The California Adaptation Forum (August 27-29) is looking for your ideas for exciting tours around the Sacramento region to highlight on-the-ground adaptation initiatives and climate-smart innovations, such as zero-net energy buildings, active transportation corridors, community revitalization projects, and more. Please contact Khrystyna Platte (kplatte@lgc.org) with ideas.

In a report from the American Lung Association, Sacramento ranks 5th in the US for ozone pollution, up from 8th place in 2017. Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, and Sutter County also received F grades, while Yolo County received a D. The worsening air quality is primarily due to heat waves and emissions from cars, buses, trucks, and freight vehicles, according to the Lung Association. Parts of the Sacramento region have seen bad ozone days increase by an average of 9 days, bringing the total up to nearly a month. ( SacBee)

Photo: David Butow / For the Times

Californians should expect more dramatic swings between dry and wet years, according to a new study that found it likely the state will be hit by devastating, widespread flooding in coming decades. Such swings between severe drought and intense storms will increase the threat to aging dams and flood-control networks, increase wildfire risk, and make water management more challenging. By the end of the century, California will experience a 100%-200% increase in very wet years similar to the 2016-2017 season, while the frequency of serial storms on the scale of 1862 will increase 300%-400%. The rainy season will shorten as less precipitation falls in the autumn and spring, but average annual precipitation should remain the same. ( LA Times)

	Photo: NGV

How does a city cope with extreme weather? For Kongjian Yu, one of the world's leading landscape architects, the answer actually lies in the past. Yu is famous for reintroducing ancient Chinese water systems to modern design, transforming some of China's most industrialised cities into standard bearers of green architecture. He is best known for his "sponge cities", which use soft material and terraces to capture water which can then be used for irrigation, aquifer recharge, and other uses, rather than concrete and steel materials. When it comes to water, the mottos of the sponge city are: "Retain, adapt, slow down and reuse." Yu's strategies are "based on peasant farming techniques, adapting peasant irrigation systems to urban environments and experience in adapting buildings to a monsoon climate". ( Guardian)

Photo: Jae C Hong/AP

Normalcy is returning to Montecito after the devastating mudslides, but one segment of the population is struggling to recover: the largely Latino service workers - maids, nannies, gardeners, caregivers, cooks, waiters, busboys - who earn near minimum wages and live in the shadows, paycheck to paycheck. Many recently returned to work after enforced layoffs and discovered they would not be paid for any lost time. Private aid from residents are welcome but do not offset systemic forces that marginalise service and agricultural workers, forces amplified by the natural disasters. "There is a huge class divide. The gardeners and maids and others who make this city thrive are still struggling. We feel there hasn't been enough support." ( Guardian)

	Photo: John Decker

The obscure Delta smelt, which lives in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is likely to become the  first fish to go extinct in the wild while protected by the Endangered Species Act. Its fate reveals how laws designed to protect individual species do not sufficiently consider the tangled web of connections between changing habits, native species, and introduced organisms. ( Link)

In January of 2018, with large swaths of the island still without power after Hurricane Maria, IBEW 1245 members from Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) were called upon to assist with the restoration efforts. The SMUD linemen were among 800 electrical workers from 29 different utilities who came from the mainland to provide mutual aid. The SMUD crews worked tirelessly in Puerto Rico, seven days a week for 12 or more hours each day. They had just one single day off, about halfway through their month-long assignment. ( Link)

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

By bundling together disparate energy-efficient buildings, distributed renewable energy generation, and battery storage into a linked network, a growing number of companies in the U.S. and Europe are helping utilities balance the grid, supply low-cost renewable electricity, and reduce energy demand at peak hours. In one PG&E pilot project, an array of aggregated assets - including battery storage, electric vehicles, and more - are participating in the wholesale electricity market, just like a conventional power plant. The idea is to show that virtual power plants can provide flexible, fast-responding power services to the grid to help plug the intermittent supply gaps from wind and solar power, akin to a gas-fired peaker plant. ( Yale 360)

A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, endorsed by the city of Los Angeles, offers cutting-edge recommendations for tackling L.A.'s notorious transportation challenges, as technology in the form of rides-on-demand and autonomous vehicles revolutionizes how people move around in cities. The Plan presents a first-of-its-kind policy framework for how shared mobile can better help cities cut climate pollution and increase access to transportation in historically underserved communities. The report takes into account the effects of ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft on congestion and the environment, the need for more infrastructure for electric cars and buses, the rapid development of autonomous vehicles, and embedded transportation structures that have neglected low-income communities. ( Link)

ISeeChange  is a suite of tools from NOAA, NASA, and other partners to empower communities to observe how weather and climate affect their environment. From documenting nuisance flooding to urban heat islands, ISeeChange tools can help communities develop their own baseline data and participate in adaptation decisions. The ISeeChange  Almanac  is a national online platform for members to post what they notice changing in the environment and the impacts. Each post is synced with weather and climate data to investigate bigger picture climate trends. The ISeeChange   Tracker  is a collaboration with NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory Mission that allows members to follow investigations over time and help NASA ground truth the details that earth observation satellites can't see from space - including the impact of weather and climate on our daily lives. ISeeChange  Community Investigations  allow local civic groups, neighborhoods, and citizen science groups to call communities into action to document specific investigations over time and sync posts with their own custom data.

Through the   Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) is developing a State Adaptation Clearinghouse. OPR is currently conducting beta testing of the Clearinghouse database, and would like to receive your input. They are seeking feedback on functionality, ease of use, and any gaps in resources. OPR's goal is to ensure that the Clearinghouse is easy to navigate and provides relevant resources across a diverse set of user needs. See the Clearinghouse database and then   provide feedback.

Join the UC Davis Office of Research for a workshop dedicated to a full day of learning, discussion, and networking activities among faculty members and researchers. Attendees will explore how to incorporate citizen and community science into their research as a powerful tool for science, outreach, and engagement. ( Register)

California fires burned over 1 million acres in 2017, setting records for the most destructive wildfire season in state history. Longer, more frequent droughts and higher temperatures caused by climate change are exacerbating conditions for such mega fires. These disasters threaten life and property while spreading environmental devastation, smoke and air pollution, with especially severe health consequences for those with asthma, the very young and the elderly. Join Stanford scholars for this research briefing that will explore wildfire in California, linkages between fires and public health, and innovative methods for protecting and preserving forests. ( Register)

In the morning, the Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition is hosting a breakfast and ride-and-drive on the benefits, opportunities, and best practices of integrating light-duty zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) into your fleet. The lunch session focuses on the latest technology in medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs, as well as grant writing tips that can help you win funding for your fleet. Both sessions will cover the choice between leasing versus buying, financial incentives and funding opportunities, charging systems, and fleet operations. (Register for breakfast or lunch)

Hazard mitigation planning affects everyone and at all levels of government, and having plans in place for your community and yourself personally is key to surviving a disaster. It is important to: (1) enact preventative measures that reduce or eliminate risk from hazards, and (2) help communities recover more quickly post-disaster. This 4-hour online course, presented over two 2-hour webinars, will introduce professionals to the main concepts of hazard mitigation planning and connect them to tools to initiate effective planning in their communities. ( Register)

Extreme heat exposure is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US. Heat is already impacting the Capital Region, and ED visits and heat-related deaths in the Sacramento region are higher than the state average. Furthermore, this heat exacerbates the phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon that has multiple implications for our communities. The webinar will introduce the topic of urban heat and its implications for the Capital Region, delve into the impacts of heat on the human body and communities at large, and present current and future initiatives to better address the effects of heat. ( Register)

Expanding energy efficiency and demand side management, adding more renewable energy, and shifting the fuel mix of the local electric grid have emerged as critical strategies for cities striving to achieve ambitious climate goals. In this webinar, the Alliance for a Sustainable Future highlights how city-utility partnerships in Salt Lake City and North Carolina are engaging their communities and charting a course to a cleaner and smarter energy future. ( Register)