** Wildfire explodes in Colorado
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Friday, October 23, 2020
Wildfire in Colorado ([link removed])
As fires continue to grow in Colorado, scientists are "mind-boggled" ([link removed]) by their size and timing. The East Troublesome Fire has now burned 170,000 acres, forcing hundreds to evacuate and closing Rocky Mountain National Park. Starting Wednesday night, the fire gained 100,000 acres ([link removed]) in just 24 hours.
A blaze of this size burning at an elevation of 9,000 feet in late October is unprecedented. “This is not normal,” said ([link removed]) Becky Bolinger, Assistant State Climatologist at Colorado State University. The fire burned above treeline, crossing over the continental divide in Rocky Mountain National Park which acts as a natural fire break under normal conditions.
The East Troublesome Fire is now Colorado's second biggest fire in history, behind the Cameron Peak Fire which is still burning in the northern part of the state. Climate change has created a perfect storm for catastrophic wildfires in Colorado. Drought, warming-induced bark beetle infestations, and lack of snowpack are just some of the factors that contribute to three of the top five wildfires ([link removed]) in Colorado's history occurring this year.
Quick hits
** Want to stop climate change? Look to farms, forests, and wetlands
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Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
** Colorado's newest fire explodes to 170,000 acres, closing Rocky Mountain National Park
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | NBC ([link removed]) | 9News ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
** Public lands and climate are on the ballot this year
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Aspen Public Radio ([link removed]) | Wyoming Public Media ([link removed])
** First indigenous woman considered for Interior Secretary in potential Biden administration
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Inside Climate News ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
** Search and Rescue teams in places like Zion, Grand Teton busy despite COVID-19
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Deseret News ([link removed])
** How new biking and hiking trails bolster mountain town economies
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5280 ([link removed])
** New national recreational trail designated along Colorado River
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Las Vegas Sun ([link removed])
** Editorial: Trump’s arrogance now imperils some of his environmental decisions
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Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Quote of the day
I think it’s fair to say the Trump administration’s policies aim at nothing less than a complete upending of many decades of bipartisan policy making concerning public lands.”
—John Leshy, University of California Hastings College of Law, Aspen Public Radio ([link removed])
Picture this
** @YellowstoneNPS ([link removed])
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What’s the difference between hot springs and geysers? Plumbing! Unlike geysers, hot springs do not have constrictions in their plumbing systems. A process called convection keeps water circulating and prevents it from reaching the temperature needed for an eruption.
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