The Trump administration wants a road built through an Alaska wildlife refuge for medical needs – but commerce may be the real reason.
Climate change
Posted inArticles
A critical solution to climate change is right here in the West
In pursuit of a ‘Green New Deal,’ don’t forget public lands.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
Democrats are divided over the Green New Deal
Can newly elected progressives convince party leaders to embrace a bold climate agenda?
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Update: The decline of Western snowpack is real
Data confirms climate model predictions of less snow that melts earlier in the season.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
The shutdown has halted important scientific research
Disrupted funding for federal science hurts Western lands and economies.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Feds to open most of Arctic refuge coastal plain to drilling
Despite ecological harm, energy development moves forward in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Posted inArticles
It’s a mistake to keep parks open during the shutdown
Former National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis says the Trump administration is violating the park’s stewardship mandate.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Cutting carbon requires both innovation and regulation
Where coal-state Sen. John Barrasso got it wrong in a recent New York Times op-ed.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
Under Trumpism, truth is under relentless attack
Two books warn against the rise of alternative realities.
Posted inArticles
Do climate policies have a negative effect on jobs?
Climate change will hurt the economy if not addressed, but evidence on how environmental regulations affect unemployment is mixed.
Posted inDecember 10, 2018: Critical Mass
There’s no easy fix for our nuclear past
At Washington’s Hanford nuclear site, failing infrastructure and make-do plans as the West prepares for a new round of radioactivity.
Posted inArticles
Trump’s policies aren’t actually fueling a fracking boom
Current drilling remains a shadow of the frenzy that occurred under Obama.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
Extreme heat hits Tucson’s poor neighborhoods hardest
Where city efforts fall short, activists try to add shade to the heat-stressed south side.
Posted inDecember 10, 2018: Critical Mass
Rep. Raúl Grijalva intends to force a reckoning with climate change
A Democratic spitfire takes the helm of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Posted inDecember 10, 2018: Critical Mass
In Oregon, a mysterious tree grove conjures a colder time
Yellow cedars are suited to damp coastal Alaska. So what are they doing in the desert?
Posted inDecember 10, 2018: Critical Mass
Latest: Top National Park Service climate official resigns
Marcy Rockman cites pressure from agency.
Posted inArticles
Climate report details deep hits to the Southwest
Climate change will impact economy, infrastructure and more.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Water savings may cause suffering for burrowing owls
Can the tiny raptors adapt to irrigation changes in California’s warming farm fields?
Posted inArticles
A judge just dealt a potentially fatal blow to Keystone XL
Trump’s approval of the oil pipeline failed to account for environmental impacts.
Posted inArticles
How to prepare for a wildfire
Some basic steps to stay safe if you live near Western wildlands.