The Landscape

Aaron and Kate are joined by Grace Wu, an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, to talk about her research on balancing renewable energy development and conservation in the West. The study examined the potential habitat loss and land use impacts of developing the complete set of onshore wind, offshore […] The post Can renewable energy and conservation coexist? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Discussion on the impacts of climate change on the Rio Grande River, White House involvement in mining law reform, exploration of the river's different conditions and water management challenges, difficulties in photographing drought, and preservation efforts to protect the river's ecology and resources.

Alli Henderson, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, and Blaine Miller-McFeeley, a senior legislative representative at Earthjustice, dive into the alarming Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. They discuss how this bill threatens public lands and prioritizes mining over environmental protections. The duo unveils the troubling political motivations behind the legislation and its implications for clean energy. They also highlight the urgent need for reform, better standards, and public advocacy to safeguard vulnerable communities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by clean energy consultant Rob Gramlich, founder and president of Grid Strategies LLC, to talk about the need to ramp up renewable transmission capacity in the U.S. Gramlich tells us what the Inflation Reduction Act did and didn’t do when it comes to transmission, as well as how Congress can […] The post What’s really holding up renewable energy transmission construction appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Nse Witherspoon, executive director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network, and Mark Magaña, founder and CEO of GreenLatinos, lead a discussion on making conservation more equitable. They highlight the America the Beautiful for All Coalition's efforts to ensure marginalized communities benefit from conservation. Key topics include the 2023 Farm Bill's role in linking agriculture and sustainability, and the need for diverse voices in conservation initiatives. They stress the importance of community engagement and breaking down silos for better environmental justice.

The announcement of two new national monuments formed the centerpiece of the White House Conservation in Action Summit on March 21, 2023. Biden designated Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range national monuments using his authority under the Antiquities Act, protecting over half a million acres in perpetuity. Center for Western Priorities Campaigns and Special Projects […] The post Biden designates two new national monuments appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Exploring the intertwined histories of Arizona and Arabia in desert agriculture, the controversial export of Arizona's groundwater to Saudi Arabia, the ambitious yet failed Biosphere 2 project, and the current water crisis in the Colorado River basin with impending cuts and desalination deals.

Kate and Aaron are joined by pollsters Lori Weigel and Dave Metz to talk about the most interesting and important statistics from the recently released 2023 Colorado College State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll. The poll found that voters care just as much about protecting public lands and waters, as well as […] The post What Western voters think about conservation appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Exploring the urgent need for states to address dropping water levels on the Colorado River, complexities of water allocation, historical events shaping current water law, challenges with reservoirs like Lake Powell, successful water conservation efforts in cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, urgent need for adaptive water management strategies, and exploration of the Colorado River Science website.

Roger Flynn, mining reform expert, joins Aaron and Kate to discuss the need to update century-old mining laws and regulations. They explore the environmental impact of mining, the presence of mining for critical minerals in the Western U.S., and the efforts to improve mining regulations on public lands.