The Brink: Stories of Environmental, Social and Economic Justice

The Brink is a radio storytelling project about what is needed to transition to a more just environment and society, which tells stories of inequality, struggle and transformation. The word “brink” has dual meaning: that which exists at the margins and a critical turning point. The Brink is a project of Assistant Professor David Ciplet’s graduate course Power, Justice and Climate Change in the Environmental Studies Program at CU Boulder, in partnership with KGNU and the Just Transition Collaborative. Listen to the series from winter 2018 here.

Fracking Along Colorado’s Northern Front Range  

By Heather Sackett

Colorado’s Northern Front Range has experienced a boom in hydraulic fracturing over the past decade. Known as “fracking,” hydraulic fracturing is a way of extracting oil and natural gas from underground rock by injecting pressurized liquid into it. Much of the boom has been concentrated in Weld County, which is the number one producer of oil and gas in the state. This has led to fracking wells and drilling rigs popping up amid the new suburban housing developments of the small town of Erie, which straddles Weld and Boulder counties.

Listen to Fracking Along Colorado’s Northern Front Range:

 

Garment Workers Wages: The Real Cost of Fast Fashion

By Ana Bogusky  

We all wear clothes, but the fashion industry’s “fast fashion” model is unsustainable. Garment workers, in any country, may face inequalities and injustices as they work long hours for little pay. Activists Dominique Mueller and Elizabeth Cline are working to build awareness and improve conditions. Listen as they explain how complex the issue is, and a worker tells us just how low their hourly wages can be.

Listen to Garment Workers Wages: The Real Cost of Fast Fashion

 

Environmental Racism in Denver Schools: Examining the Air Quality Gap

By Cristal Cisneros, Grace Carlin & Kelsey Tayne 

In this story, we look at an issue of environmental injustice in Denver. Many students attending schools in Denver that serve predominantly students of color are exposed to poor air quality on a daily basis. This has serious health implications for students at these schools. This issue is connected to histories of racism and segregation, through practices such as redlining.

 

Listen to Environmental Racism in Denver Schools: Examining the Air Quality Gap:

 

Equitable Access to Public Land on the Front Range

By T. J. McLemore and Hunter Meldman

Colorado’s front range boasts a stunning amount of public land and open space. But these spaces are not equally accessible and welcoming to all residents of the region. In this story, we explore how organizations like Denver’s CityWILD and Boulder’s El Centro Amistad are acting to remedy barriers to inclusivity and access to public land.

 

 

 

 

Listen to: Equitable Access to Public Land on the Front Range

 

 

Change is Coming in the Far North

By Alexandra Michell and Jenna Sampson

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a 20 million acre expanse of land on Alaska’s North Slope. It is home to the Inupiat village of Kaktovik and the breeding grounds of the Porcupine Caribou, the primary food source for another Native group, the Gwich’in people. As the Trump administration pushes legislation to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge up to drilling, the Gwich’in people express concern for their well-being and culture, while some Inupiat people of Kaktovik support drilling for the potential economic benefits it may bring. But the debate is not black and white, and legislation is live in Congress now to protect the Refuge from drilling.

 

Listen to Change is Coming in the Far North: