also want more access to these areas to do research, with petitions underway. …READ MORE…

- Quote: “We believe that through vetted research, monitoring, education and restoration projects, scientists could better understand and preserve these vital habitats.”

🚆 TRANSPORT

Trains halted this week: All Metrolink trains will be out of service across Southern California from Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Dec. 29. Crews will use the time to upgrade signal systems, repair concrete on train platforms, add lighting, do thorough cleanings and more. …READ MORE…

🎉 CELEBRATE

Climate influencers: A number of climate advocates made the Orange County Register’s list of 125 Most Influential People of 2023. See who made the cut here. …READ MORE…

Sand has arrived: The long-awaited San Clemente Shoreline Sand Replenishment Project finally kicked off this month, Laylan Connelly reports, with plans to eventually add enough sand to recreate a 50-foot-wide beach near the town’s iconic pier. …READ MORE…

💪 PITCH IN

Get organized responsibly: For this week’s tip on how Southern Californians can help the environment… Getting rid of clutter and making your space more organized is a common process for many people at the start of a new year. January is “get organized” month for a reason! But how can we get rid of stuff responsibly, without adding to landfills or saddling thrift shops with our unwanted junk? The New Yorker recently republished this great article “A Guide to Getting Rid of Almost Everything” with lots of suggestions (and some trademark humor) to get you started.

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