LA may ban the construction of new gas stations
In the face of the climate emergency, officials in Los Angeles are working on policies to stop the construction of new gas stations. Being the second-largest city in America, LA could become the largest city in the world to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure. “We are ending oil drilling Read More...
California pledges to build the world’s largest wildlife crossing
California has a rich array of wildlife; from seals to cougars and bears there are a number of beautiful creatures to spot. Although, for centuries wolves have not been seen around the state they used to wander freely. In January 2022, 87 million dollars were secured to create a wildlife Read More...
Los Angeles County votes to phase out oil extraction
The Los Angeles County board of supervisors unanimously voted to prohibit new oil wells and evaluate existing ones, taking a big step towards ending oil extraction in the US’ largest county. Currently, oil wells cannot be shuttered in the county until companies recoup the costs of drilling. Read More...
Los Angeles expands mental health crisis line to 24-hour service
Back in February, Los Angeles piloted a program which diverts mental crisis 911 calls from police departments to certified mental health providers. The concept was implemented on a trial, eight-hour a day basis, but after overwhelmingly positive results, the city is expanding the service to a Read More...
This startup is transforming front lawns into neighborhood farms
American households use more than 7 billion gallons of water per day just to tend to their lawns. Some experts estimate that up to 50 percent of that water is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff. But what if we could use those lawn spaces for something more meaningful, such as growing local Read More...
LA could become largest US city with a guaranteed income program
After a successful initial trial across the state in Stockton, Los Angeles is set to become the largest US city with a guaranteed income program for poor residents. Mayor Eric Garcetti is seeking approval from the City Council this week to set aside $24 million from next year’s budget to Read More...
New LA district attorney introduces sweeping reforms
Los Angeles County has a new district attorney and he is making some big changes in the county’s criminal justice system. Newly sworn-in George Gascón reports that the district attorney’s office will no longer seek cash bail for any misdemeanor or non-violent, non-serious felony Read More...
AI mapping tool shows cities exactly where they need to plant more trees
From boosting air quality to providing shade, there are many benefits that come with planting trees in urban neighborhoods. The only problem is that in many cities, trees are not equitably distributed amongst neighborhoods. To help ensure a more equal spread of the greens in cities, Google has Read More...
Upcycled shipping containers provide housing for LA’s homeless
Los Angeles County has an estimated 66,000 homeless individuals, but a new initiative is helping some find housing from an unexpected source: old shipping containers. Recycled shipping containers can be transformed into livable spaces surprisingly quickly. Each container in the seven-unit Read More...
Mountain lions are seeing a baby boom near Los Angeles
On Saturday, we published a story about the California legislature imposing a ban on a rat poison that has been found to kill mountain lions. In other good news for mountain lions in California, park rangers have reported a mountain lion baby boom that has occurred this summer in the Santa Monica Read More...