News

Guide to the Arizona monsoon: Dust storms, lightning and safety tips for first-timers

June 3, 2021

You breezed through your first winter — we know, 75 degrees and sunny in January was tough — but you did it. You really liked spring, when you were able to get outside, and even though it's starting to get a little toasty now you're thinking you can handle summer. Because, really, how much hotter can it get?

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We didn’t track hurricanes hundreds of years ago—but trees did

Oct. 16, 2020

Researchers are trying to extend the tropical storm record by looking inside ancient coastal trees.

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This is a war: Cross-border fight over water erupts in Mexico

Oct. 14, 2020

Farmers in Mexico ambushed soldiers and seized a dam to stop water payments to the United States, in a sign of growing conflict over increasingly scarce resources. 

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Carbon Accounting Must Include City Greenery, Researchers Say

Oct. 14, 2020

Lawns and landscaping provide surprising contributions to Los Angeles Basin's carbon emissions.

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Without the North American Monsoon, Reining in Wildfires Gets Harder

Oct. 13, 2020

New research shows that while winter rains can temper the beginning of the wildfire season, monsoon rains are what shut them down. This monsoon season was the second-driest on record, leaving Southern Arizona dry and vulnerable.

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Rainforest at Biosphere 2 Offers Glimpse into Future of the Amazon

Oct. 12, 2020

Tropical forests may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought, according to a new study.

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Mesquite, crucial to Indigenous diets for centuries, works miracles with water and needs no fertilizer. Why don’t we grow more of it?

Oct. 12, 2020

In a Southwest that’s getting hotter and drier while its population steadily grows, ecologists and Indigenous food activists are increasingly touting mesquite’s potential as a widespread, sustainable drylands crop and food source.

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Homes complicate Arizona wildfire response

Oct. 10, 2020

Development in Arizona's wildlands is making fires more expensive, and in some cases, more difficult to prevent.

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Experts say Arizona drought won’t affect Tucson’s water supply

Oct. 9, 2020

Right now, a majority of Arizona is experiencing a severe drought, so bad that experts say it’s the worst on record.

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How To Have Your Solar Farm And Keep Your Regular Farm, Too

Oct. 9, 2020

Clean, abundant, solar power comes with a price. It requires lots of land, and in some places that's provoking opposition from people who want to preserve farmland.

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