Navajo consider a turn away from coal, to renewable energy

Read Mireya Navarro's report in today's New York Times. The lede follows:

For decades, coal has been an economic lifeline for the Navajos, even as mining and power plant emissions dulled the blue skies and sullied the waters of their sprawling reservation.

But today there are stirrings of rebellion. Seeking to reverse years of environmental degradation and return to their traditional values, many Navajos are calling for a future built instead on solar farms, ecotourism and microbusinesses.

This debate about the future of the Navajo Nation is occurring in the context of a leadership election to be decided on Nov. 2.