Environment
Welcome to Day Zero. Now let’s rebuild America’s civics infrastructure.
Joe Biden came to Kansas City last Wednesday to tout his $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. In a chilly bus barn on the Missouri side of the line, the president delivered a folksy, sometimes rambling speech about the bill, which he signed into law last month. It means billions of dollars in Kansas and Missouri […]
Billions targeted to state wildlife conservation under bipartisan push in Congress
A bipartisan pair of senators on Wednesday called for Congress to approve billions in new funding for states to manage wildlife recovery work. At a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said a bill they introduced this year would help protect 1,600 threatened species, […]
Haaland promises governors federal help for fires, drought
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland pledged federal resources and cooperation with governors from 19 Western states to tackle wildfire resilience, drought management, oil and gas cleanup efforts and other issues made more difficult by climate change. Speaking at the Western Governors Association meeting outside San Diego on Thursday, Haaland touted funding for Interior priorities in […]
Three champions of Build Back Better make pitch for federal economic development bill
A trio of Kansas activists laud the Build Back Better bill pending in Congress because it greatly enhances Medicaid, child care and preschool services.
Biden’s oil and gas policy falls short on climate goals, House Democrats say
Democrats on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday encouraged President Joe Biden to take stronger action to limit oil and gas production, while Republicans said reducing domestic production would only increase global emissions from overseas suppliers. In a hearing less than a week after the U.S. Interior Department released a report that called […]
Incomplete climate science has pushed us toward the wrong solutions
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Margy Stewart and husband Ron Young are the proprietors of a native-prairie preserve on McDowell Creek and are restoring 70 acres of former crop ground to […]
In 1923, a Kansan saw a fireball overhead. He helped popularize a new science.
Look up. The Kansas sky on a clear winter’s night is a picture window to the universe. Seek out a place where, as the astronomers say, the seeing is good — my local favorite is the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City — and you can peer into a star-spangled slice of the Milky […]
Kansas state parks offer free admission for those who #OptOutside on Black Friday
TOPEKA — The 28 state parks in Kansas will participate in a nationwide outdoors promotion by waiving entry fees on Friday. Visitors also can get a shot at winning a free night’s stay in a state park cabin by sharing a selfie from one of the parks on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the tags […]
Consumer advocates fear hedge funds’ influence could mean more spending, rate hikes at Evergy
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Four of the five members on Evergy’s finance committee, tasked with recommending management and investment decisions to the board of directors, were selected by activist hedge funds that critics worry are asserting undue influence over the electric utility. That involvement, consumer advocates say, could drive up rates for Evergy’s 1.6 million […]
Despite addictive news of gloom and doom, hope flourishes around us
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Shawna Bethell is a freelance essayist/journalist covering the people and places of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. I talked to a friend of mine recently. She has […]
U.S. Senators urge increased production of fossil fuels in reaction to spiraling energy costs
Days after global leaders agreed for the first time to decrease coal usage and subsidies for fossil fuels, U.S. senators battled over rising gasoline prices and urged action on the high cost of energy — including by increasing production of coal, oil and gas. The Tuesday hearing, led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman […]
Lee Norman steps down as Kansas health secretary, months after internal dispute
TOPEKA — Lee Norman stepped down Thursday from his high-profile cabinet post as the chief medical officer in Kansas, where he managed the state’s response to COVID-19 throughout the pandemic. His departure from Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration follows months of conversations between Norman and her office about whether he was ready to leave state government. […]