I’ve never let on to be all that smart. I was a poor performer in school and I never accumulated enough merit badges to go beyond the rank of First Class in the Boy Scouts. I’m cool with that because I never put much stock in intelligence quotients. Unless you have some kind of disability, […]
Sustainability
Posted inEnvironment
Permaculture pioneer Jerome Osentowski receives lifetime achievement award
Jerome Osentowski, known for his pioneer-level work in the permaculture world, recently accepted a lifetime achievement award at this past Dandelion Day celebration for his impacts in the Valley and beyond through his education efforts with students and community members from all over as founder of the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI), located on […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Dandelion Day beckons
Dandelion Day is very nearly upon us. This Carbondale festival, now in its 27th year, is a celebration of sustainability and responsible Earth stewardship. It began in 1998 in concert with efforts to ban the use of herbicides in public parks, safeguarding the health of people, pets, pollinators and entire ecosystems. The dandelion became Carbondale’s […]
Posted inOpinion
CVEPA Views: A smell conspicuous in its absence
This latest cold snap was reminiscent of years gone-by. This is cold that pinches your nose and robs your breath as the snow crunches beneath your feet. It was common fare in Carbondale. With the cold came an odor so ubiquitous, if not pervasive, that it was part of our everyday life. The pungent smell […]
Posted inEnvironment
Carbondale-based Flora Materials developing algae-based sustainable building materials
Natalie York fell in love with the Colorado Rockies when she moved to Denver in 2013. She had just finished a degree in architecture in Southern California, and was delighted by the interface she saw between work and lifestyle in the mountains. In 2019, York moved into the Roaring Fork Valley to work on the […]
Posted inBusiness
Small keys, big impact: Carbondale entrepreneur seeks to make hotel industry more sustainable
Sustainable living practices have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, especially among those who travel. From the banning of single-use plastic straws and water bottles to 10-cent grocery bags (20 in Carbondale), Americans are becoming increasingly aware of their carbon footprint, raising societal interest and often financial incentives for folks to go green. […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Aspen approves Sustainability Action Plan
On February 24, the City of Aspen announced that the City Council had approved the Aspen Sustainability Action Plan (ASAP), replacing the previous Climate Action Plan and setting new goals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the next five to seven years. Aspen’s previous initiative for sustainability, penned in 2017, set the primary goals of […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Carbondale Report: Gradually getting greener
As snow gently spiraled from the sky on Tuesday, Oct. 25, Carbondale’s Board of Town Trustees cozied up with a full agenda and all trustees present. After approving a straight-forward consent agenda, the board heard from Debbie Wilde representing a regional partnership to establish a withdrawal management program (aka, detox facility) in Garfield County. Funded […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
“Be the Change,” proclaims CMC conference
“Be the Change” was the theme for this year’s sustainability conference hosted by Colorado Mountain College (CMC), which blended a student-led ecological learning opportunity and a celebration of Earth Day, on April 22. The hybrid event included a sustainability update from the school’s president, Dr. Carrie Hauser, a keynote address, student presentations and an afternoon […]