Shows
Science Matters ColoradoBen Goldfarb on Beavers, Roads, and the Hidden Costs of ModernityFor 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. F...
2025-11-031h 06
Science Matters ColoradoHere Comes the Sun - Bill McKibben on Renewable Energy AdoptionFor 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 geopoliti...
2025-09-2559 min
Science Matters ColoradoSacred Water Mountain Society: Dustin Freyta on Water PlantingWelcome 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 sigh...
2025-06-301h 07
Science Matters ColoradoBeavers - Ruth Massera on Habitat RestorationToday 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 eco...
2025-05-271h 05
Science Matters ColoradoSolar Future - Dr. Jennifer Bousselot on Rooftop AgrivoltaicsIt’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 share...
2025-04-2940 min
Science Matters ColoradoColorado Water Trust - Blake Mamich on Streamflow RestorationIf 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 wo...
2025-03-201h 02
Science Matters ColoradoBeyond Green - Natural Building with Tim WhiteToday 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...
2025-02-061h 17
Science Matters ColoradoThe Ghosts of Rocky Flats: Director Jeff Gipe on the Half-Life of MemoryThe 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...
2025-01-0757 min
Science Matters ColoradoMountain Lions of Colorado: Conservation, Curiosity, and Coexistence with David NeilsWelcome 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 ent...
2024-11-1949 min
Science Matters ColoradoAlgal Blooms in Colorado - An Interview with CDPHE Water Quality Specialist Sarah EricksonWelcome 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 th...
2024-11-1222 minScience Matters ColoradoPaul Hawken - "You Are Brilliant, and Earth is Hiring"Welcome to the first episode of Science Matters Colorado, the podcast that explores the environmental issues shaping our beautiful state. I am your host, Alex Hippenhammer.
I thought I would launch this podcast with a speech that has really inspired me to make some changes in my life recently. It is a commencement speech from Paul Hawken, the environmentalist and author. The speech is called “You are brilliant, and earth is hiring”. Hawken addressed the 2009 graduating class at the University of Portland with a call to act on behalf of the Earth itself. In his speech, Hawken invo...
2024-10-2411 min