Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.

Water is always a big topic in the west. Water is required for life. Without it our crops die, our cities dry up, and eventually we would die. According to a Durango Herald editorial, Colorado’s Front Range is seeking new sources of water to fuel their population. Where do you think they’re looking? Across the continental divide, to the green and fertile western slope, at least that’s how they see us. One plan designed by Aaron Million, a Fort Collins developer, calls for a private pipeline that would carry as much as 250,000 acre feet of water from the Green River to the Front Range. The Green River, which begins in Wyoming and travels all the way into Utah where it merges with the Colorado River, is the primary water source for Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Southwestern Wyoming, and is one of the more popular river routes in the region. Luckily, Governor Bill Ritter does not support the idea of taking water from the Western Slope to support the Front Range. Gov. Ritter sees that the Western Slope may have more water running through it, it is just also a very arid region. Ritter also believes that the water from one watershed should not be used to support another, especially one that drains to the east instead of the west. If you want to learn more about this discussion check out the Durango Herald’s article here.

Is the Western Slope that wet? The Durango Herald reported that the Animas River, the river than runs through Durango, Colorado, is well below what it was in 2002. Why is this important? 2002, was one of the worst drought, and fire, years in Colorado history. The low water levels have been attributed to early runoff and a dry monsoon season. Hopefully, Colorado will have a snowy winter that will make up for the lack of a monsoon. But only time will tell. If we don’t get a good winter base it is likely that we could find ourselves in a drought with fires raging around us. If that happens we might need to steal some water from the Front Range.


- Ben Rogers

Schools LEED the Way to Eco Justice

Growing vegetables has been taken to a new level for students at Escalante Middle School who installed a photovoltaic system. This system is capable of powering electricity that the school would usually buy. This will allow students in Sharron Orrs class to learn more about the environment and sciences. The Durango Herald reported this story about the new photovoltaic system. Students will also engage and learn about plants, composting, and weather.

In Arizona The Arizona Republic reported on what their schools are doing to more energy efficient. Arizona schools will use stimulus funds to generate energy efficiency. $20 million dollars totals the amount to make schools more energy effective. $13 million will be used for grants that Arizona school districts can apply for. $5.5 million will be used to install solar panels in 25 districts. The other $1.5 million is set aside for administrative funding.
Pleasant Grove charter school in Utah is wanting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, reported by Deseret News. There are only 25 buildings in Utah that are certified and Pleasant Grove wants to join that list opening for the 2010-2011 school year.

Schools are a fundamental building block for knowledge and going green is a great aspect to learn at a younger age. Theses schools are setting the right example for other elementariness, middle schools, high schools, and colleges across the company to strive for eco-excellence.

Devon Dey

Energy in the West

While it may not be green or (entirely) renewable energy, nuclear power has been a potential contender for energy usage within the United States. In Montrose county, for example, there has been heated debate as to whether a new uranium mill should be built. Telluride News reports on the Rocky 4-esque clashing of two ideals (albeit less violent). The entire meeting had an economic undertone, as many decisions were based on the recession alone. It has been estimated the mine would create more than 85 new, much-needed jobs; while this may be a brief stimulus package, a more useful, long-lasting job-maker would be reprocessing (recycling) uranium. To explain it simply, a byproduct of reprocessed nuclear fuel is plutonium, which can also be used to fuel a nuclear power plant. Not only would this method keep the Colorado landscape unscratched, but also keep unnecessary uranium from being mined and put into production. Since this nonrenewable resource may be a little more renewable than given credit for, we should take advantage of this and direct our capabilities to recycling uranium rather than our wasteful, “throw-away” lifestyle.
Now on the other side of things: putting resources into the ground. The Denver Post reports on the newest form of the “green” movement: green burials. A one acre piece of the Fort Collins cemetery will be designated for burials without any type of vault or embalming. While my spiritual side is all for a part of the deceased becoming a piece of the flowers, the bloom; my ethical side can't seem to accept a ceremony as sacred as burying the dead labelled as part of the “green” movement. As great as the green movement is, there has to be a line drawn somewhere; I can imagine a grieving, vulnerable family going over such a trivial yet painful process of finding the resting place of their loved one and being offered a “green” alternative. Rest the deceased anyway you like: burying, cremating, setting sail on a burning viking ship; just don't attach a label to whichever way you do it.

Jamison Griffith