Around Telluride

Telluride's Pinhead Institute: Stargazing series

In a manner of speaking, Telluride's Pinhead Institute has sky high ambitions. The non-profit's programs latest program designed to promote science literacy is the upcoming Stargazing Series, ahem, starring astronomers from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ.

It is clear humans have always observed the sky. The roots of astronomy, the natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects – stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies –  extend back before written records.

TNCC: How trashy are we?

by Kris Holstrom

What's left after the party? Do you leave your trash behind? Do you sort your recycling? Do you pick up after others? TNCC's summer started off doing compost, recycling and trash for Mountainfilm. It was a huge success at reducing trash by avoiding single use items. Trash was reduced more than 80%! Yahoo!
Efforts to reduce waste and increase the amounts diverted to recycling and compost were incredibly successful - up 8 to 15% over last year, which was better even than the year before. KOTO DooDah, 4th of July - yes yes yes. TNCC even had someone coming to visit our region who called to ask where they could bring their compost. We had her bring it to Tomten Farm's booth at the Farmers Market so we could take it home.

To me that is true dedication - following through on your composting commitment even while on vacation! Thank you!

Australia Unveils Carbon Tax

by Ben Williams

Australia is joining climate action leaders such as New Zealand and the European Union by unveiling a nationwide plan to tax CO2 emissions at $23 per metric ton.

With an economy significantly reliant on extraction industries, and the nation as a whole overly dependent on abundant coal reserves, Australia is one of the world’s largest per capita polluters.

The tax will be introduced July 1, 2012, and is applied only to the largest polluters.  But a market-based trading scheme is expected to be introduced as early as 2015 to replace the tax, enabling a carbon exchange similar to the model being piloted by the Green Gondola Campaign.

Telluride's Town Talks: Sambhav Sankar on BP oil spill, 7/12

Since 1984, the Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC), has been dedicated to providing meeting services for scientists. TSRC’s mission is to inspire substantive scientific inquiry, breakthroughs, and discoveries by hosting scientific meetings in an open environment conducive to productive collaboration and positive contributions to research, policy, and education. TSRC is proud to bring its Town Talk science lecture series to the regional community for the 9th season.

The series continues Tuesday, July 12, 6 – 7:15 p.m., at the Palm Theater, with a lecture by Sambhav N. Sankar on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the mother of all oopsies. Admission is free. A review of the background of the spill requires a look back at the headlines in April 2010.

Telluride Blues and Brews Festival sponsors a gondola cabin!

by Ben Williams

Thanks go to SBG Productions, Inc., for sponsoring a gondola cabin as part of the Green Gondola Campaign.  We’re one step closer to beginning installation of our first array: to be installed on the Station Mountain Village roof.

SBG Productions, who gives us the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival each year, joins the ranks of EcoSpaces Green Building Solutions, Colorado Buffalo Salt, 221 South Oak Street Bistro, Nevasca Realty, and BootDoctors: local businesses who care enough about our sustainable future to sponsor a cabin as part of the Green Gondola Campaign.