Southern California sits at the intersection of wealth, poverty and climate change.
Climate change
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
What went wrong at Oroville?
Dam experts release a report on the California dam’s spillway vulnerabilities.
Posted inJanuary 22, 2018: A Separatist State of Mind
Traversing the mighty Colorado River
A writer sets out on a geographic journey to understand the imperiled water source.
Posted inJanuary 22, 2018: A Separatist State of Mind
Climate change forced me to leave the place that I love
After finding their dream town, a family fled drought and fire.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
‘Atmospheric rivers’ aid the West — and imperil it
Improved storm forecasts could help reservoir managers store more water while avoiding floods.
Posted inArticles
Interior revokes climate change and mitigation policies
Many regulations were axed because they are ‘burdens’ to energy development.
Posted inArticles
16 major environmental protections cut in 2017
Climate change initiatives were the most targeted by the Trump administration.
Posted inArticles
2017 in natural disasters
From massive wildfires to melting ice, the calamities that affected the West this year.
Posted inArticles
A new report finds ‘we have created a new climate’
Extreme events are closely linked to human-caused climate change.
Posted inDecember 11, 2017: Scorched Earth
Why Western wildfires are getting more expensive
This year’s fire season was the costliest on record, burning more than 9 million acres.
Posted inDecember 11, 2017: Scorched Earth
Ancestral Pueblo logging practices could save New Mexico pinelands
Researchers look to the past to better fight fire.
Posted inDecember 11, 2017: Scorched Earth
In a burning West, wildfire smoke threatens public health
Montana hospitals handled an increase of respiratory-related problems this year.
Posted inDecember 11, 2017: Scorched Earth
What fire researchers learned from California’s blazes
In California, land managers use fire as a tool.
Posted inArticles
Interior Department’s Climate Science Centers persevere
As other initiatives get cut, these centers could ride out the Trump administration.
Posted inDecember 25, 2017: Bear Essentials
By shifting nesting times, early birds adjust to climate change
As the West warms, some songbirds in California are raising their young earlier.
Posted inArticles
After Oroville, officials across the West review dam safety
The California dam’s spillways are ready for rain as safety officials prepare for future catastrophes.
Posted inNovember 13, 2017: Solace and Perspective
What are we fighting for?
Bell Prize winner: Through the trials of life, a young writer finds she’s fighting for our spirit.
Posted inNovember 13, 2017: Solace and Perspective
How to know what we don’t know about natural disasters
A new book foretells America’s next devastating earthquake.
Posted inArticles
What a new report on climate science portends for the West
From wildfires to drought, a look at a warming world.
Posted inNovember 27, 2017: Profit and Politics
How an ancient potato helped people survive climate shifts
Utah-area tribes explain the continuing relevance of North America’s oldest spud.