Just a note - today's episode touches on themes of depression and suicide.

Ten years ago, Colorado writer Becky Jensen’s life seemed great. She was raising two sons and engaged to be married. Yet, she was struggling quietly with depression and thoughts of suicide – although she didn't know why.

Hoping to find clarity, Becky decided to take a bold step: She shouldered a backpack and set out to hike all 500 miles of the Colorado Trail on her own. Along the way, she confronted dangers in the wilderness – and her own feelings of low self-worth and repressed trauma.

What began for her as an escape turned into a journey toward healing and, ultimately, a newly published memoir called No Man’s Land: Unpacking One Woman’s Worth on the Colorado Trail.

Becky joined Erin O'Toole to talk about her experience, and what led to her taking this unusual step toward self-discovery.

Becky will present a book talk and slide show at Wolverine Farm Publick House in Fort Collins on Thursday, April 9. And she’ll join Colorado Trail legend David Fanning at Old Firehouse Books (Fort Collins) for conversation on May 14. Find more upcoming author events at her website.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Steam powers much of the modern world. It drove the Industrial Revolution, and is still widely used to generate electricity, to sterilize equipment used in food production and medicine, and to heat and cool large buildings.

However, the traditional method of making steam hasn’t changed in more than 150 years. It involves burning fossil fuels like coal or natural gas to heat water in a boiler – a process which creates harmful emissions.

Which is why Todd Bandhauer felt that the old way was long overdue for an upgrade. He's a professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University, and co-founder and chief technical officer of a CSU spinoff company called AtmosZero.

He recently helped develop a method that uses heat from the air, rather than from burning gas or fossil fuels, to make steam generation cleaner. And Bandhauer thinks it could be transformative for manufacturing cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, heating college campuses, and brewing beer.

Bandhauer was recently named to the Time 100 Climate list, which recognizes innovations in clean energy.

He joined Erin O’Toole last November to talk about why making cleaner steam could be transformative for manufacturing around the world – and how it’s already being used at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins. We’re listening back to that conversation today.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Climate change in Colorado isn’t just an abstract idea. We can see the effects now.

Cities have already imposed summer watering limits. Snowpack is at record lows, and some ski resorts are closing early this season. Governor Jared Polis recently activated the state's drought task force with a warning that Colorado is in the middle of its warmest year on record.

Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth recently wrote a piece exploring ten visible signs that climate change is happening now in Colorado – including the challenges farmers are facing, and how drought is affecting Colorado’s iconic Ponderosa pine forests.

Michael spoke with Erin O'Toole about why he set out to write the story, and why some experts are hopeful about possible solutions.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.