Communities contend with ongoing air quality issues tied to gas and oil wells.
New Mexico
Posted inArticles
What downwinders inherited at Trinity
In the days of ’Oppenheimer,’ an exhibition advocates expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
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Private equity gets into oil and gas
A new report warns of bankruptcies and abandoned wells on Western public land.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
Mexican wolf recovery hinges on maternal instincts
Fifty years after the passage of the Endangered Species Act, the Mexican wolf recovery plan walks a fine line between human meddling and trusting mother nature.
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The miller moth is hard to love, but it deserves our respect
Every summer, the migration of the small insect plays a role in the food web. Don’t be annoyed when they show up in your bedroom.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
Ferry felines, ornithopters and Tokitae going home at last!
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
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After the feds accidentally burned down their homes, they made it hard to return
FEMA told survivors of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history that it aimed to put temporary housing on their land. But because of its strict, slow-moving bureaucracy, that has happened only twice.
Posted inApril 1, 2023: The Path Forward
Navigating the new health-care deserts
Post-Roe, startups help those seeking abortions shrink travel distances and carbon emissions.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2023: The Reveal
Armed bots, an HOV Grinch and bikes for all
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2023: The Reveal
What does the nation’s commitment to tribal co-stewardship mean for public lands?
The Biden administration’s policies signal a shift in lands management, but a sea change is yet to come.
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New Mexico’s new pollution rules leave oil and gas operators to police themselves
Lack of enforcement allows industry to keep emitting greenhouse gases, evidence shows.
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Researchers solve one of the Borderlands’ biggest water puzzles
Officially, the U.S. and Mexico share 11 groundwater basins. A new map bumps that figure up to a stunning 72.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
La Niña expected to serve up a hat trick
The weather pattern hits the West for a third consecutive winter.
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Radioactive waste sickened his community. Then it caught up with him.
Earl Tulley fought for justice for the Navajo communities harmed by uranium mining. Then he found a lump in his jaw.
Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion
Tribal nations fight for influence on the Colorado River
Indigenous nations in the basin are making a stand for their water — and upsetting the river’s power structure.
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The history behind the New Mexico-Texas Rio Grande settlement
It’s taken 10 years for the states to reach an agreement, but it may not be the end of the water conflict.
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The pinyon jay’s predicament
The keystone species’ habitat in New Mexico is threatened by wildfire prevention and the climate crisis.
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The untold story of the Pacific Northwest’s nuclear past
‘Atomic Days’ offers a compelling, fact-packed introduction to the most toxic place in the nation.
Posted inOctober 1, 2022: Making Refuge
Races to watch throughout the West
The midterm elections promise to be a referendum on Joe Biden — and Donald Trump.