A way forward on western water
Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter, as the Monitor's Inhabit section features journalism that brings clarity, hope, and humanity to the story of environmental issues including climate change.
What we're writing:
How the western water wars may end
We'll kick off with that most basic of resources: water. In the American West H2O often translates into conflict. But what ends up in court doesn't have to stay there. The Monitor's latest cover story (photo above) tells how farmers, environmentalists, native Americans, and government have worked together on a plan that could help point the way forward in a region increasingly affected by changes in precipitation. // Zack Colman
Flood plain restoration
One of the answers to those water wars is a seemingly modest one: restoring creeks. This can allow more water to percolate and then resurface when fish and farmers need it most. See it in this short video from the Monitor's Youtube channel. // Alfredo Sosa
Why world's climate response 'will be won or lost in cities'
If urban populations are growing and already account for three-fourths of global energy use, how can they find a right blend of economic development, gains for the poor, and care for the planet? A once-in-two-decades UN conference convened in Ecuador in a bid to figure that out. // Henry Gass
Leaked Clinton emails reveal thorny politics of climate action
Just how sensitive is the idea of a carbon tax? One indicator has just surfaced in the form of leaked emails that appear to show Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign first prepping a tax on emissions, and later calling it politically "lethal." // Zack Colman
What we're reading:
As California water use rises, some ask: Were limits eased too soon?
Inside drought politics in the nation's most populous state // The New York Times
Florida ballot measure could halt rooftop solar, but do voters know that?
At issue: whether it should be unconstitutional to require a utility's non-solar customers to subsidize the solar ones // Inside Climate News
Iceland drills hottest hole to tap into energy of molten magma
The goal is to draw enough energy from 'supercritical steam' to heat 50,000 homes // New Scientist
A trek to the giant Mongolian glacier that holds the secrets to global warming
What caused a melt-off 20,000 years ago? Climate science meets adventure, mud-stuck camels and all. // Pacific Standard
What's trending:
World Bank raises 2017 oil price forecast
"There is considerable uncertainty around the [$55 per barrel] outlook as we await the details and the implementation of the OPEC agreement." // John Baffes, World Bank senior economist
Climate silence goes way beyond debate moderators
"No one I spoke to could recall a recent conversation about climate change." // Andrew Revkin of The New York Times
Clinton calls for expansion of energy grid across borders – is it feasible?
"Expanding the grid in the United States is an onerous task. Connecting this country’s system with that of Canada and Mexico is even harder. And broadening it to include countries on different continents is even further out." // Ken Silverstein at Forbes.com