Arizona Sustainability News

The Colorado River’s biggest user will conserve some water in exchange for federal dollars
The Imperial Irrigation District in California announced it will conserve 100,000 acre-feet of water in 2024, less than its initial water conservation goals.
Study: Wildfires may overwhelm air quality gains in West
After half a century of efforts to clean up air quality in the U.S., new research finds the toll from wildfires may be overwhelming health gains in the West.
Nov. 30, 2023
2023 set to be the hottest year on record
Much of the warming was experienced in an El Niño pattern that is set to continue into the new year.
Dec. 4, 2023
Why deal to conserve Colorado River water may make future deals harder
Money from the Inflation Reduction Act approved earlier this year sets aside more than $1 billion for programs aimed at conserving Colorado River water. But, new reporting from Politico finds that may make it more difficult to negotiate deals to save water down the road.
Dec. 4, 2023
Crypto mining guzzles a truckload of water per transaction
Most studies of cryptocurrency’s environmental impact focus on power generation. But new calculations reveal a staggering and growing impact on water usage as well.
Nov. 29, 2023
Nonprofits cameras reveal how the border wall in Arizona affects wildlife migration
An Arizona conservation group called the Sky Island Alliance wanted to see how the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border affects animal migration. So it set up wildlife cameras to track animals as they moved from one side to the other.
Nov. 30, 2023
CAP wants input on a new Water Education Center
The Central Arizona Project brings Colorado River water to Phoenix and Tucson through a massive canal system. And the agency wants to help more Arizonans understand the state’s critical water issues. So CAP is planning a new Water Education Center.
Nov. 30, 2023
Rio Verde water fix OKd by Corp. Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission unanimously approved a plan to set up a long-term water supplier for Rio Verde Foothills residents who lost access to their water supply earlier this year.
Nov. 30, 2023
Controlled burns scheduled near Tonto National Forest, Fredonia and Munds Park
Even as climate change warms the Sonoran Desert, Valley residents can look forward to cooler temperatures during the holidays. The season also marks the arrival of prescribed burns in the Arizona high country.
Nov. 29, 2023
Advocates fear wildlife, dark sky effects when stadium lights turn on at U.S.-Mexico border
Conservationists say they are concerned about stadium lights being built along the border in places known for their dark skies, and one nonprofit says the lights could be harmful to southern Arizona wildlife.
Nov. 20, 2023
Q&AZ: How much debris is the Fiesta Mall demolition creating?
Mesa’s Fiesta Mall has been undergoing demolition since July. Through KJZZ’s Q&AZ reporting project, a listener asked: How much debris the former mall is creating? And where does it all end up?
More Q&AZ questions answered
Nov. 23, 2023
An energy company wants to build hydropower projects on the Navajo Nation. Not everyone is on board
There’s been an increase in hydropower projects across the U.S., including on different tribal reservations. But some advocates say tribes like the Navajo Nation aren’t being consulted enough about their development.
Nov. 24, 2023
Help the Desert Botanical Garden track Arizonas monarch butterflies this winter
Arizona’s cooler months are when you’re most likely to spot monarchs fluttering around the state, and the Desert Botanical Garden is asking for your help tracking the beloved butterflies this winter.
Nov. 24, 2023
Solar panels will cut water loss from canals in Gila River Indian Community
In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on their land south of Phoenix.
Nov. 20, 2023
Former nonprofit director faces jail in fraud case
The government has moved forward with a plea agreement in its prosecution of James Matison, the former program director of the conservation nonprofit WildEarth Guardians.
Nov. 20, 2023
Nonprofit: Artificial turf raises temps, releases PFAS
As Arizonans look for ways to conserve water, they may be tempted to rip out their lawns and replace them with artificial turf. But fake grass has a lot of drawbacks.
Nov. 15, 2023
New glue could make plastic bottles easier to recycle
Researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have invented a reversible glue. It’s based on the same forces that make a balloon clingy after it’s been rubbed on hair or clothing.
Nov. 17, 2023
Mosquito-borne illness is up in Arizona
ASU Ph.D. candidate Ndey Bassin Jobe spoke with The Show about whether the efforts to protect people from diseases like Zika, West Nile and malaria are generally successful, and the impacts they have on the mosquitoes that are carrying those illnesses
Nov. 17, 2023
Threat to health from climate change worsening, says global report
The eighth annual report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has been released ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Change conference in Dubai. The authors say all indicators are pointing in the wrong direction.
Nov. 16, 2023
National Climate Assessment is bad news for snow, groundwater
The fifth National Climate Assessment shows how human-caused climate change will continue to shrink the Colorado River. The report says annual snow totals will decrease 24% by the year 2050. It also warns that the nation’s groundwater is at risk.
Nov. 16, 2023
UN group says human activities fuel 25% of dust storms
In preparation for its five-day meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan this week, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) released three reports, several recommendations – and some dire news.
Nov. 15, 2023