Picture this: it’s the morning after a holiday gathering, and your recycling bin is overflowing with plastic cups, wrapping paper, and the packaging that arrived with every gift. You haul it to the curb with a small sense of environmental…
Hotter nights in the Coachella Valley can disrupt sleep and increase health risks As of this writing (August 15, 2026), over 72 million people in the U.S. are under moderate to extreme heat risk. This risk level isn’t based on…
It’s Shark Week and I think sharks deserve a place on Cactus and Climate, specifically since we talked about how the ocean dictates the weather in the desert. So, today, we are going back in history. Roughly 12 to 15…
The tropical Pacific has always set the rules for desert water. Climate change is rewriting them. The ocean is the desert’s thermostat, even from hundreds of miles away. The same tropical Pacific temperatures that drive El Niño and La Niña…
Local Changemakers: Food sovereignty, rescued animals, and the quiet work of building resilience in the desert. This post is the first in a series showcasing local climate solutions and field trip reports: the people, places, and projects building resilience in…
Something feels off this week if you step outside in the Coachella Valley. The light still has that low, golden, late-winter slant. The wildflowers are still blooming. And yet the thermometer is reading temperatures that wouldn’t be out of place…
Understanding the historic negotiations shaping water’s future in our region If you live in the Desert Southwest, this is a pivotal year for the Colorado River. The river supports approximately 40 million people across seven states and Mexico, including more…
Something weird is happening in the Mojave Desert. Joshua trees are flowering in late October and November instead of their usual late February timing. It might sound like a minor scheduling hiccup, but for scientists studying these iconic plants, it’s…
