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In 2021, Colorado’s governor declared March 20 “MeatOut” day and asked citizens to forgo eating meat for one day to bring awareness to the environmental impacts of such consumption. The day was met with little interest in the state’s urban areas. In rural communities the reaction was outrage.
Many rural parts of the state viewed the day as a direct attack on not only agriculture, which is the state’s second-largest contributor to its GDP, but on the rural way of life. Policy scholar Kayla Gabehart, a sixth-generation Coloradan raised in rural Elbert County, explores this urban-rural chasm through MeatOut and two other divisive events – the appointment of a vegan and animal rights activist to the state veterinary board and a program to reintroduce wolves to the state.
Through interviews with dozens of residents of rural Colorado, Gabehart captures a broader national dynamic that helps explain the dissatisfaction with the country’s political system and President Donald Trump’s popularity in rural America.
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Many rural Americans feel largely left out of American culture.
Helen H. Richardson/Getty Images
Kayla Gabehart, Michigan Technological University
Colorado’s governor declared a no-eating-meat day that sparked outrage in the state’s rural communities.
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Environment + Energy
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Pedro DiNezio, University of Colorado Boulder; Timothy Shanahan, The University of Texas at Austin
The drought has been linked to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a natural climate pattern. A new study finds global warming is now influencing that natural phenomenon.
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Alton C. Byers, University of Colorado Boulder; Suzanne OConnell, Wesleyan University
Suicide Basin, an ice-dammed lake on an arm of Mendenhall Glacier, has filled up with meltwater and sent destructive surges of water into Juneau for 3 straight summers.
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Politics + Society
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James M. Thomas, University of Mississippi
How do white Southerners think about their racial status in a world that is scrutinizing white advantages? Researchers found people across the political spectrum grappling with what being white means.
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William L. Iggiagruk Hensley, University of Alaska Anchorage
An Alaskan former politician and Native rights activist explains how Alaska came to be American – and what that meant for the state’s Native population.
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Science + Technology
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Christine Picard, Indiana University; Hector Rosche-Flores, Indiana University
Considering how easily bird flu swept through chicken farms, it’s clear that domestication has downsides. Lessons from the past paired with modern genomic technology can help with farming insects.
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Robin Brewer, University of Michigan
Over half of older adults report using AI, but many also struggle with trusting the technology.
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Ethics + Religion
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Ilana Horwitz, Tulane University; Jenny Small, Brandeis University
College students need to learn how to talk about religion with people of different faiths, two scholars write.
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Education
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Brendan Cantwell, Michigan State University
Harvard University is the latest school that is nearing an expensive settlement with the Trump administration. The different deals are complex, but share a few similarities.
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Economy + Business
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Andrew A. Schwartz, University of Colorado Boulder
The law requires crowdfunded startups to report back to investors. The reality? Most don’t.
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