Author – The Durango Herald

Electric co-ops cut costs through independence

June marks a significant milestone among rural electric cooperatives within the Tri-State system, notably for our neighbor Kit Carson Electric Cooperative in Taos, New Mexico. Six years ago...

DATE: Jun 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Gridlock in Congress stymies land protection in Colorado

The CORE Act achieved a significant milestone at the beginning of May when the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee finally voted on it. The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy...

DATE: May 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Abandoned mines, wells present vexing problems

Our region hosts an abundance of abandoned mine sites and orphaned oil and gas wells. They contaminate our water and air with acid mine drainage and leaking methane. They are the legacy of ...

DATE: Apr 16, 2022 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Local electric supplies set for big change

La Plata Electric Association’s board of directors voted in February to dramatically revamp our local source of electricity. In a unanimous decision, the board agreed to a partial buyout of ...

DATE: Mar 19, 2022 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Poor environmental review derails oil and gas leases

Last week, a federal court ruled that the Bureau of Land Management failed to follow the law in selling oil and gas leases across Southwest Colorado in two recent auctions. The ruling applie...

DATE: Feb 19, 2022 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Region’s future electricity supply in play

Electricity customers across Southwest Colorado have the opportunity this month to provide feedback about the future of our electricity supply. The Colorado Public Utility Commission is rev...

DATE: Jan 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Conservation gains across Four Corners mark the new year

After a whirlwind year, it’s time to take stock of some conservation gains over the past 12 months. We often ride a teeter-totter of conservation policy, down one year, up the next, but ove...

DATE: Dec 18, 2021 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Land near Chaco Canyon receives protections

This week the Biden administration took action to safeguard lands surrounding Chaco Canyon from impacts associated with encroaching oil and gas extraction. The Department of Interior announ...

DATE: Nov 20, 2021 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Opportunities for Dolores River conservation

One of the most remarkable features of Southwest Colorado is the spectacular canyon carved by the Dolores River. On those occasions when an abundance of snowpack blesses our region, adventu...

DATE: Oct 16, 2021 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Our evolving environmental baseline

The phrase “new normal” is tossed around frequently to describe our changing environment and climate. It highlights what we each consider our baseline understanding of the world around us, ...

DATE: Sep 18, 2021 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

Opportunities abound for engagement on climate change

A friend recently lamented the apparent disappearance of Colorado’s trademark cobalt blue skies, those piercingly clear summer days in the mountains when you can see almost forever. Instead,...

DATE: Aug 21, 2021 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green

National forest land exchange poses troubling trade-offs

A festering land exchange controversy near Pagosa Springs is emblematic of larger questions about public lands and private demands. It is the latest in a series of exchanges whereby wealthy ...

DATE: Jul 16, 2021 | CATEGORY: Thinking Green