2024 – & the West
Reporting, research, interviews, and analysis on the environmental future of California and western North America.| & the West
Reporting, research, interviews, and analysis on the environmental future of California and western North America.| & the West
“The West’s Lyme disease” gets less attention as cases rise – even while drastically undercounted. Climate change and land development are worsening the picture.Continue readingBuried in the soil or drifting on the wind, Valley fever fungus spreads further around the Southwest| & the West
Hemmed in by aging infrastructure, water scarcity and ratepayer resistance, utility managers seek to balance maintaining equitable service and remaining solvent.Continue readingSanta Cruz water utility grapples with a paradox: what to do when conservation becomes bad for business| & the West
Indigenous leaders face a choice: develop renewable electricity for grid reliability and energy independence, or sell power off-site for economic benefit.Continue readingFor Tribal governments, can energy sovereignty and economic self-sufficiency go hand-in-hand?| & the West
Backers say Small Modular Reactors promise safe, cheap, carbon-free energy. But as is common in nuclear power, the reality is more complicated. The small city of Kemmerer, Wyoming, is set to house the first U.S. commercial-scale SMR demonstration.Continue readingAtomic energy, out of a box? In the rural West, an experimental reactor technology inches closer to reality.| & the West
Professor Luthy’s work focuses on ways to ensure that water overflows in both urban and rural California can be captured and stored underground. He spoke with & the West about the measures the state needs to consider to protect its water supplies into an uncertain future. Continue reading‘We need to plan for a more water-resilient future:’ Q&A with Richard G. Luthy, urban water expert| & the West
Long since fish canneries built Southeast Alaska’s signature town, the trade is now being used to attract tourists.Continue readingKetchikan calls itself ’Salmon Capital of the World.’ Does the title still fit?| & the West
Architects of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act tried to forestall conflict between state regulators and local groundwater users. But judging plans “inadequate” creates hard-to-reconcile differences.Continue readingEfforts to preserve California’s groundwater enter a new phase: a season of judgement| & the West
Their place in the region’s culture and economy has changed. Horse specialists like Curt Pate ensure some still play their old ranching role.Continue readingHorses are still intertwined in the tapestry of the West| & the West
Along the Pacific coast, the U.S.’ fledgling seaweed industry seeks profit in biofuels, greener cattle forage and, just maybe, a place at the American dinner table.| & the West
Agriculture Climate Change Coastlines Conservation Debate Economics Energy Health Infrastructure Language Native Nations Pollution Public Lands Water Wildfire You & Us ... & the West Published since 2016, ‘& the West’ offers reporting, research, interviews, and analysis on the environmental future of California and western North America. It is produced by the Bill Lane Center for the American…| & the West
With promises of jobs and hopes for tax breaks, server farms are reshaping local grids, plumbing, and politics. Are they a boon for communities, or a burden?| & the West
