Single Use Plastic Asked ‘To-Go’

By Julia Caulfield

Frequent local restaurants and businesses in Telluride and you may notice something missing. Single use plastic.

“Mainly what’s changing is related to food service and things related to food service. But it’s not solely that,” says Darin Graber, Sustainability and Grant Administrator for the Town of Telluride. “it also applies to somethings you might not expect, toothpicks can’t be wrapped in single use plastic, or cotton swabs with plastic stems are prohibited under this ordinance.”

In 2022, Telluride Town Council passed an ordinance to ban single use plastic in the town, with the implementation date of July 1, 2024.

Under the ordinance, single use plastic containers are prohibited (such as Styrofoam, cups, bowls, plates), plastic straws and cutlery are a no go, same with condiments, and plastic stirrers or garnish spears. Single use plastic water bottles under a gallon are prohibited. In addition, customers at a restaurant or business must request cutlery or napkins, rather than getting them automatically.

There are exceptions for fire, EMS, and law enforcement if they need single use plastic in an emergency situation, or in the case of a town wide emergency or natural disaster. Single use plastic will also be allowed for medical use.

You may also still see single use plastic at the grocery store as prepackaged items that come from large distributers, or if it has to do with food safety.

“So obviously we’re going to have milk cartons, or a plastic bottle of milk. The things we need to change are the items that we’re serving over the counter. If I have a raw ingredient in my hand and I need to put it in something to give to a customer, that receptacle needs to be compostable,” notes Chris Jackman, Store Director at the Clark’s Market in Telluride.

Jackson says there have been a number of changes at the store since the ban went into effect, but he’s up for the task.

“It does seem a little daunting at the beginning especially when you start making a list of all the things that need to be changed over,” he says, “but there are a lot of suppliers that provide those items.”

The main challenge, Jackman says, is getting vendors to stock the items specific for Telluride.

“Because they service a larger community. They’re servicing Telluride, and Norwood, and Ridgway, and Montrose, and Grand Junction. So to have these niche items for Telluride can be difficult, but I haven’t talked to anyone who is not supportive of it,” he says.

Jackman adds with a higher demand on eco products he anticipates running into supply chain issues, with certain products being out of stock.

Despite shifts or any potential challenges for the Market, Jackman says he’s supportive of the ban.

“To have such a small community like Telluride be a role model for the rest of Colorado and the rest of the United States is a great move for us,” he muses.

Scott Keating is the part-owner of the Coffee Cowboy, a to-go coffee shop in Telluride (photo credit Julia Caulfield/KOTO)

But not everyone is fully sold.

“Our business is a to-go business, and we’ve been using compostable cups since we bought it in 2020,” says Scott Keating is part-owner of the Coffee Cowboy. “So for our to-go cup scene, nothing has changed.”

Keating’s not against compostable cups. As he said, the Coffee Cowboy has been using them since the beginning, but he’s skeptical of the benefit to the environment.

For the compostable cups to properly break down, it requires an industrial composting process, something the Telluride region is working towards, but doesn’t have readably available.

Some research has shown that compostable material still takes years and years to break down in a landfill, and as they do, they can emit the greenhouse gas methane.

“It’s great in theory, if we’re actually composting it,” Keating says “But to put all that energy in to something that’s actually worse for the environment, it doesn’t make sense. At the end of the day I feel like we’re greenwashing to make ourselves feel better.”

That’s not to say he’s against the ordinance, but he wants to see the conversation go further.

“This is a great first step. I’m not trying to sh*t on it,” Keating says, “I’m trying to be a realist of if we want to think of wide scale problems and think it through, let’s not do it 20%. Let’s really think about them.”

For Keating, it’s about a culture shift. To that point, Graber agrees.

“Trying to really push toward a different mindset of refuse, reuse, then think about recycling, then think about everything else,” says Graber. “Shifting people’s habits might seem like a big deal, but I think in a year or two it’ll be so normal, and we can push to a much more sustainable lifestyle than the consumption based lifestyle we have nationally.”

A national culture shift to zero waste may be a big goal, but Telluride is trying to do its part. One cup at a time.

Norwood Unites Against Proposed Solar Farm

By Julia Caulfield

A proposed solar farm just southwest of Norwood is drawing criticism from the community. This week, residents showed up for a meeting to express their disapproval. KOTO’s Julia Caulfield was there and brings this report.

The Lone Cone Library in Norwood is packed. More than 200 members of the community are meeting for a presentation on a proposed solar farm just outside of town.

The solar farm, called Wright’s Mesa Solar Project, is 100 megawatts built on roughly 600 acres over 4 parcels of land on Lone Cone Road. OneEnergy Renewables, the company proposing the project, was in Norwood to host the meeting.

“All this information has been public for ten days,” says Nathan Stottler, Associate Director for Project Development at OneEnergy Renewables, “We put out a little bit to get people interested, to get everyone to the meeting. We’re hoping to be as transparent as possible.

But, the welcome was less than warm.

“You’ve given us ten days, but how many days have you been working on it?” One man asks from the crowd.

Stottler replies, “Please hold your comments to the end. You can chew me out in about 30 minutes.”

Stottler says while he understands not everyone will agree, solar is an ideal renewable energy source in Colorado.

“Solar is a really great Colorado product, as everybody here knows, we get a ton of sunshine in Colorado, a really great solar resource, and one of the reasons OneEnergy chooses to work here,” Stottler says. “Colorado is also interested in reaching 100% renewable energy by the end of 2040 and this solar farm would certainly contribute to that.”

Stottler goes on to say, “Solar is also seen as a very compatible use with many rural areas, although I understand some folks here are going to disagree with me. It’s a nonpermanent use. At the end of the lifetime it’s going to be removed and the land is going to be very easily restored to the previous use.”

According to Stottler, OneEnergy is looking for a temporary permit for the solar farm, lasting 30 to 40 years.

When it comes to the Western Slope, Stottler says Tri-State Generation and Transmission has shown an interest in having renewable energy in the area, and there’s also the land. OneEnergy is working with one state owned parcel, and several privately owned parcels to build the solar farm.

“We’ve gotten some great suggestions from some folks on where we can stick our solar farm,” Stottler says, to laughs from the audience, “A lot of y’all suggested further west in San Miguel County, it’s open, no body lives out there. I agree. I would rather put it out there. We looked at that before we ever looked at Wright’s Mesa. We looked in Dolores County. We looked in Montezuma County and the wide open spaces out there. So much of that land out there is Gunnison Sage Grouse habitat which makes it unbuildable. As an endangered species, that land is untouchable for us.”

The land also allows OneEnergy to join in with an already existing transmission line. “There are many transmission lines in the country,” Stottler notes, “very few on the West Slope, and those that are there, a lot of them, the energy capacity that moves along those lines are already spoken for.”

When it comes to local benefits to the community, Stottler points to nearly $8 million in property taxes to the county over the life of the project, influx of dollars while the project is being built, and lease money for the property going to Colorado schools.

But during public comment, lasting over an hour, residents of Norwood were not sold.

“OneEnergy has not handled a project of this size. We are not the place for you to learn how to do your business,” says one man.

“This community has been screwed more than once by the Eastern Slope. We don’t see that $9 million for our schools. We don’t see any of that stuff,” another woman says, “You can talk to us all you want about these big tax benefits. They don’t benefit us. Telluride will get the property taxes, and the Eastern Slope is going to get the school taxes. We won’t see it.”

One woman shares “The Town doesn’t have capacity to meet the needs. I don’t know what your traffic control plan is going to be coming up Norwood Hill. Where are you going to put your people? How are you going to get them here? And how are you not going to ecologically and economically devastate this community for large industrial benefit. It doesn’t benefit us. It benefits your pocketbook.”

Another man jokes, “I’m a citizen. I’m a father. Husband. Business owner. But really I’m the only person in here you need to worry about, because I just found out I identify as a Sage Grouse.”

“While solar farms undeniably contribute to mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it is crucial to consider the negative impacts as well. Finding a balance between renewable energy generation and minimizing economic and public disturbance should be your priority,” says one man. “This project is pushed and desired by people on the east side of our county. But they do not want this project on the east side. They cannot even stand the possibility of affordable housing in the Telluride area. We are not their dumping ground.”

Finally, one member of the audience says the issue is not an ideological one. “If that was slated to be a coal mine, and they were going to strip mine that, all the same people would be in the same room opposed to it. It is not ideological. The issue that I see here is that you came into a community and came in here without our input.”

OneEnergy plans to submit its proposal to San Miguel County in the next several weeks. The project needs approval from the San Miguel Planning and Zoning Commission and the San Miguel Board of County Commissioners to move forward.

OneEnergy hopes to construct the solar project in the next 3 to 4 years.

Valley Floor Education Day Sparks Scientific Curiosity

By Julia Caulfield

Photo: Julia Caulfield (KOTO)

Fifteen years ago, residents and visitors to Telluride raised $50 million to purchase 570 acres of land on the west end of town. The land – known as the Valley Floor – now sits as protected open space, home to local elk, with cross country ski trails in the winter, and hiking and biking in the summer. This week local children headed out to the Valley Floor to learn more about the local environment. KOTO’s Julia Caulfield tagged along and brings this story.

Walking out onto the Valley Floor on a warm, albeit slightly smoky Monday morning, small groups of kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders tromp through the open space. It’s the Valley Floor Education Day.

“We learn about birds. We learn about invertebrates. We learn about river flow. We learn about the spruce forest, and we learn about the history of the Valley Floor,” says Sarah Holbrooke, Executive Director of the Pinhead Institute – a youth science nonprofit.

“It’s cute to be able to see the kid’s faces when you say ‘you know this is your Valley Floor, this is yours’. They’re like ‘what?’”, she adds, “It’s our Valley floor. We live her in Telluride to experience it and learn from it, and it’s just wonderful to see the kid’s faces light up when they get onto the grass and see the goose poop, and see the scopes, and see the bugs that come out of the pond. They’ll learn lesson on water flow, hydrology, the river, all that kind of stuff. It’s a great day.”

Pinhead, along with Sheep Mountain Alliance – an environmental nonprofit, the Telluride Institute, and the Telluride Historical Museum are collaborating on the day.

Over at the pond, students learn about habitat and birds, Vicki Phelps is teaching about invertebrates.

“We found quite a bit in the pond. Normally we find all sorts of cool stuff in the river, but the flow is so high. It’s really hard to get your grip with the kick net.” Phelps notes, “But we found some mayflies, leaches, scuds, worms, backswimmers, boatmen (which have these cool paddle-like appendages).”

Phelps hopes Valley Floor Day helps foster appreciation for the landscape, and a better understanding of how everything is connected.

“This is sort of an icebreaker for the Valley Floor,” she says, “then they can come back with their families and share their excitement and their knowledge.”

Photo: Julia Caulfield (KOTO)

Moving to the river there are Beavers homes to explore, and streamflow to understand. Stepping back into a willow grove, students make bracelets out of willow, learning about the Ute people who used to summer on the Valley Floor.

Vivian Hartnett, she’s 6, likes coming to the Valley Floor to look for treasures and fossils.

“I really like to do a lot of fun stuff down in the Valley Floor,” She says.

Today, her favorite part of the day is learning about the beavers.

“Rivers are really important to beavers and things that like to live in the water,” Vivian explains. “The trees are really important for elk and everything is important for nature.”

Vivian’s mom, Amy Hartnett, is along for the field trip as well. For her, Valley Floor Day helps children get a better understanding of the place they live.

“I think the more that kids can learn about where they live, and the importance of ecosystems, people that have lived here before them, animals. It just helps them realize that they’re part of something bigger.” Hartnett notes, “It makes them want to care for things more, and respect everything from the big mountains, to the tiny little bugs that live on the Valley Floor. Everything in between is very special, and it’s great for them to learn at this age. It’s really important for them to learn so young.”

Telluride celebrated Valley Floor Day on May 9th, with a banner on Main Street – recognizing the 13th anniversary of the Valley Floor becoming Open Space – a community treasure, available to explore for generations to come.

Valley Floor Education Day Looks to Instill Stewardship

By Julia Caulfield

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

At the end of what is likely the strangest school year ever, a field trip to the Valley Floor feels almost as normal as you could imagine.

The entirety of the Telluride Elementary School – that’s kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades – tromp through the open space learning about birds, forest habitat, Elk, the river, and the history of the Ute peoples who lived on the Valley Floor. It’s the Valley Floor Education Day.

“We have the four different stations. We have the pond, we have the river, we spruce, and we have willow, and different experts are at each of those stations, ready to just blow the minds of the kids who show up there to learn about what’s going on,” says Sarah Holbrooke, Executive Director of the Pinhead Institute. Pinhead, along with Sheep Mountain Alliance, the Telluride Institute, and the Telluride Historical Museum are collaborating on the day.

A station of note for many children, the pond, where creepy crawlers, and slippery suckers are at their fingertips.

Luke Niehaus is in 2nd grade. His favorite part of the day is looking at the macro invertebrates that live in the pond.

“Looking at the underwater sea creatures, that would be underwater. I thought the leach looked like a worm a bit,” he says.

Vicki Phelps is the expert at the pond station, she’s been a watershed educator for a number of years. She says piking the children’s interest is her goal.

“This is just a tiny little teaser in a way,” she says, “because we don’t spend a lot of time studying it. But it gives them an excitement, and they want to do more. They want to learn more.”

Liliana Glidewell also enjoys the pond station.

“The best part has been checking out all the cool bugs and stuff,” she notes.

Liliana is in 1st grade. Her mom, Shayka Glidewell is also along on the field trip. For her, she says the Valley Floor Education Day helps give the students a better understanding of the place they live.

“I feel like it’s one of the key things in letting them know that they’re aware of their surroundings, and what else is here on the Earth,” Glidewell says, “A lot of times when you’re in school, or you’re doing skiing, you’re just ‘oh, it’s just my friends’. So you get an idea of what you do, how it affects others, and the wildlife around us.”

If you ask Lexi Tuddenham, Director of Sheep Mountain Alliance, finding that connection to the land is the key.

“It is their open space. It belongs to them as a community member,” Tuddenham says, “We think it’s really important for kids to form that long term relationship from an early age, where they both have the awe and the wonder, but also know that this a place where they can come to for solace and solitude, and to get in touch with a larger picture beyond themselves.”

She says the science is – of course – important, but the day is about teaching the children to have stewardship for the land.

She says, “we’re going to need them to keep working for these places that are ever under threat from climate change and many other forces.”

Telluride celebrated Valley Floor Day on May 9th, with a banner on Main Street – recognizing the 12th anniversary of the Valley Floor becoming Open Space – a community treasure, available to explore for generations to come.

New Superhero Steps up to Fight Climate Change

By Julia Caulfield

Superman, Thor, Spiderman, Black Panther. In 2021, superheroes are plentiful, but there’s a new superhuman joining the game.

17-year-old Kora is stepping up – as EcoQueen.

“Kora is a female, biracial, teenage, high school student. There is some backstory on here that she is actually half Amazonian Ecuadorian, and her mom is a climate scientist from Australia,” says Joanna Kanow, a Telluride local, environmental activist, and author of the upcoming young adult novel, “EcoQueen”.

“This takes place in the near future,” Kanow notes, “it has gotten to the point where the whole world has made the ‘only one child rule’ because resources are so slim and there’s not enough food and water for everyone. As she grew up, she realized she had these electrical powers.”

Kora uses those powers to protect people and ecosystems threatened by rising sea levels, catastrophic weather events, droughts, and wildfires across the world.

“She goes out and starts using these powers all over the world. Putting out all these major climate events – sea level risings, or oil spills. She’s in the middle of the ocean at one point, trying to deal with all the plastic floating around out here,” Kanow notes.

Kanow says she decided to write the novel after years of looking at the climate crisis and feeling like there wasn’t enough being done. In her mind, a superhero is needed.

“I guess it all started in learning about this when I was studying conservation resources studies in college 20 years ago,” says Kanow, “and they were saying ‘if we don’t use more alternative energy, if we don’t stop burning carbon at the rate we’re doing now, in 20 years from now’ – which is now – ‘we’re going to have a serious problem’. And so I’m like ‘hey, we’ve been warned about this for a long time that this is coming, and we didn’t do anything. So in order to make it happen quickly, is where a superhero needs to step in.”

The book is geared towards young people aged 12 to 15. Kanow notes she hopes to inspire the young people of today to take action.

“Knowing that there’s something they can do, plant a tree, use some alternative energy if you can, ride your bike more, compost your food, these things that we know that we needed to do on a bigger scale, but still it’s not making a big enough impact,” she says, “If I can inspire the kids to lead the way in wanting to make those lifestyle changes, or encouraging their parents or their school to take more sustainable steps, I feel like I can urge the movement on.”

“EcoQueen” will be released on Earth Day, April 22, 2021. The book will be available at Between the Covers Bookstore, and online. There will also be a book launch event at the Wilkinson Public Library later this spring.