Forty years ago, millions of students gathered on campuses across the nation for the first Earth Day, a series of rallies, teach-ins, and other activities that happened to coincide with the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. But in these political touchy times of controversy surrounding the reality of global warming, the chances for such monumental policy on climate seems hazy, points out the Los Angeles Times.

Still, change can come in smaller packages, such as the kickoff of Denver B-cycle, which 5280’s Cheap Thrills blog points out as being “the first large-scale municipal system of its kind in the nation.” Definitely good for the environment.

And in Boulder, swimmers at the East Boulder Community Center and the South Boulder Recreation Center learned that a new system will warm pool water using solar power, writes the Daily Camera.

Meanwhile, the University of Colorado-Boulder has won more national recognition in the Princeton Review’s latest guide to “green colleges” across the nation, along with 285 others, including Colorado State University and Colorado College, the only school in the state to make the Review’s “Green Honor Roll,” notes the Denver Business Journal.