Dear Eartha, I came across a recent headline that said Lake Mead is experiencing a historic water shortage – what’s going on!? There’s no question about it – the West is dry. Locally, we’re experiencing changes like hotter weather, shrinking snowpack, and increased fire danger. And now, miles away, the situation in Lake Mead, the […]
Dear Eartha, I recently bought compost from SCRAP for my flower beds. Is it safe to put in my herb garden, too? What’s the environmental benefit of using this instead of commercially bought compost? Double kudos to you – first for giving your flowers an added boost, and second for going local. The High Country Compost […]
Dear Eartha, My neighbor keeps a bucket at the bottom of their tub while they shower to collect water that they use in their garden. Does that really make a big difference? You hear a lot about recycling from High Country Conservation Center. Summit County recycles aluminum cans, glass bottles, mattresses, and the list goes […]
Dear Eartha, I often see people at the grocery store purchasing two or three cases of bottled water. Don’t we have good drinking water here in the county? What’s with all the unnecessary plastic? In 2016, sales of bottled water surpassed soft drink sales in the United States. That year, the world was awakened to the […]
Dear Eartha, I often see people at the grocery store purchasing two or three cases of bottled water. Don’t we have good drinking water here in the county? What’s with all the unnecessary plastic? In 2016, sales of bottled water surpassed soft drink sales in the United States. That year, the world was awakened to the […]
Dear Eartha, It was a rough start to ski season. Now that conditions are finally improving, does that mean we’re all caught up from the dry start to winter? I’m thrilled to finally ski my favorite high-mountain terrain, runs that opened later than usual. While mountain conditions are improving, the fact of the matter is that […]
Dear Eartha, I thought the EPA was supposed to protect the environment, but this year there’s been a lot of talk about rolling back environmental regulations. What gives? Climate change is knocking on our global doorstep. This summer, smoke from four major wildfires blanketed Summit County, one of which became the largest wildfire in Colorado’s […]
Dear Eartha, my friends just remodeled their bathroom and upgraded to a low-flow toilet. Does that really have an impact? On average in the United States, water from the tap, toilet, dishwasher, and other appliances adds up to about 138 gallons per household per day. That’s roughly 60 gallons per person per day, and it’s […]
Dear Eartha, my neighbors are already watering their lawns. I don’t want to waste water, but I don’t want to grow a field of rocks and weeds either. Do you have advice? As lawns come back to life, local water use slowly creeps up then explodes in the summertime. The worst part? The Environmental Protection […]
Dear Eartha, I heard about the new rollback on water protection in the U.S. Can you help me understand what this means and if there’s anything we can do about it? Last Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans for a new definition of “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS. The plan is known […]
Dear Eartha, I know that climate change will impact ski seasons, but I’m a kayaker, too. How will climate change affect our local rivers? -Tom, Frisco As summer draws to a close and we start packing our aquatic toys for the season, it’s an excellent time to reflect on how important our waterways are. Whether […]
