Climate change poses a very real threat to Colorado – to our lifestyle and our business climate. Curiously, the voices of affected businesses have been surprisingly muted.
There was an exception last week, when the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization reported on global warming’s regional effects. The authors included scientists from the universities of Colorado, Arizona, Washington and California and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. But the organization got support not only from mainstream environmental groups, other nonprofits and governments such as Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Fort Collins and Summit County. It also gets backing from Aspen Skiing Co., Wright Water Engineers, Roche pharmaceutical’s Colorado unit, Westcliffe Publishers, Wild Oats Markets, New Belgium Brewing, Domani LLC and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union.
Water is Colorado’s most limited yet crucial natural resource, but it arrives mostly as snow. That pattern influences everything from how farmers plan to how cities build and tap reservoirs. The report’s very name underscores the concern: “Less Snow, Less Water: Climate Disruption in the West.”
The report cited some of the most likely effects global warming will have on our region: More moisture will fall as rain and less as snow. The snow that does fall will melt earlier. There will be severe droughts. Many Colorado ski resorts are in the upper Colorado River or upper Rio Grande River basins, but average temperatures were higher in the most recent five years than in the previous century by 2.1 degrees in the upper Colorado River and 2.5 degrees in the upper Rio Grande. The warming was greatest in January, February and March.
But to date, when private enterprise has been heard in the global warming debate, it’s largely been the voice of the fossil fuels industries. Only recently have other businesses begun to speak up.
Three years ago the Lakewood-based National Ski Areas Association started a “Keep Winter Cool” educational program, but frankly its materials soft-peddle the issue. Colorado resorts should fret over global warming’s potential to melt our state’s competitive edge in luring European skiers.
Denver Water’s chief executive, Chips Barry, has become outspoken. In the past, the state’s largest water provider could make plans believing that future weather patterns would look much like they did in the past. Climate change may invalidate that assumption, he says. Colorado businesses need to be more active in discussions about climate impact. Business backing for last week’s report was a good start.
