** Now the hard work begins
------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, January 28th, 2021
The White House ([link removed])

President Biden signed a sweeping set of executive orders ([link removed]) on Wednesday to address the climate crisis head-on, making good on one of his major campaign promises. The orders pause oil and gas leasing on national public land, commit America to protecting 30 percent of its land and water by 2030 ([link removed]) , create a Civilian Climate Corps, and focus action on low-income communities and communities of color.

The climate orders were met with praise ([link removed]) from a broad coalition of environmental, community, and labor groups, while the oil industry predicted doom ([link removed]) and immediately filed lawsuits despite the low likelihood of success in the courts ([link removed]) and signs that its own trade groups are losing support from member companies ([link removed]) .

The executive orders, while bold and wide-ranging, are the first step, not the last, in tackling climate change. The leasing pause gives Congress and the Interior Department time for a comprehensive review of the federal oil and gas program, which hasn't updated its royalty rates in a century ([link removed]) , and never accounted for the climate cost of oil and gas extraction.
Quick hits


** Biden orders pause on oil and gas leasing, making room to fix a rigged and broken system
------------------------------------------------------------

Bloomberg ([link removed]) | Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | News Nation ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | Casper Star-Tribune ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Climate action launches legal fight, shows new political swagger as oil lobby turns on itself
------------------------------------------------------------

E&E News ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Bloomberg ([link removed]) | Quartz ([link removed])


** How America can protect 30 percent of its land and water by 2030
------------------------------------------------------------

National Geographic ([link removed]) | National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | Vox ([link removed])


** Coal communities call on Biden to fund a just transition to clean power
------------------------------------------------------------

Inside Climate News ([link removed])


** Colorado homeowners, foresters, face new wildfire reality, but the state forest service can't conduct prescribed burns
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Public Radio: Neighborhoods ([link removed]) | Foresters ([link removed])


** Nearly 1 million acres burned in Arizona in 2020
------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Republic ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | KPNX ([link removed])


** Colorado's water guardians tell Wall Street to take a hike
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** BLM, critics butt heads over feral horse management in Idaho
------------------------------------------------------------

Idaho Statesman ([link removed])
Quote of the day
The oil and gas industry is facing down a debt crisis of its own creation. The entire industry is over-leveraged and built on a house of cards that assumed much higher oil prices than we have seen and likely will ever see again. So the opportunity is to create jobs in renewables, invest significantly in off-shore wind, in renewable development on America’s public lands.”
—Aaron Weiss
Center for Western Priorities deputy director, News Nation ([link removed])
Picture this


** Saguaro National Park ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, we had to share some amazing photos of the snow in the lower elevation desert yesterday! Snow is not only a beautiful desert rarity, but snow in the mountains melts slowly and seeps into the groundwater. Each winter storm brings more slow-moving water keeps our streams and springs flowing during the dry summer.
Photos: JDueñas

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2021 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])