The California Current supports a mega-ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean. Beyond ecological benefits, this habitat is the basis for $56 billion in annual economic output and over 675,000 jobs. A recent study published in Molecular Ecology Resources, led by UCLA researchers, led to the creation of massive genetic library and made use of a more efficient identification method.
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Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Director Eric Hoek led a team which recently published two books focusing on water management. The first, Sustainable Desalination and Water Reuse addresses reverse osmosis and the second, Oil & Gas Produced Water Management, focuses on the gas & oil industry.
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Members of The Promise Institute for Human Rights, part of the UCLA School of Law, played a large role in developing a new legal definition for ecocide. In part, the new definition includes any, “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused.” Should this definition be accepted by the international community, it could be revolutionary in holding corporate and governmental decision makers personally responsible for damages to the environment.
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As society’s dependence on plastics continues, global production is expected to triple to 1,124 million tons by 2050, according to the World Economic Forum. Robin Frohardt, a New York artist, is highlighting the cost of plastic consumption in a new art installation titled, The Plastic Bag Store. Presented by the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA), the installation resembles a normal grocery store, except everything is made of thrown-away plastic collected from the streets or landfills.
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The 2019 Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan — of which 16 UCLA researchers contributed — was honored at a June 17 virtual ceremony with the Award for Excellence in Sustainability by the American Planning Association (APA) Sustainable Communities Division. The awards honor projects, plans, policies, individuals and organizations whose work is dedicated to supporting sustainable communities.
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