Michael Fanelli
Climate Desk ReporterMichael Fanelli is the inaugural reporter for Aspen Public Radio’s Climate Desk. He moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in June 2025, after living and working in two very different parts of Alaska. A Southern California local, he got his start in public radio at KCRW in Santa Monica.
At Alaska Public Media in Anchorage, he hosted the statewide morning news and reported on stories ranging from glacier tourism and EV’s to a bagel oasis. Michael was most recently the news director of KRBD in Ketchikan, where he covered local issues like homeless services and kelp entrepreneurship, plus an occasional bizarre story about imitation totem poles. His work has been recognized on several occasions by the Alaska Press Club, including an environmental reporting award for a story about federally funded heat pumps.
Michael is excited to live in a place with a little more sun and a lot less rain. Say hi if you bump into him while exploring the natural beauty of the Western Slope.
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The voluntary energy self-assessments will help identify homes with the best opportunities to reduce carbon pollution. It’s part of the town’s plan to bring all buildings to net-zero by 2050. -
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced Friday that it found no new evidence to conflict with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office’s original determination of suicide. CBI has been conducting an independent review of the 2005 case since September. -
A group of Western Slope counties has completed research into the viability of opening a sustainable aviation fuel plant. They determined it wouldn’t be cost competitive, based on current technology. -
The Rocky Mountain Institute is a “think and do tank” with roots in the Roaring Fork Valley, working to facilitate climate solutions around the world. CEO Jon Creyts says renewable energy is affordable and reliable, and that most countries are racing to adopt it. This story is part of our “On the Ground” radio series. -
Cold nights are important for preserving snowpack and making snow at ski resorts. Climate change is affecting both. -
The school district is testing the feasibility of a geothermal field to heat and cool its three schools. If successful, it could expand the thermal energy network beyond its campus. -
Building owners will either have to install solar panels or batteries to offset emissions from outdoor amenities or pay a fee to the county. The Exterior Energy Offset Program disincentivizes energy-intensive outdoor luxuries, reinvesting the fees in local climate initiatives. -
Reducir las emisiones de metano podría ser lo que necesitamos para desacelerar el calentamiento global, dijo Jacquelyn Francis, fundadora de Climate Curve. El nuevo premio se otorgará a proyectos que mitiguen las emisiones de este potente gas de efecto invernadero procedente de la agricultura y los sistemas de residuos. -
Ronan Donovan spoke on Tuesday as part of the Wheeler Opera House’s Changemaker series. He says humans are part of the natural world, and restoring our relationships to animals like wolves will make us happier and healthier. -
Curbing methane emissions could be the “parachute” needed to slow global warming, said Jacquelyn Francis, founder of Climate Curve. The new prize will be awarded to projects that mitigate emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from agriculture and waste systems.
