Topic: Great Plains

Change Agent
Restoring US native prairies, acre by acre, yard by yard

Across the US Midwest, homeowners are restoring their yards and former farmland to the native prairie that existed in pre-settlement days. The benefits can be substantial — the need for less water and no fertilizer, and an ecosystem that supports wildlife.

Cover Story
Global water crisis: too little, too much, or lack of a plan?

The global water crisis – caused by drought, flood, and climate change – is less about supply than it is about recognizing water's true value, using it efficiently, and planning for a different future, say experts.

Opinion: Take-away from US election: Obama's 'small' issues won big

There was no single grand message that was going to win over voters in 2012 – from President Obama or Mitt Romney. A big reason is because America is so diverse and divided, and will likely continue to be.

In Superstorm's wake: Erosion and questions on government-funded sand

Hurricane Sandy caused major erosion along the New Jersey coastline, slimming beaches significantly. Some question the wisdom of using federal funding to build up beaches that just get washed away.

Energy Voices
Dust Bowl lesson: We can heal ecological disaster

'The Dust Bowl,' part I, aired Sunday night on PBS stations. The Ken Burns documentary points to how the Dust Bowl was man-made – and overcome with smarter policies and practices.

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher

Timothy Egan's book is a stunning portrait of Edward Curtis, the photographer who made it his mission to photograph Native Americans.

Candy, cereal, cookies: Farmers keep cows going on creative feed alternatives

With the worst drought in recent memory driving corn prices up, farmers have been forced to buy what they can to feed their cows cheaply. Alternatives could be anything from orange peels to marshmallows. 

Hay shortage sows distress among US livestock owners

Many ranchers and other livestock owners are in a frantic search for hay, as yields shrink amid worst drought in America in 56 years. Some are selling animals for cheap. Beef prices are projected to rise.

8 steps to US energy security

If Americans are serious about making energy security a moon shot for this generation, the president and Congress must create an integrated rather than piecemeal approach for meeting this goal.

Here's a plan to consider.

– Steve Yetiv, August 15, 2012

NASA scientists get first rover's-eye view of Gale Crater on Mars (+video)

The rover Curiosity, which touched down on Mars early Monday, has so far sent back seven images of the surface, including a fuzzy profile of Mt. Sharp, the mountain in the center of Gale Crater.

After Supreme Court ruling, Medicaid expansion faces uncertainty

A main goal of the Affordable Care Act was to increase the rolls of insured Americans, with about half coming from Medicaid. But the Supreme Court made it easier for states to opt out of the expanded program.

The Simple Dollar
Retirement: What's the best investment option?

Retirement saving can seem daunting, especially with the wealth of options out there. Which is best for you? Retirement is question 10 in this week's mailbag.

What recovery? Top 10 cities losing jobs

For some regions of the US, talk of an economic recovery is more wishful thinking than reality. Here are the top 10 metropolitan areas that continue to struggle with unemployment, from the Carpet Capital of the World to the home of an Ivy League university.

The Simple Dollar
Family vacations on a budget: Yes, you can have it all.

Vacations can be a lot of fun, but they can also be really expensive, and one of the biggest travel expenses is food. Our personal finance guru shares some tips to ensure that this summer your family eats well, while staying under budget.

Southern Great Plains could run out of groundwater in 30 years, study finds

A new study looking at key aquifers beneath the Great Plains and California's Central Valley suggests that areas of Texas and Kansas are drawing groundwater at an unsustainable rate.

Cover Story
CSI Tornado: Decoding – and chasing – supercells with the experts

CSI Tornado: Chasing supercells, interviewing a homeowner sucked off his front porch in an Oklahoma tornado outbreak, and examining the path of a destructive funnel, an expert expedition shows how science is close to decoding the way a tornado works.

Editor's Blog
Riding the whirlwind

The Monitor's intrepid science writer rode with the storm-chasers who help federal forecasters warn those in twisters' paths.

As extreme weather events increase, so does acceptance of climate science (+video)

A new survey finds that a majority of Americans believe that weather in the United States is getting worse, and they are linking it to global warming. 

Spring into summer: Unseasonable heat helps pave way for violent weather

Spring is just beginning, but in many parts of the country it already feels like summer. As a storm moves into especially warm humid air in the center of the country, Texas is under the gun for violent storms.

Robert Reich
The GOP slides right, and the rest of us should worry

Even if they don't win on Election Day, the fringe right-wingers who have taken over the Repuplican party, will have a deep, negative impact on our government.

The Circle Bastiat
Why we're paying more for corn

Thanks to government subsidies supporting a specific type of corn farm, land value is increasing, and prices are going up. The same is true of other federally supported crops.

Cover Story
Wind power: Clean energy, dirty business?

In the developing world, where land-intensive wind turbines are being rapidly constructed, wind power has often turned clean energy into dirty business.

Tornadoes hit Birmingham and broader South. Is that normal for January?

The severe weather damaged homes in communities in central Arkansas, as well as in communities around Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Ala. Both Alabama cities were also hit by tornadoes last April.

The hidden issue in South Carolina primary: labor union clout

Mitt Romney in particular has used the South Carolina primary to test anti-labor union policies as a campaign issue. His pitch to expand right-to-work laws could lead to Wisconsin redux. 

Obama puts Keystone pipeline on hold, decries 'rushed and arbitrary' deadline

Speaker Boehner accuses Obama of 'selling out American jobs for politics,' but Keystone pipeline operator TransCanada says it will submit plans for a rerouted project later this year.