Melinda Kassen of Boulder Colo.-based nonprofit Trout Unlimited agreed, adding, “More than one lower court has determined that these limited definitions of “navigable waters” are required to apply the entire Clean Water Act, and it is often a difficult determination in the West.”
By Judith Curtis-MardonView from the Driver's Seat / Grand Junction Sentinel
"A rain barrel would be a great way to capture, and redirect, the water that the rains send along. I could also save on my water bill. But I can’t use a rain barrel in Colorado because it’s against the law to capture rain water that falls on your house." click to read more
By John OrrPOSTED June 17, 6:54 PM
On Sunday I read a rant about oil shale on a midwest blog (Sorry, I don't have the link). The author said that he was, "sick of the Left," blocking energy projects. He mentioned the estimated trillions of barrels of oil locked up in oil shale in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. As I read his post I quickly understood that he thought that oil shale technology was far enough along that the nation is being denied its benefits both for lower energy prices and independence from foreign oil.
In case there are other readers out there that are thinking along similar lines I feel compelled to let you know what I know about the current situation."
[Editor's note: If you think it's interesting that 650 gallons of water go into making a cotton shirt, that large reservoirs in warm climates can produce significant amounts of methane, that china is building a 62 billion dollar water project, or that Americans drink less beer than they do bottled water, you'll want to look into this series in Forbes Magazine. Be sure to note the insert to the left at the page that lists all of the articles in this series.] Virtual Water Fred Pearce 06.19.08, 6:00 PM ET
[The Salt Lake Tribune comes down in favor of conservation: ed]
"None of his election-year proposals - building new refineries, opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil rigs, drilling in long-restricted areas of America's coastline and bypassing a ban on leasing federal land for oil shale development - will save you a nickel any time soon, if ever...."
Colorado needs a middle way on resource development or the political pendulum will wreck our economy and environment. http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_9641091
"Why not build a water channel or pipeline from, say, Iowa all the way to Colorado?" http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/06/23/water-public-works-and-the-needs-of-a-great-nation/
[Something to ponder from the "I have no idea what I'm talking about but geez I'm brilliant" school of resource management. While you read this, think about the difference in wages in the U.S. vs. China]
Highlands Ranch - conserving water? - Read on.... ed
Contributed by: Daniel Smith/YourHub.com on 6/23/2008
[excerpt] "The district's water budget implemented in 2003 was the first in Colorado, and gives each customer a goal or budget based on indoor and outdoor water usage by lot size, green areas and other factors. Rates increase as usage goes over the budget increments, from $2.30 per thousand gallons to more than $7 for customers who are over 140 percent of their budget."
"....Didymo is one of a handful of bothersome, unwelcome species that could have a profound effect on our ecosystem if we’re not careful, says Brian Healy, a biologist with the U.S. Forest Service....."
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080620/NEWS/928144175/1078&ParentProfile=1062
This Monday morning, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on its proposed “rules” for oil and gas exploration. As part of its ongoing effort to stack the deck against conservationists and sportsmen, the industry is expected to try to pack the auditorium with people on their payrolls, many of whom will sign up to speak.
If the recent hearing in Grand Junction is any indicator, the O&G people will arrive well in advance of the scheduled start time and sign up so many of their people that on-time arrivers will be shut out.
We need you to be there – preferably by 7:00 AM - to sign up, then tell the oil and gas commission to stand up to industry pressure and protect our rivers and streams.
You might want to tell Commission staff that its decision to drop a proposed 300 foot buffer zone along rivers and streams was an unacceptable concession to industry and that it should be reinstated. (Their revised proposal recommends a drilling buffer only for Gold Medal and native cutthroat waters).
Wouldn’t you think that if you can snag an oil rig during your back cast that the rig is close enough to pollute the river with stormwater mud or secret-recipe fracking fluids like diesel fuel? Because that’s what could happen along the Eagle, the Arkansas, the Upper Colorado and a dozen other rivers.
So… show up. And show up early as 7am. This is where the line gets drawn in the sand – between the kind of responsible development we can support, or bull-in-a-china-shop exploitation.
Monday, June 23, 8am at the Paramount Theatre Denver – 1621 Glenarm between 16th and 17th Streets.
Click this link for parking info and directions: http://www.denverparamount.com/parking.aspx
Click this link to visit the Oil and Gas Rulemaking website: http://oil-gas.state.co.us/
