Access to clean water, rights to Colorado River are high priorities for tribes
Access to clean water is a chronic issue for tribal communities in the Colorado River Basin, who also have been denied their rights to water from the river for a century. Two recent moves intend to address those inequities.
Climate change threatens fair and safe Winter Olympics in the future
FLAGSTAFF – Twenty-one cities around the world have hosted the Winter Olympics in the past 98 years. But by 2080, only one of these cities may be able to provide the conditions required for high level competition that’s fair and safe.
Exoskeleton suit designed to reduce strain on manual laborers
PHOENIX – The WearTech Center, GoX Labs and Arizona State University collaborated to develop an exoskeleton suit called the PhenEx. The suit is designed to reduce the strain on workers as they lift heavy objects.
More Phoenix school districts adding electric buses to their fleets
PHOENIX – Phoenix school districts are changing their bus fleets to electric, and two that serve mostly Latino students – Cartwright Elementary and Phoenix Union High School – are leading the charge.
California to test solar panels over irrigation canals to save water, boost electricity output
TURLOCK, Calif. – The Turlock Irrigation District in central California is conducting a pilot project to save water and increase power output by putting solar panels over canals. The project might eventually help the state save up to 63 billion gallons of water per year.
Warmer winters, drier summers disrupting snowmelt supplying the Colorado River
Summer monsoons don’t supply much water to the Colorado River, but climatologists say they’re needed to lower wildfire threats and raise soil moisture levels, which means that more crucial winter snowmelt will make its way downhill.
NAU’s smart bike technology can detect damaged pathways
FLAGSTAFF – A Northern Arizona University engineering team has created a prototype sensor and network that can detect damage along bike paths and alert city officials to needed repairs.
Bloom where you’re planted: How a south Phoenix farm harnesses Mother Earth
PHOENIX – Spaces of Opportunity – a partnership that includes Unlimited Potential, the Desert Botanical Garden and the Roosevelt Elementary School District – consists of small family gardens and a 10-acre incubator farm, as well as a farmers market. Its mission is to provide all south Phoenix families access to healthful, affordable food, promote active living and create strong bonds to individual cultures.
Unregulated groundwater use threatens rural Arizona’s future
KINGMAN – Arizona doesn’t regulate groundwater use in rural areas, which covers 80% of the state, and it’s affecting Kingman and other communities reliant on groundwater.
UArizona’s rainforest in the desert is a testing ground for understanding methane
ORACLE – University of Arizona assistant professor Joost van Haren is leading a research project at the Biosphere 2’s rainforest. He and his team of five student engineers are working to better understand methane emissions from the Amazon rainforest.
Forest health in Arizona: Stressed by drought and pests, trees are losing resilience to changing climate
FLAGSTAFF – Many of Arizona’s forests and woodlands are in bad shape, experts say. They’re overgrown, stressed by drought and facing increased threats from wildfires. But stakeholders across the state are collaborating to restore the forests to health. Take a walk in the woods in the Coconino National Forest to see for yourself.
Burrowing owls’ habitat losses have wildlife experts working to relocate them
FLORENCE – Burrowing owls, ground-dwelling birds that are listed as a species of concern in Arizona, continue to be at risk from ongoing development. As more open desert and farmland is developed across the state, one group is relocating burrowing owls to new sites.
