Books Episodes

Caroline Tracey discusses Salt Lakes: An Unnatural History, tracing how water diversion transforms terminal lakes while using natural history, queer theory and personal narrative to challenge the idea that saline landscapes are barren or disposable.

Cameron Mayer reads poems about honey mesquite, Mojave aster and travels through the Great Basin, showing how botany, photography and language can deepen attachment to overlooked desert places.

Chris Clarke critiques Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance, arguing that environmental review is being blamed for failures more accurately explained by economics, corporate power and poor project choices.

Kyle Paoletta discusses American Oasis and the histories of Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and El Paso, arguing that understanding the desert Southwest requires understanding its cities.

In a departure from the show's usual reporting, Chris Clarke reads from Walking with Zeke, recalling a moonlit camping trip with his dog in Red Rock Canyon. The essay explores the physical and emotional bond between dogs and humans, the persistence of memory, and the ways particular desert landscapes become inseparable from those we have loved within them. It's a quiet meditation on companionship, place, loss, and the connections between caring for the natural world and caring for those we consider family.

In this episode of "90 Miles from Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast," host Chris Clarke introduces four books that will challenge preconceptions about the desert. The first book, "The Arid Lands: History, Power, and Knowledge" by Diana K. Davis, challenges the notion that deserts are wastelands in need of development. The second book, "Peoples of a Sonoran Desert Oasis" by Jared Orsi, explores the history and culture of Quito Bacito and the impact of border policies on the oasis. The third ...

Artist, naturalist, and bestselling author Obi Kaufmann joins the podcast to discuss California's deserts, public lands, and the stories maps can tell. Together we explore how art, science, and conservation can help people see familiar landscapes with fresh eyes—and inspire them to protect what they discover.

Edward Abbey remains one of the most influential—and controversial—writers ever to write about the American desert. This episode takes a thoughtful look at Abbey's ideas, his enduring influence on environmentalism, and the ways his legacy continues to inspire both admiration and debate.