Results

Result

Better buildings

Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center has found that the next major step we can take to significantly curb the amount of energy we use is right at our doorstep. Over 40 percent of our energy goes toward powering America’s buildings. According to our report, “Building Better,” we can cut that in half by 2050 if we take steps to require higher levels of energy efficiency from new buildings and ensure we are doing all we can to encourage retrofitting and weatherizing our existing ones.

Result

Cleaner water

In honor of the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we compiled an analysis of all major facilities that exceeded their Clean Water Act permits in 2005. After looking at the kinds of pollutants and the levels at which facilities were dumping, we found that many facilities in the country were violating pollution limits. This report is a critical tool to educate the public about the need to strengthen Clean Water Act protections.

Result

Healthier Coloradans

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal, and it is too often found in dangerous amounts in our fish. Eating too much fish from contaminated local sources puts everyone, especially children and pregnant women, at risk. Our summary of the health risks associated with mercury and the number of state and nation-wide advisories for lakes and rivers helped to motivate Colorado power plants to slash their mercury emissions by 90 percent over the next decade, and has helped to put us on track to start retiring coal plants in the Denver-metro region.

Result

More successful cities

By outlining what a high-quality transit system could do for a community, we educated Coloradans about the benefits of FasTracks, a plan to create a regional transit system in the Denver area.

Result

More than 20,000 Coloradans urge the EPA to protect our water.

College student Alex Adamczyk helped Environment Colorado's Research and Policy Center, in partnership with Trout Unlimited and Clean Water Action, deliver more than 20,000 comments to the EPA urging clean water protections.