By Leah Thayer COLORADO SPRINGS Climate despair may be spreading increasingly as the climate crisis looms heavy on the minds of Colorado College (CC) students. Also referred to as solastalgia, eco-despair, or eco-grief, this overwhelming feeling of worry and hopelessness is increasingly the emotional response to climate change. Students at CC gauge awareness of eco-grief as…
By Johnna Geick Descending into the West Elk Coal Mine is like entering a new world: Lightless, filled with the buzz of machinery and occasional rumble of large vehicles. Underground, almost everything seems like a grayscale image. Heaps of crushed limestone dust coat the floor, flying up each time a heavy boot comes down. There…
By Auguste Voss CRESTED BUTTE—The resort town of Crested Butte in mountainous western Colorado has long relied on the ski industry to drive the local economy. But greenhouse gas emissions and increasing global temperatures are taking a toll. Beyond Crested Butte, millions are expected to be displaced. Sea levels are rising. Large chunks of the…
By Carly Valerious Billy Barr is a mountain man living alone in Gothic Colorado, a place only accessible by skiing or snowshoeing, and he has accumulated data that has progressed the study of climate change. Many documentaries in multiple countries have been made about Billy’s life. For example, The Snow Guardian. This short film is…
By Leah Thayer CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO Imagine the wind blowing against your cheeks, silky white snow crystals flowing underneath your skis as you fly down the mountain. When you reach the bottom, adrenaline still pulses through your body. At the base of the mountain, you hear classic rock music, you smell the burgers and beers being…
By Leah Thayer SAN LUIS VALLEY, COLORADO Within the San Luis Valley of Colorado lies over 1.3 million acres of agricultural land, spreading amongst 1,739 different farms, and providing 4,687 local jobs. All of which is currently threatened by the onslaught of aridification in the San Luis Valley, resulting from changing climate. “Climate change impacts how…
By Auguste Voss OLD SNOWMASS—Tucked away in the mountain foothills along Colorado’s Roaring Fork River, scientist Amory Lovins lives in an energy-efficient house with his wife, Judy, and a collection of stuffed orangutans. He tugged at one of the orangutans’ toes, grinning playfully as he held court recently with a group of Colorado College student…
By Whitton Feer – Somerset Colorado The modified RAM 3500 bounced through the coal mine at 25mph. It was equipped with a speed limiter to ensure the safety of those in the mine. The driver, John Poulos, flashed his lights before turning one of the many 90 degree, blind corners. This safety precaution was repeated…
By Emily Stamper A reporter in my class, Johnna Geick, burst out into tears as Christine Canaly discussed her feelings on climate change and the environment. We had been traveling around the San Luis Valley for four days interviewing people on how climate change has affected their lives. The outlooks we had been hearing on…
By Auguste Voss SAN LUIS VALLEY—Sitting by the fireplace on a frigid afternoon in Crestone, activist Christine Canaly talked about the impacts of climate change. Canaly founded the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, and has worked for more than three decades trying to protect water resources and thousands of acres of public land. She is…
