Blog: Dangers lurk in the San Joaquin Valley’s Dust
In the San Joaquin Valley, concerns about airborne dust—and its health impacts—are growing. As farmers prepare to fallow more cropland to achieve groundwater sustainability under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and adapt to the valley’s warming, drying climate, two experts say people are right to be concerned. We asked Dr. John Balmes, Professor Emeritus at UCSF and UC Berkeley and Physician Member of the California Air Resources Board (since 2008), and Dr. Isabel Jones, postdoc at UC Berkeley, to tell us more about the dust and its health impacts for valley residents.