Colorado ( (listen), other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is the eighth most extensive and 21st most populous U.S. state. The 2020 United States census enumerated the population of Colorado at 5,773,714, an increase of 14.80% since the 2010 census.
Colorado is bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, New Mexico to the south, Utah to the west, and touches Arizona to the southwest at the Four Corners. Colorado is noted for its vivid landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. Colorado is one of the Mountain States, and is a part of the western and southwestern United States.
Denver is the capital and most populous city in Colorado. Residents of the state are known as Coloradans, although the antiquated "Coloradoan" is occasionally used. Colorado is a comparatively wealthy state, ranking eighth in household income in 2016, and 11th in per capita income in 2010. It also ranks highly in the nation's standard of living index. Major parts of the economy include government and defense, mining, agriculture, tourism, and increasingly other kinds of manufacturing. With increasing temperatures and decreasing water availability, Colorado's agriculture, forestry, and tourism economies are expected to be heavily affected by climate change
Climate action[edit | edit source]
Denver, Colorado
The city of Denver has made recent strides to combat the threat of extreme wildfires and precipitation events. In the year 1996, a fire burned nearly 12,000 acres around Buffalo Creek, which serves as the main source of the city's water supply. Two months following this devastating wildfire, heavy thunderstorms caused flash floods in the burned area, having the effect of washing sediment into the city's reservoir. In fact, this event washed more sediment into the reservoir than had accumulated in the 13 years prior. Water treatment costs were estimated to be $20 million over the next decade following the event. Denver needed a plan to make sure that the city would not be devastated by future wildfire and flash flood events. DenverWater and the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region are working together to restore more than 40,000 acres of National Forests lands through processes like reforestation, erosion control, and the decommissioning of roads. Further, Denver has installed sensors in the reservoirs in order to monitor the quality of the water and quantity of debris or sediment. These accomplishments will have the effect of building a more resilient Denver, Colorado towards the impending increase of extreme weather events such as wildfire and flooding.
Ecological restoration[edit | edit source]
Open spaces[edit | edit source]
Colorado is home to four national parks, seven national monuments, two national recreation areas, two national historic sites, three national historic trails, one national scenic trail, 11 national forests, two national grasslands, 41 national wilderness areas, two national conservation areas, eight national wildlife refuges, 44 state parks, 307 state wildlife areas, and numerous other scenic, historic, and recreational areas.[1]
Community energy[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia: Solar power in Colorado, Wind power in Colorado
Cycling activism[edit | edit source]
Bike information form the City of Boulder - Community Cycles
Wikipedia:
- Bike paths in Colorado (category)
- Boulder, Cycling: Boulder, well known for its bicycle culture, boasts hundreds of miles of bicycle-pedestrian paths, lanes, and routes that interconnect to create a renowned network of bikeways usable year-round. Boulder has 74 bike and pedestrian underpasses that facilitate safer and uninterrupted travel throughout much of the city. The city offers a route-finding website that allows users to map personalized bike routes around the city. In May, 2011, B-cycle bike-sharing opened in Boulder with 100 red bikes and 12 stations.
Food activism[edit | edit source]
more video: "Growing Our Urban AgriCULTURE" Grow Local Colorado potluck, 2010
Boulder food rescue - Grow Local Colorado - LocalFoodShift.com
Sharing[edit | edit source]
Sustainable transport activism[edit | edit source]
GO Boulder - Wikipedia: Hiking trails in Colorado (category)
Resources[edit | edit source]
Networks and sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]
- Colorado Transition Network
- Sustainable Ways, volunteer community organization, Wet Mountain Valley, in the Southern Central Rockies of Colorado.
Citizens data initiative[edit | edit source]
Maps[edit | edit source]
Maps of Boulder's Transportation System
News and comment[edit | edit source]
- Data may be Colorado’s best bet to mitigate increasing wildfire risk on the Front Range, Climate Central (Jan 23, 2022)
2017
Community Reacts To Solar Farm: 'Hey, I'm Not Polluting', Sep 20[2]
Denver to Get its First Tiny House Village for the Homeless, Jul 6[3]
5 Ways the Denver Public Library Supports the City's Homeless Population, Jun 8[4]
2016
"Boulder Commits To Going 100 Percent Renewable" Sep 1[5]
Pedal-power and Precision Revolutionize Food Rescue in Boulder, Jul 26[6]
2015
Colorado Man Transforms Backyards into Micro Farms, October 12[7]
External links[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia: Colorado, Water in Colorado