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The legal marijuana industry in the US creates significant electricity demand due to high-intensity lighting and climate control, with Colorado's industry consuming 300 GWh in 2015. To mitigate the impact on carbon goals and grid stability, the document recommends that utilities support LED adoption through rebates and on-bill financing to overcome capital limitations. It further suggests using time-varying rates to shift lighting schedules to periods of low net load—such as midday in California for solar or nighttime in Colorado for wind—to avoid peak demand and reduce reliance on fossil fuel generation.

The Transformation to Zero Summit, convened by RMI, NBI, and Architecture 2030, identified key strategies to transition the building sector to zero carbon by 2050. The group prioritized generating demand across specific real estate sectors, driving national models for reach codes and standards, and addressing embodied carbon and workforce training. The organizers plan to conduct a gap analysis of their respective activities to operationalize these goals and develop a comprehensive aligned strategy.

The policy brief examines the mismatch between the 'top-down' institutional architecture of the UNFCCC and the critical role subnational governments play in implementing climate mitigation and adaptation. It highlights how rapid global urbanisation increases the importance of cities, yet these entities often lack the legal mandate, finance, and direct access to international negotiating tables. The author discusses the role of transnational actors like ICLEI and C40 in bridging this gap and recommends moving toward a 'co-production' model of governance between national and subnational levels.

The report finds that millions of Latinos in the US are disproportionately exposed to toxic air pollutants and ozone from oil and gas infrastructure, leading to significant health burdens. It highlights that 1.81 million Latinos live within a half-mile of such facilities and 1.78 million live in counties where cancer risks exceed EPA concern levels. The document argues that poverty and lack of health insurance exacerbate these risks, and calls for the EPA to regulate existing facilities, not just new ones, to protect public health and address climate change.

The report finds that millions of Latinos are exposed to toxic air pollutants and ozone smog from oil and gas facilities, leading to elevated cancer risks and childhood asthma attacks. These health threats are exacerbated by higher poverty rates and lower health insurance coverage within Latino populations. The authors argue for comprehensive EPA regulations covering both new and existing oil and gas infrastructure to reduce methane and toxic emissions.

The report evaluates the energy impact of Hunter Douglas insulating honeycomb shades using whole-building simulations in nine U.S. cities. It finds that these shades can significantly reduce heating and cooling energy consumption, particularly in existing homes, while improving operative temperatures and reducing peak electrical demand. The study emphasizes that savings are highly dependent on the operation schedule and window orientation, with west-facing windows being critical for peak demand reduction in summer.

The document outlines the transition to Mobility as a Service (MaaS), where on-demand, multimodal transportation replaces the dominance of personally owned vehicles. It identifies interoperable transit data (ITD) as the critical infrastructure needed to enable seamless trip planning and payment. The report details barriers to this transition—including regulatory gaps, payment fragmentation, and inconsistent data standards—and proposes solutions such as public-private partnerships, the development of integrated payment portals, and the implementation of 'commuting as a service' pilot projects.

A statement by Earthjustice emphasizing the intersection of Hispanic heritage and environmental justice, citing a survey that shows strong Latino support for environmental protection despite facing disproportionate pollution and health risks.

The document examines the potential for mid-level ethanol blends (E25 to E40) to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. transportation sector. It highlights that a significant portion of the existing vehicle fleet and fuel infrastructure can accommodate these blends with moderate costs. Research indicates that increasing ethanol content can enhance engine performance and that a nationwide E25 blend could reduce transportation GHG intensity by 5 to 9 percent.

The document examines the potential for mid-level ethanol blends (E25-E40) to serve as high-octane fuels, reducing GHG emissions and increasing efficiency for both existing and future internal combustion engines. It highlights that while infrastructure and 'blend wall' challenges exist, a significant portion of the current U.S. fleet—including 17.4 million FlexFuel Vehicles and 80% of cars newer than 2001 (for E15)—can accommodate higher blends. The text details the role of ethanol in preventing engine knock, the lifecycle GHG benefits of corn and cellulosic ethanol, and the DOE's Optima Initiative aiming to reduce petroleum consumption by 30% by 2030.

The document outlines the value of Building Energy Modeling (BEM) in reducing first and operating costs while improving occupant satisfaction. It details the different purposes of BEM—comparison, compliance, and prediction—and provides a structured approach to the modeling process, software tools, and the contracting process, including a sample Request for Proposal (RFP).

A coalition of environmental organizations argues that the EPA's proposed rules for the oil and gas industry are insufficient. They demand the direct regulation of methane, the inclusion of existing sources, the elimination of exemptions for certain wells, and the regulation of hydrogen sulfide and particulate matter. The coalition also calls for more stringent toxic air pollutant limits and a more comprehensive health risk assessment for vulnerable populations.

The document outlines a 'menu' of 'must have' and 'nice to have' actions for municipal governments, utilities, civic groups, and businesses to facilitate the transition to plug-in vehicles. It uses a hypothetical city modeled on Denver, Colorado, to estimate that achieving a goal of 10,000 plug-in vehicles (2% of registered vehicles) over five years would result in a net cost of approximately $10 million and create 250 net new jobs, while avoiding 2 million gallons of oil annually by 2014.

The report identifies non-hardware balance of system costs, which can reach 40% of installed system costs, as a significant barrier to rooftop solar adoption. It recommends the adoption of standardized frameworks such as the Solar ABCs Expedited Permit Process for permitting, the IREC Model Interconnection Procedures for grid connection, and the NNEC design criteria for net metering. The document highlights Colorado as a leader in solar-friendly policies, citing the Fair Permit Act's fee caps and the state's removal of net metering capacity limits for systems up to 120% of annual on-site consumption.

The document describes the devastating effects of a 550-kiloton nuclear explosion over Denver, estimating 60,000 immediate deaths and 60,000 serious injuries. It details the mechanisms of destruction—blast, heat, and radioactive fallout—and uses this scenario to advocate for the removal of weapons from hair-trigger alert and the eventual elimination of nuclear arsenals to prevent accidental or unauthorized attacks.

The document concludes that CFLs are significantly more environmentally friendly than incandescent bulbs over their life cycle. Despite more energy-intensive manufacturing and the presence of mercury, CFLs reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% over 10,000 hours of use. The analysis shows that mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants used to power incandescents exceed the mercury released by a CFL's operation and disposal. While frequent on-off cycling reduces a CFL's lifespan and increases its relative assembly emissions, they remain a net win for the environment and typically pay for themselves through energy savings.

The study finds that CFLs provide significant environmental benefits over incandescents, primarily through reduced greenhouse-gas emissions during the operation phase. Despite concerns over their complex manufacturing and mercury content, the analysis shows that the energy efficiency of CFLs outweighs these factors. Even under short operating cycles that reduce lamp life, CFLs remain a net environmental win, though their economic payback period increases. The report also notes that while CFLs release more lead and arsenic than incandescents, they result in lower overall mercury emissions when accounting for the mercury released by coal-fired power plants required to power incandescent bulbs.

The document highlights several green building projects that achieved significant energy savings and financial gains. Examples include the Sydney 2000 Olympic Village with its large-scale integrated photovoltaics, Village Homes in California which reduced household bills by one-half to one-third, and the Condé-Nast Building in New York, the first large-scale speculative green office building in the US. These projects demonstrate that sustainable design—such as passive heating/cooling, ground-source heat pumps, and efficient land use—can lead to higher property values, lower operating costs, and increased market demand.

The document argues that superhot rock geothermal is a viable, energy-dense, and zero-emission power source that could significantly contribute to Colorado's 100% renewable energy goal by 2040. It estimates that just 1% of Colorado's superhot rock resource could provide 58 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the state's 2023 electricity consumption of 55,566 GWh. The report emphasizes that this technology requires significantly less land than solar, wind, or biomass and offers a transition pathway for the state's oil and gas workforce.

Colorado generates over 1.7 million tons of coal ash annually from 14 coal-fired power plants. The state's regulatory framework is criticized for exempting on-site landfills and ponds from groundwater monitoring and not requiring composite liners or leachate collection systems. This lack of oversight, combined with the age of 40 existing ponds—31 of which are over 30 years old—increases the risk of groundwater contamination, particularly from arsenic, affecting residents relying on private wells. Additionally, the document notes that non-white individuals and people living below the poverty line are over-represented in zip codes hosting these plants.