The Polis administration is set this month to complete its “roadmap” for cutting Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions, but critics question whether the route is clear enough — and the milestones realistic enough — to get Colorado where it needs to go. In a nod to some of the challenges, air quality and energy officials are […]
John Putnam
Posted inColoradans, Environment, Health, Water
Agricultural water contaminated with “forever chemicals” could taint produce, Colorado study finds
Lettuce and other produce could soak up dangerous concentrations of the banned firefighting chemical PFAS tainting agricultural irrigation, even in areas where drinking water is already filtered for the substance, according to a new modeling study led by the Colorado School of Mines. The study proves the possibility, but does not claim real-world tests on […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado releases its plan to slash greenhouse gases, leaving some environmental groups wanting more
The road to curbing Colorado’s greenhouse gases runs through heavy cuts to emissions from power plants and oil and gas operations, but also winds across ambitious reductions in pollution from cars, buildings and cows, according to a state plan released Wednesday. The Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, released by Gov. Jared Polis’ administration after […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, Health, Politics and Government, Transportation
Is Colorado leading or lagging on climate policy? It depends on which states you’re comparing us to.
States from coast to coast – faced with President Donald Trump’s insistence that climate change is “a hoax” – are taking the lead in creating climate policy and programs, and in this multifaceted exercise Colorado is either a leader or a laggard. On the one hand, the state has adopted some of the most ambitious […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, News, Politics and Government
Colorado regulators back 2,000-foot setback for new oil and gas drilling in “paradigm shift”
All homes and schools in Colorado should be protected from new oil and gas drilling by a 2,000-foot buffer or setback – four times the current standard for urban areas, a majority of the members of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said. In a session Wednesday to review proposed rule changes on setbacks, […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Fight over Colorado setback rule sets up make-or-break hearing on how close is too close for oil and gas
Colorado regulators have spent more than a year overhauling the state’s oil and gas drilling rules, but on Tuesday they face revising what both industry and environmentalists see as the make-or-break rule: setbacks of oil and gas operations from homes and schools. “Setbacks will determine Gov. Jared Polis’ legacy on oil and gas and whether […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado must cut half of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It will lean on oil and gas to do it.
Some of the biggest cuts in Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions will come from the electricity and transportation sectors, but hitting the state’s goal of a 26% reduction in emissions from 2005 levels in the next five years will depend on curbing oil and gas emissions, according to a state analysis. “To meet these goals, we […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News, Technology
Your poop may soon serve as an early warning system for Colorado coronavirus outbreaks
Toilets from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs will soon become important tools in Colorado’s efforts to establish an early warning system for the novel coronavirus. The state of Colorado has committed half a million dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds for a year-long pilot program to test sewage. The testing will pinpoint COVID-19-carrying genetic fragments […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Drafting rules to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions may prove even harder because of missing data
A plan to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions will be a device of many moving parts and after a review by an Air Quality Control Commission subcommittee Thursday it looks like those parts are moving slowly, with rules in key areas not in place for another year. The timetables rolled out during the session, carried […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado may have missed a deadline to plan for reducing greenhouse gasses. Now the state faces a lawsuit.
The clock is ticking. Each day climate-altering, man-made gases are building up in the atmosphere and Colorado’s effort to help stem the tide is running late. The Air Quality Control Commission missed a July 1 deadline to issue draft rules to meet Colorado’s greenhouse gas reduction targets – or perhaps it didn’t. It all depends […]