2 Degrees Out West

What is Prop 137?

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Visit yesonprop137.com

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Colorado just experienced its worst snowpack on record.

The impacts of record-breaking drought are straining our water supplies and worsening our Wildfire risk.

On top of that, approximately 80% of the state's land lacks permanent protection and could be lost to development. Forest and Wildfire scientists estimate that Colorado needs up to 200 million more every year to limit the risks of catastrophic Wildfire, conserve Clean Water supplies and protect the state's most important lands and Waters from development.

Over the summer we've been talking about all of the different ways that we use conservation funding to advance protections for land and water.

This year Colorado has a chance to permanently commit dollars for the work that's urgently needed to protect the state from dangerous severe wildfires and the impacts of drought. WRA and our partners worked to get Proposition 137 on the November ballot. Prop 137 provides Coloradoans with the chance to act now and protect what we love most about our state.

On this podcast, we explore what Prop 137 does, why we put it forward, and most importantly - how you can get involved.

On today's episode: How Colorado can protect its most valuable resource – nature – via Prop 137.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Catastrophic wildfires have been one of the main headlines of the summer.

Every year millions of dollars are spent fighting wildfires in the West. Across our region, from Colorado to Utah, fires have burned through communities and watersheds. Social media is littered with videos of the tragic impacts on landscapes and homes. After a fire is contained, communities face another challenge: rebuilding post fire.

While rebuilding structures and roads is an obvious challenge, there are less obvious issues that must also be addressed – like the impacts on our water.

The rivers of the West are facing a constellation of threats in 2026. Drought, pollution and overuse all come to mind. Fire, not always as much. For fish, water managers, and municipalities however, it is high on the list of concerns, and it should be for you, too. Uncontrolled wildfire is one of many modern threats that not only damages ecosystems in the West but also creates expensive water quality problems for our communities.

Today we're looking at how we can keep rivers in the West healthy, how we can solve for the threats of catastrophic wildfire before they become crises, and how to make sure that this work is getting done on the scale needed to protect Colorado and the West.

Welcome back to our series of conservation funding. We're looking at all the way that we can use dedicated sources of money to protect our home in the West.

On today’s episode: Watershed health.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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It’s hard not to be aware of the drought in the west this summer.

If you've been following along, you probably know that the Colorado River is in a lot of trouble.

The river is bankrupt. It already does not have enough water to meet demands. And we’re about to overdraw our account– with devastating consequences.

Without decisive action to save water, the river system could collapse after just one more dry year.

A system collapse means that the West has drained its accessible savings in Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The only water left would be what is flowing in the river, and that is nowhere near enough to meet current demands. Farmers, ranchers, businesses, and communities would not be able to count on the river’s reservoirs.

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The Colorado River’s management guidelinesexpire in October, yet the seven states that rely on its waters have been unable to reach an agreement on what happens next – leaving these decisions in the hands of the federal government.

In the absence of a state deal, The Bureau of Reclamation published their plan for managing the Colorado River when the current guidelines expire. WRA’s experts are digging in to these documents and breaking down exactly what the plan means for our future.

On this WRA Bonus episode: What is the Plan for the Colorado River?

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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This podcast is available in a video format. Find that here:

Cars have gotten safer in the last 50 years. Auto manufacturers and government regulators have spent a lot of time working on making it safer to drive.

But the best way to be safe in a car is to not crash in the first place.

In Colorado, there are thousands of vehicle collisions with wildlife every year. Roads fragment habitat and migration patterns, forcing wildlife to try to get across busy highways — often resulting in tragic outcomes for people and wildlife. Even mild collisions are very expensive for the state and nearby communities. The average cost of hitting a mule deer is over $23,000.

Fortunately, there is a commonsense solution that protects both drivers and animals: wildlife crossings.

In 2026, WRA helped pass bipartisan legislation that will reduce the number of collisions in Colorado by building more crossings.

The benefits of preventing wildlife-vehicle collisions go far beyond safety. Wildlife crossings also connect critical habitat and safeguard ecological resilience, helping the West's unique species thrive even in a changing climate. With more funding, Colorado and states in the West can do even more to protect our communities and wildlife populations.

We talked to an expert to learn all about it.

Welcome back to our series about conservation funding in the West. In these episodes, we're exploring how the West can protect our wildlife, support our ecosystems, and make outdoor recreation accessible to everyone.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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If you live in the West, you've experienced the impacts of wildfire. In the last few decades, as the effects of climate change, unhealthy forests, and a drier west merge together, catastrophic wildfires have become a significant part of our lives.

Communities across the West are threatened by massive, out-of-control wildfires. We're seeing wildfires outside of what we used to consider “wildfire season,” and those fires are burning hotter, faster, and longer than they used to.

Headline-making catastrophes like the Marshall Fire in Boulder or the Palisade Fires in Los Angeles, which both ignited during the winter, have shown us that the idea of a “wildfire season” isn't realistic anymore.

Colorado has over 14 million acres of national forest. Managing and protecting all of that from wildfire is complicated and challenging. Those national forests cover recreation areas, wildlife habitat, irreplaceable wilderness— and they border our homes and communities.

Wildfire is often misunderstood, even within the environmental community. As out-of-control wildfire becomes a more present threat , communities are having to learn to adapt. This means better understanding how fire actually works in the West, the threats and the benefits it brings, and how we can best limit risk and protect our communities.

To help clear up some of those wildfire misconceptions, we talked to WRA’s resident wildfire policy expert.

In this new podcast series, we are exploring the different threats to public land in the West and how we can conserve it for the future. We will be covering wildfire, wildlife, recreation, and the threats of new development.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Running Up For Air – Why These Runners Ran Until They Couldn’t

In the West, we are on the front lines of air pollution. Major western cities like Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Reno regularly rank among the worst in the entire country for particle and ozone pollution.
The people who live in our region are noticing.
The Running Up for Air race series is an event that challenges participants to put their fitness endurance to the test in the name of air quality.
The event began on Grandeur Peak in the Wasatch Mountains above Salt Lake City. Participants ran up the peak, overlooking the pollution from over 8,000 ft above sea level. In the winter the smog above the Wasatch front is often some of the worst in the country. During the race runners got first-hand experience with the poor air quality of their home as they ran up above the air pollution and then descend back into it.
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Now the event has spread to several areas across the West. It raises awareness and money for air pollution in key cities.
WRA was present to help crew one of the sponsored events run by Suffer Better in Staunton State Park, Colorado.
On this episode of Two Degrees Out West – Why air pollution is a crisis in the West, the runners that were inspired to run until they couldn't in the name of addressing air pollution, and how you can add your voice to the fight for clean air.

Learn more below!

https://westernresourceadvocates.org/

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Clean Energy Expert Debunks Clean Coal

In a legally dubious 202c order, the federal government forced the broken, dirty, and unreliable coal power plant to stay open past its planned closure. The craziest part? The plant is currently broken and would need to be fixed – costing millions of dollars.

It's the latest in the confusing effort from the administration to keep coal power plants online despite the abundance of evidence that there are more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective options.

The main utility that operated Craig 1, Tri-State, had been planning its closure for over 10 years - In part due to its air pollution impacts on places like Rocky Mount National Park and the fact that it’s not needed for reliability.

As a listener, you may already know all of this. This is an issue WRA and others have been vocal about in 2026. We produced a podcast, many social media posts, and currently have an action alert where you can tell your state leadership to fight to close coal power plants in your state.

However, many online – whether humans or bots coordinated by powerful interests - seem inclined to defend coal.

Coal is one of the worst energy sources for the West. Regularly, The West suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the country. Salt Lake City, Denver, Reno, and Phoenix all experience serious levels of ozone and particle pollution. Those pollutants are linked to cancer, lung disease, asthma, and a wide variety of other nasty health concerns. Ending coal power is imperative if we're going to protect our health in the West.

To help debunk some myths and claims, we asked WRA’s Clean Energy Director, Erin Overturf, to debunk some of the pro-coal comments on our social media.

As a side note – this podcast is available in a video version for those interested in a visual format.

Today’s exciting new video version of 2° Out West: Debunking “Clean Coal” with a Clean Energy Expert!

Video Version:

https://youtu.be/4mKT1s_XYTw

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Just two days before the new year residents of Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming woke up to an unpleasant surprise.

The Craig One power station in Northwest Colorado had been forced to remain open by the Trump administration. The Administration used an unusual and legally shaky 202c order to force the plant to stay open. It was the latest in a series of similar orders forcing old, dirty, and often unreliable coal power plants to stay on the grid.

Not only do coal power plants worsen air pollution in the West - where many major cities already often have some of the worst air quality in the country - but it also is expensive and contributes to rising electricity costs in the West.

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Everyone in the West deserves clean air. Coal power is old, dated, expensive, and often unreliable. The Future of the West means relying on clean energy like affordable wind and solar. The administration's effort to keep this obsolete coal plant online is a threat to our clean air, health, and affordable energy bills.

On this episode of Two Degrees Out West, we talk about the 202c order to keep the Craig One power plant open and what this unprecedented move by the Trump administration means for the West.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Nevada is in crisis.

Rising utility bills have - in the most extreme cases - climbed to over $1,000 a month. Meanwhile, the state is losing ground on emissions reduction goals, which is driving pollution and worsening health outcomes for Nevadans. As temperatures climb higher and higher, air conditioning in the heat of summer becomes the difference between life and death. As the state warms and drought worsens, bigger and more catastrophic wildfires plague the landscape and threaten homes and businesses.

The state can ultimately link its problems back to one source - fossil fuel emissions.

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But it wasn't always this bad. Nevada used to be a leader in the West in charging forward on affordable, reliable energy goals. So, what has changed? And what caused Nevada to fall behind?

On this episode of Two Degrees Out West, learn about the state’s most pressing challenges and some of the things that can be done to bring Nevada back.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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While the recent rollbacks of national climate policy and backtracking of hard-fought wins are especially concerning - they aren't the whole story. there is another key venue where wins are happening.

The states.

States and local governments have the power to set energy regulations, emissions reduction goals, and fund critical clean infrastructure and transportation. They can protect land and water and make critical decisions about how to leverage funds to protect the environment.

Many of these battles happen in state legislatures, and some of them happen in utility commissions - bodies that help regulate utilities and often make key decisions when it comes to enforcing state climate policy.

In 2025, things in Arizona are as dire as ever. Extreme heat and drought plague the state. AI data centers promise to strain an already stressed system. Meanwhile, Arizona has limited commitment to meaningful pollution climate goals and no clear plan for handling the data center boom and the energy and water demands it will bring.

Back in 2024 we did an episode on what was happening at the Arizona Corporation Commission, a key energy regulatory body in Arizona. On last year’s podcast we covered some of the mistakes being made by the ACC. Today, we are talking about a major win we saw against the ACC that advances our goals.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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In the last two years, artificial intelligence has rapidly changed the world that we live in. If you spend time online, you’ve seen it incorporated into almost every aspect of our digital lives. Search engines, social media, and online tools are all in a race to incorporate AI.

Powering AI are data centers – buildings that house endless rows of servers that bring LLMs, cloud computing, and high-speed internet to our fingertips. But all this power comes at a cost.

Data centers use energy and water – and plenty of it. Until now those demands have been predictable and easy for utilities to incorporate into their forecasts. Now, the new rapid growth and change of AI threatens to break that mold.

WRA has been investing a lot of time and energy into understanding what that cost for the climate could be and solutions to address those costs.

To better understand, we asked some of WRAs experts to explain what’s happening with data centers and what we can do about it. In this podcast, we will explore why data centers are different in the age of AI, how they pose a threat, and what our states can do about it.

On this Episode of Two Degrees Out West – What is the climate cost of AI, and what can we do about it?

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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The impacts of climate change are becoming harder and harder to ignore. Many communities in the interior West are on the front lines of dealing with these impacts.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona, has been taking steps to mitigate the impacts of drought on their communities. The 1.6 million-acre Fort Apache Indian Reservation is located in east-central Arizona at the headwaters of the Salt River. The river produces over half of the streamflow entering Roosevelt Lake and supplies water to the Salt River Project and Phoenix Metro cities. This summer was a particularly dry summer for the tribe.

Previously on 2° Out West we interviewed members of the tribe to talk about their water metering project. The aim is to better track and ultimately conserve the limited water supplies on the reservation. The water meter project is on-going and only becoming more necessary as drought continues.

On this episode of 2° out west we'll once again talk with tribal members to hear how drought is impacting their communities and how water meters can help be part of the solution.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
• ...

Mere hours after Inauguration Day, the new administration began slashing hard-fought environmental wins: rolling back protections from fossil-fuel development, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord, and freezing spending for critical climate resilience projects.

The Trump Administration has continued on the path that will end up forcing Americans to pay more for energy, bear the high financial and human costs of air pollution, face accelerated impacts from climate change and a weaker, less competitive economy.

The speed and scale of this dismantling of American leadership on climate and conservation has been staggering.

Unquestionably, aggressive defense of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws and protection must be a priority.

So, what is WRA doing? Doubling down on state action.

We know that climate and conservation progress is both still possible and is critical in this moment. At WRA, we’ve spent more than three decades advancing critical climate, environmental and conservation policies in the decision-making forums where most conservation policy is made —at the state level.

Why? State governments hold significant authority to advance clean energy, to regulate polluting fossil fuel sources, and to protect people in our communities.

Cities and counties can adopt sustainable and efficient water use practices, smart land use plans and invest in clean infrastructure that can power our homes and our transportation systems. These decisions add up to protect the West.

In 2025 our work saw climate wins in all of our states. We have already covered Utah and New Mexico where we saw progress on clean transportation and wildlife protection respectively, among other wins.

Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado all have longer legislative sessions. So how did those states do in advancing wins for the environment and economy of the West?

On this episode of 2 Degrees Out West learn how WRA has helped states stay strong even as federal progress on climate action stalls.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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In 2022, the water levels in Lake Powell dropped so low that experts worried the Colorado River wouldn't be able to flow past Glen Canyon dam. This situation is called deadpool, and it's one of many concerns surrounding a drier and hotter Colorado River.

All forecasting points to another dry year for the basin - this is expected to continue over the long term as climate change affects the West. If you're following the news around the Colorado River, you might know that we've come to a serious decision point. The river is getting drier while our use has only grown over time.

The current guidelines that manage the water in the river expire in 2026 - leaving the door open to create new guidelines that better manage the river and its drinking water supply into the future.

We talked a little about the future of the river with Kevin Fedarko back in January. So how are things going now?

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WRA is engaged in the process to create real solutions that consider the health of the river and the long-term sustainability for our communities.

Right now, the seven Colorado River Basin States are talking about these guidelines, but they haven't made much progress. We had a conversation with one of WRA's experts on the Colorado River - John Berggren. John has been deeply involved in the work to create new guidelines.

He gives a quick update about the state of our snowpack in the West, where the negotiations on the river are at, and what we need to see in the future to sustain a healthy Colorado River.

On this Two Degrees Out West Mini Pod: How are the Colorado River negotiations going?

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
• ...

Each year WRA works hard to advance our climate goals on the state level.

In an increasingly uncertain federal environment, state level action is the key to seeing real change and progress on climate.

WRA has been working at state legislatures all throughout 2025 to bring forward proactive policies that fight climate change and its impacts. We’ve also defended against anything that could hold us back from the future we want for our region.

Two of our states with the shortest legislative sessions are Utah and New Mexico.

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In 2025 New Mexico had a 60 day session while Utah had a 45 day session. In both states we saw a variety of wins and opportunities for success in the future.

We sat down with some of WRA’s policy and government affairs staff to understand what our goals were and what some of our biggest wins were in those states.

On this episode of Two Degrees out West: How did Utah and New Mexico do on Climate in the 2025 legislative session?

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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In the West, we want a future where we're no longer dependent on coal and methane to meet energy demands. We want to see more clean energy adopted and we want to keep that clean energy affordable.

Nearly two-thirds of voters in the West want to see a transition to a 100% clean and renewable energy economy.

So - How do we get there?

What if I told you there was a lesser known but critical regulatory process that can create real emission reductions on the ground?

Integrated Resource Plans are one of the most important tools we have to fight climate change - but they aren't talked about much.

It's a state level process that determines how much of your power comes from clean sources - like wind and solar.

And the IRP has a significant impact on the energy bill you pay at the end of the month.

On today's episode of two Degrees out west learn about one of the most important parts of the transition to clean energy that you may have never heard about - and how WRA uses that process to secure a cleaner future for the West.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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If you're listening to this podcast, I'm willing to bet you are looking for solutions to climate change and pollution in the West.

You probably already recycle, reuse grocery bags, avoid single-use plastic, and maybe drive an EV to minimize your environmental impact.

Reducing our dependence on polluting practices is a good first step in caring for the environment.

Similarly, the transition to zero emission vehicles is a key strategy to fight back against climate change.

Countless studies have proven that over the life cycle of the vehicle, EVs greatly reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and they allow us to build a cleaner, more affordable, and more resilient economy.

But did you know that there's a way to make this sustainable technology even better for the West?

We can do this by ensuring EV batteries have a second life.

Unlike a traditional vehicle, the battery that powers an EV can be reused or repurposed once the vehicle itself reaches the end of its life.

And in an instance where a battery can’t be reused or repurposed, we can recover the critical minerals within - rare earth minerals like lithium or cobalt – which can be recycled almost indefinitely.

And even better - WRA is working within our region to advance forward thinking policies to make EV battery second life applications as effective, economical, and efficient as possible.

On today's shorter episode of 2° Out West, learn all about the circular EV battery economy and what it could mean for the future of the West.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Colorado has some of the best access to beautiful landscapes of any of the states in the West.

It's home to four National Parks, nine National Monuments, 44 Wilderness Areas, 14.5 million acres of National Forest and Grassland, and over 637 peaks above 13,000ft.

And these landscapes sustain a thriving outdoor recreation economy and culture. According to a Park's and Wildlife Study, Colorado's landscapes generate over 65 billion dollars annually.

These lands are public and belong to all of us to enjoy, and we all deserve to reap the benefits of time spent outdoors. The issue is not everyone has the same access.

Due to a variety of socio-economic factors, many people from underserved communities don't enjoy equal access. Natural spaces can be far away and time consuming to get to, gear can be expensive, and some outdoor spaces can feel unwelcoming or intimidating.

Historically, many low-income and rural communities, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities have faced significant barriers in accessing the wild spaces in Colorado and all over the West.

Everyone should have access to these benefits.

In 2025 state legislatures have a chance to make that happen.

In 2021, Colorado created the Outdoor Equity Grant program to help underserved youth access the state’s vast open spaces, and this year WRA, alongside a coalition of supporters and grant recipients, is looking to expand funding for this wildly successful program.

Since 2021, Colorado has awarded more than $8.5 million to programs that provide outdoor education and recreation opportunities to underserved youth and their families. To date, these grants have supported meaningful outdoor experiences for more than 65,000 Colorado youth in 51 out of 64 counties.

On today’s episode of 2 Degrees Out West, learn what Colorado has been doing to help get kids outside, and how we could do even more

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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The Colorado River is at the center of our region.

This has been true for as long as people have called the West home.

The River Basin has been home to Tribal Nations since time immemorial. Today seven present states, over 30 Tribal Nations, and two countries all depend on the Colorado River.

Recently, the seven states and the Tribal Nations that rely on the Colorado River have come to a historic moment where they can put in place management guidelines that will sustain the future of our region and our river.

As Westerners we all have our own story with the Colorado River. Some of us are rafters, some of us are skiers, some of us are farmers, and some of us simply recognize our dependence on the most important water source in the West. What all westerners have in common is a reliance on the Colorado River.

Over the past 6 months WRA has been collecting stories from voices around the basin to share the diverse group of people that all depend on the Colorado River.

Today we're sharing one of those stories with you from an author within the Basin, Kevin Fedarko.

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Kevin Fedarko is best known for his journalism and journeys through the American Southwest. He's had a successful career as a writer and an author covering all different kinds of adventures.

Kevin’s 2024 book A Walk In The Park tells the story of, as he calls it, a “spectacular misadventure in the Grand Canyon”. It is the story of a 750-mile odyssey Kevin and his friend Pete McBride undertook to navigate a traverse of the Grand Canyon. It left the two men with many lessons to inform the future of this river that is central to our region.

On today's episode of Two Degrees out West listen to the incredible, and unusual journey two men took through the Grand Canyon. We will hear not just about the Colorado River, but also what lessons from the Grand Canyon we can take to imagine a healthy future for our region.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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Today on 2 Degrees Out West we'll be learning what federal funding is available to address climate change, how it's distributed, how WRA has helped our region Over the past 4 years there's been something unprecedented happening in the federal government, and it's impacted our work at WRA for the better.

The United States government has been investing in climate solutions.

In 2022, with the help of the Biden Administration, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA. It calls for an investment of over $783 billion dollars in climate change related infrastructure.

It's also the largest investment in infrastructure in general in the United States since the Eisenhower Administration. To put that into context, The Eisenhower Administration was largely responsible for the Interstate Highway system as we know it today. The Inflation Reduction Act was and is a landmark legislation.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act also passed with the help of the Biden Administration in 2021 set aside $550 billion to help with climate resilient infrastructure projects.

The combined spending of 1.3 trillion dollars on climate infrastructure from just those two pieces of legislation is unprecedented in US history. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, it can't come soon enough.

It has promised jobs but also a future where we consider climate change and what’s best for the natural world when we build our infrastructure.

So, where is all that money going? More importantly - how does it affect you and how will it help us address climate change and its effects?

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
• Join our email listto stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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