An eagerly awaited health study regarding the safety of fracking has been released. The study, conducted by consulting firm ICF International, found that oil a gas drilling caused health risks at distances greater than the currently established “setback” distance of 500 feet from single family homes and 11oo feet from high occupancy buildings. The study found that there were negative health effects from fracking ranging from 300 feet to 2000 feet. “Exposure to chemicals used in oil and gas development, such as benzene, may cause short-term negative health impacts…during ‘worst-case’... Read More

If you’ve spent any time in Boulder’s public spaces recently, the odds are that you’ve been asked to sign a petition. It’s understandable that on a stroll down Pearl Street, one might not want to interact with a stranger wielding a clipboard. What you might not realize is that you, as a registered Colorado voter, have the opportunity to directly influence your state’s legislation through the petition process. Colorado is one of 24 states to allow citizens to initiate a change through a public petition. While the process is understandably complicated, it offers the individual an enviable... Read More

One of the largest agricultural producing regions of the United States is under grave danger from water shortages.  According to Mercury News, “The Central Valley, home to the world’s largest swath of ultra-fertile Class 1 soil, is the backbone of California’s $36.9 billion a year, high-tech agricultural industry. Its 6.3 million acres of farmland produce more 350 crops, from fruits and vegetables to nuts and cotton, representing 25 percent of the food on the nation’s table”.  This modern day bread basket of the United States produces a quarter of the food that... Read More

The oil and gas industry in the United States is exponentially growing due to the use of a relatively new technology called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. In fact, the United States is on its way to becoming the number one exporter of oil in the world.  While fracking in the United States has allowed for increased oil and gas production, it is far from benefitting the United States in other important sectors. Fracking is done by injecting a mixture of dangerous chemicals, water and sand into shale deposits at high temperatures.  This mixture is then pulled back to the surface... Read More