Poll shows Californians’ climate anxiety is on the rise

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, June 2.

It’s been a wild few years of weather extremes in California, where the pendulum has swung from a historic drought to one of the wettest, snowiest winters on record.

So how are Californians feeling after the weather whiplash? A new poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Times sought to understand that.

“Although responses were sharply divided along political lines, they seemed to reflect a growing unease among residents about the current and future effects of global warming on California,” my colleague Hayley Smith reported this week.

Among the more than 7,400 registered voters polled, nearly 70% said they see a future where those extreme fluctuations will become more common, fueled by climate change. But looking based on political affiliation, 91% of Democrats expect to see more weather whiplash compared with only 28% of Republicans.

The share of Democrats who reported being somewhat or greatly affected by the winter storms was also higher — 40% compared with just 16% of Republicans.

“I think Republicans have a different mindset, and perhaps that leads to greater tolerance of some of the hardships that they may be seeing around them,” Mark DiCamillo, director of the IGS poll, told Hayley. “That also probably leads to a much smaller proportion of Republicans saying, ‘I’m very concerned about these weather events in the future that may lead me to want to move from where I live.’”

Respondents who said that they suffered a “great deal” from the winter storms were also asked if they worried they’d have to move. That worry was most acute among respondents in Northern California, which experienced devastating flooding, power outages, falling trees and other impacts.

There was one area where Democrats and Republicans were more in agreement: the importance of conserving water, as Hayley noted:

The online poll, administered in English and Spanish, has an overall margin of error estimated at 2.5 percentage points.

The poll’s findings were largely consistent with similar surveys conducted by the Water Policy Center at the Public Policy Institute of California.

One such survey from last July found that nearly 7 in 10 Californians believe the effects of climate change have already begun, with 8 in 10 viewing it as a serious threat to California’s future.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

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L.A. STORIES

Anyone else over these gloomy skies? Times writer Laura Newberry looked into how the overcast weather could be affecting people with seasonal depression. Los Angeles Times

A new plaque unveiled Wednesday at Garfield High School commemorates the 55th anniversary of the East L.A. walkouts, which began March 1, 1968. Students from five area high schools left their classrooms to protest unequal education, marking the start of the urban Chicano rights movement. LAist

As the state prepares to receive and discuss a long-awaited report on reparations, the idea is being met with both hope and skepticism among Black Angelenos. “I think the intention of it, whatever it looks like ... should be to help people live a little bit easier,” one resident told Times reporter Brennon Dixson. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

California will send $95 million to state flooding victims without documentation who did not qualify for federal aid after severe winter storms. That comes months after Gov. Gavin Newsom first pledged to help. CalMatters

Should driverless big rigs start rolling along California’s highways? State legislators don’t think so, arguing that the Department of Motor Vehicles has badly mishandled the tech in smaller vehicles and can’t be trusted to take on autonomous trucks. A bill just passed by the state Assembly would pump the brakes on testing. Los Angeles Times

CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING

Rose Morales, left, Cheryl Sanchez Simmons and Tina McKillip at the gravesite of Janansull “Jan” Marsh, who was killed in their hometown of Lynwood when she was 14

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

In November 1969, 14-year-old Jan Marsh was killed in Lynwood. Her case was never solved. But 50 years later, three women who grew up in the community at the same time set out to find her killer and get justice for a classmate they’d never known. Los Angeles Times

Federal agents seized 165 firearms, including 82 ghost guns, during a three-month operation in San Diego. At least 29 people have been prosecuted, according to officials. San Diego Union-Tribune

A Trinity County Sheriff’s deputy asked a couple to do a welfare check on their neighbor. They stumbled upon a horrific murder scene and were both injured by the intruder. Twelve years later, the couple have won $7 million from the county in a settlement. The Sacramento Bee

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Local and migrating birds in California are flush in water thanks to Central Valley flooding. But that bounty brings a “high probability” of a massive bird die-off this summer, wildlife experts say, as lakes and ponds begin to evaporate and deadly bacteria forms. Los Angeles Times

Goat herds clear native grasses and non-native vegetation in Laguna Beach on July 11, 2020.

(Marc Martin / Los Angeles Times)

Goats and their epic appetites are being used to clear out overgrown areas and prevent wildfires. But a new labor law affecting their herders’ wages could put the future of the industry in jeopardy. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Sometimes it pays — literally — to read the fine print. Times tech columnist Brian Merchant shares the story of two Uber drivers who noticed a provision in Proposition 22 regarding mileage and won millions for some California gig workers. Los Angeles Times

Visitors to Channel Islands National Park can once again take trips to Santa Barbara Island. The island, one of five that are part of the national park, had been closed for months after winter storms damaged a dock and other structures. Ventura County Star

AND FINALLY

Today’s California landmark is from Alan Brush, who grew up in L.A. and now lives in Stonington, Conn.: Los Angeles City Hall, taken with his first camera around 1955.

Los Angeles City Hall, photographed around 1955.

(Alan Brush)

Alan writes:

What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.

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