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Warmer temperatures also have an impact on water levels because they��decrease snowpack in the mountains. “In the future, a lot of the moisture that falls as snow will fall as rain,” Kerwin says, “and by midcentury, the snowpack could be reduced by 30-50 percent.” That��lessening snowpack will affect not only Colorado, but also California and other southwestern states that get their water from the Colorado River basin.

Despite these negative consequences, Kerwin says it’s important to have a measured response to the findings. “The point of the report is just presenting data to explain that it’s getting warmer," he says. "Thankfully, we can find ways to be more sustainable and to make better choices. But the reality is that this type of climate change is already happening and will continue to happen.”

To that end, ����ֱ�� has undertaken a number of sustainability initiatives��to reduce its carbon footprint, resulting in a 27 percent decrease since 2006. Reducing the consumption of certain products has��also contributed to ����ֱ��’s effort��in combating warming trends in Colorado. For example, Chad King, the university’s sustainability coordinator says that between 2006 and 2014, paper purchases were down more than 123 tons.

Other reductions that��help offset ����ֱ��’s carbon footprint come from recycling and composting and greater use of public transit and bicycles for commuting. Much of ����ֱ��’s effort is coordinated out of the��Center for Sustainability, with the vision and help of the student-, staff- and faculty-led��Sustainability Council.