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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce
@gregspierce.bsky.social
1.3K followers 410 following 530 posts
UCLA: Human Right to Water Solutions Lab, Luskin Center, Department of Urban Planning, Water Resources Group
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · Mar 5
Our Nature Water comment “Redefining expectations for urban water supply systems to fight wildfire” is out ⬇️.

I started working on this w/ @edithdeguzman.bsky.social and @mullinmeg.bsky.social 10 days after the fires started.

We lay out 3 major implications from the fires for water supply systems
natwater.nature.com
Nature Water @natwater.nature.com · Mar 5
Out now! A Comment in Nature Water discusses major implications for water supply after the Los Angeles Fires
@gregspierce.bsky.social l @edithdeguzman.bsky.social @mullinmeg.bsky.social
👇
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Redefining expectations for urban water supply systems to fight wildfires - Nature Water
Three major implications stemming from the water supply narratives around the Los Angeles fires have emerged: the need for greater infrastructure resilience, considering the uneven costs of new expect...
www.nature.com
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
costasamaras.com
Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 13h
Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).

The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
jael.bsky.social
jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 13h
SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news
Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says
It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.
heatmap.news
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 30m
Co-authored by @sheilaolmstead.bsky.social

pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Sampling Out: Regulatory Avoidance and the Total Coliform Rule
This paper investigates strategic noncompliance with the Total Coliform Rule (TCR) under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act. The structure of the TCR provides incentives for some piped drinking water sy...
pubs.acs.org
gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 30m
The study found that before the Flint crisis, ~ 3% of medium systems and ~ 0.5% of small systems reported lead concentrations rounded exactly to the federal threshold—a pattern unlikely to occur by chance.

Reminds me of a great study from 15 years ago (see below)

phys.org/news/2025-10...
Questionable lead reporting for drinking water virtually vanished after Flint water crisis, study reveals
Public water systems in the U.S. were far less likely to report suspiciously rounded lead levels after the Flint, Michigan water crisis drew national outrage and federal scrutiny, according to new res...
phys.org
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
jaelabernstien.bsky.social
Jaela Bernstien @jaelabernstien.bsky.social · 2h
A bit of positive news for your friday — my colleague @enveco.bsky.social explains how Canada's electricity sector flipped the switch on emissions. @climateinstitute.bsky.social #ClimateChange #Emissions #NetZero
climateinstitute.bsky.social
Canadian Climate Institute @climateinstitute.bsky.social · 1d
How did Canada flip the switch on electricity emissions? By nearly eliminating coal and growing renewable energy. ⬇️
440megatonnes.ca/insight/the-...
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
journomack.bsky.social
MacKenzie Elmer, journalist. @journomack.bsky.social · 23h
Mayor Todd Gloria’s admin ousts climate and sustainability direction - The firing follows a pattern of weakening San Diego’s climate action activities. voiceofsandiego.org/2025/10/08/m... @voiceofsandiego
Mayor Gloria’s Admin Ousts Climate and Sustainability Director
The firing of the city’s Chief Sustainability Officer follows a pattern of weakening San Diego’s climate action arm. 
voiceofsandiego.org
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
journomack.bsky.social
MacKenzie Elmer, journalist. @journomack.bsky.social · 23h
Will miss @sammyroth.bsky.social ‘s voice at the @latimes.com. He is a legend.
sammyroth.bsky.social
Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 1d
Thank you @raineytime.bsky.social for spotlighting my last column for @latimes.com, about the end of coal power in California, in today’s Essential CA newsletter: www.latimes.com/california/n...
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 2d
Just a cool water-energy tech that has actual benefits and has no clear downsides.

"The East Bay Municipal Utility District says the system is part of its broader goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030."
mavensnotebook.com
Maven's Notebook @mavensnotebook.com · 2d
How 1st-in-the-state technology is harnessing energy from East Bay water pipes #cawater abc7news.com/post/inpipe-...
How 1st-in-the-state technology is harnessing energy from East Bay water pipes
InPipe Energy has installed the Bay Area's smallest hydroelectric power plant in a pipeline connecting part of the East Bay water distribution system, taking the place of the normal water pressure reg...
abc7news.com
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 2d
Amazing work by friends @kbdobbin.bsky.social, @alfencl.bsky.social and Justin McBride (@uclaurbanplanning.bsky.social)

www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Linking variation in water democracy to system performance on the human right to water
Nature Water - Access to safe, affordable and accessible drinking water is influenced by various socioeconomic factors. A survey of a large number of California water systems shows how different...
www.nature.com
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 2d
I never want to "explore [X] as a living laboratory" personally, thanks.
gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 2d
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Exploring urban vegetation type and defensible space’s role in building loss during wildfire-driven events in California
The role of building characteristics and survival during wildfires are well studied. Less so is the role of urban vegetation type, condition, and loca…
www.sciencedirect.com
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 2d
"A recent study led by Francisco Escobedo of the Forest Service suggested that the type and moisture level of vegetation in Zone Zero matters — that well-hydrated vegetation might not pose a threat — and that it varies among regions within California."
lapublicpress.bsky.social
LA Public Press @lapublicpress.bsky.social · 3d
California’s Zone Zero fire rules clash with LA’s desperate need for shade.

Homeowners in fire hazard zones may have to remove bushes, hedges and flowers within five feet of their houses — even as extreme heat becomes more dangerous.
California's Zone Zero fire rules clash with LA's desperate need for shade
Homeowners in fire hazard zones may have to remove bushes, hedges and flowers within five feet of their houses — even as extreme heat becomes more dangerous.
lapublicpress.org
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
gollnerfire.bsky.social
Michael Gollner @gollnerfire.bsky.social · 2d
I will be recruiting 1-2 new PhD students next year. Areas of interest include experimental fire research focused on flame spread, ignition, flammability or emissions of wildland or urban fuels and modeling the spread of fires through the wildland-urban interface.
Admissions - UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering
Breadcrumbs Graduate Programs Ph.D. & D.Eng. Master of Science Master of Engineering Fifth Year B.S./M.S. Program Degree Requirements 5th Year Masters Program Handbook Special Programs DEEST Graduate ...
me.berkeley.edu
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 2d
huh

www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/10/01/h...
How much could a city-run utility save San Diegans? $130 billion, a new analysis finds
A city study from two years ago concluded that a municipal power agency could at best save up to $8 billion over the first 20 years and $15 billion over 30 years.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Reposted by Greg Pierce
laist.com
LAist @laist.com · 3d
Swapping out your grass for drought-tolerant plants is good for the environment, but it can be costly. LADWP's recently launched Landscape Efficiency Assistance Program can help you do it for free.

🔗 https://ow.ly/1OLw50X7VCn
✍️ Cato Hernández
📷 Courtesy Theodore Payne Foundation
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 3d
Special acknowledgment to the federal administration for occupying downtown LA the day before the workshop and making us pivot to online format w/ 100+ people overnight.
gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 3d
Our big fire innovation report with LADWP and ~100 external experts, convened and synthesized by @luskininnovation.bsky.social, @uclasustainablela.bsky.social , @uclaioes.bsky.social and a much broader UCLA team of experts is out.

innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/2025/10/07/b...
Building resilient utilities: UCLA issues report on key water and power infrastructure needs | UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Smart meters and undergrounding power lines are among promising innovations in addressing climate and fire risks.
innovation.luskin.ucla.edu
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
estherschindler.bsky.social
Esther Schindler @estherschindler.bsky.social · 3d
I just saw someone use the abbreviation “AI;DR” and I’ll be laughing for a while.
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
fkearns.bsky.social
Faith Kearns, Ph.D. @fkearns.bsky.social · 3d
The past and future of water, primarily groundwater, and housing in the Phoenix metro. I learned some new things - including that it took 39 years (!) for Arizona's 1980 groundwater law to halt any growth. Thorough reporting from Tony Davis @highcountrynews.org www.hcn.org/issues/57-10...
The dried-out subdivisions of Phoenix - High Country News
A groundwater crisis halted the construction of thousands of homes and pitted affordability against environmental concerns.
www.hcn.org
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
fkearns.bsky.social
Faith Kearns, Ph.D. @fkearns.bsky.social · 3d
What can we realistically expect from water systems during urban wildfire conflagrations? We held a recent workshop with on-the-ground experts and have written up some initial takeaways ucanr.edu/blog/conflue...
Water Systems and Wildfire: Understanding Capacities and Limitations | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
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ucanr.edu
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
twyspy.bsky.social
Twilight Greenaway @twyspy.bsky.social · 3d
Farmworkers in the Coachella Valley work in intense heat 8 months a year. Air conditioning is essential to their recovery at the end of each day. But it's expensive!

I visited on a sweltering day to document an effort to bring costs down for one family. 🌞
insideclimatenews.org/news/0410202...
Farmworkers in the Hottest Part of California Find State Funds to Cool Their Homes and Save on Energy - Inside Climate News
California allocates $20 million a year for energy efficiency upgrades for low-income homeowners, and supporters of the farmworkers program want $10 million added.
insideclimatenews.org
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
lilleberlin.bsky.social
Maria Berlin @lilleberlin.bsky.social · 8d
Working on topics of Inequality and the #environment ? Join @sitestockholm.bsky.social
workshop on Nov 28! Deadline October 15.
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
luskininnovation.bsky.social
UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation @luskininnovation.bsky.social · 3d
Tomorrow (10/7)! Discover how 600+ SoCal drinking water systems stack up on safety, cost & access at our webinar and demo on #UCLA’s new Water Atlas.

Register: ucla.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #UCLALuskin @gregspierce.bsky.social @edithdeguzman.bsky.social @laurendunlap.bsky.social @ucanr.edu
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Reposted by Greg Pierce
mirandawrites.bsky.social
Miranda Willson @mirandawrites.bsky.social · 4d
Will allowing coal plants to continue with outdated water pollution controls actually save Americans' money, as the Trump administration has said? Maybe not, according to the agency's own cost-benefit analysis.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
E&E News: Why Trump’s bid to save coal might raise your water bill
EPA says delaying wastewater curbs at coal plants will lower electricity prices, but it could spur higher costs for cleaning up drinking water.
subscriber.politicopro.com
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 4d
Full collab w/ @ucanrwater.bsky.social y.social, @luskininnovation.bsky.social, @uclasustainablela.bsky.social

Full report + out by end of the year.

See the broader work below.

sustainablela.ucla.edu/research-and...
Water Supply + Wildfire Research and Policy Coordination Network
In spring 2025, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and UC ANR California Institute for Water Resources announced a partnership through which they would host a series of four workshops as part of a wate...
sustainablela.ucla.edu
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gregspierce.bsky.social
Greg Pierce @gregspierce.bsky.social · 4d
Here's a blog with @fkearns.bsky.social @edithdeguzman.bsky.social and others on a topic that remains top of mind:

"Water Systems and Wildfire: Understanding Capacities and Limitations"

Summarizing our Aug 18 workshop w/ 35 external participants.

ucanr.edu/blog/conflue...
Water Systems and Wildfire: Understanding Capacities and Limitations | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Image
ucanr.edu
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