Part Three of the follow up to the story “A century of federal indifference left generations of Navajo homes without running water”

The absence of water cascades. In addition to complicating every step of daily life — from washing hands, to making stew or having a cup of tea, to doing the dishes afterwards, it drives up illnesses and complicates public health issues. No water meant a school wasn’t built in Torreon, and other buildings were abandoned because of dry taps. Businesses didn’t open, medical clinics couldn’t operate, jobs drifted away.

Whitehorse Lake Chapter and Pueblo Pintado had both been denied housing — the square, stucco-sided houses with peaked roofs...

Week ending Friday, July 23, 2021

 

Climate Disasters

Atmospheric experts concede that they were shocked by the intensity of the recent European floods and the North American heat dome, saying their computer models are not yet able to project such extremes. Some scientists say the next official predictions due out in August by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will already be outdated when released due to the rapidly intensifying climate emergency. Freak weather events are now happening with greater frequency, ranging from the heaviest rain on record in parts of Japan and China this month to the record-breaking June heat across parts of India, Pakistan and...

Prairie Grouse Endangered in Eastern New Mexico, West Texas; Threatened in Northeast Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado

ALBUQUERQUE — In response to a 2016 petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity and partners, on May 26 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to protect the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act.

The Service determined that lesser prairie chickens in the disappearing shinnery oak prairies of eastern New Mexico and West Texas qualify as endangered. Populations of the bird in other grassland habitats in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado qualify as threatened.

“We’re thrilled to see these magnificent dancing birds...

DURANGO, Colo. — The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Tracy Stone-Manning as the possible new Director of the Bureau of Land Management July 22.

Since that time she has faced severe criticism from Sen. Jim Risch, R- Idaho

Her nomination has, however, advanced to the full Senate for a vote after the Energy and Natural Resources Committee deadlocked 10-10 along party lines.

As BLM director, “InsideClimateNews.org” says Stone-Manning would be positioned to play a significant role in the Biden Administration’s climate change policies, which would include conserving 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters and scaling back fossil fuel extraction on...