• Slug: CN2Go.
• Runtime: 4:16.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

(Music)

THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

(Bring up music briefly and duck below and out )

I’M Damon Fairall ( go to story )

Water Conservation (C&C/KUNC)

THE GILA (HEE-luh) RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY IN ARIZONA HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CONSERVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRE-FEET OF WATER. THAT’S A REVERSAL FROM AN EARLIER PLAN TO KEEP MORE WATER. THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PAYOUTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INCENTIVIZE WATER CUTBACKS.

SARAH PORTER STUDIES WATER POLICY AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY. SHE SAYS IT’S A FINANCIAL DECISION, AS WELL AS A MORAL ONE.

AH_1018_Porter_CUT
“The Gila River Indian Community deciding to offer to conserve substantial amounts of water means that we have a better opportunity to keep negotiations on track to get to the deal that we need to get to.”
THIS CONSERVATION PLAN IS JUST ONE OF A PATCHWORK OF OTHER WATER-SAVING AGREEMENTS ACROSS THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON WATER USERS TO CUT BACK AS A MEGADROUGHT DRIVEN BY CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES. THE GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY’S NEW WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS WILL HELP IMPROVE WATER LEVELS IN LAKE MEAD.

HEADLINE 1 – Sustainable Airport (Voicer/Alexia/Athena) TRT 1:50

*NO HOST INTRO
FROM THE CRONKITE NEWSROOM IN PHOENIX, I’M ATHENA ANKRAH.

AIRPORTS AS LARGE AS THE PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ARE LIKE MINI CITIES AND OFTEN USE THE SAME TYPE OF RESOURCES.

HEATHER SHELBRACK IS WITH PHOENIX SKY HARBOR. SHE SAYS THE AIRPORT IS IMPROVING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT, AND THEY’RE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR IT BY AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

“were among other airports, there are three of us that have a level four or above rating in the United States.”

“So it means that we are achieving our carbon emissions goals. And we’re striving to be net carbon zero by 2040.”

THEY’RE DOING THIS WITH MORE SOLAR PANELS, MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND INCREASING BUILDING EFFICIENCY.

“ in our new concourse at terminal four, we have smart windows, and those have been designed to reduce the glare.”

OTHER SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS HERE AT SKY HARBOR INCLUDE RECYCLING BINS AND STATIONS WHERE PASSENGERS CAN POUR OUT LIQUID BEFORE GOING THROUGH TSA. THERE ARE PLACES TO REFILL ONCE THEY ARE THROUGH SECURITY.

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR, BRUNO SARDA AGREES THAT THESE ARE IMPORTANT EFFORTS. HE SAYS AIRPORTS CAN ALSO LOWER EMISSIONS BY REDUCING PLANE IDLING.

“they have to park, they have to refuel, they have to, you know, get on and off gates, those kinds of things.”

THE PHOENIX-MESA GATEWAY AIRPORT IS ALSO WORKING ON ITS SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS INCLUDING RECYCLING RUNWAY CONCRETE TO PAVE NEW RUNWAYS.

(NAT)

GATEWAY AIRPORT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, RYAN SMITH SAYS THE AIRPORT IS ALSO BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE TERMINAL TO REPLACE THE OLD TEMPORARY BUILDING.

“the air just flows through some of these older buildings, that they just aren’t as energy efficient.”

SMITH SAYS THE NEW TERMINAL WILL INCLUDE TINTED WINDOWS AND BETTER AIR EFFICIENCY. SARDA SAYS THE CHANGES WHILE OFTEN EXPENSIVE, EVENTUALLY PAY OFF…

“A sustainable building often is a much less expensive building to operate.”

THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY REPORTED BY ALEXIA STANBRIDGE. I’M ____, CRONKITE NEWS

HOST TAG:
THE PHOENIX-MESA GATEWAY AIRPORT’S NEW TERMINAL IS EXPECTED TO FINISH CONSTRUCTION IN FEBRUARY 2024.

Border shipping containers (RDR/Damon)

THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SAID THIS WEEK THEY INTEND TO SUE GOVERNOR DOUG DUCEY’S ADMINISTRATION. THE ORGANIZATION SAYS THE STACKED SHIPPING CONTAINERS ALONG THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER ARE OBSTRUCTING THE MIGRATION CORRIDOR OF JAGUARS AND OCELOTS (ah’sah-lots).

DUCEY ORDERED SHIPPING CONTAINERS TO BE STACKED ALONG THE ARIZONA BORDER NEAR YUMA IN AUGUST.

ARIZONA HAS REFUSED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S DEMAND TO TAKE DOWN DOUBLE-STACKED SHIPPING CONTAINERS, SAYING IT WON’T DO SO UNTIL THE U.S. MOVES TO CONSTRUCT A PERMANENT BARRIER INSTEAD.

THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SAYS THE AREA IS CRITICAL TO THE RECOVERY OF ENDANGERED JAGUARS AND OCELOTS IN THE U.S. THE NOTICE SENT TO DUCEY’S OFFICE CLAIMS THAT BLOCKING THIS LAND IS A VIOLATION OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.

(bring up music under very last track and post up in the clear for a couple of seconds and duck below)

WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM ALEXIA STANBRIDGE. A BIG THANKS TO ATHENA ANKRAH FOR PRODUCING OUR SHOW.

(Bring up music and duck below)

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG.

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M .

(Music out)