…. Today, the effects of climate change on Arizona have become almost as evident as the smoke hanging over the canyon: dwindling snowpack and extreme drought are stretching Colorado River supplies thin, summer temperatures are getting hotter and increasing heat-related deaths, and more destructive wildfires are scorching landscapes and lives. Temperatures in Maricopa County alone have risen by nearly 2 degrees Celsius since record-keeping began in 1895. But Arizona is not the leader it was 15 years ago when the state led the West on regional haze and then climate policy. Cities have largely taken the lead on climate policies. In recent years, the governor and the Legislature have taken no cohesive action, enacting laws that prohibit mitigation efforts at a local level. One state law even prevents state agencies from monitoring greenhouse gases.

Related climate articles:

• The Hill: Climate ballot measures win across the West on Election Day
• Capital & Main: Climate advocates dismayed by Trump victory; Buoyed by state results
• The Colorado Sun: High heat driving Colorado droughts even when it rains and snows, study finds