2016 Firestarter Panel Discussion: Advancing Education on Colorado's Most Pressing Environmental IssuesHow do we fill the education gaps surrounding Colorado’s most pressing environmental issues?

Panelists:Christopher Dann: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Ginny Brannon: Colorado Department of Natural Resources

Maria Talero: Climate Courage Education and Organizing

Sarah Johnson: Colorado Foundation for Water Education

Christopher Dann: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Air quality is getting significantly better in CO since past decades. Almost any measure you can use tells us that it has improved. One of the biggest communication challenges with air quality is that ozone is good and bad, helping people understand the nuances of ozone.

Ginny Brannon: Colorado Department of Natural Resources

Mining laws were not passed until 1977. Now, Colorado’s mining compliance rates are over 99 percent. But the “prelaw sites” are where the issue is. There were 23000 abandoned sites in CO but about half of them are closed now. About 500 of them have environmental problems, 230 of them are draining into our water, a huge water contamination issue. There is a bipartisan coalition currently working on legislation to help address these problem sites.

Maria Talero: Climate Courage Education and Organizing

Climate change has a very large issue public (percentage of population that is paying attention to an issue), it has a larger issue public than any other major issue. The Center for Climate Communication at Yale surveyed the American public and found that 45% of Americans are in the highest level of concern about climate change, but there is a social norm to not talk about it. 75% of Americans rarely or never talk about climate change. We are constantly engaged in a social norm of silence around the issue of climate change. These researchers and Torro are developing tools to help break the silence.

Sarah Johnson: Colorado Foundation for Water Education

Water is a huge issue in Colorado, from skiing to gardening, especially with the large number of people moving here. Most of the water in CO is used for outdoor water use, including agriculture. With climate change, drought and increasing population we have a huge issue on our hands. The Colorado Water Plan is an administrative plan to assess existing water education and to work towards creating new education outreach to fill those gaps. Local basin grounds people are also working on new strategies on how to deal with more and more people and less water. CO is one of the only headwater states in the nation, meaning that water originates here and then leaves. Johnson’s role is to grow the education network.

What are the most important things we can do to engage Coloradans in environmental issues?

Tip 1: Tailor your message for the Audience

Tip 2: Be Developmentally Appropriate

Tip 3: Explore Local Issues before looking at Global Issues.

Tip 4: Get people engaged with direct experiences to get them excited

about the environment.

Tip 5: Be sure to include the views and perspectives of multiple

stakeholders when exploring issues.

What are the most important things we

can do to engage Coloradans in

Environmental Issues?

Tip 1:Tailor your message for the Audience

Tip 2:Be Developmentally Appropriate

Tip 3:Explore Local Issues before looking at

Global Issues

Tip 4:Get people engaged with direct experiences to get them excited about the environment.

Tip 5:

Be sure to include the views and perspectives of multiple stakeholders when exploring issues.