- (Focus Area) Environment
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Oh, there ain't no bugs on me
There ain't no bugs on me
There may be bugs on some of you mugs
But there ain't no bugs on me
You can hear it on YouTube.
UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, drew national news media coverage in 1991 when he declared that the medflies are "established" here, that the "recurring outbreaks" are not caused by tourists continually bringing infested fruit to California in their airline baggage.
Today Carey says that California's fruit fly invasion is in "crisis mode."
The professor will present a Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar on "California's Fruit Fly Invasion Crisis" at 4:10 p.m., Monday, June 3 in Room 122 of Briggs Hall. It also will be on Zoom. The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/9 5882849672.
"After seven decades of near-continuous outbreaks in scores of California cities, tephritid fruit fly invasions (e.g., Mediterranean, oriental, peach, and Mexican fruit flies) are reaching critical mass, with many of the annual eradication programs morphing into below-the-radar, never-ending fruit fly control programs," Carey says in his abstract. "Permanent establishment of any one of these tropical species has the potential to shut down the multi-billion dollar domestic and foreign markets for hundreds of California fruit and vegetable crops."
"I will present an overview of the long-developing crisis, discuss lessons learned from analysis of fruit fly detection databases, and argue that, in order to have any chance at stemming this ever-rising tide, CDFA and the USDA urgently needs to switch from their historic, ad hoc eradication strategy to a new one that is evidence-based and far more scientific."
Carey served on the CDFA's Medfly Scientific Advisory Panel from 1987-1994, testified to the California Legislature "Committee of the Whole" in 1990 on the Medfly Crisis in California, and authored the paper "Establishment of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in California" (1991, Science 258, 457).
Carey is a fellow of four professional societies: the Entomological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Gerontological Society of America. He is former director (2003-13) of a 11-university consortium funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIH/P01) on the evolutionary ecology of lifespan.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The katydid nymph did.
It did appear in May.
The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) tells us that katydid nymphs appear in our gardens in April or May.
This little nymph was right on time, barely, as it surfaced in our Vacaville garden on May 28.
The nymph, a leafeater, is usually so camouflaged in the vegetation that we don't see it--unless it's hanging out on a California golden poppy blossom or a neon pink rock purslane. The adult katydid can be an economic pest when it feeds on such crops as mandarins.
Frankly, it can look quite comical as it "walks the walk," its long threadlike antennae probing the way as it descends a stem in the early evening.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
"It's really serious," says UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey, a noted authority on the invasion of tropical fruit flies.
Professor Carey will discuss his findings at a UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar at 4:10 p.m., Monday, June 3 in Room 122 of Briggs Hall. His seminar, titled "California's Fruit Fly Invasion Crisis," also will be on Zoom. The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/9 5882849672.
"After seven decades of near-continuous outbreaks in scores of California cities, tephritid fruit fly invasions (e.g., Mediterranean, oriental, peach, and Mexican fruit flies) are reaching critical mass, with many of the annual eradication programs morphing into below-the-radar, never-ending fruit fly control programs," Carey says in his abstract. "Permanent establishment of any one of these tropical species has the potential to shut down the multi-billion dollar domestic and foreign markets for hundreds of California fruit and vegetable crops."
"I will present an overview of the long-developing crisis, discuss lessons learned from analysis of fruit fly detection databases, and argue that, in order to have any chance at stemming this ever-rising tide, CDFA (California Department of Entomology and Nematology) and the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) urgently need to switch from their historic, ad-hoc eradication strategy to a new one that is evidence-based and far more scientific."
Carey served on the CDFA's Medfly Scientific Advisory Panel from 1987-1994, testified to the California Legislature "Committee of the Whole" in 1990 on the Medfly Crisis in California, and authored the paper "Establishment of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in California" (1991, Science 258, 457).
Carey is a senior scholar in the Center for the Economics and Demography of Aging at UC Berkeley and former vice chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology. He focuses his research on insect biodemography, mortality dynamics, and insect invasion biology. He joined the Department of Entomology in 1980.
Fellow of Four Professional Societies. Carey is a fellow of four professional societies: the Entomological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Gerontological Society of America. He is former director (2003-13) of a 11-university consortium funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIH/P01) on the evolutionary ecology of lifespan.
He co-authored the book Biodemography: An Introduction to Concepts and Methods (Carey, J. R. and D. Roach. 2020; Princeton University Press) and authored three previous books, Demography for Biologists (Oxford University Press 1993), Longevity (Princeton University Press, 2003), and Longevity Records: Life Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and Reptiles (Odense, 2000). He has written more than 250 journal articles and book chapters. For any technical issues with Zoom, contact seminar coordinator Brian Johnson, associate professor, at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu.
Resources:
- The 30?Year Debate on a Multi?Billion?Dollar Threat: Tephritid Fruit Fly Establishment in California, June 8, 2017, American Entomologist
- Behind the Scenes in the California Fruit Fly Invasion, Aug. 6, 2013, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
- From a Trickle to a Flood: The Large-Scale Cryptic Invasion of California by Tropical Fruit Flies, October 2013, Proceedings of the Royal Society B
- Establishment of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in California, 1991, Science
- Author: Jill Santos
Future Design Gives New Graduates Hope
Spring usually brings an abundance of colorful blossoms and excitement for high school and college graduates everywhere. In the past, graduates celebrated their hard-earned achievements, ready to carve their own paths in the world, while parents reluctantly released them into an uncertain future. A study released by The Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2023 reported that Gen Z'ers (ages ranging from 12 to 27) have the highest self-reported mental health concerns compared to previous generations[i]. The source of this distress? Future anxiety.
Today, communities worldwide grapple with daily struggles, feeling left behind in a rapidly changing world. To address this in his home country of Japan, Dr. Tatsuyoshi Saijo, a professor of economics at the Research Institute for Future Design at Kochi University of Technology, aims to inspire the present generation to care more about the future[ii]. This passion ignited after meeting indigenous communities in America, who have long embraced the principle of “seven generations.” Tatsuyoshi published a study in 2015 showing that when considering only present needs, people favored policies that lean toward instant gratification. However, when focusing on the future, study participants put more emphasis on progressive policies, such as advancing healthcare investments or raising utility rates to accommodate for an aging infrastructure. This approach is now being replicated worldwide.
In 2015, then President Barack Obama, speaking at the first session of Conference of the Parties (COP21), said, “we (referring to Millennial and Gen Z) are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and are the last generation to do something about it.”[iii]
A Green Career Revolution
From private corporations to community-based organizations, leaders are fundamentally reassessing and redesigning the way we live, work, consume, and interact with the environment. What is different now is that more people are acknowledging the realities of climate change and its impacts on ecosystems, societies, and economies. This gives the next generation an advantage to envision and implement alternative pathways that prioritize sustainability, resilience, and equity. Innovative adaptations to traditional technologies are advancing faster than ever and many of them offer
- Heat Pumps – ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) are gaining traction in the energy sector. UCANR (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources) researchers from as early as 1985 have examined better systems to heat or cool buildings by exchanging the air though underground pumps filled with a water-based solution though devices called Heat-Pumps[iv]. While there are some environmental drawbacks, as there are with many of the human-centric energy solutions, they are more efficient than traditional heating and cooling methods, they do not rely on fossil fuels, they can reduce utility bills, and save space. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry could be a great career opportunity for some. The industry currently employs about 1.5 million people in the U.S. and is expected to grow 6 percent by 2026. The 2023 median starting pay, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is about $57,000 per year[v]. If you like working with your hands and want to spend more time outdoors, the HVAC industry is a solid green career.
- Recent reports have raised many risks associated with gas stoves used for cooking indoors. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that one hour of cooking on a gas stove results in up to 3,000 parts per billion (ppb) of carbon monoxide[vi]. Another study from Stanford University found that methane leaks from gas stoves, (on or off) can emit the equivalent of half a million commuting cars [vii]. As technology improves and costs stabilize, more households will see the value in switching to heat induction stoves. Rebates available through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act (link to more information) can make the price tag more palatable. California offers residential energy rebates in addition to subsidized training for contractors. Some handy individuals may be able to install an induction stove, but many people will prefer to use a qualified company to install it. Licensed electricians can start out early around $60,000 a year and this sector also expects to grow 6 percent by 2032[viii].
- The American Climate Corps (in California, Climate Action Corps) is a great place to start if someone wants to work in a green career but is uncertain which path to take. Corps, like the California Conservation Corps, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and VISTA, etc. give young adults real-world experience who want to make a positive difference in the world and at the end of the service period are eligible to receive a stipend that can help them pay for college. This program helps fight the impacts of climate change at a community level while giving young adults the skills to gain leverage in the clean energy and climate resilience workforce. Sustainable UC (University of California) Davis hosts a Green Workplace Program, assisting UC employees to lower their operational environmental footprints, further indicating that our workplaces are transforming.
Opportunities abound to safeguard public lands and waterways, environmental monitoring, address urban heat and housing concerns, improve forest management practices, expand the adoption of solar energy systems, and contribute to the restoration of coastal and watershed resources. For instance, the demand for environmental engineers is on the rise, with salaries reaching up to $100,000 annually[x]. Solar jobs grew 3.5% in the last few years as installation has nearly doubled. A skilled solar installer can earn as much as $54,000 annually[xi].
As careers and economies undergo significant transformation, it is essential to recognize this evolution as both necessary and inevitable, driven by the pressing urgency of the present moment. Viewing this shift as an opportunity rather than a limitation is the crucial first step forward. Reinventing a future that includes all voices reassures young adults that they will not be left behind.
[i] https://www.aecf.org/blog/generation-z-and-mental-health
[ii]https://www.pbs.org/video/beyond-the-now-ft4j2u/ and https://www.vox.com/23870374/tatsuyoshi-saijo-economist-research-institute-for-future-design-future-perfect-50-2023
[iii] https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/30/remarks-president-obama-first-session-cop21#:~:text=But%20only%20if%20we%20rise,can%20do%20something%20about%20it.%E2%80%9D
[iv] chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://calag.ucanr.edu/download_pdf.cfm?article=ca.v039n05p5 and https://energy.ucdavis.edu/fighting-climate-change-with-heat-pumps/
[v] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanics-and-installers.htm
[vi] https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2013/07/23/kitchens-can-produce-hazardous-levels-of-indoor-pollutants/
[vii] https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/05/people-with-gas-and-propane-stoves-breathe-more-unhealthy-nitrogen-dioxide#:~:text=Stanford%20researchers%20estimate%20that%20methane,to%20respiratory%20disease%2Dtriggering%20pollutants.
[viii] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm#:~:text=3%25-,Employment%20of%20electricians%20is%20projected%20to%20grow%206%20percent%20from,on%20average%2C%20over%20the%20decade.
[ix] https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/senate_aging_farmers_report.pdf
[x] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/environmental-engineers.htm
[xi] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/solar-photovoltaic-installers.htm
[SK1]Is this true? Source?
[SK2]Please cite the LBNL instead of the popular article if possible
[SK3]Let's cite this like you have the others
[SK4]Also, how many stoves? All of them?
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Ricardo Vela, manager of UC ANR News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS), won the ACE 2024 Rising Star Award, an annual award that "honors communicators, instructors and researchers who demonstrate exceptional leadership and technical skills in their communication field, to their institution, and service to ACE."
Five other UC ANR communicators won either a gold (first place), silver (second place), or a bronze (third place) award.
- A trio from UC ANR Strategic Communications--Michael Hsu, senior public information representative; Ethan Ireland, senior videographer; and Evett Kilmartin, photographer--teamed to win a silver award for their video, “Farm-to-Corrections Project."
- Strategic Communications' social media strategist Doralicia Garay won a bronze award for her entry, “Improving Lives in California” in the category, social media organic campaign.
- Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist for the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and author of the Bug Squad blog on the UC ANR site, won a gold award for “best feature photo."
They will receive their awards at the ACE conference, scheduled June 23-25 in Salt Lake City Utah. The theme: “Big Ideas Start Here.”
Ricardo Vela
Ricardo Vela is a 35-year, two-time Emmy-winning broadcast journalism professional, as noted on the ACE site. As program manager of NOS, he supervises a Spanish-language expert team that disseminates news and research about agriculture, nutrition, and natural resources to Spanish-speaking communities across California. Vela is “an advocate for Latino and other ethnic groups, promoting their contributions to society and creating for the first time, events for the UC ANR community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Cesar Chavez Day.”
Before joining UC ANR, Vela worked as a national news correspondent for Univision and CNN in Texas and Los Angeles. He started his journalism career at the Chicago Tribune and Univision in Chicago, Ill. While in Chicago, he collaborated with several Latino community organizations, always promoting equity and inclusion. He served as Univision's main news anchor in San Diego for 17 years and hosted a morning talk radio show,“Voces Hispanas,” for 10 years. His career includes serving as news director and anchor at Entravisión (a Univisión affiliate) in Palm Springs and as a news anchor at Telemundo in El Paso, Texas. In 2006, Hispanic Magazine listed him as among the 100 most influential Latinos in the country.
UC ANR Vice President Glenda Humiston appointed Vela as a founding member of the UC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to serve a three-year term.
The ACE Rising Star Award memorializes Frank Jeter (1891-1955), a pioneering ACE member from North Carolina who made significant contributions to the communication field and to ACE.
Michael Hsu, Ethan Ireland and Evett Kilmartin
The Hsu-Ireland-Kilmartin team produced a video featuring UC ANR's Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) and its unique partnership with Impact Justice, ChangeLab Solutions, Spork, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDRC). Last July they launched the "Farm-to-Corrections Harvest of the Month" project, which brings fresh, specialty produce into California prisons “to improve the diets of the residents, as well as improve their overall health and well-being.” Impact Justice is a prison reform organization, ChangeLab Solutions is a health equity nonprofit, and Spork is a regional food hub.
The video, Hsu said, aims to raise awareness and build support for the project. He cited its many wins:
- Opens major untapped market for California growers and producers (especially small farmers)
- Demonstrates a way for CDCR to meet requirements for in-state sourcing of food
- Provides healthier food for residents of the correctional facilities, while introducing new produce and nutrition education opportunities that can help them live better lives while they are in prison and after they return to their communities.
Hsu conducted the interviews and wrote the script; Ireland shot and edited the video; and Kilmartin contributed photos. Some images were taken in the California Department of Corrections, California State Prison, Solano (Vacaville). (See the news story, "Farm-to-Corrections' Project Provides Fresh Produce to People in Prison, Boosts California Growers.")
Doralicia Garay
"The campaign's strategic emphasis on showcasing employees within the narrative of research efforts enhances the UC ANR brand identity and positions the organization as a collaborative pioneer in innovation," Garay wrote. "This comprehensive approach leverages the power of social media to extend reach, foster engagement, and effectively cater to our online community."
Among those featured in "Improving Lives in California:" entomologist Ian Grettenberger, assistant professor of Cooperative Extension, and a member of the faculty of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
Kathy Keatley Garvey
Kathy Keatley Garvey, a journalist formerly with UC ANR before joining the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, submitted an image of a honey bee buzzing over a zinnia. Her entry, “Celebrating the Honey Bee," won the feature photo category, for "one image that effectively tells a story."
"The purpose of this photo was to celebrate the honey bee by capturing an image of a pollen-packing worker bee in flight over a bright flower," wrote Garvey. Her gear: a Nikon D500 with a 105mm lens. Settings: 1/4000 of a second (to freeze the action), ISO 1000, and f-stop 6.3. She sought to showcase "the amazing color: the bright red zinnia and the orange pollen;" the bee's speed (deliberately blurring the wings); and "to emphasize that foraging honey bees are incredible workers."
"That is one huge ball of pollen that she'll take back to her colony," Garvey wrote. Feedspot, which ranks blogs by traffic, social media followers and freshness, ranks her Bug Squad blog as the No. 4 bug blog in the world, Garvey has written the blog every night, Monday through Friday, since Aug. 6, 2008.
Communication Professionals
ACE, headquartered in Morton Grove, Ill., describes it members as "communication faculty and professionals at public and land-grant universities throughout the United States and in similar institutions in other nations.We are communication professionals at local, state and federal agencies; corporations and nonprofit organizations; and agriculture- and natural resources-focused international research centers."
Its members include "writers, editors, graphic designers, webmasters, video producers, information technologists, photographers, administrators, researchers, faculty members and others in the communications field. We plan, prepare and disseminate research results and Extension educational materials. We distribute research-based information to scientists and technicians, and practical, problem-solving information to people who put it to work: farmers, families, foresters, food processors, ranchers, homemakers, news media, youth, marine businesses, businesses and many others."