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Arizona Sustainability News
SUSTAINABILITY
Every year, hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes fly south from northern North America to the southern U.S. to winter in warmer climates, including Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This year, a record 47,000 cranes were recorded in mid-January between Whitewater Draw and the nearby Willcox Playa, which is a dry lake most of the year.
March 11, 2021
House Republicans voted to strip the Arizona Corporation Commission of its power to require utilities to get more electricity from solar and other clean energy sources. The bill would bar the regulators from adopting new proposed standards that would require most of the state’s utilities to get half their power from solar, wind and other renewable sources by 2035.
March 4, 2021
It has long been reported that Arizona's water supplies are shrinking. A year-end environmental impact study quantifies the ongoing crisis, showing how Arizona residents feel about the shortage and the difficult allocation choices that lay ahead.
March 1, 2021
The president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship says Arizona House Bill 2248 and its companion Senate Bill 1175 — which strip the commission’s powers to mandate use of renewable energy — will actually alienate conservatives.
March 1, 2021
Arizona lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a House bill that strips the Arizona Corporation Commission of its power to mandate the use of renewable energy by utilities. House Bill 2248 would bar the panel from adopting or enforcing any new policy, decision or rule that regulates the electric generation resources without specific legislative authorization.
Feb. 25, 2021
A change in Arizona water law will let farmers and ranchers conserve water without worrying about losing their rights to it in the future.
Feb. 24, 2021
Agriculture has been a major part of the state’s economy for a very long time, but droughts and heat waves have made many farmers’ jobs more difficult. But researchers from the University of Arizona and elsewhere around the southwestern U.S. and Mexico say they have a way for farmers to deal with climate change, while producing more and healthier food and using less water.
Feb. 23, 2021
The closure of the Navajo Generating System in Coconino County in 2019 is expected to cost the county $40 million of its 2022 budget, according to county officials.
Feb. 21, 2021
Birds that used to stop in Arizona on their way south for the winter are now staying here, and new birds are also finding their way to the state. It's a boon for birders but could cause problems for neighborhoods and ecosystems around the state.
Feb. 19, 2021
Thanks mostly to political differences, there are still intense debates about the country’s overall energy policy. But as technology improves and becomes more efficient, so-called smart products are making a huge difference and bringing the future to us faster than expected.
Feb. 17, 2021
Global warming and prolonged drought are beginning to have a profound effect on flora in Arizona. Even native species are having a difficult time surviving, and many others could soon fall victim. Arizona native Adam Vickers, known and the "Cactus Doctor" has his own landscaping company specializing in their care. And lately, they have needed a whole lot of care, especially the iconic saguaro.
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Feb. 16, 2021
Last year was a record breaker for heat in Phoenix. There were a total of 145 days of high temperatures reaching at least 100 degrees. Experts see that trend continuing in 2021.
Feb. 7, 2021
Things are very dry in the Colorado River Basin already this year. And the situation could get much worse for the water that 40 million people across seven western states rely on. Here's the current drought conditions in five numbers.
Feb. 2, 2021
Last week, dry conditions activated a 2019 drought plan for the first time in the upper reaches of the Colorado River basin, forcing states and the region to plan for an even drier future. The Show spoke with KUNC's Luke Runyon, who covers the Colorado River basin, for more on the situation.
Jan. 26, 2021
President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office tomorrow in Washington, D.C. With that comes a lot of expectations from interested parties around the country — including tribes.
Jan. 19, 2021
A desalination plant in neighboring Sonora, Mexico is nearing completion, more than two years after construction began. The plant is designed to use reverse osmosis to remove salt from sea water and provide up to 200 liters per second of drinking water.
Jan. 18, 2021
When we think about nature, a lot of us probably think about going out into the wilderness, hitting a hiking trail, maybe seeing a national park. But for Danielle Carlock, nature can, and should, be something we experience all around us — even in our yards or on a windowsill. Carlock is a librarian at Scottsdale Community College by trade, but her most recent project involves a different kind of library — a seed library.
Jan. 18, 2021
President-elect Joe Biden's choice of Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior is an indication of how public lands — including Bears Ears National Monument and Chaco Canyon — will be managed in the new administration.
Jan. 18, 2021
Attorney Michael Nixon said the Forest Service has pledged not to transfer Oak Flat to a copper mining company until the very end of a 60-day window that began Friday with the release of an environmental review.
Jan. 17, 2021
The Navajo Nation has appointed Valinda Shirley to head its Environmental Protection Agency. The position is an important one, because there are more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on the reservation.
Jan. 6, 2021