Developments in disaster-prone areas mean big bucks for builders but can put homeowners at risk
ELFIN FOREST, Calif. – Some places burn and flood repeatedly. We’re building homes there anyway.
Wildfire-vulnerable communities search for ways to live with growing threat
SHINGLETOWN, Calif. – Despite federal fire suppression costs quadrupling and an increase in employed firefighters, the damages caused by wildfires has increased fivefold.
Out of sight is out of mind: Small communities struggle in the shadow of larger disasters
OSO, Wash. – Communities devastated by smaller disasters receive a fraction of the national attention and the funding.
Monsoon madness: You say dust storm, I say haboob
PHOENIX – Whether you’re a newcomer or a long-time resident of metro Phoenix, you may wonder how haboobs got their name (or vociferously defend calling them dust storms), what causes them or how you can steer clear of their dusty wrath.
Vulnerable communities adapting to ever-present threat of wildfires
PINETOP-LAKESIDE – Pinetop-Lakeside is among the latest U.S. cities to take advantage of a federal program aimed at creating “fire-adapted” communities where humans and forest meet.
The impact of Mexico’s worst mining disaster, five years later
BAVIÁCORA, MEXICO – Mexico’s largest mining company spilled nearly 11 million gallons of copper sulfate acid solution carrying heavy metals into the Bacanuchi and Sonora rivers in 2014. To this day, residents claim life has not been the same since.
Taliesin West added to World Heritage List after 15-year wait
SCOTTSDALE – Taliesin West in Scottsdale and seven other Frank Lloyd Wright structures were inducted last month.
Dwindling groundwater, ever-deeper wells could spell trouble for Arizonans
PHOENIX – Dropping groundwater levels have prompted many states, including Arizona, to dig deeper wells.
Arizona could make major changes to renewable-energy mandate
PHOENIX – The Arizona Corporation Commission is considering several proposals that would change energy regulation in the state, including how much power comes from renewables.
Federal judge halts planned open-pit copper mine in mountains south of Tucson
PHOENIX – A federal judge has blocked a Canadian mining company from moving forward with plans to dig an enormous open-pit copper mine south of Tucson. The company plans to appeal the decision.
Courts reject environmental lawsuit to block Navajo coal mine expansion
WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court said environmental groups cannot sue to block expansion of a coal mine owned by the Navajo Transitional Energy Co., because the company is an arm of the Navajo government and thus immune from civil suits.
As Southwest water managers grapple with climate change, can a ‘grand bargain’ work?
GREELEY, Colo. – A temporary fix to the Colorado River's scarcity problem has turned attention to how to manage the water supply for 40 million people across the Southwest.
