Matt chats about current Western environmental issues with Jonathan Thompson, an accomplished environmental journalist from southwestern Colorado. Thompson has recently reported on the battle over the Bears Ears National Monument and the coal industry in the West. Matt and Jonathan discuss the value of preserving not only the artifacts at the heart of a historic landmark, but also the landscape and physical context of a landmark, while examining Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s proposal to break up Bears Ears into several discontinuous sections. The two discuss another Trump cabinet member, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, and the myths which surround his push to defend coal-fired power sources. Finally, Matt asks Jonathan about the polarization of politics about the environment in the West and how we might engage in conversations with our friends and family across the aisle. To check out Jonathan’s writing and reporting, visit his author page at High Country News.
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