TOPICS
SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 - RECLAMATION
Extracting resources has brought human civilization to where it is today. What does it take to protect our neighborhoods and restore ecosystems?
In this first episode, we start to explore some of these topics.
The 1.5 Degree Limit
We have to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Read more about this:
- The UN’s description of the Paris Agreement
- The U.S. government’s climate website
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
California’s Formation
California’s geological formation over millions of years shape our landscape, ecology, and fossil fuel deposits.
Learn more by reading:
- Kim Stanley Robinson’s memoir, The High Sierra: A Love Story.
- John McPhee’s classic, Assembling California.
- Mary Hill’s Geology of the Sierra Nevada.
- Kevin Starr’s classic California: A History.
Or watch these videos from:
Dopamine
Dopamine drives the human need to accumulate resources and seek novelty. It’s also part of the human drives at the heart of fossil fuel extraction.
Learn more here:
- Dan Lieberman and Michael Long’s book, The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity―and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race
- Vox’s explanation of what dopamine is
The Klamath River Dams
The dam removal project on the Klamath River is the world’s largest project of its kind in the world.
Learn more here:
- A timeline of the dams’ history
- Russ Rymer’s “Reuniting a River” in National Geographic, December 2008.
- NPR’s reporting on All Things Considered by Erik Neumann
- Julie Watson’s AP article
The Importance of Stories
Stories are important guides to action.
Dive deeper here:
- Dan Lieberman’s book, Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind
- Joseph Campbells’ classic, The Hero with a Thousand Faces
The Ministry for the Future
This important book by guest Kim Stanley Robinson is both a terrifying and hopeful vision of our shared future.
Learn more about the book here.
Oil and California’s Wells
CalGEM, the California Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division, is responsible for monitoring and regulating the state’s oil and gas wells.
Read more:
- CalGEM’s orphan wells plan
Oil - The Chemistry
What is oil?
Learn more here:
- Harold Schobert’s Chemistry of Fossil Fuels and Biofuels
- University of Calgary’s Energy Education website
- The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s explanation of oil and petroleum products
Oil’s History
Oil’s history is inextricable from the history of California.
Learn more:
- Daniel Yergin’s The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power
- Gray Brechin’s Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin
Oil - How it Works in Your Car
Oil - Idle Wells
Idle oil wells threaten nearby communities. California has struggled to address the issue.
Learn more about the issue:
- Liza Gross’s reporting in Inside Climate News on the legal battles
- FracTracker’s reporting
- California’s Natural Resources Agency’s efforts
- California Senate Bill 1137
- A withdrawn referendum on SB 1137 (2024)
Oil - VOCs
Oil and gas release volatile organic compounds, which impact human health.
Read more about VOCs and health issues:
- The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s report, Public Health and Safety Risks of Oil and Gas Facilities in Los Angeles County
- The EPA’s site
- The Hazardous Substance Research Center’s factsheet
- Drew Michanowicz’s report on air pollution and health impacts
- Judith Lewis Mernit’s article in Yale Environment 360
- A review of evidence of the health effects by Jill E. Johnston, Esther Lim, and Hannah Roh
- An article about how fumes sickened EPA officers by Louis Sahagun in the LA Times
Learn more about benzene:
- Chemical facts
- Benzene and the smell of gasoline
- Sodium benzoate
Learn more about ethylbenzene:
- Chemical facts
Learn more about n-hexane:
- Hexane and vegetable oil
Planetary Boundaries
We’re hitting the limits of this planet’s systems. Planetary boundaries is a concept that describes how this planet works, and how dangerously close we are to breaking it.
Learn more:
- Stockholm Resilience Centre’s research on planetary boundaries
- A warning in Science Advances
CHECK BACK SOON AS WE UPDATE THIS PAGE WITH A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE MANY TOPICS COVERED THROUGHOUT OUR SERIES
