New study shows nearly half of bald eagles affected by chronic lead poisoning
PHOENIX – A new study shows that almost half of bald eagles in the U.S. suffer from chronic lead poisoning. The main culprit is lead bullets and shot used in hunting, which break apart in animal carcasses. The carcasses are scavenged by the birds, who then ingest the lead.
Time, tradition and trust: The Navajo Nation takes on climate change
PHOENIX – The United Nation’s recent assessment of climate science found that immediate action is needed to reduce greenhouse gasses. That’s something the Navajo Nation is working to address through science, trust and time.
Phoenix fellowship cultivating the next generation of urban farmers
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Urban Agriculture Fellowship Program pairs urban farmers who are struggling to find apprentices with the next generation of urban farmers. Project Roots in south Phoenix is training one of nine fellows.
Blankets of color harder to find during Arizona’s subpar wildflower season
APACHE JUNCTION – Arizona’s wildflower season has been affected by our dry winter. This year’s color show is a far cry from the “superbloom” of 2019.
Arizona to endure another hot, dry spring as droughts persist
Arizonans hoping for a break this spring from the drought gripping the state will be disappointed, with climatologists calling for minor to exceptional drought conditions, what one calls the state's "new normal."
Extinction is forever: Seed banks build biodiversity in the face of climate change
With changing environments and weather conditions, some plants have a hard time adapting to change and could become endangered and eventually extinct. Seed banks are preserving species and helping secure biodiversity within our changing environment.
Two Arizona tribal leaders make case for critically needed water projects
WASHINGTON – Leaders of two Arizona tribes asked lawmakers Wednesday to support funding for development of critical water infrastructure and to OK a bill that would let tribal water be sold to others in the drought-stricken state.
Recycling solar panels is complicated. Here’s how one Yuma company does it.
YUMA – We Recycle Solar in Yuma is recycling solar panel waste, but there is more to be done to ensure a safe and eco-friendly process as solar power gains popularity worldwide and its waste grows.
Drop in Lake Powell could threaten power production as well as water supplies
PHOENIX – Lake Powell’s water levels have dropped below 3,525 feet for the first time in almost 50 years. The low level threatens to disrupt hydroelectricity produced by turbines in Glen Canyon Dam.
Building a new reservoir takes a lot of time, trucks and rock – but is there enough water?
The Chimney Hollow Reservoir west of Loveland will include the tallest dam built in the U.S. in 25 years and is meant to shore up water supplies for thousands of people in northern Colorado, but opponents wonder whether there will be enough water to keep it filled.
What’s ‘average’? Snowpack determines health of Colorado River, and our understanding of it is changing
ASPEN, Colo. – The NOAA has almost a century of data on the snowpack that feeds the Colorado River, and it shows lighter snows and higher temperatures over time. But we compare temperature and precipitation totals to 30-year averages that shift every decade, which may be skewing our understanding of snowpack dynamics.
Reversing the desert: How an Arizona engineer is trying to heal the land and protect water
RED ROCK – A civil engineer in southern Arizona is looking at nature’s systems to reverse deserts, heal watersheds and revitalize arid land with holistic land management practices.
