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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Salton Sea not to blame for Coachella, Imperial air pollution, study says
For years, millions of dollars have poured into controlling dust that wafts off the exposed lake shoreline of the Salton Sea, hoping to solve a serious air pollution problem in the Coachella and Imperial valleys. But a new report finds that the dusty shoreline is only responsible for a small percentage of the pollution, prompting some researchers to emphasize that cleaner air inside people's homes, workplaces and schools could be more important in addressing the asthma and respiratory disease that plague the area. "My big takeaway is that there's so many different sources that what we really need to do is pivot away from source control to start protecting people where they're exposed,' said Michael Cohen, a senior researcher at the Pacific Institute and lead author of the report. Released Thursday, the report draws on data from local, state and federal agencies and finds that dust from the expanding dry shore of the Salton Sea accounts for less than 1% of total small particle pollution in the region. The Salton Sea Basin, Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley all violate ozone, or smog, limits. When averaged over the year, Imperial Valley and Salton Sea Basin have twice the state limit for larger particles. Recent research also suggests bacteria and hydrogen sulfide as pollutants of concern. The dust particles are made up of agricultural chemicals from miles of lettuce and spinach fields, manure from livestock operations, diesel exhaust, unpaved roads and fine debris from lithium mining. Previous reports from UC Riverside have called the area one of the most impoverished and environmentally deteriorated regions in California. This mix is why state and local agencies have long focused their attention on dust control projects, planting salt-tolerant vegetation and spreading gravel. To date, California has spent some $49 million to put in more than 3,000 acres of dust suppression around the Salton Sea. But pollution is coming from so many places that money may be best spent in other ways, the researchers say. 'It's just much more effective, more cost-effective to switch to exposure control ... because really, at the end of the day, we're trying to protect public health and improve the lives of people," Cohen said. That could mean focusing on distributing filters, weatherizing homes and alerting people when they should stay and avoid exercising outdoors. A 2023 survey by the UCR School of Medicine showed more than one in five children in communities near the Salton Sea have asthma — almost twice the state average. Some 29% of parents surveyed said their child has had wheezing or breath whistling in the past, most in the last 12 months. The Salton Sea's role in the region's air quality is amplified by its geography. As a desert basin bordered by mountains, it can trap pollutants. Since 2018, the Salton Sea no longer gets an inflow of fresh water, only agricultural runoff, so it is evaporating and shrinking while the exposed, dry lake bed area is expanding, feeding clouds of particulate. Wind patterns, including strong gusts that sweep across the lake bed and surrounding farmland, can also kick up fine, toxic particles and carry them into nearby towns — exposing more residents. Some of the communities have identified pesticides, open burning, road dust and farming operations as among their air priorities. The region includes Calipatria, Brawley, Riverside, Palm Desert and Indio as well smaller communities, many of them mostly Latino or Indigenous. It's not that the Salton Sea is ruled out as a health problem. Dr. David Lo, a UC Riverside professor who has focused for years on air pollution in the region, said certain particles can be especially harmful depending on their chemical or biological makeup. 'A tiny amount of toxic material, even if it's infinitesimally small, can still have really major health effects,' Lo said. If policy emphasis were to shift to indoor air quality, that would leave many people unprotected, said Aydee Rodriguez, environmental justice campaign manager for the nonprofit Alianza Coachella Valley. "We've been noticing an uptick … of asthma-related … emergencies, people having nosebleeds, people having migraines, people feeling dizzy, nauseous,' she said. 'My hope is that the people start to get together and start talking to each other," said study author Cohen. "About what the different agencies are doing, where they're investing their money and how they can leverage and optimize those investments in public health.' This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Report highlights ways to build resilient water systems
Dorany PinedaAssociated Press Malynndra Tome was helping to map livestock ponds in the Navajo Nation when she saw something that inspired her to act. An elderly woman was filling milk jugs with water at the back of a gas station in the Native American reservation, where about 30 percent of people live without running water. 'How can we be living in the United States of America … one of the most powerful countries in the world, and people are living like this here?' asked Tome, a citizen who grew up in the community of Ganado, Arizona, in the nation's largest Native American reservation at 27,000 square miles (69,930 square kilometers) in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A report published Tuesday identifies ways historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change, like Tome's, can create resilient water and wastewater systems. Its highlights include nature-based solutions, tailoring approaches to each community and using technology — all the while recognizing barriers to implementing them. 'What we hope to do with this report, what I hope, is that it actually gives people hope,' said Shannon McNeeley, a report author and senior researcher with the Pacific Institute, which published the report with DigDeep and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation. 'In spite of some of the major federal funding sources becoming uncertain and possibly not available, I think people will find other ways.' Weather extremes made worse by climate change have disrupted people's access to water. In September, more than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina were under boil-water notices for nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of a local water system. In January, several water providers declared their drinking water unsafe after wildfires roared through Los Angeles. One utility in Pasadena, California, sent out its first notice since it began serving water more than a century ago. Aging water systems leak trillions of gallons, leaving residents in some of the country's poorest communities with a substantial financial burden to fix them. An estimated 30% of the population in the Navajo Nation lives in homes that don't have running water, and many residents drive long distances to get water from public spigots, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report also notes that some federal resources and funding have become unavailable since Donald Trumpreturned to the White House. The Trump administration has cut or paused funding for critical water infrastructure projects, touted a reversal of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and eliminated environmental justice policies meant to protect the communities the report centers on. Greg Pierce, director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the report 'comes at a very depressing moment where we're not going to see federal action in this space, it doesn't seem, for the next four years.' The report synthesizes existing literature about water, climate change and solutions. Its authors reviewed academic studies, government and private reports and interviewed experts to identify ways low-income and communities of color can build water and wastewater systems to withstand extreme weather. The report highlights technology like rainwater harvesting and gray water reuse systems that can decrease water demand and increase resilience to drought. But it adds that implementing and maintaining technology like it can be too expensive for poorer communities. The report also advocates nature-based solutions such as wetlands, which studies find can reduce the length and severity of droughts, provide flood control, reduce or remove pollutants in water and protect water supplies. Communities across the country are increasingly recognizing the benefits of wetlands. In Florida's Everglades, for example, officials have spent billions of dollars to build engineered wetlands that clean and protect a vital drinking water source. The report argues for government-funded water assistance programs to help poorer households pay water and sewer bills, like the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gregory Moller, a professor in the soil and water systems department at the University of Idaho, notes that some approaches are too complex and expensive for smaller or poorer communities. 'Our innovations also have to be on a scale and stage that is adaptable to small systems,' he said. 'And that's where I think some of the most serious challenges are.' Some solutions the report highlights are benefiting communities. In the Navajo Nation, hundreds of solar-powered home water systems have brought running water to more than 2,000 people. Kimberly Lemme, an executive director at DigDeep, which is installing the systems, said it can be a complex and lengthy process. But it shows that solutions do exist. 'Water is a basic human right,' said Tome, whose encounter with the elderly woman inspired her to pursue a doctorate in water resources. 'And in order for people to live productively, to have healthy lives, I think water is a big part of that.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Report highlights how communities hardest hit by climate change can build resilient water systems
Malynndra Tome was helping to map livestock ponds in the Navajo Nation when she saw something that inspired her to act. An elderly woman was filling milk jugs with water at the back of a gas station in the Native American reservation, where about 30% of people live without running water. 'How can we be living in the United States of America … one of the most powerful countries in the world, and people are living like this here?' asked Tome, a citizen who grew up in the community of Ganado, Arizona, in the nation's largest Native American reservation at 27,000 square miles (69,930 square kilometers) in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A report published Tuesday identifies ways historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change, like Tome's, can create resilient water and wastewater systems. Its highlights include nature-based solutions, tailoring approaches to each community and using technology — all the while recognizing barriers to implementing them. 'What we hope to do with this report, what I hope, is that it actually gives people hope,' said Shannon McNeeley, a report author and senior researcher with the Pacific Institute, which published the report with DigDeep and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation. 'In spite of some of the major federal funding sources becoming uncertain and possibly not available, I think people will find other ways.' Climate impacts and the Trump administration Weather extremes made worse by climate change have disrupted people's access to water. In September, more than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina were under boil-water notices for nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of a local water system. In January, several water providers declared their drinking water unsafe after wildfires roared through Los Angeles. One utility in Pasadena, California, sent out its first notice since it began serving water more than a century ago. Aging water systems leak trillions of gallons, leaving residents in some of the country's poorest communities with a substantial financial burden to fix them. An estimated 30% of the population in the Navajo Nation lives in homes that don't have running water, and many residents drive long distances to get water from public spigots, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report also notes that some federal resources and funding have become unavailable since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Trump administration has cut or paused funding for critical water infrastructure projects, touted a reversal of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and eliminated environmental justice policies meant to protect the communities the report centers on. Greg Pierce, director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the report 'comes at a very depressing moment where we're not going to see federal action in this space, it doesn't seem, for the next four years.' Solutions come with challenges The report synthesizes existing literature about water, climate change and solutions. Its authors reviewed academic studies, government and private reports and interviewed experts to identify ways low-income and communities of color can build water and wastewater systems to withstand extreme weather. The report highlights technology like rainwater harvesting and gray water reuse systems that can decrease water demand and increase resilience to drought. But it adds that implementing and maintaining technology like it can be too expensive for poorer communities. The report also advocates nature-based solutions such as wetlands, which studies find can reduce the length and severity of droughts, provide flood control, reduce or remove pollutants in water and protect water supplies. Communities across the country are increasingly recognizing the benefits of wetlands. In Florida's Everglades, for example, officials have spent billions of dollars to build engineered wetlands that clean and protect a vital drinking water source. The report argues for government-funded water assistance programs to help poorer households pay water and sewer bills, like the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. But some are benefiting communities Gregory Moller, a professor in the soil and water systems department at the University of Idaho, notes that some approaches are too complex and expensive for smaller or poorer communities. 'Our innovations also have to be on a scale and stage that is adaptable to small systems,' he said. 'And that's where I think some of the most serious challenges are.' Some solutions the report highlights are benefiting communities. In the Navajo Nation, hundreds of solar-powered home water systems have brought running water to more than 2,000 people. Kimberly Lemme, an executive director at DigDeep, which is installing the systems, said it can be a complex and lengthy process. But it shows that solutions do exist. 'Water is a basic human right,' said Tome, whose encounter with the elderly woman inspired her to pursue a doctorate in water resources. 'And in order for people to live productively, to have healthy lives, I think water is a big part of that.' ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Report highlights how communities hardest hit by climate change can build resilient water systems
Malynndra Tome was helping to map livestock ponds in the Navajo Nation when she saw something that inspired her to act. An elderly woman was filling milk jugs with water at the back of a gas station in the Native American reservation, where about 30% of people live without running water. 'How can we be living in the United States of America … one of the most powerful countries in the world, and people are living like this here?' asked Tome, a citizen who grew up in the community of Ganado, Arizona, in the nation's largest Native American reservation at 27,000 square miles (69,930 square kilometers) in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A report published Tuesday identifies ways historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change, like Tome's, can create resilient water and wastewater systems. Its highlights include nature-based solutions, tailoring approaches to each community and using technology — all the while recognizing barriers to implementing them. 'What we hope to do with this report, what I hope, is that it actually gives people hope,' said Shannon McNeeley, a report author and senior researcher with the Pacific Institute, which published the report with DigDeep and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation. 'In spite of some of the major federal funding sources becoming uncertain and possibly not available, I think people will find other ways.' Climate impacts and the Trump administration Weather extremes made worse by climate change have disrupted people's access to water. In September, more than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina were under boil-water notices for nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of a local water system. In January, several water providers declared their drinking water unsafe after wildfires roared through Los Angeles. One utility in Pasadena, California, sent out its first notice since it began serving water more than a century ago. Aging water systems leak trillions of gallons, leaving residents in some of the country's poorest communities with a substantial financial burden to fix them. An estimated 30% of the population in the Navajo Nation lives in homes that don't have running water, and many residents drive long distances to get water from public spigots, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report also notes that some federal resources and funding have become unavailable since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Trump administration has cut or paused funding for critical water infrastructure projects, touted a reversal of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and eliminated environmental justice policies meant to protect the communities the report centers on. Greg Pierce, director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the report 'comes at a very depressing moment where we're not going to see federal action in this space, it doesn't seem, for the next four years.' Solutions come with challenges The report synthesizes existing literature about water, climate change and solutions. Its authors reviewed academic studies, government and private reports and interviewed experts to identify ways low-income and communities of color can build water and wastewater systems to withstand extreme weather. The report highlights technology like rainwater harvesting and gray water reuse systems that can decrease water demand and increase resilience to drought. But it adds that implementing and maintaining technology like it can be too expensive for poorer communities. The report also advocates nature-based solutions such as wetlands, which studies find can reduce the length and severity of droughts, provide flood control, reduce or remove pollutants in water and protect water supplies. Communities across the country are increasingly recognizing the benefits of wetlands. In Florida's Everglades, for example, officials have spent billions of dollars to build engineered wetlands that clean and protect a vital drinking water source. The report argues for government-funded water assistance programs to help poorer households pay water and sewer bills, like the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. But some are benefiting communities Gregory Moller, a professor in the soil and water systems department at the University of Idaho, notes that some approaches are too complex and expensive for smaller or poorer communities. 'Our innovations also have to be on a scale and stage that is adaptable to small systems,' he said. 'And that's where I think some of the most serious challenges are.' Some solutions the report highlights are benefiting communities. In the Navajo Nation, hundreds of solar-powered home water systems have brought running water to more than 2,000 people. Kimberly Lemme, an executive director at DigDeep, which is installing the systems, said it can be a complex and lengthy process. But it shows that solutions do exist. 'Water is a basic human right,' said Tome, whose encounter with the elderly woman inspired her to pursue a doctorate in water resources. 'And in order for people to live productively, to have healthy lives, I think water is a big part of that.' ___
Associated Press
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
Report highlights how communities hardest hit by climate change can build resilient water systems
Malynndra Tome was helping to map livestock ponds in the Navajo Nation when she saw something that inspired her to act. An elderly woman was filling milk jugs with water at the back of a gas station in the Native American reservation, where about 30% of people live without running water. 'How can we be living in the United States of America … one of the most powerful countries in the world, and people are living like this here?' asked Tome, a citizen who grew up in the community of Ganado, Arizona, in the nation's largest Native American reservation at 27,000 square miles (69,930 square kilometers) in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A report published Tuesday identifies ways historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change, like Tome's, can create resilient water and wastewater systems. Its highlights include nature-based solutions, tailoring approaches to each community and using technology — all the while recognizing barriers to implementing them. 'What we hope to do with this report, what I hope, is that it actually gives people hope,' said Shannon McNeeley, a report author and senior researcher with the Pacific Institute, which published the report with DigDeep and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation. 'In spite of some of the major federal funding sources becoming uncertain and possibly not available, I think people will find other ways.' Climate impacts and the Trump administration Weather extremes made worse by climate change have disrupted people's access to water. In September, more than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina were under boil-water notices for nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of a local water system. In January, several water providers declared their drinking water unsafe after wildfires roared through Los Angeles. One utility in Pasadena, California, sent out its first notice since it began serving water more than a century ago. Aging water systems leak trillions of gallons, leaving residents in some of the country's poorest communities with a substantial financial burden to fix them. An estimated 30% of the population in the Navajo Nation lives in homes that don't have running water, and many residents drive long distances to get water from public spigots, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report also notes that some federal resources and funding have become unavailable since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Trump administration has cut or paused funding for critical water infrastructure projects, touted a reversal of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and eliminated environmental justice policies meant to protect the communities the report centers on. Greg Pierce, director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the report 'comes at a very depressing moment where we're not going to see federal action in this space, it doesn't seem, for the next four years.' Solutions come with challenges The report synthesizes existing literature about water, climate change and solutions. Its authors reviewed academic studies, government and private reports and interviewed experts to identify ways low-income and communities of color can build water and wastewater systems to withstand extreme weather. The report highlights technology like rainwater harvesting and gray water reuse systems that can decrease water demand and increase resilience to drought. But it adds that implementing and maintaining technology like it can be too expensive for poorer communities. The report also advocates nature-based solutions such as wetlands, which studies find can reduce the length and severity of droughts, provide flood control, reduce or remove pollutants in water and protect water supplies. Communities across the country are increasingly recognizing the benefits of wetlands. In Florida's Everglades, for example, officials have spent billions of dollars to build engineered wetlands that clean and protect a vital drinking water source. The report argues for government-funded water assistance programs to help poorer households pay water and sewer bills, like the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. But some are benefiting communities Gregory Moller, a professor in the soil and water systems department at the University of Idaho, notes that some approaches are too complex and expensive for smaller or poorer communities. 'Our innovations also have to be on a scale and stage that is adaptable to small systems,' he said. 'And that's where I think some of the most serious challenges are.' Some solutions the report highlights are benefiting communities. In the Navajo Nation, hundreds of solar-powered home water systems have brought running water to more than 2,000 people. Kimberly Lemme, an executive director at DigDeep, which is installing the systems, said it can be a complex and lengthy process. But it shows that solutions do exist. 'Water is a basic human right,' said Tome, whose encounter with the elderly woman inspired her to pursue a doctorate in water resources. 'And in order for people to live productively, to have healthy lives, I think water is a big part of that.'
