climate change

There’s a whole bunch of energy right below people’s feet in many Western states. And it doesn’t release any pollution into the air. But only a small fraction of it is being used for electricity. That could change, however, as the geothermal industry looks to expand.

Last week, Our Living Lands highlighted the challenge of living without electricity. Now, hear from Navajo families who are getting power for the first time through a life-changing mutual aid program.

Nationwide, nearly 17,000 homes on tribal lands still need electricity hook-ups. A majority of them are spread across the Navajo Nation, where climate change is making it harder for families to keep cool. In recent years, however, a mutual aid program has been helping change lives.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is spending $60 million to help tribal farmers in the Mountain West use less water amid drought – and still grow their crops.

A new study shows that wildlife migration routes in the West will likely shift because of climate change. That’s why researchers worked with a tribe in the Mountain West to find out how to tackle the problem.

Climate change is causing wildfires in the West to get bigger, hurricanes in the South to get stronger, and temperatures to rise across the U.S. But when candidates talk about the issue on the campaign trail, does it sway voters?

Winter is coming. But how much snow will it bring? Federal forecasters recently released their outlook for the season, and projections for the Mountain West are all over the map.

The federal government is spending another $15.3 million to improve climate projections of extreme weather. That’s to help communities in the Mountain West and beyond prepare for future disasters brought on by climate change.

New research shows that climate change is causing mountain lakes to rapidly lose ice cover in the winter. That can harm the Mountain West region’s water quality – and native fish.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is spending nearly $10 million on projects that restore the sagebrush ecosystem in the West, which is shrinking due to development and climate change.