healthy_air_and_water_colorado

Statement: Health professionals condemn proposed repeal of endangerment finding

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 19:29:19 GMT

The following statement can be attributed to Dr. Sara Carpenter, Board Chair of Healthy Air and Water Colorado (HAWC), on the proposed repeal of the Environmental Protect Agency (EPA)’s endangerment finding:

The Trump Administration’s decision to repeal the EPA's endangerment finding sacrifices public health to political and corporate agendas. This repeal blatantly disregards the overwhelming scientific consensus and decades of evidence indicating that greenhouse gases drive climate change and are dangerous to human health. The endangerment finding empowers the federal government to reduce carbon pollution. Without it, we lose one of our most critical tools for protecting public health.

As a physician, I worry about the health effects of climate change every day – children with asthma attacks triggered by ozone pollution, adults with heart and lung conditions struggling to survive heat waves, and increasingly unpredictable and severe storms, floods, and wildfires. Repealing the endangerment finding is not just a partisan rollback of environmental policy – it’s a direct threat to Americans across the country.

###

Contact: info@hawcolorado.org

PRESS RELEASE: Health Leaders Urge Gov. Polis to Treat Extreme Heat as a Public Health Emergency

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:10:03 GMT

National and Local Coalition Calls for Urgent State Action to Protect Communities from Worsening Heat Risks

Colorado Springs, CO–As record-breaking heat waves threaten communities across the country, a national coalition of health organizations, advocates, and frontline health professionals is urging governors – including Colorado Governor Jared Polis – to take immediate action to protect residents from the life-threatening impacts of extreme heat.

In an open letter sent to state leadership ahead of the National Governors Association summer meeting starting Thursday, more than 130 organizations – coordinated by the Alliance for Heat Resilience and Health – called on state leaders to treat extreme heat as the growing public health crisis it is. The signers include physicians, nurses, public health experts, major health associations, and climate organizations, including groups here in Colorado.

“Extreme heat is not just a summer inconvenience – it is a public health emergency that demands leadership and swift action,” the letter states. “With better planning and stronger protections, states can save lives, protect vulnerable communities, and ease the growing burden on health systems.”

Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States, with an estimated 2,300 deaths in 2023 – and at least 21 in Colorado in 2024 – and when excess deaths are fully counted, the true toll likely exceeds 10,000 lives lost each year .

“Extreme heat is a deadly threat to public health in Colorado," said Alex Boian, Executive Director of Healthy Air and Water Colorado , "Every summer, we see more people in emergency rooms, more vulnerable residents left without relief, and more pressure on already strained health systems. Governor Polis has the opportunity to lead with the urgency this crisis demands — by treating extreme heat as a public health emergency and protecting those who are most at risk.”

The health risks are severe and far-reaching. High temperatures worsen cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney diseases, increase risks for pregnant people and children, and drive up air pollution levels that contribute to chronic illnesses.

"Dangerous and worsening heat waves are putting Coloradans’ lung health at risk," said Nick Torres, Advocacy Director with the American Lung Association in Colorado. "Strong, decisive action from our state leaders is critical to prepare for extreme heat events, track their impacts, and invest in strategies to reduce health harms and ultimately to save lives – especially in our most vulnerable communities.”

Vulnerable communities – including outdoor workers, people without reliable cooling, children, older adults, and low-income families – feel these dangers first and worst, often without the resources to stay safe.

"Extreme heat is a growing public health and economic threat in Colorado, especially for those who are already bearing the brunt of inequities in our state – outdoor and construction workers, older adults, children, and people living without access to cooling," said Sophie Shea, Policy Analyst at the Colorado Fiscal Institute. "We need bold public investment to protect the health, safety, and dignity of every Coloradan."

Meanwhile, health systems in states like Colorado are under growing strain as hospitals and emergency responders face surging heat-related ER visits, 911 calls, and rising demand for care, pushing an already overburdened system closer to crisis.

“Health professionals can’t stop the worst impacts of extreme heat alone — we need strong policies that prevent heat-related illnesses before they happen," said Lauren Swain, Coordinator for Physicians for Social Responsibility of Colorado . This is a matter of health, safety, and economic security for millions of Colorado residents.”

The coalition outlines four policy priorities for governors to act on now:

Launch statewide assessments and invest in health surveillance to track heat impacts.
Designate a statewide heat lead and develop a whole-of-government plan.
Treat extreme heat as a state of emergency to unlock resources and save lives.
Develop long-term financing and planning strategies to reduce extreme heat risks.

Read the full letter: https://bit.ly/NGALetter

For local media inquiries, please contact info@hawcolorado.org.

About the Alliance for Heat Resilience and Health

The letter was organized by the Alliance for Heat Resilience and Health (AHRH), a coalition dedicated to responding to the health harms of extreme heat. Participating organizations include the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, the Federation of American Scientists, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and many others.

About Healthy Air and Water Colorado

Healthy Air and Water Colorado (HAWC) mobilizes the voice of health professionals to shape policies that protect the well-being of people and the planet. By engaging health professionals, advancing science-based policy, and centering the communities most impacted by climate change, HAWC works to ensure clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment for all Coloradans. Learn more at hawcolorado.org .

HAWC Update - Greetings from our new ED Alex Boian

aboian@healthiercolorado.org (HAWC Colorado) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:07:01 GMT

Hello HAWC Advocates and Friends!

As I begin my third week as the new executive director of Healthy Air and Water Colorado, I wanted to send this brief note to introduce myself and express my gratitude to all of you in HAWC’s network of climate advocates and health professionals. My first few days have been filled with listening, learning, and getting to know many of you, your interests, and the incredible work you do to address climate change in order to protect public health.

I join HAWC after more than 20 years in federal and state public policy working on natural resource issues, land use, sustainability, and in collaboration with local communities to ensure equitable access to clean and healthy air and water in Colorado, and across the country. Throughout my work, one thing has always been true, and that is the tremendous power of passionate individuals who come together, a coalition united by a common cause seeking real and lasting change. The HAWC network and our partners in climate advocacy are the coalition that is needed now more than ever to take action and advocate for policies that address the health impacts of worsening air quality, extreme temperatures, and threats to water availability and quality.

I am thankful to each of you for the work you do every day at the crossroads of public health and climate policy, and for the time, energy, and enthusiasm you contribute. We are planning some in-person events and advocacy trainings so we have an opportunity to connect with you all and energize our work going forward. Stay tuned for more.

I look forward to joining you in the work ahead!

With gratitude,

Alex Boian

Executive Director

Healthy Air and Water Colorado

Press Release: Colorado Takes Important Step in Cutting Methane Pollution, But More Action is Needed

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:07:33 GMT

Colorado air quality leaders vote in favor of cutting oil & gas emissions

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) voted on February 21, 2025, to approve new rules implementing Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2024 oil and gas methane reduction requirements . The Regulation 7 rulemaking requires operators to eliminate methane-emitting pneumatic devices at oil and gas sites throughout the state and prioritizes reductions in areas that are violating ozone pollution standards. Colorado is the first state to incorporate these provisions into its state methane plan—due to the EPA by March 2026.

The AQCC’s rules also make improvements to the quality and consistency of air monitoring data collected at well sites, especially where people live, work and play. Advocacy groups look forward to working with the state to evaluate this important data and make further improvements to ensure that communities are informed about and protected from harmful emissions.

While the new rules strengthen Colorado’s commitments to reducing climate and ozone pollution, there is more to be done. The state is still not on track to comply with federal air quality standards, and it must adopt additional EPA methane reduction requirements before March 2026. At a pivotal moment for our planet, we will continue to push for stronger methane reduction requirements and cleaner air for all Coloradans.

Dr. Nikita Habermehl, Healthy Air & Water Colorado board member, pediatric emergency medical physician, and faculty at the CU School of Medicine, released the following statement following the rules adoption:

“Methane pollution is a silent threat to public health, exacerbating asthma and other respiratory illnesses, worsening air quality, and driving extreme heat-related illnesses, resulting in unnecessary emergency visits. By phasing out methane emissions from oil and gas, we have a critical opportunity to protect communities across Colorado. Implementing strong, statewide methane standards is a public health imperative. We appreciate the AQCC’s work to adopt nation-leading regulations to curb emissions and protect families across the state.”

Coalition members engaged in Regulation 7 rulemaking also had the below reactions to the final vote:

“Colorado is burdened by excessive levels of ground-level ozone and climate change impacts such as forest fires, floods, droughts, and degradation of biological resources,” said Ramesh Bhatt, Conservation Committee Chair, Sierra Club Colorado . “We are glad that the AQCC has recognized that methane pollution from oil and gas operations is a root cause of these crises and has adopted rules to reduce this pollution and conform to federal requirements. We hope to see these rules properly enforced and further regulations added to reduce pollution from the oil and gas industry.”

“Today marks another step forward in protecting children’s health by further reducing pollution from oil and gas operations for both children living in the ozone nonattainment area and also children most impacted by higher polluting facilities on the western slope,” said Laurie Anderson, CO Field Organizer, Moms Clean Air Force . “We appreciate the dedication and continued efforts of the Commissioners and the staff at the Division since this rule will not only improve our air quality, but also makes Colorado the first state to comply with a portion of the Federal Methane Rule – setting the stage for other states to follow.”

“The rules passed today, eliminating methane-emitting pneumatic controllers and prioritizing emission reductions in Colorado’s most heavily polluted regions, are a good step in Colorado’s fight against climate-harming emissions,” said Andrew Forkes-Gudmundson, senior manager for state policy at Earthworks . “The adoption of these rules today carries extra importance as Colorado becomes the first state to adopt portions of the EPA’s national methane rule, doing so well ahead of schedule. We appreciate the Commission’s commitment to rapid implementation of the methane rules.”

“At a time when the Trump administration is dismantling environmental safeguards and abandoning climate action, it is refreshing to see Colorado forge a different path by adopting common sense rules that will help combat ozone pollution and accelerate progress towards Colorado’s climate goals,” said Robin Cooley, Deputy Managing Attorney at Earthjustice . “We look forward to building on this progress and urge other states to follow Colorado’s lead in eliminating unnecessary methane pollution from the oil and gas industry.”

“Latino communities in Colorado have endured the harmful effects of methane pollution that have impacted our health and environment for generations,” said Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Colorado Fossil Fuel Just Transition Advocate, GreenLatinos Colorado . “As Colorado moves forward with new methane regulations, the Commission must adopt the strongest possible protections to hold polluters accountable and prevent ongoing harm. This includes enforcing shorter time frames for monitoring and repairing leaks to stop prolonged exposure to toxic emissions. We must continue to be an example to the nation while safeguarding public health and ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels.”

“Preventing methane pollution is critical for Latinos because children in our communities are twice as likely to die of asthma than white children due to exposure to environmental degradation,” said Julian Guevara, Community Organizer, Mi Familia En Acción . “We know that communities on the Western Slope and Front Range, often home to vulnerable populations, suffer the most from elevated methane and Volatile organic compounds (VOC) emission levels, leading to severe health issues such as respiratory problems and increased asthma rates among Latinos in Colorado. This rulemaking is another step in the right direction and we must continue to ensure that environmental justice remains at the forefront of Colorado’s air quality strategy.”

“From the Western Slope to the Front Range, Colorado communities across the state are experiencing the impacts of a warming climate. Cutting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by eliminating the use of natural gas-emitting pneumatic devices is essential to community health and addressing the climate crisis,” said Jessica Pace, Interim Executive Director at Western Leaders Network . “ We commend the Air Quality Control Commission for adopting key EPA methane rule provisions in this rule and look forward to working with the state to ensure all Coloradans receive timely protection from pollution.”

“The Western Slope is both one of the fastest warming regions in the United States and is one of the top 5 emitters of methane from the oil and gas industry in the country. As such, we welcome the new rules from the AQCC to further reduce methane emissions in Colorado,” said Leslie Robinson, Chair, Grand Valley Citizens Alliance. “The decision to adopt the faster retrofit timeline for these pneumatic devices and targeting some of the largest sites in Western Colorado ensures that all Colorado communities receive timely protection from harmful pollutants. We also hope that the AQCC can quickly apply these retrofits to all oil and gas sites in Western Colorado as soon as possible.”

“Colorado’s most vulnerable communities need clean air now. Strengthening methane regulations and cutting pollution doesn’t just protect our environment—it safeguards the health of communities across the state,” said Tykee James, Senior Environmental Justice Campaign Manager, Conservation Colorado. “These new rules are essential to ensuring cleaner air, especially for those who are hit hardest by pollution and climate change. This is a critical step toward a healthier, more just future for all Coloradans.”

###

The Harrowing Health Impacts of Transportation Pollution

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:58:39 GMT

Health professionals across Colorado see it daily: our poor air quality is having debilitating and sometimes deadly impacts on our communities.

While they understand it in the aggregate, they are experiencing it one patient at a time. Kids with higher rates of asthma. Adults who are forced to stay indoors during the summer heat or wildfire season because underlying conditions make it impossible for them to breathe. People who can no longer effectively manage their diabetes due to rising temperatures. More babies born prematurely or at low birth weights.

The reality is that the impacts of climate change aren’t just showing up in large scale changes in the frequency and severity of storms and the creeping changes to our seasonal weather patterns, the impacts of climate change are literally written on our bodies. For historically red-lined communities that have ended up along neighborhood destroying highways, these impacts increase exponentially.

A major driver of this climate change and the concentric circles of public health distress is transportation, the cars we drive and the trucks that transport our goods and services. If we can bend the curve on transportation, we can make a significant difference in the quality of our air and the ground level ozone that debilitates so many and adds to the real challenges to our public health.

Pollution from transportation typically comes in two forms and impacts public health in different ways. Particulate pollution from vehicle tailpipes can result in premature death in people with heart or lung disease, heart attacks and irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma and other respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing. These challenges can be particularly pronounced in the very young and the very old.

“Poor air qua lity is especially harmful to seniors, particularly those with upper respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” said Mike Kingsbury, a registered nurse and Healthy Air and Water Colorado advocate.

Another silent killer related to transportation is, ground-level ozone, which forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are exposed to sunlight. Ozone creates specific health challenges like shortness of breath and pain when breathing deeply, coughing and sore throat, airway inflammation and damage, asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These immediate-term health impacts are joined by longer-term impacts that have begun showing up in pregnancies through early births and low birth weights.

“As a neonato logist, I am particularly concerned with how air quality affects pregnancy outcomes,” said Dr. Katie Durrwachter-Erno, who advocates with HAWC for policies that improve air quality as another way she serves her patients.

We must also be conscious of the disparate exposure of certain communities to dangerous transportation emissions. Minority communities that have been historically red-lined have had highways and rail stations built through their neighborhoods, and this leads to higher level of exposure to dangerous vehicle emissions, among other environmental exposures and climate impacts. Additionally, these communities tend to lack access to safe, reliable public transit. Investments in public transportation need to consider the needs of these disproportionately impacted communities.

A piece of the transportation solution must come from better, more accessible public transit. Simply reducing the vehicle miles traveled is a clear and compelling way to begin to reverse course on our ever-worsening air quality because we can significantly reduce the dangerous ozone and particulate emissions from these vehicles. We know these kinds of efforts work to improve air quality. The Environmental Protection

Agency estimates that by investing in our public transportation infrastructure and making it more accessible, we can help to avoid the premature deaths of 110,000 Americans, fend off 2.7 million asthma attacks, and help businesses avoid 13.4 million lost workdays.

These outcomes can be achieved and measured. But we must make the investments required and we must recommit ourselves to implementing these transportation solutions now. Healthier communities and the health of our planet hang in the balance.

Press Release: Health Experts Press for Federal Action on Climate Change

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 16:57:46 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 27, 2022

Contact: Michele Ames

303-817-5510

Healthy Air & Water Colorado advocates press for federal action on climate change

Listening session with Congressman Jason Crow focuses on high-impact policy change

(DENVER, Oct. 27, 2022) – Health expert advocates on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus discussed their concerns about the worsening public health crisis driven by climate change with U.S. Congressman Jason Crow on Wednesday. The event was hosted by Healthy Air & Water Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine and University of Colorado Climate & Health Program.

Healthy Air & Water Colorado, a sister organization of Healthier Colorado, the state’s leading health advocacy organization with over 100,000 members, helps health professionals from across the state speak out on policies that will help to curb the acceleration of climate change and reduce its current impacts on human health. Advocates working with the organization addressed policy they would like the federal government to pursue to help bend the curve on the worst health impacts of climate change.

"When I think about what climate change is, it’s a child health issue. It’s not just about the polar bears, it’s about the health of our children,” said Dr. Bhargavi Chekuri, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Director of Continuing Medical Education at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Chekuri and other health experts shared their experience in dealing with climate related health impacts with the congressman. The clinical and scientific data has confirmed increases in various climate-related diseases including increases in childhood asthma rates, increases in chronic lung ailments, growing difficulty managing chronic issues like diabetes, increasing rates of preterm births and decreasing birth weights, to name a few. In addition, medical professionals are also dealing with the immediate, catastrophic impacts of the increasing severity of storms and the growing frequency and veracity of wild fires across western states.

Among other policy priorities at the federal level aimed at combatting these health impacts, Healthy Air & Water Colorado advocates have been pressing for ongoing investments in the country’s green energy infrastructure, transportation alternatives to help reduce fossil fuel emissions from cars and trucks, a leading cause of greenhouse gas and federal adoption of Colorado’s methane emission standards, which are the toughest in the nation.

“When individuals have access to affordable and quality health care, it creates healthy and resilient communities. It’s going to take healthy resilient communities to address climate change and the health impacts,” said Dr. Kyle Leggott, assistant Professor of Family Medicine and policy scholar at the Farley Health Policy Center on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

###

About Healthy Air & Water Colorado

Healthy Air & Water Colorado is the only statewide advocate for public policy that focuses exclusively on the growing public health threats posed by climate change. The effort is a sister organization of Healthier Colorado, which is dedicated to policy solutions that give all Coloradans the chance to live healthier lives. By engaging frontline health care workers who see and treat the real health issues caused by our warming environment, we are combining fact-based research with clinical expertise to raise awareness and encourage action to advance policies that will help to avert our growing public health emergency.

Air Pollution is Harming Health and Cleaner Trucks will Drastically Reduce Pollution

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Katherine E. Goff & Dr. Sheela Mahnke urge the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) to adopt the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule

A new normal has emerged in Colorado. Every summer, when temperatures are at their hottest, people across the state have come to expect that hazy air will compromise our ability to breathe comfortably, to see the mountains in the distance, and to enjoy the outdoor recreation that folks from around the world travel long distances just to experience. While some might see this as a mild annoyance, health professionals see a threat that’s far more insidious to the people of Colorado: our polluted air is killing us.

When people think of Colorado, the image that springs to mind is that of a wide open, beautiful western landscape with crisp, clean mountain air. Unfortunately, that vision is nothing more than a fantasy for the vast majority of those who live in the state. Our communities here in Adams County, and Commerce City in particular, know this all too well as the 80216 zip code – home to 2 major interstates and a number of industrial polluters – has been called the most polluted zip code in the U.S.

The rest of Colorado hardly fares much better. Recently, the American Lung Association released their State of the Air Report for 2022, and their findings are grim. Colorado is home to two of the 25 most polluted cities in America in Denver and Ft. Collins, and a number of counties across the state were given failing grades due to the level of pollution in their air.

Allowing our air to reach this state of contamination comes at a major cost to our health, especially for the most vulnerable populations, which include children, the elderly, those with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease and pregnant women. Air pollution increases the risk of severe complications for those with respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD. In Adams County alone there are almost 10,000 children with asthma who suffer daily from the toxic effects of our air. Poor air quality even harms the fetus prior to birth, resulting in lower birth weights and places healthy children at risk for increased respiratory infections and poor lung development.

Although there is no silver bullet that will allow us to eliminate air pollution overnight, there is concrete action our leaders can take to reduce emissions and protect our health. One of the most immediate remedies available is for the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) to adopt the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule, which would require manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to steadily increase their sales of zero emissions trucks over time.

Most of us have had the experience of sitting in congested traffic behind a truck spewing clouds of black smoke and had the thought that those emissions must be terrible for the environment. If you’ve had that thought, you were right: in the Denver Metro area, medium and heavy-duty vehicles contribute 24.3% of on-road NOx emissions despite accounting for less than 2% of vehicle miles traveled. These diesel emissions are costly for our health.

While these numbers are staggering, we cannot simply remove trucks from the road as the goods that they transport are essential to our way of life. Luckily, we don’t need to eradicate trucks altogether as the technology to drastically reduce health-harming diesel emissions from trucks is already here. A transition to clean trucks would have a transformative impact on our air quality generally, but especially for communities like Northglenn. My residents live near an interstate highway and suffer from transportation pollution they have no control over.

The urgency of adopting this rule as quickly as possible has become even more apparent in light of recent news that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may partially deny a similar effort in California. If this decision holds, Colorado would need to provide at least four years of lead time to implement our own Advanced Clean Trucks rule. Every day that the AQCC waits puts us further away from cleaning up our air by reducing emissions from trucks.

But this vital transition will not happen without action from the AQCC. The members of the commission must recognize that a failure to act immediately will cost Colorado dearly in hospital visits, lost work days, long term health conditions, and ultimately, it will cost people their lives. The AQCC needs to act immediately by instituting the Advanced Clean Trucks rule in order to ensure that every Coloradan can feel secure that the air they breathe isn’t leading them to a hospital, onto a ventilator, or into an early grave.

Katherine E. Goff, is a Northglenn Council Member & Dr. Sheela Mahnke is a pediatrician and advocate for Healthy Air & Water Colorado

Effective Wildfire Mitigation Requires Long-term, Sustainable Investment

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 20:14:54 GMT

Summit County Commissioner Tamara Pogue explains how the success of Summit County's model for long-term wildfire mitigation funding can be a model for preventing wildfire danger across Colorado

In 2018, Summit County residents were in the middle of another dry summer when a quick-

moving wildfire in the County’s Wildernest subdivision exploded into the country’s top

firefighting priority. What thankfully ended as another close call deftly struck down by first

responders, the Wildernest fire was a stark reminder that our dry forests are leaving us more

and more vulnerable to harm.

Later that year, County voters overwhelmingly approved ballot measure 1A and the Strong

Futures Fund, providing $1 million in wildfire mitigation funding each year.

I was proud to lead the 1A campaign with a team of community leaders. And I’m proud today of

Summit County’s leadership on wildfire awareness, mitigation, and readiness in the face of a

changing climate. Rather than relying on the old model of funding one-off projects, Summit

County adopted an approach that gives us a sustainable source of money to address priority

mitigation targets that present themselves every year as a result of ever-changing conditions.

Right now, elected officials at the state legislature are considering a bill that would incentivize

local governments across Colorado to follow the lead of Summit County and find sustainable

year-to-year funding sources to protect against wildfires. HB22-1011 (Wildfire Mitigation

Incentives For Local Governments), would create a grant program that provides state match

funding to local governments that create stable, long-term funding sources.

While Summit County has already created a yearly source for wildfire funding, this grant

program would stretch our investment further and allow us to target more priority areas. The

$1million we raise each year could be supplemented by a 20% state match, giving us an extra

$1million over five years to protect ourselves from severe fires.

As we’ve seen in recent years - of the 10 largest wildfires in Colorado’s recorded history, seven

have occurred since 2010. If we’re to avoid the consequences of wildfires, the physical

destruction they cause, and the smoke that impacts everyone, we need our neighbors to follow

Summit County’s lead.

This wildfire match program would give us more resources to expand on the critical work we’re

doing here in our county. HB22-1011 would simply give us a better return on the investment

that we already made by passing Measure 1A in 2018.

Tamara Pogue serves as a County Commissioner in Summit County, Colorado

Colorado Should Incentivize Long Term Mitigation Strategies to Protect Communities from Wildfires

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 22:08:12 GMT

Out of control wildfires are threatening the health of every Coloradan

As the planet gets hotter and drier due to climate change, an existential threat to our health has emerged. Larger and more extreme wildfires have become increasingly common in Colorado - 7 of the 10 largest wildfires in our state’s history have happened since 2010 - and the conditions that make wildfires more frequent and destructive will only get worse in the coming years. The health of every Coloradan is at risk unless our legislature acts now to give communities the resources they need to prevent wildfire damage before it happens. State lawmakers have the opportunity this legislative session to vote ‘YES’ on HB 1011 in order to leverage local dollars dedicated to long-term wildfire mitigation efforts.

The all-encompassing threat that wildfires pose to public health cannot be overstated. In the short term, not only do fires cause injuries, but the smoke released can cause health issues for both the people in the immediate area and folks hundreds of miles away who are subjected to the particulates that drift into their air. While those with existing health conditions such as children with asthma and people with cardiovascular diseases are most at risk, everyone whose air is affected by wildfire smoke can experience negative health outcomes as a result.

Health professionals across Colorado are sounding the alarm about the dangers of heavy smoke from wildfires. Days when our air is polluted with wildfire smoke inevitably lead to full emergency rooms with patients struggling to breathe, suffering cardiovascular distress, and even dying as a result of acute smoke inhalation. And yet, according to the Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado’s wildfire mitigation efforts are severely underfunded to the tune of approximately $4.2 billion. Continued failure to reduce wildfire damage would put our health at even greater risk as more severe wildfires threaten our state going forward.

Colorado has an opportunity to protect our health and put our state on a new course toward sustainable mitigation infrastructure that will incentivize other local governments across Colorado to create their own stable sources of mitigation funding. HB22-1011, Wildfire Mitigation Incentives For Local Governments, would create a grant program to provide state match funding to local governments that have long-term investments, or are considering long-term investments, to reduce the damage of wildfires before they occur.

The key to consistently lessening the severity of wildfires year after year is to invest in sustainable mitigation infrastructure. Trying to effectively mitigate priority areas through one-off allocations for individual projects amounts to a dangerous game of whack-a-mole, and this inadequate approach has led to tragic consequences for communities across Colorado. To protect counties from potentially severe wildfire damage, local experts need to mitigate all priority areas year after year, and they need consistent resources to adapt their strategies to the changing landscape that presents itself each wildfire season.

Extreme wildfires offer us a clear choice: invest in sustainable wildfire mitigation infrastructure today or pay exponentially more to clean up damaged communities and treat resulting health conditions in the future. The legislature has an easy decision to make. They need to pass HB22-1011 to incentivize local governments to fund long term mitigation strategies and put Colorado on a path towards a future where we protect communities and our health from wildfire damage before it occurs.

To read more about HB22-1011 from the House Sponsors of the bill, Representatives Lisa Cutter and Mark Snyder, check out their op-ed in Colorado Politics here .

Statewide Rules Needed to Protect Public Health From Air Toxics

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 22:12:13 GMT

The science is clear. Air toxics damage our health. So why doesn't Colorado do more to regulate the pollution in the first place?

As health care professionals, we don’t need to tell you about the clear and compelling science around air toxins and the damage they create to human health.

We understand this from the molecular level all the way to the community health level. At the cellular level, toxins breathed in cause inflammation across the body, not just at the lungs, where they enter. In the context of larger community health issues, years of epidemiologic research has pinpointed hospitalizations, poor health outcomes, increased risk of a variety of cancers and the compounding years of life lost. These impacts on every level are worse for some of our most vulnerable communities.

Not only do we understand the science, we also understand who the worst offenders in our state are. Here’s a snapshot from ProPublica. You can see the full, national map they developed.

Harsco Metals- Pueblo Colorado: Estimated excess lifetime cancer risk from industrial sources of about 1 in 4,900. During 5 years of analysis from 2014-2018, the excess risk at this location has ranged from as low as 1 in 1 million, to as high as 1 in 1,600. In 2018, the risk was 1 in 2,500.
Terumo BCT Sterilization Services, Inc., Wheat Ridge, Colorado: Estimated excess lifetime cancer risk from industrial sources of about 1 in 5,900, or 1.7 times the EPA’s acceptable risk. During 5 years of analysis from 2014-2018, the excess risk at this location has ranged from as low as 1 in 6,500, to as high as 1 in 5,300. In 2018, the risk was 1 in 6,500.
Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA Inc (Total Cray Valley): This location has an estimated excess lifetime cancer risk from industrial sources of about 1 in 34,000. During 5 years of analysis from 2014-2018, the excess risk at this location has ranged from as low as 1 in 77,000, to as high as 1 in 27,000. In 2018, the risk was 1 in 31,000.
Trapper Mining Inc, Hamilton, Colorado: This location has an estimated excess lifetime cancer risk from industrial sources of about 1 in 27,000. During 5 years of analysis from 2014-2018, the excess risk at this location has ranged from as low as 1 in 31,000, to as high as 1 in 24,000. In 2018, the risk was 1 in 24,000.

In recent years, Colorado has attempted to improve monitoring. Unfortunately, knowing what toxic chemicals polluters are releasing is only the first step toward stopping their release in the first place. In addition to improving monitoring, Colorado must modernize its approach to regulation. Traditionally, polluters were regulated one facility and one toxin at a time. This approach does little to understand the “chemical cocktail” that multiple polluters releasing multiple toxins might be dropping on communities. In fact, Colorado continues to create regulatory limits for individual facilities with no consideration of the health impacts of nearby communities at all.

That could change if lawmakers pass HB22-1244 , which would impose a more thorough permitting process that requires regulators to consider the cumulative impact on surrounding communities. It might seem like common sense. Now, in Colorado we need to make it law.

A Health Crisis - Colorado's Air Quality

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:47:45 GMT

We’ve got a problem, Colorado: our air is downright dirty.

You’ve seen and felt that over the last couple summer months. Gray skies, itchy and scratchy throats, difficulty breathing. A couple weeks ago Denver held the disreputable title of worst air quality in the world, beating out other hazy metropolises like Kabul, Delhi, and Beijing. Last week, we surpassed our 10 year high ozone action alert watermark - marking 53 days of excessive pollution this summer, with more than 2 weeks left to count.

How did we get here? Is this the new normal? Why is the air quality so bad? What does it mean for our health?

Air pollution can come from all different types of sources: burning of wood and fossil fuels, drifting wildfire smoke, out of the tailpipes of our cars and out of the chimney of our homes, from industrial plants and manufacturers. Pollutants can include heavy metals like lead, dangerous cancer-causing chemicals like benzene from industrial sources, nitrogen dioxide largely from our transportation sector, and many more.

But in Colorado, much of our air pollution is driven by ground-level ozone and particulate matter, two pollutants that we monitor rigidly for. Ground level ozone forms when chemicals like nitrogen oxide and organic compounds bake in the heat. You can’t see ground level ozone, but it definitely contributes to shortness of breath and exacerbation of existing breathing disorders. The biggest culprits are the oil and gas industry, which leak organic compounds at well sites, and transportation, particularly single occupancy vehicles, which spew nitrogen dioxide as we bumble to trailheads or out for groceries. Particulate matter, on the other hand, is the mixture of inhalable particles like dust, dirt, or smoke, that hang in the air and can make its way deep into your lungs, causing a host of negative health effects. In the summer, wildfires across the West drift into Colorado and mix with ozone, driving poor air quality days that choke our cities and inhibit our breathing. This is what clouds our view of the mountains and makes Denver look more like Los Angeles in Blade Runner.

The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for ozone pollution in ambient air. In 2008, the standard was 75 parts per billion (ppb) and in 2012 the standard was lowered to 70 ppb. The North Front Range metro area has been in nonattainment with those standards consecutively since 2012: going on 10 years. In 2020 we were downgraded from ‘moderate’ nonattainment to ‘serious’ nonattainment. Nonattainment brings along worse health, especially for vulnerable populations like kids, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory problems: aggravating lung diseases, increasing asthma attacks, inflaming airways, making lungs more prone to infection. Adding particulate matter from wildfires, which are becoming worse due to climate change, adds a cherry on top of a pollution sundae that nobody wants to eat. And those are just some of the physical health effects of our soupy air quality. Mental health issues like anxiety and depression can set in as well: sporting events being cancelled due to toxic air, the elderly needing to stay inside during summers due to worsening respiratory function, the malaise of hazy skies blocking our mountain vistas.

Can we fix this? Should we drive less when we can? Should we be more conscious of our day to day activities that pollute our air? Yes, yes, and of course. But the biggest issue we need to solve is not changing our personal habits, but putting pressure on our political leaders to step up to the scope of the moment and fight for climate action. Sure, eating less meat will help to a certain extent by reducing the footprint of factory farms. But enforcing strict emissions reductions immediately from the oil & gas industry will help more; and quicker. Yes, carpooling reduces nitrogen oxide emissions, but strong state rules that mandate more electric vehicles and reduce total vehicle miles traveled is better. Studies estimate that 30-40% of all ozone on a given day are produced by the oil & gas and transportation industries: it’s time to start playing nice with polluters and begin enforcing strong, and quickly implementable, rules that drastically reduce their reckless pollution.

We shouldn’t have to wait for our political leaders to decide when the right time for action is. Too moderate of an approach to curbing air pollution emissions is hollowing out the Colorado way of life. We shouldn’t need to live in a state in which we grab air quality reports before heading out to walk the dog. Colordans have the right to breathe clean, fresh Rocky Mountain air, not a hazardous cocktail of toxic air.

We’ve known for a long time that we have an environmental and climate crisis. We no longer can, or should, allow our political leaders to shift the burden of blame for the climate and air pollution crises onto the backs of regular people. If our air is going to get better, if the climate crisis is going to be addressed, every elected official needs to propose and support bold measures to protect Coloradans health starting immediately.

2021 Legislative Session Victories | Climate & Health

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 20:37:46 GMT

The 2021 Colorado Legislative Session has officially come to an end. This past session, we made significant progress on mitigating the worst health impacts of climate change.

From reducing greenhouse gases, to ensuring our communities have the resources to be resilient in the face of increasingly more severe and frequent climate-related disasters, climate progress was made. Read more about the bills HAWC supported, all of which have passed and are awaiting a signature by the Governor.

HB21-1208, Natural Disaster Mitigation Grant Program:

Today, half of Colorado’s nearly 6 million residents live in the wildland-urban interface where natural disasters are more likely to occur and cause more harm to human life and community health from wildfires, floods, drought, mudslides and tornadoes. Even with aggressive steps to address climate change, this increase in frequency and severity is expected to get worse in future years. HAWC supported HB-1208 which would provide more resources for cash-strapped local governments to adequately mitigate against the risk of natural disasters by creating The Hazard Mitigation Enterprise Fund. The fund would be paid for by assessing a fee on certain insurance policies that deal with natural disasters, like: fire, earthquakes, crop destruction, flooding, etc. The fee assessed on insurance companies for a typical homeowner’s policy would average just $2 per year but will provide an estimated $5.14 million in its first full year to local governments to implement resilience and natural disaster mitigation measures.

HB21-1266, Environmental Justice Disproportionately Impacted Communities:

Despite the health harms of climate change becoming increasingly urgent, Colorado is not slated to meet our greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions goals. In 2019, the state legislature passed HB19-1261 which set strong GHG reduction targets, but in order to meet those goals we need to pass additional legislation to keep us on track. Earlier in the session, HAWC supported SB21-200, which would have given the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) more regulatory authority to ensure we meet our emissions goals. But after a veto threat by Governor Jared Polis, we have worked with partners and legislative leaders to support a compromise bill, HB21-1266. This bill is a step in the right direction - it is the latest and final iteration of a bill aimed at centering communities that have unjustly faced pollution and the resulting health consequences. The bill also sets strong emissions reductions enforcement measures for the electric sector, oil & gas sector, and industrial sector. HAWC will continue fighting for stronger emissions reductions in the transportation sector and built environment sector in future legislative sessions.

HB21-1189, Regulating Air Toxins:

This bill will require that refineries who emit health threatening air toxins - hydrogen sulfide, benzene, and hydrogen cyanide - conduct real-time fence line monitoring and that the Colorado Department of Public Health conduct real-time community monitoring. Fenceline monitoring will ensure more accurate and up-to-date information on hazardous chemical emissions, as well as provide quicker responses to catastrophic emission-related events or facility failures. Community monitoring ensures that we are able to collect emissions data not only at fence lines of facilities, but at parks, schools, and homes so that we can better assess the health risks for the community. The collected data will be made publicly available in real-time to ensure accountability and transparency.

SB21-246, Electric Utility Promote Beneficial Electrification:

The air we breathe in our homes is as critical to our health as the air we breathe outside. Yet thousands of homes rely on burning fossil fuels -- in the form of natural gas or propane -- to heat water, warm rooms and cook food. Our standard appliances release nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide into our homes when we burn gas, causing a range of negative health effects, especially for children: increased rates of asthma, impaired brain function, and respiratory illness among others. Emissions from unvented or poorly vented gas cooking stoves affect air inside the home, while pollutants from furnaces and water heaters vented through flue pipes and chimneys add to the mix of outdoor air contaminants. Often our neighbors least able to afford alternatives for their homes are the hardest hit by the health impacts their poorly ventilated, outdated appliances cause. This legislation mandates that investor-owned utilities create Beneficial Electrification plans, submitted and approved by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), that will help homeowners transition to healthier electric-powered appliances through consumer incentives with an emphasis on ensuring accessibility to low income households.

Colorado Roadmap to curb greenhouse gas falls short on equity for communities most impacted by pollution

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 21:17:27 GMT

As Colorado works to put in place robust measures to curb greenhouse gas, the largest contributor to warming around the globe, it must not leave behind the communities most impacted by pollution through negative health impacts.

Colorado released its Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap in September 2020 with a promise to return with a framework for ensuring equity for communities disproportionately impacted by the worst health effects of climate change due to financial inequity, structural racism and health inequities that have caused underlying health conditions as well as economic factors such as job loss and transition caused by shifts away from extraction. The equity framework was released in February 2021. It lays out the plan for state departments to communicate, engage, and partner with affected individuals and communities. While this is an important piece of protecting these communities, it falls short of capturing more tangible ways communities can reduce the impact of polluters and begin to address the health disparities pollution causes in their neighborhoods and homes.

In May 2019, Governor Polis both signed into law the Colorado Action Plan to Reduce Pollution Act which set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and directed state agencies to develop a plan for how to meet these targets. The roadmap was designed to help the state meet its stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas by 50 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050, an aggressive but attainable goal if strong action is taken soon.

Some of the concrete steps taken in the draft equity framework include a data viewer model that will help the state prioritize disproportionately impacted communities, a new Climate Equity subcommittee that will oversee state strategies and rules that pertain to cutting emissions and a Climate and Equity data dashboard that will come online in 2021 to track equity and greenhouse gas emissions reduction progress. During the release of the roadmap, HAWC urged policymakers to return with a comprehensive equity framework.

“We know that many communities across the state are subjected to disproportionate exposures to pollution,” HAWC said in a statement on the release. “The roadmap must make that reality clear and then address that reality with clear policy to specifically aid those communities and hold their polluters responsible. We also know that the needed transitions away from increased oil and gas development will have real impacts on local economies and Colorado workers. The roadmap should also address policies that will help those working families and individual communities make the transition to new industries and new jobs.“

HAWC appreciates some of the concepts and ideas contained in the framework, but doesn’t think it provides enough tangible benefits for the communities that have long been subject to environmental racism that has eroded local economies and generationally worsened health of affected communities. In addition, HAWC believes the original public comment timeframe to hear back from frontline communities -- just three weeks -- is not adequate to allow constructive feedback on the draft, and directly conflicts with the recommendations from the Equity Framework itself.

HAWC joined a request with WildEarth Guardians calling on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to extend at least another month and applaud the department for granting that request to increase the feedback period to April 5. Please take a moment to urge CDPHE to include more tangible benefits and actionable steps to repair the harms of historial environmental racism in our frontline communities.

You can read the equity framework .
You can provide feedback to CDPHE on the equity framework.
You can read the full Green House Gas Reduction Roadmap .
You can read an executive summary of the roadmap .The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Greenhouse Gas Road Map is a good first step, but must be backed up with actionable plans and a greater focus on equity

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:46:15 GMT

After many months, Colorado’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap is finally a reality. The roadmap was designed to help the state meet its stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas by 50 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050, an aggressive but attainable goal if robust action is taken soon.

While the roadmap has many strengths, we must make more headway in a couple of key areas. First, we must urge more clear, enforceable policies be outlined and that those policies be tied to accountability for both monitoring and outcomes. And second, this roadmap should be rooted in a robust equity framework that addresses both the impacts of climate change across the state, but also considers the impacts of needed shifts in industry.

In May 2019, Governor Polis both signed into law the Colorado Action Plan to Reduce Pollution Act which put in place greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and directed state agencies to develop a plan for how to meet these targets. The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, released on Sept. 30, is the plan drafted by state agencies with input from across the state, to meet those targets. Specifically, the roadmap outlines a baseline emissions inventory, models effects of the 14 climate and energy bills adopted during the 2019 legislative session, projects a possible pathway to meeting state greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and identifies near-term action recommendations.

We can see from the report that transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas in our state followed closely by electricity generation, oil and gas production and buildings. We can also see from the report that while meeting our greenhouse gas reduction goals is achievable, it will require additional policy changes and state actions beyond those that have already been taken.

While the initial analysis and recommendations in the report represent good first steps toward the emission reductions we need, the roadmap lacks specific, robust policies that can be tied directly to accountability for both state agencies and the industries that are impacted. For example, it won’t be enough to note that Colorado needs dramatic reductions in methane emissions from oil and gas development. We must couple that with strong enforcement and accountability policies that ensure those reductions occur, and when they don’t, ensures actions are taken to put the state back on track.

In addition, the roadmap must be rooted in a strong equity framework for all Coloradans. We know that many communities across the state are subjected to disproportionate exposures to pollution. The roadmap must make that reality clear and then address that reality with clear policy to specifically aid those communities and hold their polluters responsible. We also know that the needed transitions away from increased oil and gas development will have real impacts on local economies and Colorado workers. The roadmap should also address policies that will help those working families and individual communities make the transition to new industries and new jobs.

Over the coming months, the public will have opportunities to weigh in on the elements of the plan, it’s strengths and its areas for improvement. Healthy Air and Water Colorado will continue to provide opportunities to engage in the conversation and provide feedback.

● You can read the full Green House Gas Reduction Roadmap .

● You can read an executive summary of the roadmap.

The need to think about clean indoor air

nick@boulderstrategiesllc.com (Nick Passanante) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 16:14:24 GMT

You don’t need to live in Colorado long to know that ozone is an issue. The Denver-Aurora and Fort Collins area is annually among the worst areas for ozone pollution nationally, according to the American Lung Association.

But many of us think of this as an outdoor issue created by fossil fuel burning vehicles and other industries. The reality is a little more complicated than this. In fact, the gas we use to heat our homes, dry our clothes, warm our bathwater and cook our food release tens of thousands of tons of air pollutants annually. These pollutants include nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, fine particulates and volatile organic compounds. For example, cooking on an unvented or poorly vented gas stove can create nitrogen dioxide levels that exceed those allowed outdoors.

We know this kind of exposure exacerbates asthma and decreases lung functioning for all people. Fine particulates can lead to heart attacks and strokes and carbon monoxide can ultimately impair brain function and be fatal. We know the impacts of poor indoor air are shouldered disproportionately by people experiencing poverty and communities of color. For children, particularly those living with asthma, the impacts can be devastating. A recent analysis of 41 different studies looking at the issue estimates that the increased risk of asthma for children living in a home with a gas cooking stove could be as high as 42 percent.

But this problem doesn't need to persist.

There are electric alternatives on the market for every home appliance. In addition, for those homes in which retrofitting electric appliances is either not possible or not feasible financially, many economical ways to improve ventilation or gas-powered appliances are available.

Local and state governments must begin moving toward mandates that require increased use of electric new homes as well as office buildings and other large facilities.

• Learn more about the issue.

• Watch a quick video on the topic.

• Take action.

Efforts to curb toxic chemical emissions and protect public health become law

nick@boulderstrategiesllc.com (Nick Passanante) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:39:30 GMT

Efforts to better monitor emissions and boost fines for violators will be implemented in Colorado

The science is clear on the devastating health impacts of air and water toxins to our health.

These hazardous chemicals – typically released by refineries, factories, coal plants and other industrial activities – can cause cancer, respiratory arrest, severe burns and pain, seizures, pulmonary edema, asthma complications and chronic lung disease. Yet Colorado’s monitoring and regulatory framework and the consequences for many of the state’s worst polluters are not adequate to curb these emissions, let alone end them.

With the support of Healthy Air and Water Colorado and environmental and racial justice organizations, lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis changes to current systems will allow better monitoring, stricter emissions limits, greater transparency of the emissions themselves as well as fines for violations that are more in line with federal standards.

The effort comes in the form of two bills, House Bill 20-1265 and House Bill 20-1143 . Combined, the two proposals would begin to put into the hands of state regulators meaningful tools to support their work in monitoring and curbing emissions.

House Bill 1265 : What’s included?

Better worker and community safety through the creation of a multilingual alert system for both the community and workers which will inform those closest to the facility about malfunctions, upsets and other emergencies that result in large releases of toxic air pollution
Greater transparency and accountability through, real-time, accessible reporting of the amount of toxic pollution that facilities release into the air as well as mandatory meetings between facilities, impacted communities, regulators and emergency responders to explain the situation and work to ensure no incident happens again

House Bill 1143 : What’s included?

An increase in daily maximum fines per violation from $10,000 (water quality violation) to $15,000 (air quality violation) to $54,833 per day, in line with federal maximum fines, to help curb toxic pollution.

New law focuses on improving air quality through better monitoring

nick@boulderstrategiesllc.com (Nick Passanante) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 19:54:07 GMT

State lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis agree that air quality is a critical issue in Colorado. That’s why they joined forces to support legislation calling out the issue and making progress, even during the difficult state budget times created by the coronavirus.

Senate Bill 204 is one of those new efforts to focus on improving air quality by focusing on improved monitoring of emitters across the state.

The bill creates an air quality enterprise that will conduct air quality modeling, monitoring, data assessment and research. In addition, it will identify emission mitigation projects that need to be carried out.

The enterprise will be overseen by a Board of Directors largely anticipated to be many of Colorado’s leading air quality scientists who can provide their expertise and guidance on all aspects of the work.

You can learn more about the legislation here.

COVID-19 and the crisis of protection for our health care workers

nick@boulderstrategiesllc.com (Nick Passanante) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:26:15 GMT

Leaders must act to protect front line health professionals

As news comes in from around the country of hospital workers being forced to fashion masks from unused office supplies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issuing directives on how to optimize the supply of facemasks - the crises deepens. All this is before before COVID-19 cases begin to spike across the country as they are already doing on the nation’s East Coast.

As health care professionals, hospitals and others brace for the worst impacts of the pandemic here in Colorado and across the county – we are faced with a shortage of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) for our front line health care workers. Health care professionals are finding a mixed bag of support as current aid packages being considered by Congress and at the state and local levels are not consistently including needed funding for PPE resupplies.

Even a planned shipment of 2 million surgical and N95 masks to Colorado in late March, is estimated to last only about one month. N95 respirators are tight fitting respirators that cover the nose and mouth and reduce the wearer’s exposure to airborne particles - from small particle aerosols to large droplets. Surgical masks, or facemasks, are loose-fitting and do no not effectively filter small particles from the air. With COVID-19, they can be used for patient source control, to prevent contamination of the surrounding area when a person coughs or sneezes. And the issue of shortages in hand sanitizer, gloves, eye shields, gowns and other needed equipment remain.

And at the time of this writing, President Trump has just begun to use the National Defense Act to develop needed resources, a part of which might be N95 masks . The order for N95 masks was made for the Strategic National Stockpile in early March but is unlikely to produce new masks before April, at the earliest.

The pattern is simultaneously predictable and unpredictable.

In the past two decades we have seen illnesses like SARS and Ebola, and now COVID-19, transmit from animals to humans. These could become more common as climate change forces wildlife and humans to live in closer proximity due to habitat destruction. New strains of airborne viruses jump vectors aided by rising global temperatures and an ever increasingly-connected world. Public health officials issue warnings and grapple with the unknown path of the disease, how infectious it will be and who is most at risk. World leaders struggle to come to terms with the decisions they must make. People panic and resist changes.

In our current pandemic, and in the ones likely to come, health care workers are on the front lines of the struggle and some of the most vulnerable members of our community when they do not have the tools they need to perform dangerous work.

We must act now to protect healthcare workers, patients and our communities. TAKE ACTION NOW!

New report shows glaring gap between Colorado’s climate pollution reduction goals and state policies aimed at curbing that pollution

nick@boulderstrategiesllc.com (Nick Passanante) — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 20:28:37 GMT

State policies to reduce climate pollution don't keep pace with climate change impacts

If Colorado hopes to meet its pollution reduction goals outlined by the state’s Climate Action Plan and clean air laws, then business as usual in current state policies won’t be enough according to a new study commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund and Western Resource Advocates.

The study found that Colorado’s pollution reduction goals of 26 percent reduction by 2025, 50 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050 were unattainable under current policies. In fact, with no change to current policy, Colorado will exceed its emission goals by 30 metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution in 2025 and 46 million metric tons in 2030, the study showed. You can see the full analysis .

The gaps highlighted by this study have real, demonstrable impacts on the health of Coloradans. For example, climate change has worsened wild fires across the state. A study of 2012 Colorado fires by the National Resources Defense Council and University of California San Francisco found that direct wildfire deaths and health impacts attributed to wildfire smoke included 1,432 emergency room visits and 174 deaths.

The new report digs more deeply into some sector specific trends. For example, many of Colorado’s electric utilities including Xcel and Tri State are set to achieve significant reductions in climate pollution based on their existing commitments, while emissions from other sectors such as the non-electric power sector as well as the oil and gas industry are largely expected to rise unabated.

Colorado’s Climate Action Plan, which is the source of the climate pollution reduction goals, was signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis in 2019. The premise of the bill was to bring Colorado into alignment with the scientific consensus of what will be required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The plan requires the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission to develop cost-effective regulations to meet the outlined goals and requires input on these regulations from all sectors including workers and communities who are economically dependent on industries that would be impacted by new regulations.

The Climate Action Plan was developed in acknowledgement that Coloradans are already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change and greenhouse gas pollution including higher rates of asthma and other health conditions as well as the environmental and health impacts of severe droughts, wildfires and floods.

Reducing methane emissions critical to improving all Coloradan’s health

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 17:51:43 GMT

State regulators will soon take up tightening emissions standards for the oil and gas infrastructure across the state, particularly methane, which is a major contributor to poor air quality and the health impacts ground level ozone can create.

The effort will kick off with statewide hearings by the Air Quality Control Commission slated to begin in mid-December. Challenges with Colorado’s air quality – particularly along the front range – have led to new air quality regulations, particularly those focusing on methane because methane is 25 percent more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

According to EPA’s data for 2011, over 3,300 tons of air pollution—benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde and other compounds as well as methane — entered the air in Colorado. More than 32,000 Colorado children per year will suffer asthma attacks due to ozone-related air quality issues , according to the Clean Air Taskforce.

Colorado is not a stranger to monitoring and regulating emissions, particularly from methane. In 2014, Colorado became the first state in the nation to require oil and gas producers to routinely check their equipment for leaks and fix leaks consistently. Colorado’s regulations were more stringent than those adopted by the EPA at the national level two years later. In 2017, methane accounted for 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions nationally.

The Reality of Wildfires and Our Health

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 17:15:50 GMT

Climate change is already producing more dangerous wildfires which threaten our livelihood and health.

Wildfires are terrifying. They move quickly and ferociously destroying everything in their path. Not only can wildfires be deadly, but they cause long lasting health damage. Climate change is triggering more severe events, such as drought, heat waves and bigger, more destructive wildfires.

The number of large-scale forest fires in the Western United States has increased five-fold since the 1970s and the total area burned by wildfires in the West has doubled from 1984 to 2015 . In Colorado, rising temperatures have shifted the timing of snowmelt to be 15-30 days earlier than it was just 40 years ago. This shift means less snowmelt during the summers, leaving forests water-starved and ripe for mass fires.

Wildfires can cause death, burns, smoke inhalation, traumatic injury and post-traumatic stress -they also cause less immediate health impacts. Smoke, dust and pollutants from wildfires are health hazards that can exacerbate asthma, respiratory illness and increase the risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma and COPD.

Children and older adults, and those with pre-existing respiratory, cardiovascular and other conditions are most at risk. Children in poverty are particularly at risk, as they are more likely to develop asthma in the first place and to be exposed to asthma triggers.

The time to act is to protect our health and safety is now. By addressing climate change with common sense solutions, we can mitigate extreme weather patterns and events, such as the record-breaking Colorado wildfires of 2018. Not only is climate change a public health and safety issue, but it’s a quality of life issue.

Take action: tell your legislators to protect our health and address the climate crisis now.

Why We're Engaging on Climate Change

Tue, 14 May 2019 20:10:39 GMT

Blogging is a great way to stay engaged with site visitors and keep your site content relevant and fresh. Here are 7 reasons to start blogging today.

I don’t have any human children yet, but I do have a fur baby, and nieces, and nephews whom I want to protect. And I don’t want to just protect them from the day-to-day dangers they may encounter, like passing cars or bullying (respectively), but also from the larger, sometimes harder to grasp threats: like the damage we are doing to our planet. I want them to enjoy the outdoors — running, camping, chasing squirrels — in air that isn’t actively harming them while they breathe it in. And, selfishly, I would like to live in a city in which I am never advised to stay indoors by the weather app on my cell phone because of “poor air quality.”

I do little things to do my part —I use reusable shopping bags, I try to walk or bike instead of driving, try to limit buying anything plastic, and my meat consumption. But it’s just not enough. It feels as if I’m throwing toothpicks at the Night King (that’s a Game of Thrones reference for the four of you who don’t watch the show). To make large-scale change, we all know we have to do more than make these gestures on an individual basis. We have to come together as a community to advocate for policy that puts the health and climate of our state first. And there is a crucial coalition of people who could help us mitigate the effects of climate change, but who are often left out of our efforts.

This is why I’m happy that Healthier Colorado has launched a new project: Healthy Air and Water Colorado. The intent of this campaign is to ensure that the health effects of climate change are at the forefront when discussing related policies, to elevate the voices of health professionals and their firsthand experience in the debate, and to expose the healthcare costs associated with our carbon-dependency. We want to galvanize our voters around the health effects caused by our changing climate, and give them the resources to advocate and persuade our elected officials to take action.

Health is often looked over in discussions surrounding climate change. And we want to fix that. Many Coloradans who are not ardent environmental activists at the moment do care about health policy, and have seen how the changing climate is negatively affecting our health. HAWC will put health officials at the forefront, prioritizing medical research and the voices of trusted health professionals. We are nonpartisan, and research-based. And at the end of the day, we are a health advocacy organization, first and foremost.

Climate change is a public health crisis and we must do everything we can to combat it. And it’s time that medical professionals, public health advocates, and consumers come together to work for a solution—for ourselves, and for future generations (both human and canine).

If you too are passionate about health, and see the effects climate change is already has on the health of our communities, share this story with the hashtag #ClimateChangeIsHealth