News & Commentary

Slip-sliding Away

December 18, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Heavy El Niño rains could trigger mudslides in California this winter. These scientists are trying to figure out the whens and wheres.

Frog vs. Fish

December 8, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

How cutting-edge technology may save endangered amphibians from hungry trout in Yosemite’s alpine lakes.

Ursine Exodus

November 17, 2015 Latest NewsWestAlexis Sobel Fitts

Yellowstone’s grizzly bears are spreading out and expanding their range. Is it a sign of good health—or increasing desperation?

No Photos, Please

October 23, 2015 DispatchWyomingAlisa Opar

New Wyoming laws stifle freedom of speech and make citizen science illegal.

The Soil Savior

October 15, 2015 DispatchTexasJeff Turrentine

A Texas farmer is bucking tradition by putting soil health above all else. The result? Water-retaining, nutrient-rich pay dirt.

Climate Got Your Tongue?

September 25, 2015 Latest NewsColoradoPerrin Ireland

In the Rocky Mountains, long-tongued bumblebees are getting licked by warmer temperatures.

No "I" in Sagebrush

September 22, 2015 Latest NewsWest, United StatesAlisa Opar

The greater sage grouse is staying off the Endangered Species List, thanks to unprecedented collaborative conservation efforts.

Please Silence Your Sonar

September 9, 2015 Latest NewsWest, United StatesBrian Palmer

The U.S. Navy agrees to give marine mammals off California and Hawaii a break from deafening noise.

The Great Oyster Crash

August 26, 2015 DispatchOregon, WestEric Scigliano

Ocean acidification hits the Pacific shellfish industry.

Going Back to Cali

August 21, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaClara Chaisson

Gray wolves have returned to the Golden State after a nearly century-long absence.

Hotter = Drier

August 19, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A new study shows how climate change is making the California drought worse.

Hey, Congress, Quit Blaming the EPA

August 18, 2015 DispatchColoradoBrian Palmer

The Gold King mine accident is on you, too.

The Farmer Who Weeded Out Chemicals

August 12, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaLaura Fraser

Organic farmer Jim Cochran proves that growing nontoxic strawberries isn’t just possible, it’s profitable.

Up (and Down) a Creek

August 11, 2015 Latest NewsColoradoClara Chaisson

Here’s what you need to know about the EPA spilling three million gallons of wastewater into a Colorado river.

Innovation Has Not Run Dry!

July 8, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaAlisa Opar

As summer heat compounds four years of drought, Californians are coping with water shortages in some wacky and smart (and desperate) ways.

Roam, Roam on the Range

June 24, 2015 DispatchMontanaAlisa Opar

This Montana cattle ranch is trying to ensure its operations benefit wildlife—and yes, that means wolves, too.

Oklahoma Earthquake? Blame Oil and Gas

June 18, 2015 DispatchOklahomaBrian Palmer

A new study proves what we’ve suspected all along—oil and gas drilling triggers earthquakes.

Protestors Ahoy!

June 16, 2015 Latest NewsSeattleBrian Palmer

Seattle's “kayaktivists” finally draw the government’s attention to Arctic drilling.

A Year Without Snow

June 4, 2015 DispatchWestBrooke Jarvis

Want to know what difference a few degrees can make as the climate warms? Look no further than the West’s critical and vanishing snowpack.

Fearing the Burn

May 26, 2015 Latest NewsWestAlisa Opar

Western states prepare for an “explosive” wildfire season.