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Articles on California

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Inmate fire crews work alongside professional fire crews and do the same work. But they receive little, if any, pay. David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

Rural counties increasingly rely on prisons to provide firefighters and EMTs who work for free, but the inmates have little protection or future job prospects

Georgia’s inmate fire crews respond to hundreds of calls in surrounding counties every year. Without them, there might not be a responder, but they aren’t universally loved – and they don’t get paid.
Utilities can turn off power to reduce the risk that their equipment could spark wildfires during extreme weather events. Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images

Colorado is latest state to try turning off the electrical grid to prevent wildfires − a complex, technical operation pioneered in California

Turning off power is a last-ditch strategy for utilities to reduce the risk that their systems could spark wildfires. In most states, deciding whether to take that step is up to utilities.
As more homes like these in Folsom, Calif., add solar power, electricity pricing becomes more complicated. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

California is wrestling with electricity prices – here’s how to design a system that covers the cost of fixing the grid while keeping prices fair

California is considering a controversial proposal for utilities to charge customers for electricity based partly on household income. Two scholars explain how this approach could benefit everyone.
Leaders speak during a plenary session at the COP28 UN climate summit, Dec. 13, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. COP28 was notable for being the first COP to provide a substantial platform for sub-national groups. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

It’s time we include cities and regions as equal partners in global climate negotiations

Subnational authorities are leading the charge on a just transition and dealing with climate change impacts. It is time for this key role to be reflected in international climate negotiations.
This AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps team did trail maintenance and construction work in Pennsylvania in 2017. Tim Leedy/MediaNews Group's Reading Eagle via Getty Images

American Climate Corps: Biden’s new green jobs initiative delivers more promises than details

A scholar of national service programs points out that the government hasn’t spelled out what this one will cost, what its participants will earn or how it will operate.
Many of the people caught in the wildfire that swept through Paradise, Calif., in 2018 were older adults. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Wildfire risk is soaring for low-income, elderly and other vulnerable populations in California, Washington and Oregon

Alarmingly, about half the people exposed to wildfires in Washington and Oregon were those least able to afford to protect their homes, evacuate safely and recover.
Survivors search through rubble on Oct. 7, 2023, in western Afghanistan, where a series of powerful earthquakes have killed thousands. Anadolu Agency/via Getty Images

3 powerful earthquakes strike Afghanistan in one week – here’s how people around the world prepare for disasters

One way to prevent the destruction wrought by a devastating earthquake – like the one that hit Morocco in September 2023 – is to construct resilient homes and buildings.

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