Header image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
Climate disaster is upon us, and it has never been more apparent. Climate Disasters Awareness Week, from Jan. 26 to Jan. 30, calls attention to the scale of the crisis caused by polluters’ reckless actions and the amount of money that those actions have cost Colorado.
According to the Colorado Fiscal Institute’s Clearing the Air report, Colorado has already paid up to $50 billion since 1980 on climate-caused disasters, including wildfires, flooding, droughts, and severe storms. These disasters are largely caused by global climate change, a consequence of the wide-scale extraction and burning of fossil fuels.
However, the pollution from oil and gas production in Colorado alone is projected to cost more than $13 billion between 2020 and 2030. Despite this, the oil and gas industry makes up only 3.3% of the state’s GDP.
According to statistics from the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), it is estimated that between 1980 and 2022, Colorado has experienced 63 climate-related disasters costing $1 billion or more. The rate of these events appears to be accelerating: 52 of those have happened since 2000, and 38 have happened since 2010.
In 2025 alone, we have had the Horse Draw Fire, burning 750 acres of grass, sagebrush, pinyon, and juniper; the Hilltop Fire, burning about 325 acres; the South Rim Fire, burning 4,227 acres at an estimated $6.2 million loss; the Turner Gulch Fire, burning 31,699 acres and costing at least $1.8 million; and the Lee Fire, burning more than 100,000 acres, the fifth largest in the state’s history. In addition to the money spent containing the fires, these disasters caused mass evacuations and property destruction, and wildfire smoke contributed to worsening air pollution for the average Coloradan. Wildfires and extreme weather events will only continue to increase and continue to cost our state money.
Oil and gas production has far-reaching consequences, beyond natural disasters, that also cost Coloradans. Extracting fossil fuels requires huge amounts of land. This also impacts agriculture, as extreme weather events cause damage to crops, lessen soil quality, and contribute to water scarcity. In the Gunnison Basin, water quality and quantity have fallen. Aridification poses a grave threat to agricultural crops, while heat stress harms workers and animals. Money will be required in order to protect our land and food sources.
Colorado’s recreational economy has been hit hard by climate change as well. This year, the state experienced one of our longest streaks without snow in decades, surpassing 210 days without snow, making it the sixth-longest recorded streak in history. Climate change is contributing to declining snowpack, altering freeze and thaw patterns, and disrupting water levels, all of which impacts Colorado’s ski industry. In a study in the journal Current Issues in Tourism, researchers found that average ski seasons between 2000 and 2019 “have shortened between 5.5 and 7.1 days” compared to the seasons between 1960 and 1979. Furthermore, the study found climate change has cost the ski industry an estimated $5 billion due to, among other causes, fewer visitors and an increased cost to make snow.
These are just some of the impacts felt by Colorado due to oil and gas production. Polluters have caused massive damage, costing billions of dollars, while the average Coloradan suffers for it.
Unfortunately, our national leaders are unwilling to even acknowledge the climate crisis as fact. But at the local level, we can still work to hold polluters accountable for their actions. We can make meaningful change in our state and work to fix the harm done to both Colorado’s people and the environment.
To adapt our state to rising temperatures and extreme weather, we will need to spend money on cooling centers, fire prevention and firefighting, infrastructure repair, and strengthening our electric grid to withstand extreme weather, among many other innovative climate solutions.
Colorado is in the middle of a budget crisis, which has been exacerbated by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) making it extremely difficult to raise funds or increase taxes, meaning we will need to find creative ways to raise the money required to adapt to our changing future.
Our local and state governments need to recognize the need to plan ahead and protect our state from future climate related disasters by holding oil and gas producers accountable. During Climate Disasters Awareness Week, climate organizers from 350 Colorado and other groups will be holding an exhibit in the State Capitol Foyer to call attention to this issue. Locals, legislators and civilians alike, should attend to seek deeper understanding on the impacts of climate disaster on our state.
Awareness is the first step towards making a difference and protecting our state and future generations. After that, the work begins.
Mackenzie Owens works for the Colorado Department of Law as a grants specialist. In her free time, she volunteers for 350 Colorado, Warren Village, and other nonprofits around Denver.
