Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Deseret News
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Past articles by Amy Joi:
How Utah mining could help ease China’s grip on critical minerals
A minerals commodities report by the U.S. Geological Survey says the U.S. is more than 50% dependent on foreign imports for 51 important mineral commodities, including 15 in which the country is 100% import reliant. → Read More
Groups seek protections for this creature you can hold in your hand
The world’s smallest rabbit, the pygmy rabbit, is losing its sagebrush habitat in Utah and the West due to wildfires, invasive species like cheat grass, and development. Learn more. → Read More
Could rising sea levels be 'death sentence' for some countries?
Sea levels that have rapidly risen since 1900 are placing nearly 900 million people around the world at risk and in acute danger, according to the United Nations' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. → Read More
A wasted world: Single-use plastic recycling lags far behind production
An estimated 139 million metric tons of single use plastic waste was create in 2021, six million more metric tons in 2019 prior to the coronavirus pandemic. → Read More
Utah lawmakers: ‘We are not going to let our state go dry on our watch’
Utah legislative leadership, kicked off “Water Week” on Monday to announce another session of historic investment to protect and conserve the state’s water. Here’s what lawmakers are planning to do about Utah’s water problems and drought crisis. → Read More
Wandering elk, bobcats on porches, and wily coyotes running in Rose Park
While the presence of wildlife like deer and elk, and the predators that follow them, is not unusual in this mountainous region, deep snow has made this a particularly wild winter for animal visits. → Read More
Scottsdale area community’s water cut off due to Colorado River drought
An upscale community outside Scottsdale, Arizona, that had been getting its water from the city had it cut off Jan. 1 after years of warning tied to the Colorado River supply shortages. → Read More
Would thinning forests help Utah's Great Salt Lake? Some say so
Salt Lake County Council member Dea Theodore said watershed restoration is the key to saving the Great Salt Lake. → Read More
Whose river is it anyway? Stream access fight once again on battlefield
If a stream or river open to fishing flows adjacent to private property, which rights prevail? Is it the right of the angler or the person who owns the land? After more than a decade of legal wrangling, yet another hearing is scheduled in this question critical to people in the West. → Read More
New reports examine cause of burros' deaths at Utah holding facility
New federal information released concerning the deaths of 31 burros from Nevada being held in a Utah facility under contract with the Bureau of Land Management show the animals died from a disease in the blood which causes too much fat — sort of like having high cholesterol. → Read More
Shake your tail feathers: National Bird Day is Thursday
National Bird Day 2023 is Thursday, Jan. 4, and bird lover associations across the globe are celebrating. In Utah, the Great Salt Lake and other ecosystems play important roles. → Read More
Big changes are coming to these Utah state parks
While drought-caused low water levels at some Utah state parks provided an opportunity for boat ramp repairs, the division has grand, overhaul plans for places like Echo and Lost Creek. → Read More
Dam trouble looms for Glen Canyon as the Colorado River shrinks
Glen Canyon Dam is the second highest concrete arch dam in the United States, just 16 feet shy of the towering Hoover Dam at Lake Mead in Nevada. As the Colorado River shrinks, power production is at risk. → Read More
The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the West. How much longer will it last?
A century ago when state leaders divided up its water, they were hopeful the Colorado River Compact would withstand time and litigation. That system of division is now under strict scrutiny in this time of drought. → Read More
Range wars set to heat up between grazers, environmentalists
Environmentalists claim ranchers have been getting away with unfettered grazing that destroys the rangeland for decades and it is time for a change. Ranchers say they play by the federal government rules, which have become stricter over time and know the land the best to be good stewards. → Read More
Want to save more water next year? Money flowing for secondary metering
It is not too early for Utah water providers to seek avenues for cutting back on outdoor water consumption. → Read More
The season’s first significant snowstorm wallops the mountains
The Wasatch Front’s first significant snow storm of the winter season caused multiple accidents due to icy and slick conditions and delayed the start of some schools. The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City said 19 inches fell at Powder Mountain. → Read More
Jukebox, the mini silky fainting goat, wins top prize in a national competition
Jukebox, a miniature silky fainting goat from Millville, Utah, won the 2022 Top Winning Mini Silky of the year in a national competition sanctioned by the Mini Silky Fainting Goat Association. → Read More
World summit puts climate change, possible solutions on stage
World leaders look to combat climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt. Drought, wildfires, floods and extreme heat have plagued the American West. → Read More
Lake Mead gives up another one of her dead
A diver who is a private business operator at Lake Mead earlier this month found a human bone, and a National Park Service dive team found more remains, confirming the sixth dead body found at the shrinking reservoir. → Read More