John Muir Institute of the Environment Content

Roadmap to Renewables Unites Climate and Sustainability Goals

Katherine E Kerlin — December 18, 2020 - 12:59pm

While the pressures of climate change bring a sense of urgency to renewable energy development, a new study serves as a roadmap toward uniting the goals of a low-carbon future with that of ecological sustainability and conservation.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainability from the University of California, Davis, and John Hopkins University, aims to help decision-makers avoid the unintended environmental consequences of renewable energy development.

TRANSITIONS: JMIE’s Susan Ustin, Ben Houlton

Dave Jones — August 03, 2020 - 12:19pm

Susan Ustin, distinguished professor emeritus of environmental and resource science, has been named interim director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment, where she has served as the associate director of research since 2017.

She replaces Benjamin Houlton, her faculty colleague in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, who has been appointed dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Cacti and Other Iconic Desert Plants Threatened by Solar Development

Katherine E Kerlin — July 20, 2020 - 8:00am

With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them.

But large solar energy facilities are one threat that cacti weren’t built to withstand, according to a study by the University of California, Davis.

$4.7M to Study Storing Greenhouse Gases in Soil

Katherine E Kerlin — January 16, 2019 - 3:23pm

California leads the nation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but reductions alone will not be enough to reach the targets set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. To do that, greenhouses gases like carbon dioxide will need to be removed from the atmosphere on a monumental scale.

Climate Change Threats and Solutions for the Sacramento Valley

Katherine E Kerlin — August 27, 2018 - 12:07pm

Over the next few decades, climate change is expected to make the Sacramento region hotter, drier and increasingly prone to extremes like megadroughts, flooding and large wildfires. This is expected to strain the region’s infrastructure for water and energy transmission, agricultural systems, plants and wildlife, public health, housing, and quality of life for the growing region.

LAURELS: Pitzer Center Named a ‘Best’ Project

Dave Jones — November 21, 2017 - 10:24am

�ٺ��Ƶ’ Ann E. Pitzer Center made the Sacramento Business Journal’s list of “Best Real Estate Projects” for 2017. Design and Construction Management (DCM) oversaw the project from planning through construction.

Julianne Nola, director of major capital projects in DCM, credited Debra Smith, project manager, and Phil Ruiz, general inspector, as key players in making the Pitzer Center a “best” project, by providing “a lot of brain power, dedication and day-to-day problem solving.”

California Climate Research Institute Proposed to Boost Climate Research and Action

Katherine E Kerlin — August 17, 2017 - 3:18am

California scientists spanning all 10 UC campuses and some private institutions are proposing a climate research institute that would help the state put climate solutions into practice, boosting both climate research and climate action.

The plans and inspiration behind the proposed California Climate Science and Solutions Institute are described in an Aug. 16 news article in Nature.

Firefighters Aid Researcher in Wildlife Rescue at Stebbins

Dave Jones — July 11, 2017 - 10:10pm

WINTERS FIRE

The Winters Fire that researcher Ben Plourde had to contend with last week had been 90 percent contained as of 6:55 a.m. today (July 11). The fire had charred 2,269 acres southwest of Winters, according to a Cal Fire update.

The fire broke out around 12:45 p.m. Thursday (July 6) in the vicinity of Highway 128 and Pleasant View Road. The cause was still under investigation.

‘OneClimate’ a Call to Arms

Katherine E Kerlin — March 14, 2017 - 12:14pm

Throughout �ٺ��Ƶ’ history, the university has brought scientists across disciplines to work together on the challenge of growing food. Now, Ben Houlton, director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at �ٺ��Ƶ, is focusing his efforts on helping the campus apply that same collaborative know-how toward the problem of climate change.

New JMIE Director Wants to Help �ٺ��Ƶ Solve Climate Change

Andy Fell — November 30, 2016 - 10:49am

Ben Houlton hasn’t quite settled into his office in The Barn.

The new director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment took over the program in August from Mark Schwartz, who had steered the program for seven years.