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SB21-260 Would Allocate Billions of Dollars for Transportation and Infrastructure Improvements in Colorado
By Mikkela Blanton May 2021 The state of the transportation system in Colorado isn’t anything to brag about. Denver-area drivers spend about $2,000 more in congestion-related wasted fuel and road repairs relative to drivers in other areas, and in Boulder, estimates show that approximately 80 percent of employees enter town in single-occupant vehicles — so…
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Wyoming Allocates Money to Sue Other States over Climate Policies
By Kayla Zacharias May 2021 State governments have significant authority over themselves in the United States, but the decisions they make often have regional impacts. This is especially true for regulations related to climate, which can have even global consequences. In the American West, where 55% of U.S. coal is mined, many states are beginning…
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Sunny Colorado is Well Suited to Growth in Energy Production
By Mikkela Blanton May 2021 It’s well known that Colorado residents love the weather; even on very cold days in the middle of winter, it’s not uncommon for the sun to be shining. While it may not be exactly precise today, a 1990 study conducted by the Colorado Climate Center found that there’s an average…
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Colorado is Getting a New Congressional District: Here’s What You Need to Know
By Kayla Zacharias May 2021 How does redistricting work? As a result of new census data showing population growth in Colorado over the last ten years, the state will gain an eighth congressional district. States determine for themselves how they go about the redistricting process, and in Colorado, congressional district lines are drawn by commissions…
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Carbon Taxes in Colorado: What you Need to Know
By Mikkela Blanton April 2021 The City of Boulder passed a carbon tax in 2006. While Boulder was the first city in the nation to pass a carbon tax, Denver may be the first major city in the U.S. to do so. An initiative nicknamed “Polluters must pay” is in the process of gathering signatures…
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Policy Brief: HB21-1232 (A Public Health Care Option for Colorado)
By Kayla Zacharias April 2021 Despite former president Barack Obama’s efforts to provide affordable healthcare to all, many Americans are still living without health insurance. As of 2018, 8.8% of Coloradans were without health insurance, and the primary reason is cost. Lacking health insurance can lead to several outcomes. Uninsured individuals sometimes go without critical…
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Policymakers Target Broadband Access To Tackle Rural/Urban Digital Divide
By Mikkela Blanton April 2021 For most city dwellers and suburbanites in Colorado, there’s nothing particularly special or luxurious about being able to check email, hop on a Zoom call, get on social media, or read the news online — having access to the internet is not only expected, it’s also a given. But for…
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Policy Brief: Senate Bill 21-200 (Reduce Greenhouse Gases, Increase Environmental Justice)
By Kayla Zacharias April 2021 Colorado has often been called a leader in climate policy in the United States, especially throughout the last several years. House Bill 19-1261 (Climate Action Plan to Reduce Pollution), which was hailed as a critical victory by many of the state’s environmental groups, set Colorado’s current greenhouse gas emission reduction…
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State and National Focus turn to Farmers in the Battle Against Climate Change
By Mikkela Blanton March 2021 As a society, we may be able to move entirely away from fossil fuels, cut out plastics, and perhaps even one day transition to a more minimalist culture, but we’ll never be able to distance ourselves from agriculture. Food and the land on which it is grown are what fuel…
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How is Colorado’s Changing Climate Affecting Snowpack?
By Mikkela Blanton March 2021 The Issue Colorado’s highly variable climate can be attributed to its unique topography. The Continental Divide splits the state in two, and the elevation and orientation of its mountain ranges and valleys contribute to a diverse range of temperatures and precipitation across the state. Average winter temperatures vary between 16…
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Colorado Climate & Environment Bills in 2021
PERA Divestment, Public Banking, and Plastics Ban By Mikkela Blanton March 2021 While addressing the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts is at the top of legislators’ to-do lists, advocacy groups haven’t forgotten about climate, energy, and environment issues and are pushing (at least) three bills this legislative session. The following three bills aren’t the only…
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Everything you Need to Know about Colorado’s Wold Introduction
By Kayla Zacharias March 2021 The Issue Over the last 200 years, humans have driven several species to endangered status or extinction. Some have been lost to overhunting and some have had their habitat destroyed by conversion to farmland. One of these unlucky species, gray wolves, were nearly wiped out in the 1940s. As colonial…
Science Notes
Providing information at the intersection of Science and Policy in Colorado
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College First Years Today Are More Equipped to Tackle Environmental Challenges
It’s now August 2022 and we have more insight into Colorado’s 8th (and newest) Congressional District ahead of November’s midterm elections…Read more
Colorado Local Science Engagement Network 