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Scientists say the state's plants are at risk of collapse unless they migrate or are moved to refuges. According to a new study, two-thirds of California's unique plants, some 2,300 species that grow nowhere else in the world, could be wiped out across much of their current geographic ranges by the end of the century because of rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.

Scientists say the state's plants are at risk of collapse unless they migrate or are moved to refuges. According to a new study, two-thirds of California's unique plants, some 2,300 species that grow nowhere else in the world, could be wiped out across much of their current geographic ranges by the end of the century because of rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.

Earlier this year a report came out showing that trace amounts of pharmaceuticals -- everything from ibuprofen to birth control pills -- are showing up in America's drinking water. Today, water agencies and consumers are still grappling with some unanswered questions: Do these tiny amounts of drugs pose any health risk? And if so, what can we do about them?

Hot, dry conditions have made this one of the worst fire seasons in California history. With firefighters and equipment stretched thin, hundreds of remote blazes are left to simply burn. Is this a sign of fire seasons to come, and are we prepared to deal with it?

An age-old environmental crime has become an increasing problem. Poachers illegally hunt down everything from abalone to black-tailed deer, on private lands, parks and wilderness areas. But catching poachers can be tough because of California's vast size, so state fish and game wardens are trying something new -- high-tech tools right out of TV crime lab shows.

What if you could imprint every bullet with the unique signature of the gun which fired it? That's the goal of California's bullet microstamping law, which takes effect in 2010. But does microstamping work? Scientists studying the technology say it will produce more false hopes and high costs than evidence. Supporters say that victims, families, and investigators deserve all the help they can get.

Local, organic, fair trade... Consumers looking for a sustainable diet face a lot of choices and recently, another one has been added to the list: low-carbon. But it turns out reducing your meal's carbon footprint isn't so easy.

This week General Motors announced it will close four of its pickup and SUV plants and may end production of the Hummer. The news comes as gas tops four dollars and thirty cents a gallon in the Bay Area. As drivers increasingly look toward hybrids and mass transit for some relief, has the time finally come for one car technology that needs no gasoline at all? Amy Standen reports.

Since 1995, astronomers have identified more than 200 new planets, but these planets aren't in our solar system. Known as exoplanets, they're the planets orbiting other suns and Bay Area scientists are leading the search. QUEST reports on some of the latest efforts to find new planets-- and maybe even life-- in outer space.

Scientists predict we'll be seeing hotter conditions and drier forests in the near future. The Summit Fire that's been burning in the Santa Cruz Mountains is likely a part of that trend. QUEST talks to Malcolm North with the U.S. Forest Service. He says any area that's burned before is vulnerable to burning again, including the coast range and Sierra Nevada.