Climate Change Archives - Davis Vanguard

Meditations | Making a Conscious Evolutionary Leap

By Martin LeFevreJune 25, 20260 comments

Crows, frequently associated with symbolic representations of transformation, exhibit a capacity for symbolic activity, a cognitive trait with profound implications for human evolution. This capacity for symbolic thought, a hallmark of human cognition since the Cognitive Revolution, is identified as both a significant evolutionary advantage, facilitating widespread adaptation, and a critical factor in anthropogenic climate change and the ongoing Sixth Extinction.

Environmental Activist Robin Greenfield Brings Foraging Tour to Davis, Promotes Reconnection with Nature

By David M. GreenwaldJune 14, 20262 comments

Environmental activist Robin Greenfield has initiated a yearlong project to subsist exclusively on foraged food and medicinal plants, a demonstration intended to promote localized food systems and encourage public engagement with natural environments.

Meditations: Dialogue with the Universe

By Martin LeFevreMay 28, 20260 comments

Klaus Thymann, a Danish explorer and founder of Project Pressure, documented the near-complete loss of tropical ice sheets in West Papua, Indonesia, known as “eternity glaciers.” The expedition led Thymann to articulate philosophical questions regarding humanity’s rapid environmental impact and its position within geological time.

Housing Crisis and Climate Change: Overlapping Crises, Unified Solutions

By Vanguard AdministratorMarch 21, 20263 comments

A report from Climate Cabinet Education argues that housing, transportation, and climate crises are interconnected and can be addressed through a single set of reforms, such as transit-oriented development, parking reform, and accessory dwelling units.

China’s Climate Rise Is Strategic, Complex and Far from Heroic, UCLA Law Professor Says

By David M. GreenwaldFebruary 16, 20261 comments

Though China was once viewed as a climate villain, it now dominates global supply chains for solar…

Opinion: As the Planet Heats, Migration Will Follow — and Housing Policy Is Not Ready

By David M. GreenwaldFebruary 11, 20264 comments

Climate change is driving internal migration, straining housing supply and immigration policy, and requiring the US to prepare for an influx of people with improved housing, transportation, and social services.

Sunday Commentary: Demographics Are Not Destiny—Why Housing Policy Based on Demographic Decline Is a Dangerous Bet

By David M. GreenwaldFebruary 8, 202623 comments

The argument that declining birth rates will eventually relieve housing pressure is flawed, as it ignores the economic, migratory, and climate forces that will shape demand far more powerfully than fertility trends in the decades ahead, and the housing crisis is a present shortfall that needs to be addressed now.

Opinion | The Darker Side of Housing Opposition

By David M. GreenwaldFebruary 6, 202618 comments

Opposition to housing construction is often rooted in population alarmism, which treats people as the problem and scarcity as a moral necessity, rather than a policy failure, and ignores the benefits of density and the adaptability of social systems.

Sunday Commentary: Village Farms Debate Shows How Flood Risk Is Being Framed — and Overstated

By David M. GreenwaldJanuary 4, 202637 comments

The Davis City Council is considering the Village Farms project, which has been met with opposition due to flood risk concerns, but the project’s design meets or exceeds applicable safety standards and regulations, and the city’s flood risks are relatively modest compared to other cities in the Central Valley.

Ukraine on another Battlefront

By Precious AllwellNovember 23, 20250 comments

The invasion of Ukraine has caused significant environmental damage, including the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, which has led to flooding, pollution, and heavy metal contamination, as well as the release of methane from the Nord Stream gas line, which has contributed to global warming.

San Francisco Public Bank Gains Backing to Fund Affordable Housing, Businesses

By Kailyn StandiferOctober 9, 20250 comments

San Francisco voters are supporting the creation of a public bank to fund affordable housing, small businesses, and climate initiatives, in order to build an economy that works for everyone and reduce the wealth gap.

Opinion: Waiting for Population Decline Is a Cynical Excuse to Block Housing

By David M. GreenwaldSeptember 25, 202524 comments

The housing crisis is not a result of declining birth rates, but rather the unaffordable cost of housing, which is driving people to delay marriage and having children, and forcing workers to live further away from their jobs, leading to longer commutes, higher emissions, and a diminished quality of life.

California Environmental Groups Decry Worst Legislative Year in Memory

By Vanguard AdministratorSeptember 11, 20250 comments

California’s Democratic leadership has been criticized for passing measures that roll back environmental protections, with high-profile bills like SB 131 and SB 237 being negotiated behind closed doors and with little public input or hearings.

Greenbelt Alliance Backs SB 79 to Boost Housing Near Transit in California

By David M. GreenwaldSeptember 5, 20252 comments

Greenbelt Alliance is supporting Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, which would make it easier and faster to build new homes near major transit stops, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create a more affordable and resilient California.

California Lawmakers Face Backlash for Blocking Housing Reform Bill

By Vanguard AdministratorAugust 28, 20250 comments

California Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember Rick Zbur are facing criticism for opposing Senate Bill 79, which advocates say is essential to fighting climate change by allowing modest mid-rise apartments within a half mile of major transit stops.

Opinion: Davis Risks Losing Control If It Fails on Housing, Jobs and Climate

By David M. GreenwaldAugust 18, 202533 comments

The City of Davis must make urgent and far-reaching decisions in its general plan update to address housing shortages, job and transportation mismatches, and the growing effects of climate change, while balancing growth with the protection of agricultural land and open space.

Davis Begins Process to Update 20-Year-Old General Plan

By David M. GreenwaldAugust 14, 202551 comments

The City of Davis has begun the process of updating its General Plan, which will involve workshops, surveys, and other activities to shape the city’s future in terms of land use, transportation, climate change, equity, and more.

Opinion: The Hidden Crisis of Our Long Commutes and Housing Shortages

By David M. GreenwaldJuly 27, 20255 comments

The housing crisis in California is causing large numbers of people to be priced out of the communities where they work, resulting in systemic failures such as increased traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and regional strain on both infrastructure and affordability.

Op-Ed | Gentrification Is Undermining Public Transit—and That Should Alarm Us All

By David M. GreenwaldJune 1, 20252 comments

Gentrification is causing a decline in public transit ridership in Los Angeles, as low-income residents are being priced out of neighborhoods with strong bus and rail service, leading to a decrease in riders and undermining the state’s climate goals.

Op-Ed | California’s Housing Crisis Worsens Climate Survival and City Functionality

By David M. GreenwaldMay 1, 20255 comments

Senate Bill 79, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, aims to address California’s housing crisis by incentivizing the construction of housing near public transit corridors, promoting affordability, livability, and climate survival.

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