California

Heat pumps

Nine U.S. states, including California and New York, sign heat pump agreement to clean up air pollution

/

Nine U.S. states have inked an agreement to promote climate-friendly heat pump sales. The memorandum of understanding sets a 2030 target for heat pumps to make up 65% of residential heating, cooling, and water heating equipment sales. By 2040, the goal is for heat pumps to account for 90% of the HVAC and water heating market. The states on board with the agreement include: California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.

California coast

First ever U.S. Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area declared in California

/

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Resighini Rancheria, and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community designated the first ever Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area (IMSA) in the U.S. along the northern California coast.
The tribes plan to steward nearly 700 square miles of their ancestral ocean and coastal territories from the California-Oregon border to Little River near the town of Trinidad, California using traditional ecological knowledge and management practices.

Artist's concept of a solar power satellite in place

First ever space-to-Earth solar power mission succeeds

/

A landmark test of beaming solar power to Earth from a satellite has concluded successfully after a year-long mission. Led by scientists at the California Institute of Technology, the mission completed all three of its primary experiments to test key technology for such an endeavor. They included a new origami-inspired solar panel structure, different cell designs, and a microwave transmitter.

Cancer cells

New protein test can detect 18 early stage cancers, scientists say

/

The team from U.S. biotech firm Novelna wrote: “At stage I (the earliest cancer stage) and at the specificity of 99%, our panels were able to identify 93% of cancers among males and 84% of cancers among females.” It believes its cheaper, less invasive multi-cancer screening test could be a ‘gamechanger.’

Golden Gate Bridge

Suicide-prevention net beneath Golden Gate Bridge completed

/

A long-awaited suicide prevention barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge has been completed, marking the culmination of a tireless campaign by families who lost loved ones at the famous structure. Crews had been working to finish installing stainless steel nets on both sides of the bridge before a promised 2024 deadline.

Woman crying

New California law allows employee leave for pregnancy loss

/

A new law that allows parents who experience a reproductive loss, such as miscarriage and stillbirth, to take leave from work will go into effect in California in 2024. The right to utilize reproductive loss leave applies to any person who would have been a parent if the loss had not occurred.

Scroll to Top