Items by Jonathan Thompson

Natural gas leaks are dangerous and exacerbate climate change
Natural gas leaks are dangerous and exacerbate climate change
Plus, enough gas has escaped infrastructure since 2010 to heat 170,000 homes for a year.
Drilling is down, driving is up in wake of low petroleum prices
Drilling is down, driving is up in wake of low petroleum prices
Demand increases, but rig counts plummet and workers continue to get laid off.
Sightseeing at an open pit mine in Arizona copper country
Sightseeing at an open pit mine in Arizona copper country
The mines are still in business, yet towns that once flourished are now mostly gone.
Tesla's new home battery: energy revolution or pure hype?
Tesla's new home battery: energy revolution or pure hype?
Powerwall aims to fill a missing link to integrate wind and solar into the grid.
Recapture Canyon protesters found guilty in Utah
Recapture Canyon protesters found guilty in Utah
County commissioner and co-defendant face up to a year in jail for illegal ATV ride.
Huge new 'communities' planned for Tucson, Albuquerque
Huge new 'communities' planned for Tucson, Albuquerque
Sprawl rises from its slumber, but urban renaissance is still thriving.
On a methane mystery tour in the Four Corners region
On a methane mystery tour in the Four Corners region
Scientists, planes and instruments descend on San Juan Basin to find roots of the massive greenhouse gas hotspot.
Strangers in a familiar land
International tourists in Western states, by the numbers
International tourists in Western states, by the numbers
Where they’re from, where they go and where they spend their money.
Drilling Chaco: What's actually at stake
Drilling Chaco: What's actually at stake
It's the archaeological landscape beyond New Mexico's Chaco Canyon that is most threatened.
Snapshot of a drought in progress
Snapshot of a drought in progress
Southwest Colorado's snowpack is dismal and melting fast.
Dispatch from a gas patch shopping trip
Dispatch from a gas patch shopping trip
Reporters Notebook from New Mexico's San Juan Basin.
How 'amenity migrants' push out locals
How 'amenity migrants' push out locals
Communities once sustained by local labor now rely on stock market dividends.
Lessons from boom and bust in New Mexico
Lessons from boom and bust in New Mexico
What we can learn from the oil and gas roller coaster ride in Farmington and beyond.
An oil well, by the numbers
An oil well, by the numbers
A deep dive into drilling, operating and producing.
Oil and Gas Facts
Don't expect oil prices to rebound anytime soon
Don't expect oil prices to rebound anytime soon
Global forces conspire to keep energy prices low, for better and worse.
January exodus
January exodus
HCN’ers get into the backcountry, editor Betsy Marston sees Berlin and art director Cindy Wehling takes a trip to Hawaii.
Long lost GoPro resurfaces; owl attacks in Oregon
Long lost GoPro resurfaces; owl attacks in Oregon
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
The increasingly unequal West
The increasingly unequal West
Rich get richer while everyone else wallows in a region once known to be economically egalitarian.
Goats at the table, and bobcats on (in) the grill…
Goats at the table, and bobcats on (in) the grill…
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
The Cow Liberation Moovement, bear tizzies and more
The Cow Liberation Moovement, bear tizzies and more
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
After a ski patroller’s death, a flurry of questions
After a ski patroller’s death, a flurry of questions
Forest Service permitting issues complicate a southwestern Colorado tragedy
Is altitude causing suicide in the West?
Is altitude causing suicide in the West?
Researchers find that high elevations may affect our emotions in both good and bad ways
The oil boom hasn't busted, but it's straining at the seams
The oil boom hasn't busted, but it's straining at the seams
Oil patch communities and states are starting to feel the impacts of sliding prices.
Killings by cops are much more common in Western states
Killings by cops are much more common in Western states
Arrest-related death rates are highest in New Mexico, with Nevada and Oregon close behind.
The linchpin to a national supergrid
The linchpin to a national supergrid
Clovis, New Mexico, may link three grids and become a renewable energy hub.
Gentrification comes to Denver
Gentrification comes to Denver
With the right policies, the city can be desirable and affordable.
Light rail enters the West’s most sprawling metropolis
Light rail enters the West’s most sprawling metropolis
New transportation sparked a renaissance in Denver. Can it do the same for Phoenix?
Water use is lower than it's been in 45 years
Water use is lower than it's been in 45 years
U.S. population has grown by 105 million people since 1970, yet we somehow shrank our water footprint.
High Country News Classifieds
  • COMING TO TUCSON?
    Popular vacation house, everything furnished. Two bedroom, one bath, large enclosed yards. Dog-friendly. Contact Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
  • ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSTRUCTION GEOPHYSICS
    We characterize contaminated sites, identify buried drums, tanks, debris and also locate groundwater.
  • NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANAGER
    Central Colorado Conservancy is an accredited land trust and community-based conservation organization based in Salida, CO. Our mission is to protect the land, waters and...
  • ESCAPE THE CROWDS AND EMBRACE NATURE: AFFORDABLE RETREAT, JUST AN HOUR FROM GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS!
    Welcome to your new tranquil oasis in Montana. This beautiful 2-bedroom home FSBO is just an hour's drive to the east entrance of Glacier National...
  • DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
    Areas of Responsibility: The Development Director collaborates with the Executive Director, other HEAL Utah staff, board, and supporters to continue building one of Utah's most...
  • DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
    Position Summary Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is hiring an organized and creative Digital Engagement Specialist to join our Marketing and Communications Team. The Digital Engagement...
  • 92 ACRE EASTERN WASHINGTON GEM
    Welcome to Lost Creek Sanctuary... a true hidden gem in the heart of the Palouse. 1900 square feet, the main house is warm and charming,...
  • WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR SALE
    Vibrant, financially successful 1,100 print run, community-focused subscription newspaper in beautiful Pacific Northwest Washington seeks owner/s. It is time to retire. Now, your Norman Rockwell-like...
  • STAFF ATTORNEY - WILDLANDS AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM
    Job Opening Announcement: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Staff Attorney Reports to: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Director Location: Pacific Northwest, ideally in Eugene, Oregon, Portland, Oregon,...
  • HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    The Head of Project Management will oversee our project execution to ensure that we are providing our partners around the world with the field data...
  • LEGAL DIRECTOR
    Trustees for Alaska is the only nonprofit environmental law firm founded and based in Alaska. We are seeking a Legal Director, full-time based in Anchorage....
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Fund for People in Parks seeks leader to identify, develop, fund, and facilitate high-impact projects in western National Parks. Remote position with some travel....
  • GRASSROOTS REGIONAL COORDINATOR
    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. The...
  • GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY MANAGER
    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. Position...
  • GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR
    The Grassroots Leadership (Director) oversees the training, guidance, and support of volunteer Broadband Leaders. (Broadbands are women-led grassroots chapters, with 40+ across the country.) They...
  • FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT NEEDED
    We would like to invite you to participate in a 60-minute focus group to help us enhance the New Mexico Courts website (https://www.inside.nmcourts.gov/). Our aim...
  • GILA GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER
    New Mexico Wild is seeking a Gila Grassroots Organizer who is passionate about public lands and community engagement. The Gila Grassroots Organizer will take a...
  • 20/40 ACRES IN ARIZONA WINE COUNTRY
    Chiricahua riparian ecosystem: 5100 ft elevation:18+ inches of rain/year: 1/4 mile creek through property: The Chiricahuas' have been called: "The most biologically diverse place in...
  • SMALL CABIN WITH 260 ACRES
    Adorable quaint cabin on the Arizona Strip, on the foothills of the Kaibab Plateau with 260 acres bordering BLM lands on two sides of the...
  • LUNATEC HYDRATION SPRAY BOTTLE
    A must for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Cools, cleans and hydrates with mist, stream and shower patterns. Hundreds of uses.