Published in the Boulder Daily Camera on December 31st, 2025

“Vast swaths of the ponderosa pine forests that blanket Colorado’s Front Range mountains could turn rust-colored and die over the next five years.”  – Daily Camera front page story.

Let’s connect three dots and take action: (1) The die-offs will be caused by beetles. But, as the article continues, (2) “continuous warmer temperatures and drought — conditions made more likely by climate change — have sapped otherwise healthy trees’ defenses to the beetles.” (3) Over 97% of scientists agree that humans are causing climate change primarily through the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel companies have known this connection between their product and climate change since at least the 1970s. 

Connecting these three dots makes it clear that it’s high time to do what we should have done years earlier. We should begin to transition to a better future by banning new oil and gas drilling. Such a ban could allow for continued pumping from existing wells but would phase out modifications to those thousands of wells through re-drilling or deepening. Unused drilling permits would expire. Previous operators of orphaned wells would have to pay more to hasten state cleanup efforts. 

So, when you start to see our beautiful front-range trees turning brown, think “fossil fuels are doing this.” And then contact your legislator and the governor and ask them to phase out fossil fuel drilling, so you can also think: “I’m doing something to change it.”

Chris Hoffman, Boulder