A bleak reality hit California on January 30th ,2023. According to a recent UC Berkeley study, extreme weather patterns due to the climate crisis will result in a rapid increase of Valley Fever cases in the state. Valley fever, caused by the soil-borne fungus Coccidioides, can lead to chronic fatigue and skin ulcers. It is a fate Jaime Gonzalez tragically knows all too well, after a windy day in the Modesto orchards 15 years ago caused him to contract Valley Fever and he continues to suffer from its symptoms today.

The fungus grows in dry, hot climates like the one experienced in the Southwest in the United States. Experts anticipate this will increase