Bold Climate Beat: Summer 2022 recap
Here’s what you missed this summer in climate and environment news with a focus on CU campus and the Boulder community.
The Bold Climate Beat lifts off with a summer 2022 rundown of climate news you may have missed with a focus on the University of Colorado Boulder campus and the city of Boulder.
With the launch of The Bold’s new “Bold Climate Action” section, focused on environmental and science journalism, we want to provide readers with the latest on the most important issue of the day—climate change.
Each Monday, the Bold Climate Beat will deliver you climate and environmental news briefs, short and sweet, from campus and beyond.
Stay tuned for our original climate and science journalism that we’ll be publishing throughout the academic year.
Email pitches, story tips and other inquiries to thebold@colorado.edu. Reaching out directly to me is also welcome: anthony.albidrez@colorado.edu.
— Anthony Albidrez, environment and science editor
“The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in July was 76.4°F, which is 2.8 °F above average, ranking third warmest in the 128-year record,” according to NOAA.
June 2022
6/14 – CU donation drive diverted 17 tons of material from landfills
In June, the Environmental Center announced CU student and staff volunteers collected 17 tons of material during May’s on-campus resident move out.
Move-in and move-out seasons throughout the academic year produce large amounts of waste that usually can end up in landfills. The Give and Go Donation Drive at CU mobilized with students.
According to the Environmental Center announcement, the goal of the event was “to reduce landfill waste and capture as many usable items as possible that are in good and working condition.”
The material that was diverted from landfills was donated locally for reuse and consumption or was recycled.
6/23 – Peter Molnar, 1943-2022
Renowned geophysicist and CU professor Peter Molnar, Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences at CU Boulder, died at the age of 78.
Also a fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Molnar was an early pioneer of plate tectonics and the recipient of many notable and prestigious awards. Through his research, Molnar addressed “how mountain ranges are built and how they and other larger-scale crustal movements affect climate on geological time scales.”
6/28 – CU Boulder student team awarded $25K from EPA to develop drinking water risk assessment tool
Having won $25,000 in EPA funding, a team of CU Boulder students will develop a free tool that allows communities and other stakeholders to identify potential chemical threats to human health in drinking water supplies. The tool will also provide recommendations for treatment and policy intervention.
The drinking water risk assessment tool will be an alpha version of the Chemical Health Risk Identification System (CHRIS).
“Chemical pollution is a contributor to global disease burden, and the CHRIS tool will fill an important knowledge gap by providing a wide range of stakeholders with knowledge about possible chemical toxin exposures in drinking water, along with appropriate treatment techniques for mitigation,” Karl G. Linden, Mortenson Professor in Sustainable Development in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at CU Boulder, said in a press release.
“Risk assessment tools such as this represent an important first step toward addressing the impacts of chemical pollutants on global health.”
6/30 – CU, NOAA announced new Cooperative Institute for Earth System Research and Data Science
CU and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) announced a new research partnership, worth up to $565.8 million over the course of five years, focused on Earth system research and science data.
“We are delighted that this relationship will continue to help us answer some of our nation’s most critical scientific questions and support the development of the next generation of scientists,” Rick Spinrad, NOAA Administrator, said in a press release.
July 2022
7/12 – More panelists announced for Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit
The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit has confirmed 33 panelists and counting for the December event. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Indigenous rights leader and Nobel Prize nominee, was confirmed earlier this summer and will present a keynote address.
The Bold Climate Action beat will be providing ongoing coverage of this event throughout the fall 2022 semester.
7/14 – Inside the Greenhouse (ITG) announces 8th Annual climate change and comedy short video competition
Applications are open through March 1, 2023 for the 2023 ITG Comedy & Climate Change Short Video Competition.
According to the ITG competition announcement, they are looking for entries that utilize humor as an impactful tool in climate change: “In this 2023, 8th annual competition, we seek to harness the powers of climate comedy through compelling, resonant and meaningful videos—up to 2 minutes in length—to meet people where they are, and open them up to new and creative engagement.”
7/21 – Boulder City Council moves Climate Action Plan Tax forward
Early this year, the Boulder City Council proposed the Climate Action Plan Tax that would raise $6.5M per year to fund city-level climate and resilience efforts.
Before the ordinance can go into effect, it would require voter and City Council approval. In November, Boulder voters will see the Climate Tax on their ballots.
Climate journalism reads from this summer (paywall-free)
- “Wildfire is among the biggest risks to Boulder’s water supply. How is the city protecting its streams, creeks and reservoirs?” by Tim Drugan, Boulder Reporting Lab, May 27, 2022
- “Water agencies in Western cities pledge drought savings. Some environmentalists want more” by Michael Booth, Colorado Sun, Aug. 26, 2022
- “Farms of the Future” by Allen Best, Headwaters Magazine, July 20, 2022
