Credit: UC Santa Cruz
Covering California’s 6,350 km network of public water delivery canals with solar panels could be an economically feasible means of advancing both renewable energy and water conservation.
UC Santa Cruz researchers published a new study in collaboration with UC Water and the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at UC Merced that suggests covering California’s 6,350 km network of public water delivery canals with solar panels could be an economically feasible means of advancing both renewable energy and water conservation.
The concept of “solar canals” has been gaining momentum around the world as climate change increases the risk of drought in many regions. Solar panels can shade canals to help prevent water loss through evaporation, and some types of solar panels also work better over canals, because the cooler environment keeps them from overheating.
Published: Wednesday, 07 April 2021 05:55
UC Thelma Hansen Fund to host climate webinar series, April 27-29
April 7, 2021 - By Pamela Kan-Rice, Author - Assistant Director, News and Information Outreach - Members of the public are invited to attend a free webinar series discussing the effects of
climate change on Southern California. At the three-day webinar Climate Change: What Does It Mean for Southern California?, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists will discuss climate changes anticipated, impacts on agriculture, wildfire risk and how to prepare for it, and ways to communicate about climate and to build resilience in communities.
In California, a Warming Climate Will Help a Voracious Pest and Hurt the State’s Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios
The navel orangeworm costs the state’s nut growers millions of dollars each year. And warmer growing seasons will give the insects time to do even more damage.
By Liza Gross
February 5, 2021
An almond orchard in Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley, California Almond Orchard, Tulare County, San Joaquin Valley, California. Credit: Citizens of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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California almond farmers enjoyed record-breaking harvests over the last five years, after production dipped in the wake of 2014’s historic drought. That year a chorus of headlines vilified almonds for sucking up a gallon of water per nut, though irrigation efficiency has been improving.
Published: Tuesday, 19 January 2021 06:28
Many of UC Merced s researchers will be part of UC-funded projects with colleagues at other campuses.
January 19, 2021 - By Lorena Anderson, UC Merced - Two new projects designed and led by UC Merced researchers will address challenges facing many Californians wildfire recovery and agricultural labor but will also have global reach.
Both are funded through the University of California’s prestigious Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) Awards. In addition to these two projects, six UC Merced faculty members are co-primary investigators on projects led by other UC campuses and about a dozen more UC Merced faculty members are participating in the eight MRPI-supported projects.