climate change

Vice President Kamala Harris participated in a panel discussion on the climate crisis at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities west of Denver on March 6, 2023. Democratic U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood was also on the panel. (Screenshot from White House livestream)

Kamala Harris visits Colorado to highlight Biden administration’s climate action

BY: - March 7, 2023

Vice President Kamala Harris joined an audience of Colorado elected officials and other stakeholders in Arvada to talk about the Biden administration’s latest efforts to tackle climate change. In a panel discussion led by U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood as well as rock climber and environmental advocate Sasha DiGiulian of Boulder at the Arvada […]

Mountains in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)

Fossil fuel drilling threatens air and wildlife in national parks, advocacy group finds

BY: - February 12, 2023

WASHINGTON — A “massive” methane cloud forming over Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.   Noxious air pollution fouling Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  Herds of mule deer and pronghorn at risk of decimation at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Environmental problems like these are already resulting from fossil fuel extraction near four […]

As Southeast states warm, TVA criticized on preparations for dealing with climate hazards

BY: - February 2, 2023

WASHINGTON – Extreme weather patterns have sparked several improvements to the climate resiliency of Tennessee Valley Authority electrical infrastructure over the past two decades. However, a report from a government watchdog found the huge utility still has work to do in mitigating climate hazards to the regional power grid. “TVA has taken several steps to […]

COMMENTARY
ACLU Executive Director Holly Dickson speaks against Senate Bill 43. At left is bill sponsor Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch). (Photo by John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Arkansas’ would-be religious tyrants gather steam with ‘culture-war’ bills

BY: - January 23, 2023

I grew up Catholic in a deeply Catholic region of Louisiana. I don’t think I met any non-Catholics until after second grade. Imagine my surprise when I realized that not only were there Christians who worshiped differently from me but believed in a totally different Jesus. Imagine my consternation when I learned that some Christians […]

Black farmer with digital tablet in crop field

Climate funding in the farm bill a target if GOP controls Congress

BY: - November 7, 2022

WASHINGTON — Republicans who may be taking control of Congress in next week’s midterm elections have not been very specific about many policy goals—but the farm bill is an exception. Members of the GOP in the U.S. House and Senate are sending strong signals they want to strip climate funding from the legislation in 2023 […]

Even as drought forces water cutbacks, climate gets short shrift in midterm election

BY: - October 31, 2022

LAKE MEAD, Nev. —The streaks of white on the rock ringing the nation’s largest reservoir show how far its water levels have dropped since it was last full. Lake Mead and nearby Lake Powell, which send water to 40 million people in the Southwest, are at their lowest levels since they were filled in the […]

Arkansas AG, 17 others ask SEC for more comment time on ESG rules

BY: - October 26, 2022

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge joined her counterparts in 17 other states asking the Securities and Exchange Commission for more public comment time on proposed rules regarding so-called “woke” investment criteria. The new rules would require publicly traded companies to report additional climate-related data, like greenhouse gas emissions insights. They’d also require investors and funds […]

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in December 2021. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates her Minnesota seat as a toss-up in November's election. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The battle for control of Congress: Abortion, inflation, crime and Biden

BY: , and - October 8, 2022

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress are fanning out to every district in the country, leaving the wonky floor debates on Capitol Hill behind for the campaign trail in advance of the crucial Nov. 8 midterm elections.  Democrats are fighting to hold their razor-thin majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, citing two years of […]

Clash over climate change funding emerging in farm bill debate

BY: - September 20, 2022

WASHINGTON —   As lawmakers begin envisioning the next farm bill, some U.S. House Republicans are wary of making climate change a priority for farmers and ranchers. The pushback from Republicans at a Tuesday hearing came as the Biden administration has tried to make significant new investments in climate change mitigation on farmland, last week […]

PR work for ‘Big Oil’ helped stymie climate action, U.S. House Democrats say

BY: - September 14, 2022

 WASHINGTON – Public relations firms aligned with oil and gas companies have tested the limits of their industry ethics and caused major slowdowns to federal climate change policy, Democrats on a U.S. House panel said at a Wednesday hearing. The firms’ conduct went beyond the bounds of ethical public relations work, Democrats on the House […]

USDA more than triples funding for ‘climate smart’ agriculture

BY: - September 14, 2022

The Biden administration plans to distribute more than $3 billion to fund projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in agriculture and forestry — a tripling of its initial commitment in February. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was set to publicly announce the expansion of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program […]

Drought, inflation strain Arkansas farmers, who see little relief in sight

BY: - August 17, 2022

Billy Grace, a Saline County cattle farmer, sold a portion of his herd this summer for the first time in 19 years in the business. High fertilizer prices and intense drought conditions have made it difficult for Arkansas farmers like Grace to grow, buy and sell hay this year.  Grace sold 60 animals because he […]