Experts across the West have met to discuss the potential impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act as the one-year anniversary of the piece of legislation approaches.

Michael Cravens, advocacy and conservation director for the Arizona Wildlife Federation, said the bill makes the largest investment in the nation's history to combat climate change, by incentivizing responsible clean-energy projects.

In Arizona, he pointed out climate change has made lack of water the biggest concern, despite good rainfall this past winter and now during monsoon season. He added when it comes to Arizona wildlife, there is very little discussion about the effects the shortage of water will have on ecological health and habitat.

"Repercussions to the region's wildlife remain overlooked as part of this crisis," Cravens contended. "Hopefully we start seeing some signs there and some more eyes on the problem."

He added many species are struggling to survive because of rising temperatures, changes in landscapes and humans pulling water from the Colorado River. Cravens noted as Colorado River levels continue to drop, it only equates to the shrinkage of not only habitat in Arizona but also the diversity of species that can be supported.

Cravens emphasized simply put, Arizona forests are not what they once were. He said because of the warmer and drier conditions, fires have become increasingly more intense and devastating. He is hopeful Inflation Reduction Act funding will be able to help address these concerns and allow forests to bounce back.

"Regarding future investments, I would love to see the restoration of these forests," Cravens stressed. "This is ongoing work, but closer to what we used to have through mechanical thinning and then putting fire back on that landscape in a controlled and safe way."

Cravens acknowledged he is not a climatologist but added those who are have said long-term drought can last for several decades based on what he calls "natural conditions." He said adding human-caused climate change into the mix throws "a big wrench into the system."


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Savannah's leaders are pointing out the ways federal dollars are being used to boost the area's resilience against climate change.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many residents are just now getting their power back after a week in the dark. Mayor Van Johnson said the storm has been a wakeup call for the urgent need to tackle climate change, and Savannah's resilience plan is designed to do just that.

"In 2020, the city council unanimously adopted a 100% Savannah Initiative," he said, "which means transitioning partially to clean energy in the 2030s and totally by 2050."

Johnson said 75% of the city's buildings are at risk of flooding, and 26% face wildfire threats. Despite these challenges, he noted that efforts to build climate resilience have boosted the local economy, with jobs popping up in solar energy, construction and renewable technology.

Savannah is part of a statewide initiative that recently received $156 million from the Solar for All program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act. This funding, spread across Georgia, aims to expand solar energy over the next five years.

Nicole Lee, CEO of Be Smart Home Solutions, said its efforts have already helped local families lower energy costs.

"The Thomases were our very first clients to get solar with the Georgia Bright Program," she said. "They have seen savings of more than 50% on their power bills. Just this summer, they've seen a bill of $18 from solar plus storage."

She said the solar system proved invaluable during Hurricane Helene, allowing them to power critical medical devices and even serve as a resiliency hub for their neighbors.

Chatham County Commissioner Aaron Whitley emphasized the importance of preparedness in the face of future storms, pointing to new projects aimed at enhancing community resilience.

"Chatham County is working on community resiliency hubs that will provide power during the outages like the ones we experienced last week," he said.

Officials have said these efforts are also crucial to protect vulnerable communities from the health impacts of climate change. Other projects in the works include what's known as beach "re-nourishment," a drainage basin study, and forging more partnerships with other organizations to bolster the region's preparedness.


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Neighborhoods across New Mexico and other states will soon be cleaner and quieter as the U.S. Postal Service rolls out its new electric mail-delivery trucks.

The USPS received $3 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to electrify its fleet - the largest in the country.

Kathleen Garcia, who directs the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign, said the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles will not only fight climate change but also reduce noise pollution for the 45 million Americans who live in close proximity to a road or other transport infrastructure.

"A lot of these vehicles just go a short distance every single day, and then they return back to the hub, where they can easily be charged," she said, "and so it just makes a lot of common sense."

New Mexico is one of the 13 states that have mandated adoption of electric vehicles. To that end, the state's "Clean Car Tax Credit" officially launched on Oct. 1. It allows people who bought a clean car as of May 2024 to apply for state tax credits for the purchase. Up to $3,000 in credits are available for individuals or businesses.

Many people have commented on the odd appearance of the new vehicles - which, compared with predecessors, have much larger windshields and bumpers and a hood that some say resembles a duck bill. Garcia said there's a good reason for the modifications.

"The design changes," she said, "were made to ensure the safety of the driver and the safety of folks that are around the vehicles - other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists - to really make sure that they're moving around town safely."

Within the next few years, the USPS expects to replace its current fleet, introduced 40-years ago, with 60,000 new vehicles - most of them electric models - across all 50 states. The new EVs feature airbags, 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitoring, collision sensors and anti-lock brakes.

A bill pending in Congress would use federal funds to help farmers in Missouri and elsewhere transition from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, to more climate-friendly production. The idea, according to the bill's backers, is to assist producers who want to move from intensive animal agriculture to pasture-based animal agriculture or specialty crop production.

Tim Gibbons, communications director with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, said the program could allow family farms to better compete with corporate-owned operations.

"Using those dollars to support the vast majority of livestock producers in Missouri would be beneficial, not only to their family farms, but to their local economies, to the land that they're stewards of, and also allowing them to stay in business," he said.

Missouri conservation groups say CAFOs dominate the state's agricultural industry, mass-producing meat at a minimal cost to outcompete smaller independent farms. Agri-business associations say concentrated operations are needed to provide an affordable food supply for a global population.

Conservationists claim CAFOs produce water and air pollution, use hormones and antibiotics in meat production, and often neglect and abuse farm animals. Gibbons says the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would help keep independent operations from being forced out of business.

"Ninety-percent of Missouri hog producers were put out of business in one generation, and that's through industrialization, vertical integration and the corporate takeover. We're working to ensure that independent operations can be viable and farmers can pass the farms down to the next generation," he added.

Gibbons said Missouri Rural Crisis Center was formed in 1985 out of the farm crisis of the 1980's and added that the group advocates for policies that support independent family farm operations.


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