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Sam Brasch

@sambrasch.bsky.social
5.6K followers 1.1K following 68 posts

Climate and environment reporter for Colorado Public Radio in Denver, CO.

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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
The #AspenAcresFire, still burning quite actively along southern Colorado Front Range & having destroyed ~200 structures thus far, has become an exceptionally complex & challenging event from a firefighting perspective due to a confluence of climate, weather, & geography. [Thread]
Screenshot of current Aspen Acres Fire and active satellite-detected hotspots from Watch Duty.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Bleh. With all the wildfire smoke in Colorado, definitely a day to exercise indoors.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Not much of a surprise, but Yglesias has a soft spot for Manny Rutinel, a former EarthJustice lawyer who supported a fracking ban at the start of his campaign before shifting in favor of "all of the above" energy.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Andy Kenney @andyknny.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
"Killing massive data centers might cut off the hypercharged growth of AI — that would be fine with me," Councilmemer Sarah Parady said. denverite.com/2026/05/18/d...
denverite.com
Data center moratorium gets unanimous approval in Denver, but that’s just the beginning
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
I'm seeing lots of speculation here that Polis wants a Senate seat. A better guess, IMO, is he goes back to his roots: financing ballot measures to shape state policy outcomes. This is a highly effective strategy and Polis helped perfect it as a sitting Congressperson.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Colorado just became the third state to legalize balcony solar. Virginia will probably be next: www.cpr.org/2026/05/07/c... via @sambrasch.bsky.social
cpr.org
Colorado approves balcony solar, but approved units aren’t widely available yet
Gov. Polis signed a bill into law on Thursday making Colorado the third state to clear a path for plug-in solar kits.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Chris Bianchi @bianchiweather.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
March 2026 would’ve ranked as Colorado’s 10th-hottest *April* on record.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Climate scientists have tried for decades to communicate the insanity of nuclear war: there's no winning, even if a conflict somehow doesn't escalate. A limited exchange would still trigger mass starvation worldwide. www.cpr.org/2020/01/09/a...
cpr.org
A Colorado Professor Is Warning The World Of Nuclear Winter — Again
Nearly 40 years ago, professor Brian Toon taught the world to fear the climatic aftermath of nuclear war. He’s not done yet.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Colorado Climate Center @climate.colostate.edu · 02/04/2026
Mountain snowpack in Colorado should be peaking around now. This year, it's almost gone. New blog post that shows how it is now clear that this is the worst snowpack year on record for Colorado, following the record-shattering March warmth. 1/
climate.colostate.edu
Mountain snowpack should be peaking around now. This year, it's almost gone - Colorado Climate Blog
We’ve reached April 1, which is a key date in assessing where things stand with snow in the mountains, which then informs the likely water supply in streams and rivers later in the spring and summer. ...
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Covering Climate Now @coveringclimatenow.org · 19/03/2026
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is suing the Trump administration, alleging that the administration targeted NCAR, the Colorado-based climate center, in a “campaign of retribution” against the state. By @sambrasch.bsky.social for @coloradopublic.bsky.social:
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Lawsuit: Dismantling NCAR is part of President Trump’s 'campaign of retribution' against Colorado
The complaint comes from the consortium of universities managing the 66-year-old research center headquartered in Boulder.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Ryan (Ry) Warner @ryanhasaquestion.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
“The nonprofit overseeing the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) sued the Trump administration on Monday, alleging the federally funded science hub could become ‘collateral damage’ in a sustained attempt to punish Colorado.” @sambrasch.bsky.social reports
cpr.org
Lawsuit: Dismantling NCAR is part of President Trump’s 'campaign of retribution' against Colorado
The complaint comes from the consortium of universities managing the 66-year-old research center headquartered in Boulder.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Chris Bianchi @bianchiweather.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Can't overlook or overstate how ridiculous next week's heat looks. Denver may hit 80+ for 4 straight days. And a chance to hit 90. In March. Denver's earliest 90°+: April 30. If we get there next week (possible)...it'd be 6 weeks earlier than the current record. Unreal. #COwx
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
The data center drama continues in Denver. You might have heard the city is poised to enact a moratorium on the facilities. But residents want construction halted on a facility next door to a park and an affordable housing complex. denverite.com/2026/02/25/d...
denverite.com
A data center developer ditched a meeting over ‘safety concerns.’ Hundreds of neighbors showed up anyway
The development of a data center in north Denver met dramatic backlash on Tuesday night, with hundreds of residents packing a meeting in Elyria-Swansea to
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Denverite @denverite.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Emergency radio communications indicate first responders are on the scene and responding to the fire.
cpr.org
Fire near I-25 and US 36 prompts evacuations of high school, nearby businesses
Traffic cameras show black smoke billowing across the highways, recalling earlier images from the 2022 Marshall fire.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Stephanie Wolf @stephrwolf.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Y'all, OG Purplish host @sambrasch.bsky.social returns to Purplish this week to dig into data centers and the competing visions for them at the State Capitol this session. He's joined by @taydolven.bsky.social of @coloradosun.com and KUNC's @lucasbradywoods.bsky.social 🎧 www.cpr.org/podcast-epis...
cpr.org
Will Colorado give data centers a warm embrace, or a cool reception? | Colorado Public Radio
As community resistance to data centers grows, Colorado legislators weigh competing visions on the issue.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
It's mind-boggling until you remember Polis' family built their fortune in e-greeting cards.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
NEW: There's been another round of layoffs at the lab formerly known as NREL. Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers. www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
cpr.org
National Lab of the Rockies, formerly NREL, lays off more than 130 employees
The cuts impacted staffers engaged in both research and operations at the lab.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Don Lemon @donlemonofficial.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Don was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
You work in a newsroom long enough and your heart hardens a little bit, even if you don't want it to. Pieces like this break it back open. www.theverge.com/policy/86856...
theverge.com
I grew up with Alex Pretti
The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by federal agents was my childhood best friend.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
The NSF just released a "dear colleague" asking for ideas to inform its plans to restructure the National Center for Atmospheric Research. This includes proposals to repurpose NCAR's Mesa Lab, an architectural icon below the Boulder Flatirons, for "private use."
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Caitlyn Kim @caitlynkim.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Colorado lawmakers brace for their biggest battle yet over AI data centers www.cpr.org/2026/01/20/c... via @sambrasch.bsky.social #copolitics
cpr.org
Colorado lawmakers brace for their biggest battle yet over AI data centers
The data center boom is coming for Colorado. Lawmakers are set to decide whether to incentivize it or guard against the potential impacts.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
The Denver Post @denverpost.com · 15/01/2026
Breaking: President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act allowing him to deploy troops as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement persist in Minneapolis.
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Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to ‘put an end’ to protests in Minneapolis
Trump made the threat after a federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Ryan (Ry) Warner @ryanhasaquestion.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Gov. Polis on Venezuela:
Today is a moment to celebrate the ouster of the brutal socialist dictator of Venezuela, who has cruelly impoverished this once-prosperous country that sits on greater oil wealth than Saudi Arabia.  I join our fellow Coloradans who have suffered so severely from this thug in calling for a democratic Venezuela where freedom and opportunity can again flourish. This is a time of great uncertainty, promise, and peril across dangerous political terrain as the regime’s Vice President and Minister of Interior seek to retain power with violence and repression. In July 2024, the people of Venezuela overwhelmingly elected as their president Unity Democratic Platform candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who succeeded the party’s candidate María Corina Machado after she was unlawfully disqualified from running.  Now is the time for President-elect González to receive the support he deserves from the U.S. in cooperation with the international community and the people of Venezuela to assume his rightful place and powers as president. Venezuelans deserve to determine their own future and select their own government. Today, I stand with the Venezuelan people in Colorado and in Venezuela.

Following the President’s remarks today and the actions taken by the United States overnight, it is not at all clear what the plan actually is, or even who is in charge. I am further troubled by the lack of Congressional oversight and engagement up to this point. It is crucial that the United States present a clear plan for what a transition to genuine democracy and self-rule entails, and involve Congress in planning next steps to help ensure stability and freedom for the long oppressed people of Venezuela. We cannot have a failed foreign policy misadventure; the Venezuelan people and region deserve better.

We respect everyone’s right to peaceful demonstration including celebrating the fall of Maduro and ask all to do so without violence.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Many other reporters are ahead of me of this story, but some critical local context: Rep @joeneguse.bsky.social thinks dismantling NCAR is partially motivated "by a desire to retaliate against CO" for refusing to release former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. www.cpr.org/2025/12/17/t...
cpr.org
The White House promises to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research
Congressman Joe Neguse claims the move is retaliation for Colorado's refusal to release former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Caitlyn Kim @caitlynkim.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
The White House promises to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research www.cpr.org/2025/12/17/t... via @sambrasch.bsky.social #copolitics
cpr.org
The White House promises to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research
Congressman Joe Neguse claims the move is retaliation for Colorado's refusal to release former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
NCAR once represented a commitment to make U S. the world's leader in atmospheric science. Now the White House has announced plans to disband it — hours before it will likely lose power to prevent wildfires on another extremely dry, hot, windy day around Boulder.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
After Colorado started reintroducing moose in 1978, the species is thriving statewide. Ecologist also suspect the ungainly ungulates are behind a collapse of willow habitats in Rocky Mountain National Park. www.cpr.org/2025/12/08/c...
cpr.org
Have Colorado’s moose restoration efforts been too successful?
Around 3,500 moose now wander Colorado. The hungry herbivores are also threatening a once-wetland-rich valley in Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Caitlyn Kim @caitlynkim.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Trump administration renames Colorado’s National Renewable Energy Lab: the National Lab of the Rockies www.cpr.org/2025/12/01/n... via @sambrasch.bsky.social #copolitics
cpr.org
Trump administration renames Colorado’s National Renewable Energy Lab: the National Lab of the Rockies
U.S. Department of Energy officials say name change reflects an “expanded mission” for the research hub under President Trump.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Andy Kenney @andyknny.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Faith Winter is why Colorado has a paid family leave program. My enduring memory: breaking the news to her that the AP had called it and the measure had passed, five years ago this month. She was killed in a car crash today. I wish her loved ones solace and comfort. coloradosun.com/2025/11/26/f...
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Andy Kenney @andyknny.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Surveillance in action: "You know we have cameras in that jurisdiction and you can’t get a breath of fresh air, in or out of that place, without us knowing, correct?” denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
denverite.com
Police used Flock cameras to accuse a Denver woman of package theft. She had her own evidence
"Like I said, nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing."
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Andy Kenney @andyknny.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
(1/x) This Denver woman found a police officer from a neighboring town on her doorstop. He was there b/c someone had stolen a $25 package, and Flock cameras put her in the vicinity. He was convinced she was guilty. But the evidence points to her innocence. denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
denverite.com
Police used Flock cameras to accuse a Denver woman of package theft. She had her own evidence
"Like I said, nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing."
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Stephanie Wolf @stephrwolf.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
“A motive has not been determined, though queer-owned businesses say they are on edge and are well aware of the pattern.” denverite.com/2025/10/27/d...
denverite.com
Windows smashed at multiple Denver LGBTQ businesses
Queer-owned businesses say they are on edge and are well aware of the pattern.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
The AI boom isn't just a massive drain on water and electricity. In north Denver, local residents worry future data center could be the area's latest air pollution source. My latest: www.cpr.org/2025/10/14/a...
cpr.org
Does the AI boom threaten local air quality? A north Denver neighborhood is about to find out
A new data center campus is currently under construction in Elyria-Swansea — a neighborhood already struggling with pollution from major highways and Colorado’s only oil and gas refinery.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Julia Simon @juliaradio.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
This story was inspired by a conversation with a fossil fuel exec in Paris a few days after the big outage in Spain. He blamed too much renewable energy as the cause. Was that really it? Turns out: No. @npr.org takes you through a new report on what happened + impacts of renewable misinformation.
npr.org
After Spain's blackout, critics blamed renewable energy. It's part of a bigger attack
When millions lost power in Spain and Portugal this spring, some were quick to blame too much solar and wind power. That wasn't the cause, but the misinformation had an impact.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Aspiration Inc. is at the center of the alleged $28M no-show gig for LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. Back in 2021, years before Aspiration went bankrupt, @propublica.org revealed how the company appeared to inflate claims about the many millions of trees it had planted.
propublica.org
The Celebrity-Backed Green “Fintech” Company That Isn’t as Green as It Seems
Aspiration is among a group of companies that provide banking and financial services, and promise to help the environment. But so far its marketing is greener than its reality.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Colorado red-hot EV market is burning bright before it fades away. Here's my report from hanging out at dealerships before federal EV tax credits expire at the end of the month. CO's generous incentives are also on steep, downward trajectory. www.cpr.org/2025/09/03/s...
cpr.org
In EV-crazed Colorado, drivers rush to dealerships before tax credits disappear
The federal EV tax credit is set to expire on Sept. 30, luring a surge of customers to dealerships in Colorado and across the country.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
This isn't happening because public media is irrelevant in the digital age. It's happening because PBS and NPR offer free news and educational programming--and keep finding ways to do it despite a shifting media landscape. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/b...
nytimes.com
Conservatives Get the PBS and NPR Cuts They’ve Wanted for Decades
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Caitlyn Kim @caitlynkim.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Trump’s EPA moves to reject key portions of a Colorado plan to close coal-fired power plants www.cpr.org/2025/07/16/e... via @sambrasch.bsky.social #copolitics
cpr.org
Trump’s EPA moves to reject key portions of a Colorado plan to close coal-fired power plants
The proposed rejection doesn’t stop Colorado from enforcing the plan, but it signals the federal government no longer supports the state’s approach to combat air quality and climate change.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Ryan (Ry) Warner @ryanhasaquestion.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Current and former federal workers, we want to hear from you! Have you been let go? Did you take an offer? Are you left with fewer colleagues and more responsibility? Fill out our survey. We won't publish w/o your permission. You can also be anonymous:
cpr.org
Have you been impacted by recent federal layoffs? We want to hear from you
Budget cuts to federal agencies from the Trump administration has resulted in a reduced workforce and an end to research and other projects. CPR News wants to hear from those impacted.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Absolutely terrifying! www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/int...
washingtonpost.com
Opinion | Why we should worry about nuclear weapons again
Deadlier weapons, more nations, autocrats in charge, disinformation and collapsing arms control — the risk of nuclear catastrophe is back.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Because tense city council meetings are somehow a new thing in...Boulder? This whole NYT article trying to connect the dots between the horrible tragedy on Sunday and local Boulder politics is really reaching.
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Shannon Osaka @shannonosaka.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
An underappreciated aspect of the new WMO report -- if the temperature predictions are correct, the world will pass 1.5C in as a long-term average (i.e., the _actual_ Paris goal) in 2027. In just two years. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
washingtonpost.com
Earth could cross a key climate threshold in two years. Here’s why it matters.
A new World Meteorological Organization report spells the end of the world’s most famous climate goal.
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Seth Klamann @sethklamann.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
A really horrifying @samtabachnik.bsky.social story about the death of a 7-year-old adopted son of a Granby police officer and a pledge by some in power to ensure the case was tossed aside. www.denverpost.com/2025/05/15/i...
denverpost.com
A Colorado boy likely died from drinking too much olive brine. Grand County tried to make the suspicious case disappear.
Isaiah Stark died from ingesting too much sodium, the coroner found, likely due to drinking olive brine.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
If anyone in Colorado has experienced something similar, please let me know.
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Miriam Wasser @miriamwasser.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
One day in March, people claiming to be FBI agents knocked on the doors of 6 local climate activists. No one knows why they came, or if they were real agents, but many worry it's an intimidation tactic. Great story from @moranwriter.bsky.social www.wbur.org/news/2025/05...
wbur.org
Boston-area climate activists report visits from the FBI
Local climate activists are on edge after people claiming to be FBI agents visited at least six at their homes on the same day in Greater Boston in March. Weeks later, the motivations behind these vis...
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Reposted by Sam Brasch
Jeff Brady @jeffbradynews.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Don’t call it ‘climate denial,’ Secretary of Energy Chris Wright claims he’s preaching ‘climate realism’ -- nice reporting here from @cprnews.bsky.social's @sambrasch.bsky.social www.cpr.org/2025/05/05/c...
cpr.org
Don’t call it ‘climate denial,’ Secretary of Energy Chris Wright claims he’s preaching ‘climate realism’
As a Denver-based fracking executive, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright honed a message on global warming: yes, it’s real, but it’s a manageable side effect of modern life.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Another story from Hotspots, our on-going series about communities leading Colorado's geothermal energy boom. This one really brings it home. Across the state, more homeowners and homebuilders are turning to ground-source heat pumps for heating and cooling. www.cpr.org/2025/04/24/c...
cpr.org
How to mine your backyard for underground heat — and why it might get cheaper in Colorado
Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source heat pumps, take advantage of the Earth’s constant temperature to heat and cool homes.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
It's fascinating how Sec. of Energy Chris Wright uses Denver's success in dealing with its "brown cloud" as a national example. What he leaves out: the metro area has seen big PM improvements, but its ozone issue has gotten worse due, in part, to oil and gas. www.foxnews.com/video/637176...
foxnews.com
Energy Secretary Chris Wright issues 2025 Earth Day message | Fox News Video
Secretary Chris Wright offered his 2025 Earth Day message, which was exclusively obtained first by Fox News Digital.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Behold the power of dirt cheap leases and probably some political misgivings about Tesla. Nissan is now the #1 EV brand in CO.
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Sam Brasch @sambrasch.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Curious if Sen. Michael Bennet's support of Energy Sec. Chris Wright will shape the D primary for CO Gov Wright has repeatedly tried to reframe climate change as a good thing. Before voting to confirm him, Bennet praised his "deep expertise in energy innovation." www.axios.com/local/denver...
axios.com
Colorado's U.S. senators break with environmentalists to support Trump's energy pick
U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are breaking rank to back the Denver-based fracking executive.
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