• Weather

Heat-Related Death Spike in Arizona

• Arizona
• extreme heat
• heat emergency

by Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer The number of heat-related deaths in Arizona spiked last year, a dangerous combination resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the hottest summer on record. State officials suggest that in 2020, at least 494 people died of heat-related complications, a marked increase from the previous record of 283 heat-related deaths […]

• Water

Tucson Encourages Rainwater Harvesting to Hit Climate Targets

• @Students4Markey
• Arizona
• drinking water
• Drought
• rain water
• Tucson

by Ashira Morris, ODP Contributing Writer Tucson is one of the fastest-warming cities in the country. Right now, it’s coming off of a record-breaking September for heat and drought. The city declared a climate emergency earlier this year and set a goal of becoming carbon neutral in the next 10 years. As part of hitting […]

• Politics

As Arizona Senate Race Heats Up, Will Climate Change Be on the Agenda?

• Arizona
• climate change
• extreme heat
• Mark Kelly
• Martha McSally
• Senate

Arizona’s Senate race is one of the most pivotal races for Democrats this fall–already $9.3 million has been spent on ads in the state. The party hopes that this is the election that flips Arizona blue as incumbent Martha McSally (R) who was appointed to serve out the rest of the late Senator John McCain’s […]

• Land

Biden Takes Strong Stance Opposing Pebble Mine and Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Bristol Bay
• commercial fishery
• Grand Canyon
• mining
• National Park
• Salmon

Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden over the weekend stated his strong opposition to two prominent mining projects –the Pebble Mine in Alaska and possible uranium mining adjacent to the Grand Canyon — with huge impacts on local economies and Native American communities nearby.

Why This Matters:  Biden understands the importance of both these pristine areas to ALL Americans, and especially their importance to Indigenous Americans.

• Weather

City Governments Unprepared to Deal With Growing Extreme Heat

• Arizona
• California
• CDC
• extreme heat
• heatwave

The Center for Public Integrity explained in their recent investigation that yearly heat-related deaths have more than doubled in Arizona in the last decade to 283. Across the country, heat caused at least 10,000 deaths between 1999 and 2016 — more than hurricanes, tornadoes or floods in most years. What’s more is that scientists link […]

• People

Sacred Land in Arizona Under Threat from Foreign Mining Company

• Apache Tribe
• Arizona
• Oak Flat

Yesterday was Arizona’s primary election and while Joe Biden made headlines for his big win, there’s another story that’s gone largely underreported in the Grand Canyon State. Oak Flat, a sacred site for the Apache People, is under threat from a foreign mining company after it was given permission to perform mining operations on the […]