Podcast
Science Matters Colorado
Hosted by Ahippenh · EN
Exploring the intersection of nature and humanity in the Centennial State. Join us on Science Matters Colorado as we delve into the latest environmental science topics, trends, and stories impacting Colorado's ecosystems, communities, and natural resources.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ben Goldfarb on Beavers, Roads, and the Hidden Costs of Modernity
Nov 301:06:48Tap to summarizeFor today’s episode, I am thrilled to share an interview with Colorado-based author Ben Goldfarb. Ben has written for pretty much every publication you can think of, including the Atlantic, Science, the New York Times, National Geographic, and Outside, to name a few.Today’s conversation focuses on Ben’s book Eager:The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, which received the PEN/E.O. Wilson award in 2019. If you aren’t familiar with Ben’s writing, I recommend picking up Eager for your next read as a great introduction to his work. For anyone living in North America, it will completely change how you think about the history of our continent and what it looked like 300 years ago.We also talk about Ben’s new book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. In addition to being named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times; it also won the Sierra Club’s Rachel Carson Award for Excellence in Environmental Writing. Crossings, like Eager, paints a historical narrative of the ecology of our continent by focusing its lens on one particular topic: roads and their environmental impact. Road ecology is a term that most people probably aren’t familiar with, but once you dive in, it will likely ride shotgun on your morning commute. A few topics that we address in this conversation include:The Impacts of Beavers on River EcosystemsGrassroots Solutions to Environmental ChallengesWolves in YellowstoneThe History of the Term “Road Ecology”The Importance of CulvertsFish MigrationsAnd Much MoreBen is a great speaker, with an incredible vocabulary, who distills complex science into compelling narratives. He also connects the dots between the history of our relationship with the environment and environmental movements taking place at various scales around the globe. One thing that I appreciate about Ben is that he does not sugarcoat these issues, but he also is a pragmatic optimist, always tuning into scalable, community-based solutions to tackle these environmental challenges.Whether or not you are familiar with Ben’s work, I think you will enjoy this conversation.—If you enjoyed today’s episode, the best thing you can do is like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Also, recommending it to a friend goes a long way.You can purchase Eager and Crossings from a locally-owned bookstore near you.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Here Comes the Sun - Bill McKibben on Renewable Energy Adoption
Sep 2500:59:31Tap to summarizeFor today’s episode, I’m excited to share a talk from renowned environmentalist and author Bill McKibben. On Tuesday this week, McKibben visited Boulder, CO to discuss current trends in renewable energy adoption as well as his new book, Here Comes the Sun, about the rise of solar and wind energy. Personally, I was not familiar with McKibben’s work before the presentation, which is probably why I was so moved by his erudition on the topic. As someone who has been writing about these issues since the 80’s, McKibben has a remarkable ability to contextualize geopolitics and energy trends to paint a picture of where the country - and the rest of the globe, is headed. For me, the talk both affirmed some of my biggest fears regarding the Trump administration’s aggressive attack on renewable energy projects and research, while also providing a great deal of hope in terms of global renewable energy adoption, innovations, and the potential impact of grassroots campaigns. In this talk, Bill covers The acceleration of global solar energy development and installations, China’s recent, exponential scaling of solar deployment and its impacts,Comparisons between the environmental impact of fossil fuels vs. renewables,How oil execs and the Trump administration are irredeemably setting the U.S. back on energy policy and climate change,The Vatican becoming the first country in the world to go 100% renewable,And why every tenth of degree in global warming attenuation is critical.In this incredibly strange and frightening moment, where the president of the United States has stood in front of the rest of world at the UN assembly, calling climate change a “hoax” when the past ten years are the hottest on record, when natural disasters are happening with increased frequency and intensity across the globe, and when the scientific consensus overwhelmingly supports anthropogenic climate change, it has never been more important to educate ourselves and resolutely move in the direction of the future that we want to create. McKibben is a beacon of hope in these dark times, inspiring us to move towards the light through resilience and collective action in the face of a government abandoning our right to a future.-----If you liked today’s episode, please share it with someone else you know will enjoy it. Also, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.Purchase Here Comes the Sun from a locally-owned bookstore near you.Thank you to Martin Voelker, Chair of the Jefferson County chapter of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society, for allowing me to share his recording of the event, to Boulder Bookstore for organizing the talk, and Unity Center Boulder for hosting the event.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Sacred Water Mountain Society: Dustin Freyta on Water Planting
Jun 3001:07:52Tap to summarizeWelcome to Science Matters Colorado. The podcast that explores the environmental issues shaping our beautiful state. I am your host, Alex Hippenhammer.Today I’m honored to share a deeply candid and illuminating conversation with Dustin Freyta, an Indigenous American and one of the leading voices at Sacred Water Mountain Society, based in Taos, New Mexico. Sacred Water Mountain Society is centered on the revitalization of an ancient Indigenous practice known as water planting—a sophisticated method of land and water stewardship that has largely disappeared from public awareness, though its physical traces remain hidden in plain sight across the landscape.Dustin brings not only extraordinary knowledge of Indigenous histories—including the often-overlooked legacy of slavery and oppression across the Americas—but also a personal story that is just as remarkable. From surviving the generational impacts of colonial marginalization, to a period of monastic solitude in the wilderness of Colorado, his path has been one of reclamation, resilience, and return. What emerges is a reimagining of his relationship with the natural world—one rooted in ancestral wisdom and lived through an unflinching commitment to land-based practices.This conversation is frank, sometimes unsettling, and always grounded in truth. Dustin does not claim to speak for any tribe or nation—his heritage includes Apache, Comanche, and Pueblo ancestry—but the insights he offers are the result of hard-earned experience and deep research. I’m grateful for his willingness to share them.Wherever you’re listening from, I hope this episode serves as a reminder of who the original stewards of this land are. For those of us in Colorado, that includes the Ute—specifically the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe—as well as the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Apache, Shoshone, Comanche, Kiowa, and Navajo peoples.There is much to learn—still—from those who have long held knowledge of how to live in balance with the land. I hope this conversation challenges, inspires, and calls you toward that deeper listening.Here is my conversation with Dustin Freyta.Links:Sacred Water Mountain SocietyOutroIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please like the show and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Special thanks to Ruth Massera for introducing me to Dustin and water planting.For additional features like video, you can find transcribed versions of this and future episodes at my personal Substack, Echoing Earth.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Beavers - Ruth Massera on Habitat Restoration
May 27, 202501:05:40Tap to summarizeToday I am sharing a conversation with fire mitigation specialist and trained wildland firefighter Ruth Massera. Ruth works out of Crestone, Colorado for a nonprofit called E3KFM. Their work is centered around wildfire mitigation through regenerating healthy forests and restoring the watershed. A lot of Ruth’s work recently has been centered around an initiative to reintroduce beavers to the watershed. Additionally, they have been working with the Sacred Water Mountain Society out of Taos to learn the ancient indigenous practice of water planting. This is a great episode for you if you are interested in ecological restoration, beavers and the impact of keystone species, wildfire mitigation, reciprocity, and indigenous land management practices. Regardless of what brought you here, this interview will leave you with plenty to chew on. Links:E3KFMSacred Water Mountain SocietyOutroIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please like the show and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Special thanks to Lisa Wimberger for introducing me to Ruth for this episode.For additional features like video, you can find transcribed versions of this and future episodes at my personal Substack, Echoing Earth.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Solar Future - Dr. Jennifer Bousselot on Rooftop Agrivoltaics
Apr 29, 202500:40:08Tap to summarizeIt’s projected that by 2050, 7 out of 10 people in the world will live in urban areas, totaling 6 and half billion people. The ecological footprint of these cities will be vast, and the more we can do to make these areas self-sufficient, the more habitable the entire planet will be. Today’s guest offers a novel solution to this challenge. Inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the stratification of an old-growth forest, Dr. Jennifer Bousselot studies the benefits of combining solar panels with green roofs. This method - called agrivoltaics - brings agriculture and photovoltaics together in a shared space. Growing food under the shade of solar panels has some surprising benefits, which are being revealed through research institutions like Colorado State University, where Dr. Bousselot serves as a professor of horticulture and landscape architecture.In her 2020 TED Talk, Dr. Bousselot coined the term “rooftop agrivoltaics”, referring to an innovative approach that integrates solar panels with green roofs. I recently toured the rooftop agrivoltaics site at CSU Spur, one of several agrivoltaics projects that Dr. Bousselot oversees. Touring this site gave me a new perspective on how rooftops can be utilized to produce energy, grow food, manage stormwater, and cool our cities. This conversation is for anyone curious about renewable energy, urban agriculture, green roofs, or sustainable design. Whether you are just discovering agrivoltaics or are already invested in the intersection of energy and ecology, I think you will find this conversation illuminating. Please enjoy!______Episode Links:CSU Spur AgrivoltaicsNRELGreen Roofs for Healthy CitiesJournal of Living Architecture______If you enjoyed today’s episode, please like the show and follow wherever you get your podcasts.For additional features like video, you can find transcribed versions of this and future episodes at my personal Substack, Echoing Earth.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Colorado Water Trust - Blake Mamich on Streamflow Restoration
Mar 20, 202501:02:33Tap to summarizeIf you want to understand Colorado and the American Southwest, you have to understand our most limited and valuable resource - WATER. That’s why I am excited to share this conversation with Blake Mamich, a water conservation expert and Program Director for the Colorado Water Trust. The Colorado Water Trust is a homegrown nonprofit that focuses on instream water flow restoration, a topic that Blake expounds on throughout this interview. Blake has been working for the Trust since 2022, focusing on streamflow restoration and reservoir release projects. This interview is an overview of not just the work of the Colorado Water Trust, but of broader water policy and conservation in Colorado. I put Blake on the spot throughout this conversation, with a broad range of questions about water in Colorado. Some of the ground we cover includes the history of water rights, beneficial uses of water, key projects the Trust is currently working on, and a notable water rights acquisition currently going down on the Western slope with a price tag just under $100 million.While this conversation is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the topic of water in Colorado, I am heartened to know that there is an organization out there doing deep water conservation work at a time when there is so much upheaval, specifically in terms of environmental regulation and investment in ecological health._____Colorado Water TrustDonate to the Trust - Anyone who signs up for a monthly recurring donation gets a free Water Trust hat!Colorado Rapids - Colorado Water Trust is the Colorado Rapids official community partner this season and will be featured in their April 12th game. Come cheer on the Raptors and learn more about CWT!RiverBank - The main event this year is held September 30th at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Join the fun and check out the Fall displays!_____If you enjoyed today’s episode, please like the show and follow wherever you get your podcasts.For additional features like video, you can find transcribed versions of this and future episodes at my personal Substack, Echoing Earth.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.Photo Credit - Yampa River / Eliza Nolte
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Beyond Green - Natural Building with Tim White
Feb 6, 202501:17:28Tap to summarizeToday I am talking with Natural Builder, Tim White. I met Tim at the Crestone Energy Fair in Crestone, Colorado, an eclectic town where I was introduced to natural building materials and techniques. Tim has been in the natural building industry for almost 30 years. During the Fair, Tim gave a talk onClay Plasters, and I was hit with more truth bombs about the built environment in that one talk than I had ever been. All of it made intuitive sense, and Tim clearly had a plethora of knowledge to offer on the topic. Backed by hard science through his studies in anthropology and archaeology, Tim distilled many health and environmental issues down to a simple dichotomy: conventional building materials versus monolithic organic (natural) materials.Our conventional wisdom tells us that modern materials are durable, reliable, and safe. In fact, conventional building materials are toxic, highly combustible, and create over 30% of the world’s waste. The archaeological record shows that humans have used natural building materials for millenia. Their use is circular, sustainable, better for our health, and aesthetically pleasing. In fact, the techniques that Tim describes in this episode create temperature and humidity controlled environments that are livable without use of a thermostat. I invite you stoke your curiosity at the hearthside of Tim’s abundant wisdom on the benefits that natural building brings to humankind. Please enjoy.__________Texas Healthy HomesTim@TexasHealthyHomes.comBruce King New Carbon ArchitectureAmerican ClayNorthern Colorado Hemp ExpoChris Magwood -Beam Estimator - Calculating your Home’s Carbon FootprintHemp and BlockLiving SpacesRocky Mountain Joinery1:45 - What is Natural Building?16:15 - Applications for a Conventional Builder18:21 - Materials23:45 - Hondo Project30:59 - Toxins in the Built Environment35:51 - Optimizing Your Health38:56 - Problems in Conventional Building39:52 - Building Codes49:39 - Scaling Natural Building57:53 - Ayahuasca Temple (Spring Construction)1:02:45 - Unconditioning1:06:05 - Final Thoughts & Recs __________If you enjoyed today’s episode and found it insightful, please like the show and follow wherever you get your podcasts. A special thank-you to theCrestone Energy Fair for providing hands-on workshops, tours, and panel discussions on natural building.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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The Ghosts of Rocky Flats: Director Jeff Gipe on the Half-Life of Memory
Jan 7, 202500:57:13Tap to summarizeThe truth is out there, but unveiling it is a meticulous and tiresome process that few choose to undertake.With his new documentary,Half-Life of Memory, Jeff Gipe has taken on a historical act of environmental injustice that, according to notable activists, is perpetuated to this day.Rocky Flats nuclear manufacturing plant operated from 1952 until 1989, when it was raided by the FBI. This was the first time a Federal warrant was served to another branch of the Federal government. The plant produced atomic "triggers", which are the explosive cores of nuclear warheads. In 1992, the plant was officially closed, marking the beginning of the remediation period.Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge is now open for recreation, and plans are underway to build a recreation path that connects the refuge with Rocky Mountain National Park in the West to Rocky Mountain Arsenal in the East. This all comes at a time when Los Alamos has reopened to produce nuclear “pits”, and the US is on its way to produce 80 nuclear warheads per year by 2030.Has the Rocky Flats site truly been “remediated”, or is this bureaucratic sleight of hand? This is a story about the fallout that occurs before the global catastrophe. About the plant workers, the unwavering FBI agent who led the raid, the health officials, scientists, politicians, and those who unwittingly moved downwind of a nuclear plant and now suffer irreversible consequences.This is a story about the Half-Life of Memory, a film that tells difficult truths about the local consequences of global conflict. If you take nothing else from today's episode, please take this to heart -you need to see this remarkable film._______Colorado Environmental Film Festival: 2/23 @ 3:30 pmhttps://www.halflifeofmemory.com (Rent or Own)The Struggle to Remember the Nuclear West by Hannah NordhausRocky Flats DownwindersRocky Flats Right to KnowFull Body Burden - by Kristen Iversen_______If you enjoyed today’s episode and found it insightful, please share it with your friends and family. A special thank-you to the Denver Film Festival and Sie Film Center for screening Half-Life of Memory and spreading awareness on this important topic.The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Mountain Lions of Colorado: Conservation, Curiosity, and Coexistence with David Neils
Nov 19, 202400:49:26Tap to summarizeWelcome to Science Matters Colorado, the podcast that explores the environmental issues shaping our beautiful state. Each episode, I talk with experts to help you understand the challenges we face and celebrate the natural wonders we strive to protect. Today, we’re diving into the world of mountain lions. Recently, Proposition 127—a ballot measure to ban the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx in Colorado—failed to pass. However, it sparked curiosity about these incredible predators and their role in our ecosystem. To help us learn more, I’m speaking with local conservationist, hunter, and mountain lion enthusiast, David Neils. David’s passion for wildlife began in Montana, where he started studying animals seriously at just six years old. Back then, without trail cameras, he used creative methods like tying dental floss across trails to monitor activity. Fascinated by apex predators, he often dreamed about grizzlies, wolves, and mountain lions. David’s connection with mountain lions deepened during a memorable encounter in Colorado’s Never Summer Wilderness, where he was nudged awake by a male lion. That moment inspired him to dedicate over 20 years to studying these elusive creatures. Spending time weekly in mountain lion habitats, he developed a system to map their activity across the western United States, Canada, and Chile. His 30,000 hours in the field culminated in the creation of a one-on-one Mountain Lion Workshop for those eager to learn his methods. What sets David’s work apart is his commitment to capturing completely wild footage—no lures, dogs, or other aids are used. To explore more of David’s incredible work, visit Wildnaturemedia.com. .... If you enjoyed today’s episode and found it insightful, please share it with your friends and family. A special thank-you to the Loveland Mountain Club for hosting a presentation of David’s work and helping to spread awareness about these incredible apex predators. Get Involved: The Cougar Fund People and Carnivores Vital Ground Nature Conservancy Thumbnail, by David Neils, shows the impact of mountain lions on riparian landscapes. The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
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Algal Blooms in Colorado - An Interview with CDPHE Water Quality Specialist Sarah Erickson
Nov 12, 202400:22:17Tap to summarizeWelcome to Science Matters Colorado, the podcast that dives deep into the environmental issues affecting our beautiful state. Each episode, I talk with experts to help you better understand the environmental challenges we face and celebrate the natural wonders we strive to protect. Today, we're focusing on algal blooms—an issue that has recently caught the attention of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). These blooms are most common in summer, spurred on by high temperatures and abundant sunlight, and they pose a growing concern for water quality and public health. In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Erickson, a water quality specialist from CDPHE. We’ll discuss the causes and impacts of toxic algae, how these blooms are monitored, and the steps you can take to protect yourself and help reduce their spread. Though algal blooms are most prevalent in the summer months, the nutrients that fuel them—compounds like nitrogen and phosphorus—are found year-round in many household products. Sarah also shares resources that you can use to check the water quality before heading out for a swim and to report suspected blooms. CDPHE Resources: Toxic Algae Dashboard: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/toxic-algae Report blooms: Tox call number: 303-692-2606 OR email: cdphe_toxcall@state.co.us If you found today’s episode insightful, please share this episode with friends and family. Special thanks to John Michael from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for coordinating this interview today. The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson and is a part of the “Tell Your Story” project, a library of free music for content creators. Go to ikson.com to explore the full catalogue.
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