Environment

It's been a long year. Take a look back at 2024 with CalMatters visual journalists.

More than half of California's Sierra meadows have been degraded or lost. Given their vital role assisting with water storage, carbon sequestration and providing a habitat to wildlife, investments from the newly passed Proposition 4 could boost ongoing restoration work.

Recent decisions by the Supreme Court and the EPA appear to favor California's 2035 ban on gas-powered cars and trucks, but another important lawsuit, a Republican-dominated Congress and President Donald Trump are still there to challenge it.

Growers and cities support the Newsom administration proposal, saying it strikes a balance for uses of Delta water. But environmentalists say the “healthy rivers” rules would actually harm California’s iconic salmon.

Some rural California communities are resisting efforts to streamline permitting for wind and solar farms and battery storage for environmental or safety reasons.

The state Department of Water Resources made a low prediction of water supplies for agricultural and municipal users next year, though it's still too early to tell.

California has taken important steps to adapt to climate change’s effects on water, but it’s not yet on the right trajectory to manage some of the changes underway — or the greater challenges ahead.

Trump's promise to block the offshore wind industry could threaten CA's renewable energy goals, potentially cutting off federal funding.

Experts don’t know how much gas prices may rise from the revised California climate program, which tightens standards and gives incentives for low-carbon fuels. The board ordered an annual review of the cost impacts.

A lot is at stake with the new Trump administration: California’s water projects, its unique authority to clean its air, federal support for offshore wind and disaster aid for wildfires.