Episodes
March 4, 2025
S4E6: The Desert Speaks Out
Episode Summary: In this episode of "90 Miles from Needles," host Chris Clarke delves into two pivotal events illuminating the current challenges and triumphs in desert conservation efforts. The episode captures the essence o...
Feb. 26, 2025
S4E5: DOGE Layoffs Are Sabotaging Public Lands
Episode Summary In this episode, we discuss the recent layoffs affecting the National Park Service and other land management agencies. Featuring Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association, the episode look...
Feb. 18, 2025
S4E4: Other Podcasts You Should Check Out
This week, Chris shifts focus to recommending several podcasts that align with the mission of desert protection and conservation. Marissa Ortega Welch’s “How Wild” challenges conventional perceptions of wilderness by explorin...
Feb. 11, 2025
Teaser: a quick update
In this episode of "90 Miles from Needles," Chris provides listeners with an update on the state of the podcast. Despite a minor setback due to illness, Chris emphasizes the importance of authentic desert protection content w...
Jan. 29, 2025
S4E3: Ivanpah Solar to shut down
Episode Summary: In this extensive episode of "90 Miles from Needles," host Chris Clarke dives into the controversial Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station project in the Mojave Desert. He examines the ecological impacts ...
Jan. 21, 2025
S4E2: Good News at Ash Meadows
About the Guest: Mason Voehl is the Executive Director of the Amargosa Conservancy, which works to protect and celebrate the valuable ecosystems within the Amargosa Basin. Voehl's work includes a special focus on groundwater ...
Jan. 14, 2025
S4E1: Moab to Mojave: The Largest Conservation Corridor Explained
In this first episode of Season Four, we look at: Wildfires and Power Infrastructure: Power lines and climate change are making wildfires worse, so it's time to think about smaller, local power setups. Chuckwalla National Mon...
Jan. 6, 2025
Season Four coming soon!
Explore the vital efforts in desert conservation with the return of "90 Miles from Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast." Season four kicks off on January 14th. We explore the profound impact the desert has on global enviro...
Dec. 24, 2024
S3E37: BLM Cozies Up To Renewable Energy Companies
Join Chris Clarke as he discusses apparent collusion between Nevada's BLM staff and energy companies with journalist Jimmy Tobias. In this enlightening episode, explore the controversy surrounding the development of Greenlink...
Dec. 18, 2024
S3E36: Laughing Coyotes and Saguaro Dreams: An Unlikely Desert Awakening
The desert is more than a landscape; it is home. Chris Clarke's personal narrative exemplifies this connection, merging personal reflection with broader ecological advocacy. For those invested in its fate, the desert isn't ju...
Nov. 26, 2024
S3E35: Reimagine, Rebuild, Resist: Creating the World We Want Together
Episode Summary: In this episode of "90 Miles from Needles, the Desert Protection Podcast," host Chris Clarke delivers an impassioned reflection on the results of the recent election. He traces the roots of today's situation ...
Nov. 19, 2024
S3E34: Hope the Mexican Wolf: A Tale of Survival and Loss in Northern Arizona
Join host Chris Clarke as he delves into the poignant tale of Hope, a Mexican wolf, with Greta Anderson from Western Watersheds Project. Discover the politics behind wolf recovery north of Interstate 40, and the broader impli...
Nov. 12, 2024
S3E33: Dr. Naomi Fraga on the Frontlines of Botanical Conservation
Join host Chris Clarke and guest Dr. Naomi Fraga, Director of Conservation Programs at the California Botanic Garden, as they explore the challenges and successes in desert plant conservation in Nevada. Discover the plight of...
Nov. 5, 2024
S3E32: Vote, Engage, and Protect Our Desert
In this special Election Day 2024 episode of "90 Miles from Needles," Chris sheds light on the crucial role of civic engagement in the ongoing struggle to protect North America’s deserts. Released strategically on a day when ...
Oct. 22, 2024
S3E31: Return of the Lobo: Restoring Texas' Mexican Wolves
About the Guest(s): Chris Clarke is the host of the "90 Miles from Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast." He brings a wealth of knowledge about wildlife and conservation topics, particularly relating to the American Southwe...
Oct. 15, 2024
S3E30: Exploring the Art and Science of Joshua Trees
Juniper Harrower Juniper Harrower is an artist and ecologist currently serving as an art professor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Born in Palm Springs and raised in the high desert, Harrower has a profound connection wi...
Oct. 8, 2024
S3E29: Barbed Wire and Border Walls: The Unseen Cost of Fragmented Habitats
About the Guest : Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist and prolific author known for his focus on the intersection of human activity and wildlife. His works, including Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shapi...
Sept. 24, 2024
S3E28: There Ain't No Big Faucet: Water Politics with the Great Basin Water Network
About the Guest: Kyle Roerink is the Executive Director of the Great Basin Water Network. Roerink has been a pivotal figure in advocating for sustainable water management across the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau. His o...
Sept. 18, 2024
S3E27: Los Alamos's Dark Legacy: Plutonium Pollution in Plain Sight
About the Guest: Dr. Michael E. Ketterer is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Northern Arizona University. With extensive expertise in analytical chemistry and environmental analysis of radionuclides such as uranium and pl...
Sept. 3, 2024
S3E26: The New Western Solar Plan: A Disaster for Desert Ecosystems?
Chris Clarke delves into the controversial final programmatic environmental impact statement for the western Solar Plan, revealing the potential ecological damage from vast solar developments across 11 states. Despite persona...
Aug. 27, 2024
S3E25: Utah's Public Lands Lawsuit Sparks Controversy
Public lands in Utah take center stage as Governor Spencer Cox announces a lawsuit aiming to shift control of those lands from federal to state hands. Chris Clarke explores the implications with Jonathan Thompson, a long-time...
Aug. 20, 2024
S3E24: The Fight to Protect the Pahrump Valley
The rise of renewable energy projects, particularly solar farms, in desert regions has sparked concern regarding their impact on native wildlife, including the desert tortoises. Solar panels cover vast tracts of land to captu...
Aug. 7, 2024
S3E23: Moonlit Deserts and Lost Love
In this heartfelt episode of "90 Miles from Needles," host Chris Clarke shares an evocative reading from his book, "Walking with Zeke," reflecting on meaningful experiences with his previous dog Zeke. This story reveals the d...
July 24, 2024
S3E22: Debunking Snake Misconceptions
Chris chats with Lucas Basulto, president of the Desert Advocacy Media Network, from a swelteringly hot living room about snakes in the desert. They trade snake stories, discuss common misconceptions about these reptiles, and...