Top 5 Environmental Stories of 2012

Some Residents Upset Over Venice Beach Sand Dunes

Sand berms are built every year to protect public facilities from storm damage.

Sea Otters Free To Roam Southern California

Sea otters swimming in Southern California waters will be considered a threatened species and receive additional protection starting early next year.

L.A. City Council to Consider Sweeping Single-Use Bag Ban Wednesday 

It is estimated that 1.2 to 2.3 billion single-use plastic carryout bags and 400 million single-use paper bags are used annually in Los Angeles.

UCLA Study Lays Out Citywide Sustainability Plan

UCLA researchers hope that Los Angeles officials consider energy, air, water and environmental justice recommendations laid out in a new study to turn L.A. into the greenest big city in the nation by 2021.

Cruise Ships Banned From Releasing Sewage Along California Coast

The Environmental Protection Agency approved a rule today banning all passenger and cargo ships over 300 tons from releasing sewage into ocean waters within three miles of California's 1,624-mile coast and the Channel Islands.