Climate service

The Biden administration will soon release its strategy for the recent executive order to conserve at least 30 percent of the nation’s lands and oceans by 2030. Like the previously introduced Senate Resolution 372 and House Resolution 835 , the 30x30 initiative aligns with recommendations from the scientific and environmental communities to protect 30 to 50 percent of the planet. The initiative can meaningfully increase the quality and quantity of natural areas in the U.S., considering only 12 percent of the roughly 28 percent of federal lands are permanently protected from development and other intensive use. Why do we need the 30x30 initiative? Current levels of land and ocean protection have not prevented the continued loss and deterioration of ecosystems, nor has it stopped the steep declines in fish , birds , pollinators and other species. And 30x30 is as much about safeguarding human health and wellbeing as it is about protecting ecosystems and biodiversity. … [Read more...] about Leveraging 30×30 through partnerships and co-benefits

President Biden Joe Biden Trump: McConnell 'helpless' to stop Biden from packing court Biden, first lady send 'warmest greetings' to Muslims for Ramadan The business case for child care reform MORE is under fire from lawmakers in both parties over his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan by mid-September. The administration has briefed lawmakers that they will withdraw all U.S. troops by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, delaying a May withdrawal deadline agreed to by the Taliban and the Trump administration. But the move is sparking public pushback from both Republicans and some Democrats, who warn that leaving too early or without the right conditions could result in a sharp backslide. ADVERTISEMENT The GOP backlash was swift, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Trump: McConnell 'helpless' to stop Biden from packing court Senate GOP opens door to earmarks … [Read more...] about Biden sparks bipartisan backlash on Afghanistan withdrawal

A few miles north of Coal Creek Canyon, through the pines and gambel oak, and past yards, fences and hillsides dotted with “No Trespassing” signs, the Gross Dam horseshoes against two mountainsides to collect Colorado’s most precious resource: water. The Denver metro couldn’t go a day without it, Denver Water Engineering Manager Doug Raitt said as he looked across the frozen Gross Reservoir. Other amenities, sure, but not water. Demand for water in Denver is expected to increase by a third within the next decade, according to the utility’s 2014 study. That could lead to an annual shortfall of more than 34,000 acre-feet of water, enough to last 225,000 people an entire year. Wildfires, drought and climate change constantly endanger the state’s snowpack, which feeds into the utility’s reservoirs and supply streams and rivers. Long-standing conservation efforts — perhaps you’ve seen the billboards — can no longer keep pace with Denver’s growth, said Greg Fisher, Denver Water’s … [Read more...] about How to ensure Denver’s 1.5 million water customers have enough in the future? Expand a reservoir.

Denver Water announced Friday it received its final federal approval to pursue the largest construction project in Boulder County history with its planned expansion of Gross Reservoir. If completed, the enlargement would help continue to serve Denver’s growing population amid climate change that is clouding future supply with uncertainty, the agency’s leader said. “Expanding Gross Reservoir is a critical project to ensure a secure water supply for nearly a quarter of the state’s population. The project provides the system balance, additional storage and resiliency needed for our existing customers as well as a growing population,” Denver Water CEO Jim Lochhead stated in a news release. “We are seeing extreme climate variability and that means we need more options to safeguard a reliable water supply for 1.5 million people in Denver Water’s service area.” While the green light from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission means no more federal agencies have to take a look at the … [Read more...] about Denver Water’s Gross Reservoir expansion OK’d by feds as Boulder court appeal looms

Homecoming. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images The longest war in American history will be over by mid-September. Or so the Biden administration has now promised. On Tuesday, the White House leaked word of President Biden’s plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. On one level, this decision constitutes a prolongation of U.S. involvement in the conflict. Last year, the Trump administration signed an agreement with the Taliban, which committed the U.S. to withdraw its forces by May 1, 2021. In exchange, the Taliban vowed to cut off all ties with Al Qaeda and enter negotiations with the internationally recognized government in Kabul. But after those negotiations failed to bear fruit — and the Taliban expanded its territorial control — opinion among America’s military and diplomatic elite (once again) turned against a timely withdrawal. In the present context, few had expected Biden to honor the May 1 deadline. The primary … [Read more...] about Biden: All U.S. Troops Will Leave Afghanistan by 9/11