Laura Cunningham

Laura Cunningham is an artist-naturalist who studied paleontology and biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked field biology jobs for the California Department of Fish and Game, the United States Geological Survey, and various universities, gaining experience with such species as Owens Valley pupfish, salmon and steelhead trout, Yosemite toads, Panamint alligator lizards, and tule elk. Simultaneously, she taught herself the arts of sketching and oil painting and pursued studies of California’s historical ecology. laura currently serves as California Director for Western Watersheds Project, and co-founded Basin and Range Watch with Kevin Emmerich. An updated edition of her 2010 book, A State of Change: California's Forgotten Landscapes will be published by Heyday Books in October 2026.

June 26, 2026

S5E19: Greenlink West Carves a Costly Path Through Wild Nevada

Join host Chris Clarke as he explores the environmental impacts of data centers on Nevada's deserts. Chris, along with guests Laura Cunningham and Kevin Emmerich from Basin and Range Watch, discuss the construction of Greenlink West transmission project and discuss its potential economic motivations and environmental consequences. Discover the startling link between renewable energy infrastructure and hyperscale data centers, and learn about the local ecosystems under threat. This episode offers a critical examination of energy development in Nevada, focusing on both the environmental and social implications.

Guests: Kevin Emmerich, Laura Cunningham

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