 Sustainability |
Sustainability |
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South-Central New Mexico engulfed in fearsome flames | Thousands of people have fled their homes in south-central New Mexico, where two raging wildfires have killed at least one and decimated about 1,400 structures. |
© Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP |
The 15,276-acre South Fork Fire, whose growth fire officials described as "rapid and extreme," has been burning since Monday on Mescalero Tribal and U.S. Forest Service lands near the mountain resort village of Ruidoso. As of Tuesday night, the fire was 0 percent contained, and the source was still under investigation, according to a state and federal interagency fire portal. A second blaze, the 5,557-acre Salt Fire, was ripping through Mescalero Reservation areas due southwest of Ruidoso, per the portal. The concurrent conflagrations prompted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency in the surrounding Lincoln County and Mescalero Apache Reservation. The governor's office characterized the blazes as "beyond local control," stressing the need for state intervention, funding and resources. State officials encouraged residents to keep track of pollution levels amidst so much smoke — encouraging use of the "5-3-1 Visibility Method," which helps gauge air quality based on distance visible. While a round of storms was poised to offer possible relief to the region on Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service's Albuquerque branch warned on X that with such weather also comes risks. The meteorologists cautioned that "burn scar flooding is possible," as is the flow of dangerous debris left in the wildfire's stead. "If you have to shelter in place, get to the highest point inside your home," the forecasters added. "Go up, not out." Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, observed on X that these dual blazes had "caused yet another disaster in the Western U.S. wildland-urban interface." Last year, wildfires burned about 212,378 acres of land across New Mexico, according to a National Interagency Fire Center report. That tremendous total trailed only those of Alaska, at 314,276 acres, and California, at 332,722 acres burned. In 2022, the destruction spanned a massive 859,906 acres — just under the area of Rhode Island — while 2021 was comparatively calmer, with 123,792 acres burned. New Mexico, Swain stated on X, has endured "quite a rough few years in this regard." |
Welcome to The Hill's Sustainability newsletter, I'm Sharon Udasin — every week we follow the latest moves in the growing battle over sustainability in the U.S. and around the world. |
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Latest news impacting sustainability this week and beyond: |
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At the brink of what may be the hottest summer on record, the Texas oil and gas industry is pumping out planet-heating fuels at record levels, a new report has found. Estimates from the Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA) released Monday found the state umped out a record 5.7 million barrels per day of crude oil in May, and it sold a record 32 billion cubic feet of gas. Those record numbers come out as much of the U.S. experiences its … |
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Environmental groups are pressing California lawmakers to include a multibillion-dollar climate resilience bond on the November 2024 ballot, as related funding faces probable cuts in the annual state budget. Nearly 180 organizations have now signed on to a petition demanding that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and state legislators “pass a robust and equitable climate bond” for the public’s consideration … |
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A global network of powerful entities, fueled in part by Wall Street, is buying up land and water around the world. This global land rush has led to wrecked wells and lost farms from Arizona to Zambia — and it risks sowing the seeds for future global conflict, according to “The Grab,” a new documentary out today from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director of “Blackfish.” The film follows a seven-year investigation … |
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its charitable partner will invest $11.1 million in bolstering drought resilience across the Colorado River basin, the parties announced Thursday. The funds, which will come from the Inflation Reduction Act, will enable the Foundation for America’s Public Lands to deploy technical expertise and implement drought-related restoration projects over the next five years. “Westerners … |
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California cars collide with key wildlife crossings |
More than twice as many deer die from vehicle collisions than from hunting every year in California, a new report has found. Such crashes are responsible for more than 10 percent — or about 48,442 — of annual deer deaths, as the Golden State's deer population endures a decadeslong decline, the authors stressed. An avoidable crisis: Deer aren't the only animals that remain vulnerable to human vehicular traffic. - Thousands of Pacific newts (a species of salamander), nearly 100 mountain lions and many thousands of other animals are killed by cars in California each year.
- This deadly data was revealed this week in "Roadkill, A Preventable Disaster," the University of California, Davis's 11th annual report on the subject.
The costs of collisions: In addition to the toll that traffic accidents are taking on Golden State wildlife, these incidents are also expensive, according to the report. - Wildlife-vehicle collisions cost California more than $200 million every year.
- Yet that sum is slightly lower this year than in previous years — in part due to a decline in mule deer, the most often hit animal.
Animals in decline: "Anytime you get a reduction in roadkill, people think it's a good thing," Fraser Shilling, director of the UC Davis Road Ecology Center, said in a statement. "But it's often not," Shilling added. "In this case, it's because there are fewer deer and other animals to hit." A perilous path: Two species of newts that resided on one bridge in Santa Clara County are dying by the thousands every winter as they attempt to cross the road, the authors noted. - The little creatures need to make this journey to get from their home on the forest floor to a reservoir where they reproduce.
- About 5,000 newts are killed annually on this road alone.
These deaths may be avoidable: The researchers expressed support for a potential solution proposed by Santa Clara County — to elevate the road in sections. - Doing so, they argued, could prevent about 70 percent of newt traffic fatalities in the area.
- Other ideas include diverting traffic from newt hotspots or closing the road to non-residential vehicles during crossing times.
Connectivity and coexistence: "Newts, pumas and other wildlife desperately need more crossings and wildlife-friendly development before it's too late," Sofia Prado-Irwin, a staff scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. "Improving wildlife connectivity will lead to safe coexistence, increased climate resilience and a world where California's wonderful biodiversity can continue to thrive," Prado-Irwin added. |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- California Energy Commission officials announced Tuesday that they expect gasoline prices in the Golden State to remain stable this summer. Fuel supplies should be adequate throughout the season, they found, noting that refineries must be proactive and avoid repeating past mistakes. Last year, gasoline prices spiked to as high as an average of $6.08 per gallon, in part because in-state refineries went offline for maintenance without a backfilling supply plan, according to the Commission.
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Branch out with different reads from The Hill: |
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The chemical plume from the February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, spread air pollutants to at least 16 states, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Research Letters. |
The U.S. government is acknowledging that hydropower dams in the Pacific Northwest have harmed tribes. |
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Local and state headlines on sustainability issues: |
- Fallout from climate change blamed for rising insurance rates in Colorado: "I think we're seeing a paradigm shift" (CBS News)
- A stark divide in Texas shows what climate change looks like (Yale Climate Connections)
- Environmental groups push for action over water pollution in Iowa's Driftless region (KIMT3)
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Sustainability news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Solar Energy Faces Cloudy Prospects on Warehouse Rooftops (The Wall Street Journal)
- The American Climate Corps officially kicks off (Grist)
- Activist Sophia Kianni discuss youth-led activism and climate anxiety (PBS)
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More stories on The Hill right now: |
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| The typical 'super-commute' takes two hours and 20 minutes each way, researchers at Stanford found. Read more |
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Opinions related to sustainability submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you next week! |
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