Sustainability
Cortez Masto prods Trump nominee to wade into tussle over wildlife refuge
WASHINGTON — Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) pressed a Trump administration nominee on Wednesday to weigh in on a controversial plan that would downsize Nevada’s Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Cortez Masto pushed to secure a commitment from Robert Wallace — Trump’s pick to be the Interior Department’s assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks — […]
Hotter summers leading to more Las Vegas deaths, DRI study says
Heat-related deaths in Clark County have significantly increased over the last few years, in large part due to the rise in extreme heat, according to a new study. Research by faculty and undergraduate students at the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Nevada State College, and Universidad de Las Americas Puebla identifies a clear correlation between more […]
Electric bus plan is now a law, but is there money to make it go?
The transportation sector is one of the top pollutants in Nevada. Las Vegas sits in the only air basin in the state that does not meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality standards, which state regulators say is largely due to transportation sectors emissions. And a bill to electrify school buses is a key step […]
Horsford joins activists in support of federal funding for parks
Wednesday Rep. Steven Horsford, along with Nevada conservation activists and community organizations, highlighted the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at Kiel Ranch Historic Park. The park was restored with the help of a $121,000 grant from the LWCF, an example of the fund directly benefiting the North Las Vegas community, Horsford said. Horsford called […]
Man with a ($9 trillion) plan
Unlike Pete Buttigieg or Beto O’Rourke, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee hasn’t been a flavor-of-the-month yet. Nor does Inslee have a national following on the scale enjoyed by Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris. He doesn’t have Joe Biden’s name recognition. Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand have more name recognition than Inslee. One thing […]
Measure feared to boost LV water grab dies in Carson City
Opponents of the great Las Vegas rural “water grab” are celebrating the legislative death of Assembly Bill 30, a measure they say would have provided fertile ground for a power play by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), the agency suing for the right to take water from rural Nevada. The bill would have allowed […]
Nevada delegation wins a round in fight over Yucca funding
The Nevada delegation scored a victory Tuesday in the decades-old fight over nuclear waste funding. The House Appropriations Committee voted down a Republican amendment that would have provided funding to continue the licensing process for the planned federal repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. The amendment narrowly failed with a 27 to […]
AB30 threatens tribal heritage and sacred sites
Lawmakers have a big decision to make this week on water policy. Will they pass a bill that could make it substantially easier to siphon water away from lands that my people have called home for thousands of years? Or will they stop Assembly Bill 30, a bill that could ultimately threaten Shoshone religious and […]
U.S. News and World Report ranks Nevada 37th “best state”
Nevada is near the bottom in education and “natural environment” in the U.S. News & World Report “Best States” rankings published this week. The state ranked near the top in the infrastructure and economy categories. The publication ranked Nevada the 37th best state overall. Nevada’s complete rankings: Health care — #37 Education — #45 Economy […]
Western Shoshone step up resistance to Yucca project
For decades, anti-nuclear protesters have demonstrated on Mother’s Day near the entrance to what used to be called the Nevada Test Site. The Western Shoshone National Council used this year’s demonstration to focus on the Trump administration’s efforts to restart operations at the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. Members began their annual sacred walk in […]
Reform of 1872 law would make Barrick, Newmont pay federal mineral royalties
The federal law designed to promote gold mining in the West was enacted by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, and it has remained mostly unchanged ever since. The General Mining Act of 1872 allows miners to obtain the rights to mine billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, copper and other minerals found in […]
Nevada group to push climate crisis as a top issue of 2020 race
On Wednesday, the League of Conservation Voters announced a $2 million nationwide campaign titled “Change the Climate 2020” that seeks to elevate climate action as a key issue of the 2020 presidential primary. The campaign has begun organizing in early primary and caucus states, including Nevada. According to Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Andy Maggi, […]