Repowering the West, Part 5!
In January 2020, I sat down with my editors at the L.A. Times office and pitched them on a series of stories that would eventually…
Hurry up with the electric cars, Disneyland. There’s no time to waste
When I broke the news last week that Disneyland is planning to ditch gas engines and make a long-overdue switch to electric or hybrid cars…
Disneyland is ditching gas cars at Autopia. It’s a great first step for Tomorrowland
The air tastes putrid. The traffic is terrible. The engines are loud, the oil-stained roadways ugly and antiquated. This is Autopia, part of Walt Disney’s…
Meet the writers pitching Hollywood studios on climate change stories
Nicole Conlan writes jokes for Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show.” But her master’s in urban planning from USC and her experiences growing up in…
Extreme heat is deadly. Californians need to pay up to protect themselves
“If there is one idea in this book that might save your life, it is this: The human body, like all living things, is a…
Why are residents rejecting Chiquita Canyon Landfill relief?
After enduring rancid landfill odors for roughly a year, some Santa Clarita Valley residents have reached their breaking point. A high-temperature chemical reaction has caused…
Can the merger of two oil giants benefit the climate?
Welcome to Boiling Point! My name is Tony Briscoe. I’m the air quality and environmental health reporter at the L.A. Times. I’m filling in for…
Water is life. It’s also energy — whether you like dams or hate them
The rain and snow that have drenched California and much of the American West over the last few months — at least relative to some…
Biden’s State of the Union address should give us hope on climate
If I were a pessimist, I might start today’s newsletter by telling you that Earth just wrapped up its ninth straight month of record-breaking temperatures.…
Are utilities heroes or villains of the climate change saga?
“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” So says Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent in the epic…
It’s California election day. If you care about climate, vote
As a journalist, it’s not my job to tell you whom to vote for. But if you care about global warming, voting in today’s California’s…
There’s now a Bechdel test for climate change on film and TV
Let’s say you’re a heading to the movie theater to catch a quirky romantic comedy. Or you’re on Disney+ binging the latest Marvel superhero show…
Electric vehicle sales slowing down? Don’t panic
Quick programming note: The next edition of Boiling Point will arrive Friday morning rather than Thursday, with some breaking news. It will be worth the…
Climate voter guide to the 2024 California senate election
If you live in California and confronting the climate crisis is one of your top priorities, I wouldn’t blame you for not knowing whom to…
Next year’s Super Bowl needs more clean energy ads
“It’s not time to escape. It’s time to engage.” So said Matthew McConaughey during a 2022 Super Bowl ad for Salesforce, touting the software company’s…
Who should pay for climate solutions? The debate is heating up
Confronting the climate crisis won’t be cheap. California is trying to figure out who will pay. Under a series of proposals being considered by Gov.…
Hate the storm? Start getting serious about climate change
You know how oil and gas pollution is supposed to bring not only hotter heat waves, drier droughts and bigger wildfires, but also more intense…
Biden’s solar plan sounds scary. But it beats climate change
A single federal agency oversees nearly a quarter-billion acres of public lands — and those acres could play a key role in fighting climate change…
Karen Bass faces a climate test as she chooses DWP’s next leader
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has just over a month to choose the city’s next clean-energy leader. With the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s…
The lithium revolution has arrived at California’s Salton Sea
I’m finally convinced: California’s Imperial Valley will be a major player in the clean energy transition. After a dozen years of engineering, permitting and financing,…