Firefighter standing near smoldering trees.
Dave McNew/Getty Images

California & the West

Western states are the laboratory for cutting-edge climate policy—and we’re the lead scientist.

Western states are the laboratory for cutting-edge climate policy—and we’re the lead scientist.

Devastating wildfires. Enormous floods. Sweltering, worried communities.

The western United States is no stranger to climate change. In fact, it’s home to some of global warming’s most severe impacts—and they’re only getting worse.

But the West is also home to some of the most progressive climate policies in the world. From low-carbon fuel rules, to energy standards, infrastructure, and an evolving water system, western states are demonstrating how to constructively respond to climate change—and how to prevent its worst impacts.

From our regional office in Oakland, the Union of Concerned Scientists has advocated for climate, energy, and transportation legislation for decades. We’re fighting for rules that cut carbon equitably, recognizing that policies won’t work if they ignore the communities most affected by climate change.

We’re also focused on the science. That’s what we’re bringing to Sacramento and beyond: the facts of global warming, the impacts, and the solutions. Not the partisanship.

You can help. Visit our action center or consider donating. This is a fight we all need to join.

West Coast office
500 12th St., Suite 340
Oakland, CA 94607-4087
Phone: (510) 843-1872