A lack of data obscures the possible polluted legacy of a holiday tradition.
Pollution
Posted inDecember 1, 2023: December 2023
North Denver’s green space paradox
Will a billion-dollar infrastructure project heal a Colorado community — or displace its residents?
Posted inDecember 1, 2023: December 2023
Take a toxic tour of the Great Salt Lake
Utah grapples with its future of industry around its dying inland sea.
Posted inArticles
We need to reframe our thinking about what’s wild
Why we should take a look from wildlife’s perspectives.
Posted inArticles
Another gunky, toxic season for Utah waters
Harmful algae blooms, fueled by warming temperatures and nutrient runoff, plague the state.
Posted inArticles
The West’s overlooked rainforests can address climate change
A new book advances the idea that protecting old-growth forests is better for the climate than planting new trees.
Posted inArticles
Environmental groups sue Utah over crisis at the Great Salt Lake
Plaintiffs invoke the public trust doctrine to restore the lake to a healthy level.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
Wildlife and the inescapable impact of road noise
The ‘blab of the pave’ disrupts animals’ lives everywhere, even in national parks.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
The long tail of toxic emissions on the Navajo Nation
Communities contend with ongoing air quality issues tied to gas and oil wells.
Posted inArticles
Federal court derails proposed Utah oil railroad
Failures to assess risks to Colorado River and ‘numerous NEPA violations’ in project’s impact analysis highlighted.
Posted inArticles
Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
Finding a fix for ‘forever chemicals’
Tests found PFAS in nearly all the public drinking water in Vancouver, Washington. The city is testing a solution that could take years — and more than $170 million — to build.
Posted inArticles
Water quality research helps bring healing and sovereignty to the Apsáalooke
‘I know it is my responsibility to care for this land that has always taken care of me.’
Posted inArticles
A quarter of rural water systems likely contain ‘forever chemicals’
USGS research confirms widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water — including in rural communities and private wells that are almost never tested.
Posted inArticles
Hey New York, we’ve survived decades of smoke. Here’s how
Tips on staying healthy, keeping sane and getting through being socked in by smoke.
Posted inArticles
The Supreme Court just made it easier to destroy wetlands and streams
The decision strips federal protections from the ephemeral streams that are crucial for life in the arid West.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
In search of answers at the Salton Sea
To protect air and water quality, shoreline residents become community scientists.
Posted inArticles
Can retiring farmland make California’s Central Valley more equitable?
Planning for the future of groundwater also offers an opportunity to plan for climate justice.
Posted inArticles
Fire retardant kills fish. Is it worth the risk?
A lawsuit could change how the Forest Service fights fires.
Posted inArticles
What hazardous cargo moves on Colorado railroads? It’s a ‘black box’, even to state regulators
In many Western states, 19th-century laws and deregulation allow chemical- laden trains to roll in obscurity — leaving hazmat teams guessing.