War hawks and climate hawks alike are calling for energy independence.
Renewable energy
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How the oil and gas industry is trying to hold New Mexico’s education system hostage
Fossil fuel interest groups are saying: let us keep drilling or the state’s education system will collapse.
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Free, prior and informed consent is the gold standard of Indigenous rights. Why isn’t it followed?
Indigenous leaders at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples push for stronger support of the consultation process.
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The Southwest’s cities are booming. Here’s how to make that growth climate-friendly.
One of the authors of the recent U.N. climate report says getting urban development right is crucial to addressing the climate crisis.
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
Cows, coal and climate change: A Q&A with the new BLM director
Tracy Stone-Manning discusses how the federal agency sees conservation, the climate crisis and the Indigenous history of public lands.
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How the economy of Indian Country impacts local communities
A ‘stealth’ economy for tribes often hides billions of dollars in jobs, growth and revenue.
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A mysterious solar farm crops up in Colorado
Are the solar panels, spread over 74 acres on the Western Slope, intended to power a crypto mine? No one’s saying.
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What’s missing in California’s solar debate
Energy justice advocates are pointing out a gaping hole in making renewable energy more accessible: community solar.
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
The digital world’s real-world impact on the environment
From data center warehouses to cryptocurrency, technology is another energy hog.
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Will the EPA partially close a Wyoming coal plant that’s one of the nation’s largest polluters?
The decision affects the local economy and air quality — and could create an opening for renewable energy.
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Building equity into the renewable energy transition
Community and labor organizers shape New Mexico’s changing economy.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2022: Water Rights and Responsibilities
‘Cultural resources are not a renewable thing for us.’
The West’s largest green energy storage project would destroy a Yakama sacred site. Now, the nation is fighting back.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Climate change wreaks havoc on the electricity grid
Heat and drought combined are especially harmful to the power system.
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Can the sun solve New Mexico’s energy conundrum?
The state is dependent on oil and gas, but Carlsbad has opportunity to become the epicenter of renewable energy.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Cannabis has a carbon problem
The burgeoning marijuana industry gobbles up electricity.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2021: End of the Line
Coal’s big breakdown
A half-century ago, the ‘Big Buildup’ transformed the West; now, it’s all coming to an end.
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Local climate efforts cut costs and carbon in Wyoming
As the state doubles down on fossil fuels, towns chart their own path.
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The world’s largest battery could be the answer to California blackouts
A new project in San Diego will substantially increase the state’s storage capacity.
Posted inAugust 1, 2020: Infectious Ideologies
The job loss epidemic
COVID-19 impacts ripple through every sector of the economy.
Posted inMarch 16, 2020: Wiring the Wild
For skiers, there’s a contaminant underfoot
Premium wax is affecting alpine food webs.