Western states bought some time with a historic agreement but still face a hotter, drier future.
Climate change
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How to Indigenize the Green New Deal and environmental justice
Native nations and activists must have a seat at the table.
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Record heat in Alaska fuels wildfires
Anchorage sees 90 F as nearly 120 fires blaze across the state.
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New Wyoming coal company abandons mines and miners
State officials are picking up the pieces after Blackjewel goes belly up.
Posted inJuly 21, 2019: A Radical Return
Renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty, six decades later
How will bolstered support for tribal sovereignty and the environment change the U.S.-Canada agreement?
Posted inJuly 21, 2019: A Radical Return
Rural anxieties derailed Oregon’s climate plans
Arguments over state environmental policy impacts ignore broader challenges to rural communities.
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Seattle will offer residents shelter from the smoke
As climate change fuels fires and warms the city, clean air will be in short supply.
Posted inJuly 21, 2019: A Radical Return
Paranoia and a ‘preposterously’ oversized water tank
An affluent Utah community spent millions to extinguish its fear of fire. Decades later, they’re still trying to buy their way out of a bottomless pit.
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Oregon Republicans are hiding to avoid a climate-bill vote
This is the second time the group of state lawmakers have walked out this year.
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The rapid thaw of Alaska will accelerate global heating
The state’s warmest spring on record will have planet-wide repercussions.
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The rise of wildfire-resilient communities
As fire seasons become longer and deadlier, communities turn to urban planning to combat dangers.
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Washington’s giant sea snail still needs saving
The state’s pinto abalone population is 97% lower today than in 1992. Will adding it to endangered species list help?
Posted inJune 24, 2019: Losing Lake Coeur d'Alene
The West’s worst fires aren’t burning in forests
Range fires get bigger every year, threatening sagebrush habitat and rural towns.
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NOAA’s university partners tackle climate change research
Despite the Trump administration’s attacks on science, collaborators continue their studies.
Posted inJune 10, 2019: 'None of this happened the way you think it did'
Potato living; safe landings; swarms at the bend
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
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New Godzilla movie makes a mess of environmental ethics
Once an allegory for the atomic bomb, the big lizard has come to represent climate change.
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A memoir of sorrow and grace
Pam Houston conveys the pleasures and challenges of rural life.
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A wild winter threatens summer profits in Colorado’s high country
The potential for a cascade of water may slow the flow of tourists to Lake City.
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Public lands top Rep. Debra Haaland’s agenda
One of the first Native American women elected to Congress is fighting fossil fuel development on ‘the most pristine and beautiful places in our country.’
Posted inJune 10, 2019: 'None of this happened the way you think it did'
The hidden consequences of New Mexico’s latest oil boom
Carlsbad residents are experiencing health impacts, but the science behind their woes lags behind the pace of drilling.