Mayor John Hickenlooper hopes that in five years, Denver will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and vehicles. It’s a goal that all Denverites should embrace and an example other metro cities ought to emulate.
With annual greenhouse gas emissions up 24 percent in Denver between 1990 and 2005, Hickenlooper last week unveiled an action plan to slow down emissions by the year 2012. It focuses on increasing energy efficiency in the government, corporate and residential sectors.
Citizens will have a chance to weigh in on the plan at community forums this summer. The goal is to put Denver on track to become a greener, healthier city by reducing the city’s share of the greenhouse gas emissions that most scientists believe are contributing to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere. A primary contributor is the burning of fossil fuels.
The suggested plan was the conclusion of eight months of data analysis and study by Hickenlooper’s Greenprint Denver Advisory Council, a 34-member group of officials, environmentalists, business leaders and citizens. A key part of the study was expert analysis of Denver’s “carbon footprint” and what contributes to it.
The proposed greenprint plan gives all of us a chance to participate. It lays out 15 recommendations for simple things individuals can do, from shutting down computers when not in use to recycling, taking shorter showers and using compact fluorescent light bulbs. It would be nice to see Congress pass fuel efficiency standards to reduce vehicle emissions, one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases. But changing types of light bulbs and taking other easy steps can be the equivalent of taking millions of cars off the road.
If we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we ought to start working on the problem ourselves. (Citizens can calculate their emissions and potential savings at www.greenprintdenver.org.)
The city is also planning to do its share. The plan calls for increasing residential recycling by 50 percent. As city vehicles age, they will be replaced by more energy-efficient models. Light bulbs in city buildings are being changed and stoplights converted to more efficient LEDs. City employees are being urged to increase mass transit use by 10 percent in a year. The plan also suggests studying measures to increase the energy efficiency of commercial buildings and homes, and considering tiered utility rates that would encourage conservation.
It’s a good start toward a worthwhile goal.
