Scholars at UC Santa Cruz take an unflinching look at the forces that shape our world. Here are some highlights of UC Santa Cruz change-makers in the media.
Greta Thunberg’s Climate Cohort Is Growing Up
On December 6, 2023 – Writer Olivia Rudgard describes how Xiye Bastida, a New York-based climate activist who began her work at 15, often started her talks by revealing her age. Despite her youth, she has influenced debates and protests, effectively swaying adult audiences toward compromise with a single plea.
Why Climate Advocates Demand a ‘Just Transition’ Away From Fossil Fuels
On December 1, 2023 – Writer Kendra Pierre-Louis explains as countries seek to reduce reliance on fossil fuels due to their threat to the planet, a key question arises: What happens to the workers and communities tied to these industries that built the modern world?
The Need for Increasing Private Sector Funding of Climate Solutions
On November 30, 2023 – Writer Galina Hale shared available solutions to mitigate climate change and addressed damages require substantial funding, estimated at 4.35 trillion dollars annually by 2030—a sevenfold increase from current levels. Given the impracticality of expecting governments and charities to cover this, increased private-sector involvement is crucial.
The UAW ratifies a contract — and labor’s road ahead in the EV transition
On November 20, 2023 – Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Mijin Cha told Grist that labor organizing efforts within the renewable energy transition must not be framed as obstacles to progress on climate change. “The greed of the fossil fuel industry is what’s stopping the energy transition, not the fact that people want to make a decent wage,” she said.
PANEL DISCUSSING DESALINATION IN MEXICO FAILS TO INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, MEXICAN VOICES
On November 09, 2023 – The State Press criticized the methods of an Arizona State University panel on desalination and pointed to UCSC Environmental Studies Professor Brent Haddad’s work on the Salton Sea Long Term Planning Project as offering a better model.
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership State of the Region to focus on key issues
On November 01, 2023 – the Monterey Herald covered the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) State of the Region event, where Chris Benner, director of the UCSC Institute for Social Transformation, gave a keynote speech sharing findings from a report he produced with MBEP on regional economic equity indicators.
Your Scam Stories
On October 30, 2023 – Ellen Rolfes, a writer for Marketplace, uncovers the documentary series “Telemarketers.” The series follows two former call center workers who discovered that their employer was involved in even more scams than they initially thought.
Inside the world of immigrant scams
October 20, 2023 – David Brancaccio and Erika Soderstrom, writers and editors for Marketplace , explore the alarming reality of why telemarketing scams specifically target immigrants.
Why the UAW wants inside the battery factory
October 18, 2023 – David Ferris, a reporter on the intersection of transportation and the electric grid for E&E News , unpacks the ongoing negotiations between Detroit’s automakers and the United Auto Workers, which isn’t just about higher wages and working conditions, but who will wield power in future battery factories.
Cooking oil has a deforestation problem. A startup says it has a solution.
October 11, 2023 – Max Graham, a food and agriculture fellow for Grist, shares a potential discovery made by Zero Acre Farms, who hopes it’s product, called Cultured Oil because it’s made by fermenting sugar cane, will shift American diets like Crisco did, but to a different end.
How the shift to electric vehicles is fueling the UAW Strike
September 18, 2023 – Akielly Hu and Katie Meyers, climate and labor writers for Grist, explore the reason why EV’s, and what they mean for the future of union labor in the automotive sector, loom large over the picket line.
U.A.W Starts Strike Small, but Repercussions Could Prove Far Reaching
September 15, 2023 – Jack Ewing, an auto-industry journalist for The New York Times, explains how the strike of the United Auto Workers against Detroit carmakers’ most popular vehicles could potentially hurt the U.S economy and impact the 2024 presidential election.
Autoworkers Prepare to Strike for a Place in the EV Future
September 13, 2023 – Caitlyn Harrington, a business writer for Wired, covers the 150,000 U.S. workers who are poised to strike this week for better pay. Their union is pushing auto giants to ensure that green jobs won’t be worse jobs.
US pork firms split over Congress bill to overturn California welfare law
August 2, 2023 – Washington-based award-winning journalist Leah Douglas wrote an article for Thomson Reuters explaining the debate amongst big pork producers about legislation proposed to the U.S Congress.
Joint UCSC study provides insights into ancient Incan society
July 29, 2023 – Aric Sleeper, a writer for the Mercury News, recognized a recently published study, co-authored by UC Santa Cruz Anthropology Professor Lars-Fehren-Schmitz, analyzing DNA from the servant-class buried near Machu Picchu. The DNA contained evidence that these servants hailed from more diverse backgrounds than scientists had anticipated.
The housing crisis has implications that go well beyond housing
July 27, 2023 – Sara Rubin, editor for Monterey County Weekly, wrote an article exposing the hardships that come with unaffordable housing in an unaccommodating community.
California forbids plans to unmask workers at In-N-Out – and most other work places
July 27, 2023 – Ana Ibarra, a health policy reporter, wrote an article for CalMatters explaining why the iconic California burger joint banned its employees in five states from wearing masks at work.
India’s new research push
July 25, 2023 – Nirvikar Singh, professor of Economics and author for the Financial Express, wrote an article explaining why a university-centered model of enhancing research capabilities is as needed as an institutional design at the government level.
‘We’re going to see workers die’: extreme heat is key issue in UPS contract talks
July 23, 2023 – Dharna Noor, a fossil fuel climate reporter for Guardian, discusses teamsters union members preparation to hold the largest single employer strike in US history over heat protections.
Biden promised to fix our asylum process. He hasn’t
July 17, 2023 – Carlos Martinez, an assistant professor in the Department of Latin American and Latino studies, wrote an article featured in the San Francisco Chronicle explaining how the Biden administration is from from keeping their campaign promises, with asylum policies that mirror it’s predecessor.
Scientists say they’ve found a site that marks a new chapter in Earth’s history
July 11, 2023 – Katie Hunt, science and health writer for CNN, covers the discovery of a geological site which scientists say best reflects a proposed new epoch called the Anthropocene- a major step toward changing the timeline of Earth’s history.
Santa Cruz County area tops nationwide list of expensive rental markets
June 30, 2023 – PK Hattis, a Santa Cruz local and health reporter for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, brings attention to the new housing report that named the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metropolitan area, the most expensive rental market in the nation.
Cruz Foam partners with local businesses to offer sustainable shipping foam
June 27, 2023 – In this CBS News feature, Cruz Foam and Verve Coffee Roasters discuss their partnership to bring sustainable packaging to the coffee industry.
This California County now tops S.F. as the most expensive place for renters in the U.S., report says
June 26, 2023 – Danielle Echeverria, an engagement and breaking news reporter, wrote an article for the San Francisco Chronicle explaining how Santa Cruz county has vaulted over the San Francisco area as the most expensive market in the country for renters.
Facing Down the Fossils: Renew
June 20, 2023 – The final episode of Facing Down the Fossils, a co-production of Nexus Media News and Peril and Promise, a public media initiative from the WNET group. PBS shares the story of a local organization in New Orleans is turning restaurants into disaster recovery centers using community solar microgrids.
India’s Green Transition
June 19, 2023 – Nirvikar Singh, professor of Economics and author for the Financial Express, wrote an article about the New National Electricity Plan, released in May, which gives a good sense of how India’s green transition will take place.
The 1943 riot that spotlights how drag show bans can fuel violence
June 15, 2023 – Professor and Chair of Latin American and Latino Studies Catherine S. Ramírez wrote an article for The Washington Post explaining the often-overlooked role that gender norms played in the Zoot Suit Riots and what the riots can teach us about potential impacts of modern-day drag bans.
Animal overpass could be coming to the Central Coast
June 13, 2023 – KSBW interviewed Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers, who leads the Santa Cruz Puma Project, about how his research team’s work contributed to the construction of a new wildlife crossing on Highway 17.
Overpass for wildlife — first in Northern California — proposed for Highway 101
June 10, 2023 – Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers, who studies the movements and behaviors of pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains, spoke with The Mercury News about the importance of habitat connectivity for pumas and other California wildlife.
Making their mark, keeping the Filipino American history alive on the Central Coast
June 9, 2023 – Associate Professor of Sociology Steve Mckay spoke with KION about UC Santa Cruz’s support for the Watsonville is in the Heart project, which documents the lives and experiences of early Filipino immigrants in Santa Cruz County.
How life for animals changed when humans stayed home during the pandemic
June 8, 2023 – Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers spoke with The Washington Post about how his research tracking pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains revealed effects of the pandemic-era “anthropause.”
Boats Are Killing Endangered Manatees at an Alarming Rate
June 2, 2023 – Celeshia Guy Galves, who conducted this research as a graduate student in the Coastal Science and Policy Program at UC Santa Cruz, and co-author Marm Kilpatrick, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, discuss the findings of their research in Newsweek that indicate conservation measures can be implemented to reduce future risk.
NASA’s Year-Long Mars Simulation Is a Test of Mental Mettle
June 2, 2023 – Craig Haney, a UC Santa Cruz psychologist who researches solitary confinement, has documented in Wired the debilitating and sometimes permanent effects of isolation on prisoners—effects that can emerge in just a couple weeks.
First Drought, Then Flood. Can the West Learn to Live Between Extremes?
May 31, 2023 – Hydrogeologist Andrew Fisher was quoted in an articles about California’s weather extremes in the New York Times Magazine and from Reuters and the Christian Science Monitor.
Working with artisans or cultural exploitation? Aesthetic racism on the catwalk
May 26, 2023 – Edward Salazar, a PhD student in the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the editor of a book on fashion in Colombia, comments on a controversial fashion show in Colombia in El País.
Grassroots organizations push for a Just Transition for communities impacted by coal extraction in Arizona
May 23, 2023 – Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha spoke with Prism about how the needs of communities can be better served in the transition away from fossil fuels.
How much inflation did Covid fiscal support cause?
May 19, 2023 – Economics Professor Galina Hale joined VoxEU to share her findings on Covid-era fiscal policy impacts in Europe.
How the Demographics of Entrepreneurship Has Changed
May 10, 2023 – The Wall Street Journal interviewed Economics Professor Rob Fairlie about his research on the changing demographics of entrepreneurs.
India’s skilling challenge
May 10, 2023 – Distinguished Professor of Economics Nirvikar Singh wrote for Financial Express about higher education issues in India.
Monterey County honors AAPI month, issues apology to Filipino community
May 9, 2023 – KSBW interviewed Associate Professor of Sociology Steve McKay and UCSC students Meleia Simon-Reynolds and Nicholas Nasser about their work on the Watsonville is in the Heart project.
The ‘heavy decision to take someone’s life’ has loomed over jury selection in the synagogue shooting trial
May 8, 2023 – Psychology Professor Craig Haney spoke with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about how consideration of the death penalty can affect jurors.
As sea levels rise, it’s time for West Coast communities to overcome ‘taboo of managed retreat’: report
May 8, 2023 – Coastal resilience experts Michael Beck and Borja Reguero were quoted in a Smart Cities Dive story about sea level rise and managed retreat.
Is desalinated ocean water key to replenishing freshwater?
May 4, 2023 – Environmental Studies Professor Brent Haddad joined KCBS radio for their “Ask An Expert” segment to explain the challenges and opportunities associated with applying desalination technology in California.
The Foul Chartreuse Sea
May 2, 2023 – Ocean scientist Raphael Kudela was quoted in a Hakai magazine story about harmful algal blooms in Alaska.
Here’s How to Use Window Films to Actually Protect Birds
May 1, 2023 – Scientific American interviewed Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela about the challenges of preventing bird strikes on windows.
In California, Desperate College Students Compete for Spots in Trailer Park
May 1, 2023 – Associate Professor of Sociology Steve McKay spoke with The Wall Street Journal about his research on rent burden in Santa Cruz and how it affects students.
‘The trouble with First Republic is real’: Experts say S.F. bank teeters on brink of collapse
April 27, 2023 – Economics Professor Galina Hale spoke with San Francisco Chronicle about the risks of bank rescue efforts.
Big banks are succeeding at turning a profit, struggling to meet climate commitments
April 27, 2023 – Marketplace interviewed Economics Professor Galina Hale about the economic incentives for banks to set strong emissions reduction goals on climate change.
The Green Revolution Will Not Be Painless
April 26, 2023 – The Atlantic interviewed Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha about the importance of ensuring a just transition as economies shift away from fossil fuels.
UCSC Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Massoud discusses Sudan evacuations and current unrest on Channel News Asia
April 25, 2023 – CNA’s Julie Yoo and Steve Lai speak to University of California Santa Cruz Professor of Politics and Legal studies Mark Fathi Massoud in a Channel News Asia story about the current unrest in Sudan and the challenges of ongoing evacuations. Massoud says the number of foreign nationals in the country is small and the real concern is for the 6.3 million Sudanese caught in the crossfire.
Fire in Ciudad Juárez: binational immigration systems fail Central, South American victims
April 20, 2023 – El Tecolote interviewed Assistant Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Carlos Martinez about how U.S. border policies have resulted in increased imprisonment of migrants in Mexican detention facilities.
Why the Bay Area is home to one of the most effective carbon sinks in the world
April 20, 2023 – Marine scientist Adina Paytan was quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle story about the effectiveness of wetlands for absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.
One penguin species declines, while another thrives on the western Antarctic Peninsula
April 20, 2023 – Marine scientist Megan Cimino was quoted in a WHYY News story about how climate change is affecting penguin populations in Antarctica.
This technology could alter the entire planet. These groups want every nation to have a say.
April 17, 2023 – Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah spoke with MIT Technology Review about her work on environmental justice in solar geoengineering research and governance.
UC Santa Cruz professor says rising sea levels are a growing threat to coastal California
April 11, 2023 – Geologist Gary Griggs was featured in a KCBX Radio news story about the impacts of global warming and sea level rise on the California coast.
UCSC Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs on why transcommunality resonates with Soledad prison students
April 10, 2023 – Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs was featured in a Lookout Santa Cruz article for his program with Soledad Correctional Training Facility
After the storms: UC Botanical Garden’s rescue operation to save a paradise lost
April 8, 2023 – Arboretum Director Martin Quigley was quoted in a San Jose Mercury News story about storm damage to plants at UC botanical gardens.
No, deporting undocumented immigrants won’t solve the fentanyl crisis
March 29, 2023 – Assistant Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Carlos Martinez coauthored an opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle countering recent political narratives around the fentanyl crisis and unauthorized immigration across the US-Mexico border.
Gardens Are Good for the Neighborhood
March 28, 2023 – Environmental Studies Professor and Center for Agroecology Faculty Director Stacy Philpott discussed her recent research on the benefits of urban gardens with Eos.
Decarbonising India
March 28, 2023 – Distinguished Professor of Economics Nirvikar Singh wrote a commentary for Financial Express about potential pathways to zero emissions future for India.
Recess Is Good For Kids. Why Don’t More States Require It?
March 23, 2023 – Associate Professor of Sociology Rebecca London’s research on the importance of recess was featured in an article by FiveThirtyEight.
Are Floating Solar Panels the Future of Clean Energy Production?
March 22, 2023 – Smithsonian Magazine covered Environmental Studies Professor J. Elliott Campbell’s latest research on the potential for floating solar panels on reservoirs.
Scientists, political leaders explore alternatives to disaster readiness
March 16, 2023 – Michael Beck, director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience, was featured in coverage of the climate resilience symposium the center helped organize at the Seymour Center, including stories from KTVU, KSBW, and the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Solar Panels Floating in Reservoirs? We’ll Drink to That
March 13, 2023 – J. Elliott Campbell, an environmental engineer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, co-authored a paper that shows just how useful wide-scale floatovoltaics could be.
That Foam on the Beach Is (Probably) Fine
March 8, 2023 – A Bay Nature article quoted Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences who specialies in phytoplankton, in an analysis on frothy sea foam
Worried about Sea Level Rise? Look for the Lichens.
February 28, 2023 – Borja G. Reguero, an expert in conserving natural defenses against sea level rise, was featured in a Hakai Magazine article discussing the importance of lichens in saving low-lying coastal sites.
Angela Davis ‘can’t believe’ ancestry revelations going back to the 1600s
February 22, 2023 – Political activist Angela Davis spoke with Today to discuss her work with the “Finding Your Roots” team in uncovering her ancestry
City Alert: Local author Dr. Camilla Hawthorne to speak at local library
February 16, 2023 – Dr. Camilla Hawthorne, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Critical Race & Ethnic Studies, was featured in a Daily Republic article for her book talk at the Fairfield Civic Center Library
Bill would bar schools from withholding outdoor recess or lunch as punishment
February 2, 2023 – Associate professor of sociology Rebecca London was featured in an EdSource article discussing bill SB 291 which requires every elementary and middle school in California to provide every student a recess period of at least 30 minutes.
Op-Ed: There’s one big climate fight that California is losing
January 22, 2023 – Professor and Director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience Michael W. Beck authored an Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times that delves into the coastal climate fight and discusses what we need to do to mitigate and adapt to this ever-changing crisis.
