As wildfires rage, federal firefighters see bump in minimum hourly pay
WASHINGTON - Fighting wildfires did not get any easier this month, but it did get a little more profitable for thousands of full-time and temporary firefighters employed by the federal government, which raised their minimum wage from $13 an hour to $15 an hour.
Climate advocates, lawmaker urge Sens. Sinema and Kelly to support Biden budget plan
PHOENIX – Arizona’s senators are being urged to support the “Build Back Better” budget to provide funding for clean energy initiatives and jobs to address the effects of climate change as extreme heat becomes more common.
With water dwindling in the Southwest, Arizona plans for coming restrictions
The federal government declared a water shortage for much of the Southwest last week, resulting in the first mandatory cutbacks for some who draw from the Colorado River. The first to see cuts will be farmers in central Arizona.
Painstaking search for new planets begins on a mountaintop in Arizona
The NEID spectrometer is trying to detect more planets outside our solar system. It uses the gravitational influence a planet has on the star it revolves around to determine the planet’s mass.
From a raft in the Canyon, the West’s shifting water problems are evident
In 1990, the big problem for the Colorado River was managing too much water. Now, it's adjusting to too little, a problem likely to get worse as drought and climate change pose a profound challenge for the river that provides water for more than 40 million people.
Sonoran scientists start group for Latin American women in conservation fields
Women are increasingly finding a space in the male-dominated field of environmental conservation. But there are still significant barriers – from harassment to language hurdles – keeping their work in the shadows.
Yurok Tribe in Northern California grows solutions in soil of crises
The COVID-19 pandemic, record drought in Northern California that has decimated fish populations and the persistent washout of the main highway have awakened the Yurok Tribe to food insecurity in the area.
Even in an epically dry year, water flows into parched Colorado River delta
Seven years ago, a pulse of water on the Colorado River at the U.S.-Mexico border temporarily reconnected it to the Pacific Ocean. Mexican and American environmental groups are working to bring water back into this part of the estuary and study what happens.
Environmental remediation costs present challenge for Coyotes’ proposed Tempe arena site
PHOENIX – The Coyotes’ plan for a new stadium in Tempe will have to contend with a proposed $70 million payment for environmental remediation costs. Experts say they will encounter plenty of challenges in the cleanup process, but might be rewarded in kind by the city.
Lake at new SoFi Stadium captures and reuses recycled water
LOS ANGELES – The new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, where the Rams and Chargers will play this season, includes an artificial lake that can capture and reuse stormwater.
Arizona professor will lead NASA project to locate menacing objects near Earth
PHOENIX – NASA has appointed a professor at the University of Arizona to lead the Near Earth Object Surveyor project, which involves building an orbiting infrared telescope that scans space for potentially harmful asteroids.
Lake Powell drops to record low as demand continues to outpace drought
The nation’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell, is fell over the weekend to 3,555.1 feet above sea level, the lowest point since it was filled in the 1960s. It joins downstream Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir, which also fell to a historic low level this summer.
