Judi Smith

United States

Columnist at Estes Park Trail-Gazette

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Articles

Eco-Sense: We make it work!

2 weeks ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

Estes is a village. The world used to be made of such villages. But, today, the villages have grown to be towns, and the towns have grown to be cities and the cities have grown to be megalopolises. Somehow, “big is better” became a watch word. But it isn’t. The Town of Estes still functions as a village where people care about each other. We (my household) were new residents when the 2013 flood occurred, still unacquainted with our new location. As newbies, the reaction shocked us.
Eco-Sense: Mountain town waste

1 month ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

In large cities like Fort Collins, Loveland, Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Grand Junction, there are many, many people disposing of many, many things and it is easy to justify a broad expanse of options for when one has too much. This is more difficult in the small mountain towns that dot the landscape of Colorado.
Eco-Sense: Recycling in Larimer and Boulder

1 month ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

An ecological system of survival, for any house or business, takes constant attention: awareness, adjustment, and the nurturing of new habits — with every change of opportunity. “Leave no trace” is a laudable goal. To achieve it we must continue to eliminate our own traces, to refuse and reduce, to reuse and repurpose and repair and to go to extra effort to recycle (including composting) before we resort to the landfill. Have I truly accomplished that?
Eco-Sense: The state of waste

1 month ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

We live in a strange new world, existing in a state of uncertainty, feeling unprepared and distracted, reeling from one shocking moment to the next. Uncertain, we know not where to turn or what to do. Will this (or that) help – or make the situation worse? Still, some things remain constant. The Earth is warming, to the extent that the Denver Zoo has decided to move the Rocky Mountain goats to a cooler climate at the Zoo in Tacoma, Washington.
Peoria’s helicopter was missing when it mattered most

1 month ago | yourvalley.net | Judi Smith

City of Peoria Posted Thursday, March 13, 2025 5:26 pm By Judi Smith, candidate for Peoria mayor Peoria leaders spent $3.5 million on a Bell 505 helicopter, promising it would enhance public safety, speed up emergency response, and assist in search-and-rescue operations. Yet when a 20-year-old man went missing in north Peoria, the city’s helicopter was nowhere to be found — it was on display at a corporate trade show in Dallas, Texas. Instead of utilizing the aviation unit Peoria residents...
Eco-Sense: The state of transportation

1 month ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

I am discovering that environmental protection (ecologically) has, day by day, become more of a concern to our leaders and to our citizens. This winter (in Colorado) has been drier – and warmer – than usual — even the new usual. After recent fires, building insurance has doubled, or, as often as not, been canceled. Larimer County’s air pollution exceeds EPA limits and Colorado is concerned, meaning new regulations may be looming in the near future.
Eco-Sense: Global cooperation

2 months ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

When the world is faced with a worldwide problem, it is best addressed with a worldwide solution. After WWII, we formed the United Nations to settle conflicts diplomatically instead of turning to another World War. Today, the UN pursues 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including the erasure of poverty and hunger, the availability of sustainable water and sanitation, the recognition and acceptance of all people, and several goals promoting and sustaining climate action.
Eco-Sense: Decisions … positive and negative

2 months ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

Every decision made, from what movie to watch to what career to pursue, results in both positive and negative aspects. We all make these decisions every day. We decide for ourselves. We decide for our families. Many of us sit on Boards of one kind or another. Each member of a Board, whether private enterprise, public non-profit, or governmental entity, must weigh the expected outcomes, good and bad, before casting the vote he or she believes is best for the community concerned.
Eco-Sense: The disposal challenge

2 months ago | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

Over time, the average global temperature has gradually increased to finally surpass the 1.5 degree rise scientifically established as a “maximum” tolerable level. But, at the same time, each year brings more awareness of the devastation looming in the future and more participation in the efforts to lessen the effects. This recognition is a good thing. The more minds, official or individual, that brainstorm solutions, the better.
Eco-Sense: The high and the low

Jan 24, 2025 | eptrail.com | Judi Smith

The average surface temperature, worldwide, in 1850 was 13.84 degrees Celsius (C) which is 56.91 Fahrenheit (F). To figure the equivalency: multiply by 9 and divide by 5, then add 32. This does not mean that was the temperature every day, every place. Even when we look at a graph showing the annual temperature each year, the annual average goes up and down like a bouncing ball, with no clear direction – until about 1980. Since then there is no question. It shows a decidedly upward trend.