Initiatives lose battle, but Colorado water war rages on

Appeal process deters chance at statewide water reform

If two water initiatives die before they have a chance to reach the ballot in November, do they make a sound? If they did, the sound you might hear is the collective sigh of relief from the Colorado oil and gas industry, the agricultural industry and other opponents of Initiatives 3 and 45.

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Opening up to sustainable art

Bold Doors repurposes refuse to make high-end art

What began as an initiative to help the Center for ReSource Conservation clear out its inventory has blossomed into a community-building collaboration of artists and is drawing visitors into surprising corners of Boulder. The Bold Doors tour reinvented about 100 doors as artwork that is now on display in shops around town and part of a silent auction.

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Lacking labels

Unregulated food labels can be misleading

Natural,” “organic,” “whole grain,” “hormone free”: the labels in grocery store aisles are endless, all designed to tell consumers more about the products available for purchase.

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Sprayed trespass

Injunction in Delta County sets precedent for other counties

A recent decision from a district court in Delta County could affect the view of trespassing, aerial spraying and the restitution available to farmers who lose crops due to drift.

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Making money, making change

Startup companies show their positive impact in the Summit competition

From King Richard in Robin Hood taxing his citizens to the point of starvation to Scrooge nickel and diming his employees out of a family Christmas, classic cartoons and fairy tales present a pretty grim picture of people who like money. But The [i4c] Campaign, and the Denver venture capital firm Galvanize that funds it, are trying to change that image.

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Enlisting the sun

Military uses solar energy to help power its operations

Within the U.S., it is the Department of Defense (DOD), encompassing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, that consumes the most energy, according to the DOD. In 2010, the DOD’s energy costs totaled more than $4 billion. So what is the DOD doing to combat its gigantic carbon footprint? It’s looking to the sun.

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Fire smoke may diminish rainfall

Scientists investigate the effect of smoke on Colorado’s monsoon season

All eyes are on the southwest monsoon flow for some relief from Colorado’s record-breaking drought, but there’s a chance that regional and local haze and smoke could inhibit thunderstorm formation, potentially diminishing the chance for significant rains.

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Heating up alternative energy

Solar thermal advocate argues for Colorado to be this technology’s next home

Colorado is primed to be powered by solar thermal energy, but one big challenge stands in the way: No one seems to know about it.

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Head in the cloud

In April, Greenpeace released a report showing that the United States led the world in electricity consumption in 2007, with 3,923 billion kilowatt hours (kwH). Following the U.S. are other industrialized countries; China is second, followed by Russia and Japan.

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Turn up the heat

Capsaicin positively affects internal conditions as well as external ones. It reduces triglycerides in the blood, speeds up cholesterol breakdown, and reduces the risk of internal blood clots that trigger heart attacks.

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