Dear Editor,
Sadly, residents of Colorado’s mountain towns have already experienced many of the consequences of a changing climate—droughts, fires, floods, mud slides and more.
The question becomes what can be done.
The climate crisis is a global problem, but everyone can help. On a personal front, if you have the resources – investing in clean technologies like well-insulated homes and businesses, solar panels, home batteries, electric vehicles and heat pumps – this helps reduce carbon emissions and sets an example for others.
Not everyone can afford large investments, but everyone can make their voice heard to their local and state elected officials—and this helps a lot. When residents and elected officials from Colorado’s mountain towns speak out, it carries a lot of weight in state matters.
Individuals who care about climate change are encouraged to join (at no cost) the Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate—a coalition of over 40 groups and many individual allies--by writing info@colivableclimate.org.
It is also very helpful to see if your community is part of Colorado Communities for Climate Action (known as CC4CA) which brings the voices of local governments to bear on the climate and energy issues facing our state and country. If your community has not joined CC4CA, see if you can get them to take that step.
Importantly, electricity is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions so try to learn what your electric supplier is doing to get cleaner electricity and reduce carbon emissions. If Xcel is your electricity supplier, let them know that you want them to move even faster. Currently Xcel plans to continue burning coal at the big Unit 3 coal plant in Pueblo (the one Xcel calls “Comanche 3”) until January 1, 2031. Pueblo gets the pollution, including particulates, acid gases and heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury, but almost none of the electricity. That’s not fair!
It is unconscionable to be burning coal in the 21st century—and even worse, Xcel is earning significant profits from this big, polluting coal plant. It costs Xcel’s customers over $100 million a year to keep the Unit 3 coal plant in Pueblo operating. That money is quite literally going up the smokestack when it could be better spent building a low-carbon, reliable 21st century electrical system, including local solar and storage that can be relied on when the “big grid” goes down.
If you don’t want your energy dollars going up the smokestack at the Pueblo Unit 3 coal plant, tell your local Xcel representative and write boardofdirectors@xcelenergy.com.
Addressing the climate crisis will take everyone’s help. Do what you can to make your voice heard and avoid leaving an even greater problem for future generations.
Leslie Glustrom
Boulder
Leslie Glustrom is trained as a scientist but has spent the last 20 years working on climate and energy issues. She is part of several Colorado climate and energy groups and is a spokesperson for the Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate. She can be reached at 720-341-3154 cell or http://cleanenergyaction.org/ .
