The Compost: Hollywood’s mixed record on climate change  

Welcome to The Compost, a weekly newsletter on key environmental news impacting Southern California. Subscribe now to get it in your inbox! In today’s edition…

When my dad and I decided to buck the movie-going trend this weekend by seeing the latest (great!) installment in the “Mission Impossible” franchise, I had no idea the villain in this one would be played by AI.

The day before, I’d just finished writing up a story that looks at how machine learning can potentially help us cope with climate change by making us better at managing resources,  tracking emissions, predicting extreme weather and more. However, some of those benefits will be wiped out if technology companies aren’t thoughtful about when, how and where it’s deployed. And spoiler alert: A new UC Riverside study says so far, they’re not doing a great job at that.

A similar thing happened to me in December. I’d just finished writing a story about concerns over plans to test hydrogen energy at UC Irvine. Then I watched “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” where hydrogen plays a not great role in the plot.

I love great films not only for their ability to entertain, but also for their power to expand our minds, start conversations about important topics and even shape movements in these spaces. With great power comes great responsibility, of course. Ignore an issue, and it’s easier for the public and policymakers to ignore, too. Get it wrong and you could create harmful lasting impressions. So since starting on this beat last summer, I’ve been paying particular attention to how climate change and environmental issues are handled when they come up on the big and small screens. Or when these topics seem like they should be mentioned, but aren’t.

Regular Compost readers might recall in the edition of this newsletter that came out just before the Oscars this spring, I listed eight nominees that touched on climate and environment issues. Two — “Elephant Whisperers” and “Avatar: Way of Water” — won in their categories.

This year, I can’t think of any movies I’ve seen so far that tackle either of these topics in significant ways. “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” is high on my to-watch list, though. I also haven’t seen “Oppenheimer” yet. (Going to see the 70mm IMAX version this weekend!) But I was disappointed to see critics pointing out the film didn’t do much to address how the fallout impacted local Hispanic communities.

On the small screen, while I haven’t seen every Emmy nominated series, none I’ve seen so far delve much into these topic areas. One show that held a lot of promise, “Extrapolations” on Apple TV, was, to put it kindly, disappointing. But at least they tried!

In a study of 37,453 TV and film scripts that came out from 2016 to 2020, researchers from USC found just 2.8% contained any language referencing climate change, while just 0.6% specifically used that term.

Documentaries, of course, have done a better job at tackling these issues. I wrote a while back about seven great documentaries streaming on popular platforms that offer a crash course in climate change. 

Books are on it, too. So much so that there’s a genre known as cli-fi, for science fiction grounded in climate change events. One of my favorites in recent years in that category is “Eleutheria” by Allegra Hyde.

Here’s hoping that perhaps, at least, some of these books and documentaries will get made into feature films and TV series soon, so I can keep having coincidences like the one that opened this newsletter. In the meantime, have a favorite film, show or novel that tackles climate change or environmental issues in a smart way? Send recommendations my way at bstaggs@scng.com! You might see them pop up in a future edition of The Compost.

— By Brooke Staggs, environment reporter

SIMMER

Hot labor summer: California is one of only three states that requires heat breaks for outdoor laborers. Some 340,000 UPS workers made heat a central issue of contract negotiations with their employer, in another example of how climate change already is touching all corners of our lives. Dharna Noor with The Guardian has the story. …READ MORE…

• Just in: Workers struck a tentative deal with UPS on Tuesday morning to avert the strike, with a plan that includes installing air conditioning in delivery trucks.
• Dive deeper: A new study estimates hot temperatures cause about 20,000 workplace injuries each year in California, Nicole Foy with Calmatters reports.

Cool paint job: Can a simple paint job help cool a community? Pacoima, which is one of Los Angeles’ hottest neighborhoods, has been testing this theory by using “cooling paint” in key areas. Erin Stone with LAist dug in on the results. …READ MORE…

ENERGIZE

Water canals go solar: “The idea is simple: install solar panels over canals in sunny, water-scarce regions where they reduce evaporation and make electricity.” The Associated Press looks at where these projects stand in California and the difference they could make. …READ MORE…

Blackouts may be a bridge too far: “What’s more important: Keeping the lights on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, or solving the climate crisis?” Never one to shy away from tough questions, Sammy Roth with the Los Angeles Times has a thoughtful look at whether we should be willing to add “more blackouts” to the list of personal sacrifices needed to combat climate change. …READ MORE…

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TRANSPORT

Sun sets on solar car challenge: Students on solar car teams from Palmdale and Pasadena are bummed about yet another pandemic hurdle, as a COVID-19 outbreak cut short what for many was their final high school experience. But they say they’re still leaving with lifelong skills, lessons and memories. …READ MORE…

• Background: Read more about the race and our local teams here.

Another perk to EVs: When talk of the push for electric vehicles comes up, so, inevitably, does talk about how more of them might strain our already stressed energy grid. But here’s a great deep dive by Alejandro Lazo with Calmatters on the potential for bidirectional charging from EVs to help boost electricity in the state. …READ MORE…

• FAQ on EVs: Considering an electric vehicle? Check out this explainer I wrote a bit ago that addresses common questions consumers have about making the jump.

PROTECT

Mountain lions monitored: Amid a spate of recent resident encounters with mountain lions in and around Orange County, our Destiny Torres reports that officials with the county parks department hope a new contract with UC Davis will offer a better understanding of mountain lion behavior. …READ MORE…

HYDRATE

Earmarks mixed bag for water projects: The resurgence of Congressional earmarks has siphoned $660 million in federal aid for water projects away from states, Tony Romm with the Washington Post found. But California’s two Democratic senators last year helped secure more than $32 million in water-related earmarks. …READ MORE…

REGULATE

New restrictions could protect sea turtles: Threatened green sea turtles could soon get more protection for their habitat, migration routes and forage areas along the Southern California coast. Erika Ritchie reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wants to designate protected zones throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans where the turtles are struggling. …READ MORE…

Warehouses near school draw protest: Fontana leaders will vote this evening on whether to green light three warehouses next to Jurupa Hills High School. The Sierra Club and others are protesting, Brian Whitehead reports, calling it a “direct threat to the health and safety of our community.” …READ MORE…

CELEBRATE

The miracle of 2023: A record-setting wet winter without the severe spring and summer flooding we feared could follow? Scott Dance with the Washington Post looks at how it happened and what it means — and doesn’t mean — for California’s future. …READ MORE…

Emissions drop speeds up: Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are now projected to drop 32% to 51% by 2035 thanks to new funding for solar, wind, EVs and more in the federal Inflation Reduction Act. Before the IRA passed, Grist reports, emissions were projected to drop by 26% to 41% in that window. …READ MORE…

EXPLORE

VirtuaI bird watching: Check out the beautiful and fun photos our Paul Bersebach made while bird watching with an OC Parks group, plus find out how you can join in on the next session. …READ MORE…

PITCH IN

Check for this ingredient: For this week’s tip on how Southern Californians can help the environment… There’s a very good chance that a hygiene, cosmetic or food product you’ll use this week contains palm oil, harvested from oil palm trees in tropical climates. The World Wildlife Fund estimates palm oil is in half of packaged products we regularly use. There are some environmental benefits to palm oil, including that it requires less pesticides and resources to produce than some other types of vegetable oil. It’s also an important source of income in some developing economies. The problem is that, despite laws against this practice, native forests that are crucial habitat for endangered species such as rhinos and tigers are being burned down in some parts of the world to clear the way for this popular crop. So consider investigating whether companies that make the products you use have committed to sustainably sourced palm oil. If not, ask them to make that change or consider swapping that product out for one from a company that’s made that pledge.

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