-
Questions About the Future of Hydraulic Fracturing
By Kayla Zacharias March 2021 Hydraulic fracturing, colloquially known as “fracking,” is a process used to recover oil and gas from shale rock. Over the last two decades, the technique has helped the United States become a global leader in natural gas production. By allowing energy producers to access significant gas reserves, fracking has contributed…
-
Colorado Passed the Nations First Regulations on Pneumatic Controllers
By Presley Church March 2021 The Issue We all know and love Colorado’s natural beauty: the mountains, the sunsets, the fresh air… But those sunsets aren’t as natural as we might hope, and the air isn’t as fresh as we might think. Colorado has an ozone and air quality problem. As manufacturing, energy, agriculture, and…
-
What Role Will Nuclear Energy Play in Deep Decarbonization?
By Mikkela Blanton March 2021 As the world explores solutions to the climate crisis, various energy solutions are under consideration. While nuclear energy has earned a bad reputation following three major nuclear disasters and a history of disproportionate negative effects on BIPOC communities, it offers one big, undisputed benefit: nuclear energy is a zero-emission clean…
-
Policy Brief: Colorado’s 2020 Electric Vehicle Plan
By Kayla Zacharias March 2021 With more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. coming from the transportation sector, our transportation system needs an overhaul if we are to effectively combat climate change. This fact has been recognized by both federal and state leaders, with President Biden pledging to provide zero-emissions public…
-
How Changing Climate and Populations Affect Management of the Dolores River
By Amorina Lee Martinez March 2021 The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River Watershed, originating in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado, and flowing mostly north to meet the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. McPhee Reservoir is the major storage component of the Dolores Project, which dams the Dolores River and…
-
COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Equity Implications of Internet Access
By Kayla Zacharias February 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has shined light on equity issues across Colorado, as impacts have often been felt disproportionately by minority and low-income families. However, the uneven distribution of infrastructure, such as broadband, has been an issue for decades – especially in rural areas of the state. Due to rugged terrain…
-
How is Colorado’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap Addressing Environmental Justice and Climate Equity Concerns?
By Mikkela Blanton February 2021 Governor Jared Polis’s office recently released the finalized version of the Colorado Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Pollution Reduction Roadmap: a report that outlines the administration’s plans for meeting the GHG reduction targets outlined in HB 1261. These goals include reducing total GHG emissions by 26 percent by 2025, 50 percent by…
-
Does Colorado’s Just Transition Action Plan Do Enough to Support Disproportionately Impacted Communities?
By Kayla Zacharias February 2021 For many years, coal was the primary energy source for communities across the United States. In regions with significant reserves, coal mining has not only provided an economic base, but often became central to the identity of mining communities. As alternative energy sources become cheaper to produce than coal, and…
-
Oil and Gas Development Clashes with Protecting of Public Lands in Grand Junction
By Megan Paliwoda February 2021 How the United States handles environmental challenges is highly dependent on the administration currently in office. When it comes to conserving public lands for present and future generations, former President Donald Trump showed little interest in strengthening protections enacted by past administrations. During his time in office, Trump rolled back…
-
Biden Hit “Pause” on Leasing of Public Lands; How will Oil and Gas Jobs in Colorado be Impacted?
By Sophie Mangassarian February 2021 On Jan. 27, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order titled “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” which calls for a government-wide approach to addressing climate change. Included in the order is a pause on new oil and gas permitting and leasing on federal lands and offshore waters.…
-
What is Colorado Doing to Address Wildfires?
By Mikkela Blanton February 2021 The Issue The 2020 wildfire season in Colorado was one of the most apocalyptic on record. More than 625,000 acres burned in wildfires across the state, including the Cameron Peak Fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado history. Counties throughout Colorado are facing extreme or exceptional drought, beetle kill has left…
-
A Ban on Fracking: Could it Happen, and What Would the Impacts Be?
By Kayla Zacharias February 2021 Hydraulic fracturing, colloquially known as “fracking,” is a process used to recover oil and gas from shale rock. Over the last two decades, the technique has helped the United States become a global leader in natural gas production. By allowing energy producers to access significant gas reserves, fracking has contributed…
Science Notes
Providing information at the intersection of Science and Policy in Colorado
-
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 