HPPR Environment

Wind energy is booming in Colorado, reports the Denver Business Journal.

In fact, 14 percent of the state’s power now comes from wind, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. And the Centennial State isn’t alone; wind power is surging in many parts of the country.

Greenhouse gas emissions have reached a new height, UPI reports.

The last few years have witnessed growing support for an effort to combat climate change. Even so, a new World Meteorological Organization report finds rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. The report noted that, since 1990, there has been a 37 percent increase in the warming impact on the climate because of greenhouse gases like CO2, methane and nitrous oxide.

Colorado wildlife officials are proposing killing more mountain lions and black bears in the coming months, reports The Denver Post. The move comes as the state has faced a dwindling deer population. 

On average, Americans spend nearly $2,000 per year on energy bills. But that burden could be lighter.

Experts estimate that the U.S. could save more than $1.2 trillion if more energy-efficient measures were put in place.

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma last month raised some big questions for Kansas geologist Tandis Bidgoli.

“I was very concerned,” Bidgoli said, “because it didn’t appear there were any foreshocks to that event.”

There’s a stereotype that every Coloradoan drives a Subaru. And judging by AAA Colorado's list of the state's 10 best-selling cars, the cliché isn’t far from the truth.

Five of the top ten selling care in Colorado are Subarus, with the Outback and Forester taking the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively. As The Coloradoan reports, residents of the Centennial State like all-wheel drive Subarus for recreating and navigating snow.

A prominent Oklahoma geologist says, when it comes to earthquakes, the trouble could come from unknown quarters. Specifically, the director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey is worried about what scientists don’t understand about geology.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking the perpetrators of the unlawful killing of big game animals in western and north-central Nebraska, reports The Lincoln Journal-Star.

A coyote killing contest in western Kansas has settled a lawsuit with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, reports The Topeka Capital-Journal.

The settlement ends a legal threat that had labeled the contest “cruel and inhumane.” The Smoky Hill Calling Contest was held in WaKeeney, Kansas, in January. At the event, the hunter who killed the most coyotes was awarded $500.

The severity and frequency of earthquakes in Colorado appears to be lessening, reports The Hutchinson News.

In the past three weeks, there has been just one quake of magnitude 2.0 or greater in the Sunflower State. Only one resident in the state felt that earthquake, which was centered underneath Anthony’s Forest Park Cemetery.

We’ve seen plenty of troubling news lately about the disappearance of bees in the heartland. So  it’s nice to come across a happy bee story this week.

High Plains listeners who enjoy a cold winter may have reason to rejoice.

Signs aren’t pointing to a repeat of last year’s mild season, reports The Wichita Eagle, and that means there could be more snow on the way. However, the cold won’t come until late, say meteorologists; the early part of the season is expected to be rather mild. Dave Samuhel is a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather. He says this year will “be more like winter should be.”

In 1810, the explorer Zebulon Pike wrote about Kansas, saying: “These vast plains may become in time as celebrated as the sandy deserts of Africa.”

Oklahoma now has more earthquakes than any state in the lower 48, including California. And, as CNBC reports, the cause of all this shaking appears to be manmade. But can anything be done?

In early 1952 an Oklahoma City petroleum geologist named William Atkinson raised eyebrows by purchasing earthquake insurance for his home.

His odd decision looked like a bit of psychic brilliance a month later. In April of that year Oklahoma City experienced a powerful earthquake—the most powerful in the state’s history until last week.

Last week’s 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma has now been upgraded to a 5.8, making it the highest magnitude earthquake in the state’s history.

In the wake of this massive quake, CNN Money has published an overview of what we know about these quakes.

Oklahoma fracking operations are facing a potential backlash in the wake of last week’s 5.6-magnitude earthquake, Bloomberg reports.

Last year, Oklahoma had almost 900 earthquakes of magnitude three or higher. Earlier this year Oklahoma regulators limited the disposal of oilfield wastewater in the state, hoping to prevent seismic activity. But this latest quake may trigger calls for more limits on wastewater wells in the state.

Some Oklahoma drivers have grown concerned about the structural integrity of the state’s bridges after last week’s 5.6 magnitude earthquake.

Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado have agreed to a method of managing the Republican River, a waterway shared by all three states.

As The Wichita Eagle reports, the river has long been a source of costly legal disputes and bitter exchanges between the states. The new resolutions were praised by the governors of the three states.

The federal government’s Clean Power Plan is currently on hold after a judge ordered a stay on the legislation. But that isn’t stopping Colorado from trying to cut down on carbon emissions on its own, reports The Colorado Springs Gazette.