Sept. 2: New Study Says Fossil Fuels Play A Big Role In California’s Water Shortages
Summary
The episode covers the Interior Department denying reports of a land exchange in Yosemite, a private jet crash near Porterville, and a Fresno State grant to address nursing shortages. It also notes the California Assembly shelving wildfire victim legislation. A major segment features UC Merced scholar Emily Williams discussing a study linking fossil fuel emissions to worsening droughts and water scarcity in the San Joaquin Valley.
Topics discussed
Intro: California water crisis and fossil fuels
Interior Dept denies Yosemite land swap reports
Private jet crash near Porterville
Fresno State grant for nursing education
Assembly shelves wildfire victim legislation
Study links drought to carbon majors
Fossil fuel companies knew climate risks
Tracing emissions data back to 1750
Greenhouse gases and climate science basics
Local impacts: heat, drought, and wildfires
Snowpack decline and agricultural water use
Earlier snowmelt and groundwater depletion
Isolating climate change from other factors
Need for systemic solutions over individual acts
Teaser: Seattle shooting investigation
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