Among the many executive orders made in President Biden’s time in office thus far is Executive Order 14013. Aimed at rebuilding and expanding refugee policy and resettlement in the first post-Trump year, section 6 specifically requests a report on climate change and the ways that it affects migration. This inclusion highlights an important aspect of environmental activism and environmental justice: where will people go as climate change worsens?
Read MoreOn May 10, 2021, Governor Polis signed SB21-006, “Concerning the conversion of human remains to basic elements within a container using an accelerated process,” into law. Colorado is now the second state to legalize the composting of human remains. This new law legalizes “natural organic reduction,” a process pioneered by Washington-based Recompose, a start-up that opened its doors in December 2020.
Read MoreColonialism is known to be a physical exploitation system; people were forcibly taken from their homes and put into slavery. However, colonialism was also an economic extractive system (e.g., natural resources were taken from African countries), and responsible for a lot of the wealth countries have today
Read MoreOn February 3rd, 2021, the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice hosted a program titled When Race and the Environment Collide: The Impact on Systematic Racism on Environmental Justice. The goal of the program was to examine the impact of structural and systematic racism on the environment; topics included the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and the consequences of Trump’s southern border wall.
Read MoreSeventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. 14 of the world’s largest cities sit on coastlines. Fifty percent of all Americans live within 50 miles of a coast.
Read MoreIt’s not rocket science to understand Colorado relies on a steady water supply; it’s snow science. Most of Colorado is in either extreme or exceptional drought, the two highest possible rankings on the United States Drought Monitor.
Read MoreTechnology advancements and generations of agricultural revolutions have allowed for a global expansion in the realm of crops, bringing plants far beyond their original and natural limits and introducing them to new climates and countries.
Read MoreWhen we hear “climate change” or “global warming,” what we are really hearing about is an overabundance of carbon dioxide, or CO2, and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Climate change, including periods of global warming, has always been part of Earth’s history, but the warming period we are in now is problematic because it is man-made.
Read MoreIf you had to guess which regions are feeling the effects of climate change the most, you would be correct to guess low-lying islands and coastal areas. But within urban areas of the United States, certain parts of cities are feeling the effects
The accepted theory for the case of the extinction of the dinosaurs—the great terrible lizards that once ruled the earth—is an asteroid impact. But the crash did not cause their death the way that most of us assume it did.
Read MoreIn 1869, after almost a year of western exploration, geologist John Wesley Powell reported to Congress that there was not enough water in the west to support significant settlement.
Read MoreThis fall, the Western U.S. saw an unprecedented—and currently inexplicable—massive bird die-off. Two coinciding events are top suspects for potential explanations: an early cold snap and record-breaking wildfires.
In 2018, a coal-fired train in Southwest Colorado started what was the sixth-largest fire in Colorado’s history at the time. The fire not only destroyed 54,000 acres and cost over forty million dollars to contain, it also desecrated the nearby economies and shut down the San Juan National Forest for the first time in 113 years.
Read MoreWhy is 2020 the most active wildfire year in history for the Western United States? Climate change.
On August 13, 2020, the Colorado Cameron Peak fire began. As of October 23, the fire is only 57% contained and has burned 206,977 acres; it is now the largest wildfire in Colorado history. The magnitude of the Cameron Peak fire is minuscule, though, when
It is okay to write with the benefit of hindsight. This is what history is, revisiting the past with a hope for the future.
When I started writing this piece, over twenty-five million people in the world had contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and at least eight-hundred and forty-four thousand deaths had been recorded. The bitter truth is there will be many more.
For several years, Colorado has consistently ranked as one of America’s “fittest” states. With more than 39,000 miles of trails winding throughout the colorful state, it is no wonder that the state has even held the number one position on more than one occasion. Not only do locals frequent the trails, but the striking beauty and vast wildlife of Colorado attract millions of visitors every year.
Read MoreThese days, the only howls Coloradans hear are likely from our own furry canine companions. Colorado hasn’t heard a wolf howl in decades.
Read MoreThe globe is facing a plastic pollution problem. Single-use plastics have undoubtedly played an important role in international commercial development, but they now saturate the world’s coastlines and landfills. However, heightened public and private action and overall awareness indicate an increased willingness by the international community to develop the types of sustainable solutions necessary to effectuate long-term change.
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