U.S. heat eases slightly in September, but 2012 still the warmest year on record to-date

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Near-record heat prevailed across the West, with a small patch of cooler-than-average temperatures in the Midwest.

Heat wave shifts west, with much of the eastern U.S. reporting near average temps for the month

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — A brutal summer-long North American heat wave eased up last month, but the monthly temperature was still 1.4 degrees above the long-term average, making it the 23d warmest September on record, and the 16th month in a row with above-average readings in the contiguous 48 states.

The month also brought record and near-record dry conditions to the Northern Plains and Northwest, according to the National Climatic Data Center’s monthly update. Hot readings shifted west, with multiple states states from California through the interior West reporting September readings among the top-warmest on record, including Nevada (third-warmest) and Utah (ninth-warmest). (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: July calendar choice

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Superb sunsets

Buffalo Mountain silhouette against a fiery sunset.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — I was gone for a large part of July, but did catch a few good sunsets along the shores of Dillon Reservoir before the water receded too far. The monsoon moisture that started building early in the month helped color the sky with clouds, and in mid-summer, the light lingers late, so there’s no rush to shoot. In July, sunset photography becomes a leisurely post-dinner activity, the best time of the day to linger in a scenic spot. Vote in the poll for your favorite July picture, with the winner to be featured in the 2013 Summit Voice calendar.

(more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Dillon Reservoir, Morning photo, photography, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Link between global warming and wildfires becoming more clear

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

The Eagle Creek Fire in Montana burns late in the 2012 wildfire season. Photo courtesy Inciweb/Air Attack.

Report outlines surge in fires since 1970s, as spring and summer temps increase and the snow melts earlier

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Nearly all western states have seen a huge surge in wildfires during the past 10 years, as warmer temperatures and earlier snowmelt make old forests more susceptible to large-scale blazes, according to a report issued by Climate Central.

The report also cites changed land-use practices and insect infestations as additional factors, and decades-long intensive fire suppression has also resulted in more widespread areas of fire-prone forests.

But the preponderance of evidence suggests that global warming will increase the likelihood of large fires into the future, with fire seasons up to 75 days longer than just 40 years ago — about the time the greenhouse-gas heating cycle kicked into high gear. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, forests, global warming, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Health: Tackling the obesity epidemic

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Good, but not so healthy.

Mix of policy options needed to discourage junk food consumption and encourage healthy lifestyles

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — With obesity rates still on the rise in North America, governments are under pressure to take stronger regulatory steps to curb rising health-care costs for maladies such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

A recently published series of papers from the University of Alberta examines some of the options available for policy makers seeking to promote healthier eating, including zoning restrictions on fast food restaurants, mandatory menu labels, higher taxes on junk food or even incentive-based approaches for pursuing a healthier lifestyle.

“Since eating and physical activity behavior are complex and influenced by many factors, a single policy measure on its own is not going to be the magic bullet,” said Nola Ries, of the university’s Faculty of Law’s Health Law and Science Policy Group. “Measures at multiple levels — directed at the food and beverage industry, at individuals, at those who educate and those who restrict — must work together to be effective.” (more…)

Filed under: Food, Health | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

New auto fuel standards add up to savings at the pump

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

This chart depicts the tremendous combined daily oil savings as a result of final and anticipated fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for America’s cars, trucks and buses. These daily oil savings are comparable to the daily imports from the entire Persian Gulf in 2011 (99 percent of those imports come from Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia).

Along with reducing carbon emissions, consumers will cut fuel costs by $8,000 over the life of a new car

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — New fuel efficiency standards for U.S. autos set to be finalized this summer will help drivers save money at the pump and reduce American dependence on imported oil.

As the standards are phased in, they will raise the average fuel efficiency of the fleet to 54.5 miles per gallon when the targets are reaching 2025, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

The anticipated new standards will improve emissions protections and fuel economy performance for new cars and other passenger vehicles comparable to 54.5 mpg fleet-wide in the final years when the most protective standards are in place. (more…)

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Activists challenge USDA chief on climate-drought links

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Groups want top federal officials to be more upfront about global warming

Drought is devastating a wide swath of U.S. farmlands.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Environmental activists want top federal officials to directly address the possible connections between climate change and the current drought that’s crushing the life out of U.S. heartland, with potential implications for global food supplies.

Specifically, Forecast the Facts and FoodDemocracyNow! want Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to directly address the massive implications of manmade climate change for our entire farming sector. Scientists are clear that climate change is already leading to more extreme weather, such as longer and more severe droughts, according to Daniel Souweine, campaign director for Forecast the Facts. (more…)

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U.S, security chief quizzed on warrantless surveillance

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

A Cold War listening station near Berlin.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The so-called war on terror has resulted in a fundamental change in U.S. policies on interrogations and surveillance, with most civil rights advocates claiming that the government has gone too far in the name of security.

Those excesses include 2008 provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that enable the government to conduct warrantless surveillance and searches of communications like emails and phone calls.

Because the operations conducted by the government under those provisions is shrouded in secrecy, nobody really knows how many communications have been intercepted and read. (more…)

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Will History Repeat Itself? The Great Fire of 1910

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

The Great Fire of 1910 burned across 3 million acres and killed more than 80 people.

*This story is published under an article exchange with Pie Consulting & Engineering.

By Jon Schear

SUMMIT COUNTY — Harry Houdini was quoted as saying, “Fire has always been and seemingly, will always remain, the most terrible of elements.”

With the approach of a hot, windy summer here in Colorado, these words have never sounded more true.

In a recent interview with America’s News Radio Network, Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue deputy chief Jeff Berino alluded to the “perfect storm” conditions arising in the western region of the United States. According to Berino, who also works for Pie Consulting & Engineering as a wildfire investigator, today’s conditions are  reminiscent of the 3 million acre Big Burn of August, 1910; conditions could be ripe for another blaze of equal or greater intensity, he said.

Listen to the interview here.

Many factors contribute to the “perfect storm,” perhaps best understood as stages:

Stage 1: The Setup
A few specific things contribute to potential wildfire starts and typically involve the weather. A dry and hot climate is a major influence and is usually spurred on by early snowmelt and drought conditions (a consistent issue here in Colorado).

Without moisture in the air and soil, vegetation can dry out and die, which creates fuel for a wildfire to start. Adding to this are bark beetles, which can grow to epidemic rates in dry and hot weather, adding even more fuel in the form of dead trees. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, forest fires, US Forest Service, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Study: No proof that medical marijuana increases teen use

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Researchers say legalized medical marijuana does not lead to increased pot smoking among teens.

‘We are confident that marijuana use by teenagers does not increase when a state legalizes medical marijuana’

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — It may be counterintuitive, but an extensive study by researchers at three universities concludes there’s no link between the legalization of medical marijuana to increased use of the drug among high school students.

Statistics do show that teen marijuana use has been rising since 2005, but the study suggests that increase is due to other factors, not the recent growth of the medical marijuana industry.

“There is anecdotal evidence that medical marijuana is finding its way into the hands of teenagers, but there’s no statistical evidence that legalization increases the probability of use,” said Daniel I. Rees, a professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver. (more…)

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Energy: Udall battling for wind power tax credit renewal

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Expiration of a tax credit for wind power could cost thousands of jobs.

Ideology a stumbling block as Congress grapples with renewable energy issues

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — America’s surge toward renewable energy could hit a stumbling block with the expiration of the production tax credit at the end of this year, but Colorado Sen. Mark Udall is going to do his best to not let that happen.

Udall announced today that he’ll start each Senate session with a floor speech  urging his colleagues to review and renew the tax credit, which has brought thousands of jobs to Colorado and the country and helped grow the nation’s clean energy industry.

“It is one thing for Congress to take the time to consider a new proposal and have an open, honest debate, but the production tax credit is widely supported, will create jobs and has already helped our economy grow,” Udall said.  (more…)

Filed under: business, Colorado, economy, energy, Environment, renewable energy | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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