“When you turn coal units off you see deaths go down.”
Public health
Posted inArticles
Smog and smoke: The West’s air is the dirtiest it’s been since 2009
A growing economy, looser regulations and uptick in fires are all factors.
Posted inNovember 25, 2019: Forever Mines
Can a campaign for nature and community rights stop aerial spraying in Oregon?
The push for more local control upends the typical pattern of Westerners fighting against regulation.
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Diseases are spreading with climate change. Panic doesn’t have to.
As illnesses like Valley fever emerge in new areas, health officials keep residents informed instead of in fear.
Posted inOctober 28, 2019: Where Hunting Still Has Meaning
Antibiotic resistance is spreading among marine mammals
A new study of seals and porpoises in the Salish Sea shows how antibiotic-resistant bacteria proliferate in coastal waterways.
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National politics put California’s air quality in the crosshairs
On the ground, one teen deploys pollution monitors to make his community safer.
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In the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting, investigators try to heal
At the coroner’s office, mental health issues arise in the wake of tragedy.
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An uptick in street prostitution challenges Seattle’s progressive policies
Community outcry and overwhelmed services lead to police arresting more sex workers than buyers.
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In New Mexico, schools struggle to address a teen suicide crisis
Sixteen-year-old Aurra Gardner ended her life after her mother repeatedly asked school counselors for help.
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Eco-fascism featured in El Paso terrorism suspect’s alleged manifesto
The racist rant calls for mass killings to make America more ‘sustainable.’ Other terrorists have done the same.
Posted inAugust 5, 2019: From Prison to Fireline
Who pays for infrastructure in Borderland colonias?
In places like Vado, New Mexico, good roads are hard to find.
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The fallout of uncertainty in nuclear test communities
For downwinders of bomb testing, plans for compensation to redress past harms makes for tricky politics.
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New Mexico’s oil boom has made rural roads deadly
As oil wells multiply in the Permian Basin, the influx of heavy vehicles exacerbates risks for those living in the area.
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It’s time to move the Bureau of Land Management out of D.C.
(Most) of those living in the West have the public lands’ best interest at heart.
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Indigenous people face higher suicide rates in Washington jails
Native Americans are disproportionately more likely to be in Northwest jails.
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Western states work to shore up abortion access
‘State laws might become the law of the land.’
Posted inJune 24, 2019: Losing Lake Coeur d'Alene
See where PFAS pollution has been confirmed in the West
Western states lag behind in both monitoring and regulating the class of ‘forever chemicals.’
Posted inArticles
The Cherokee Nation’s next chief will have a big footprint in Indian Country
Saturday’s election in the largest Native American tribe could shape policy and law in tribal communities across the country.
Posted inMay 27, 2019: Public Pushback
Osprey love triangle; an urban avalanche; Arizona’s ‘crisis’
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
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.