Climate change is making life in cities hotter and more dangerous, but cities—Los Angeles included—have not yet adequately responded.

The risk and incidence of heat-related illnesses, such as heat rash, heat cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, will increase apace if measures are not taken to reduce their severity and likelihood. These risks fall disproportionately on low-income communities of color.

Staff and faculty of the UCLA Emmett Institute filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit defending the right of air pollution regulators to set important standards under the Clean Air Act to protect public health. The case is Rinnai America Corp.et al. v. South Coast Air Quality Management District, and it involves a challenge to South Coast AQMD's recent efforts to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution by accelerating the transition to zero-NOx-emissions models for certain water heaters and boilers.

When climate-fueled disasters strike, local news coverage helps educate residents about the causes and informs public opinion about policy responses. This was true in early January 2025 when Los Angeles was devastated by the Eaton and Palisades fires. 

So, how did local news coverage frame these disasters? This survey of more than 600 stories and videos by The Los Angeles Times found that about 14% of that news content made mention of “climate change” or “global warming.” 

Which is better: municipally owned electric utilities or investor-owned utilities? It’s a complicated question worth asking, but there’s not one easy answer. It's the topic of our new report, "The Cost & Carbon of Competing Utility Models: Electric Utility Governance and Decarbonization in Los Angeles County."

It’s well known that reducing methane emissions is an effective near-term climate change mitigation tool. And the quickly evolving use of satellite technology is transforming our ability to manage and control those emissions. However, many policymakers don’t yet have a good understanding of how satellites work, what data comes from them, or what the opportunities and limits of those data are.

Support for public ownership of electric utilities is growing in California, where investor-owned utilities are under intense scrutiny for causing deadly wildfires and charging some of the nation’s highest electricity rates. Adding to these challenges, utilities must make significant clean energy investments to achieve the state’s goal of a net zero carbon economy by 2045, while providing affordable and reliable electricity. Proponents of public power argue that the investor-owned utility model conflicts with these social priorities.

The Colorado River — a vital water source for 40 million people in the Southwest — is seriously imperiled by overallocation and the effects of climate change. The need to swiftly reform the use of Colorado River water is clear. That’s why NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) along with a coalition of Waterkeepers and other local advocacy groups are asking the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to utilize its legal authority to stop the waste of Colorado River water in Lower Basin states, including California.  

Air regulators today face complex challenges but also have enormous opportunities. This brief discusses a set of air regulatory tools that can help empower states and local air districts to do more to reduce harms caused by air pollution to communities.

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2025)

Fruit drinks are the top sources of added sugar in young children's diets, increasing their risk of chronic disease. It is unclear to what extent front-of-package (FOP) marketing and disclosures influence parents' perceptions of fruit drinks and their intentions and decisions to purchase them. These data are needed to inform regulatory and legal action to reduce potentially misleading marketing and help parents make healthier choices for their children.