A diplomat from the Netherlands came to Colorado last week to discuss world affairs with me.
Some might consider that a sign of the apocalypse, and they may not be far off.
Peter Potman, whose official title is counselor for the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is one of several diplomats to escape the dead zone of Washington, D.C., this summer and travel to select states to meet with leaders who are trying to act instead of simply arguing problems to death.
One of those states is Colorado, a place that used to be renowned for tax-cutting measures designed to return public institutions to the Stone Age.
Back then, Colorado was flyover territory.
Not anymore.
Potman, who had a tight schedule of meetings with the governor’s policy director, University of Denver officials, political advisers from Focus on the Family and me, came “to engage in public diplomacy.”
“I’m not selling cheese,” he said.
Colorado’s star is rising internationally because it is viewed as a symbol of the New West, an example of a new political dynamic in America and, not just incidentally, because it will host the Democratic National Convention next year.
“The governor’s office here is vibrant,” Potman said, which is more than anybody can say for things going on inside the Beltway.
Gov. Bill Ritter’s spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said the key issues Potman discussed with Ritter’s policy gurus were the state’s initiatives on renewable energy, health care, transportation and education.
“They came to talk about how we’re pushing to resolve these issues without waiting for the federal government to act,” Dreyer said.
That the Dutch give a flying poffertje about U.S. domestic problems may seem absurd, but as Potman pointed out, when the U.S. hiccups, the rest of the world feels the jolt. It’s in everybody’s best interest to confront the paralysis in the nation’s leadership.
“Health care, education, immigration – all these problems are global problems and the solutions require global cooperation,” Potman said.
Now, while chatting up Ritter’s staff about health care is nice, clearly the development that has captured international attention is the state’s rush into renewable energy.
For the Netherlands, literally awash in rising seas from global warming, this is nothing less than a matter of survival.
If Colorado’s efforts could be replicated around the world, it would be huge for the Dutch, who are on track to reduce CO2 emissions nationwide by 30 percent by 2020.
“The Dutch prefer a multinational approach,” Potman said. “We can work very hard over decades to reduce emissions only to have it offset by one year’s growth in China. Everyone needs to help.”
In passing Amendment 37 in 2004, Colorado voters were the first in the nation to mandate renewable-energy standards and require utilities to produce a minimum of 20 percent of power from renewable sources by 2020. For Europeans, this was seen as a breakthrough.
So rather than sitting in D.C. listening to utility CEOs tell Congress why they must be allowed to burn more coal blah, blah, blah to keep their shareholders fat and happy blah, blah, Potman came to Denver, where he thought he might get something done.
Dreyer said he’s hardly the first. A few months ago, the prime minister of Sweden met with Ritter to discuss renewable-energy projects. Meetings with Danish officials resulted in the location in Windsor of the first North American manufacturing plant for Vestas Blades, a $6.2 million facility that will create 462 jobs and produce state-of-the-art equipment for wind-power generation.
Potman made it clear that Dutch investors also are looking for business opportunities.
“We’re the third-largest investor in the U.S.,” he said. “Alternative sources of energy are a big thing in Colorado, and we invest a lot of money in that field in the Netherlands.
“It’s our experience that it saves money and creates economic growth as well.”
Exactly.
Now everybody who voted for Amendment 37, take a bow.
It’s all you, baby.
Diane Carman’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Reach her at 303-954-1489 or dcarman@denverpost.com.
