After reading Saturday’s column titled “Trump steamrolls the West” (Sept. 29) about weakening federal methane regulations, I reflected more on how this national issue specifically impacts our community.
It’s clear we need to do everything possible to address climate change. The town of Durango runs on tourism. Many businesses rely on visitors’ desires to take part in outdoor recreation. This past year, the effects of climate change began to hit close to home: an abnormally dry winter, the 416 wildfire, and river-altering mudslides.
I work in outdoor recreation as a ski instructor, raft guide and horse wrangler. I witnessed how many tourists were turned off by their experiences in both winter and summer. Visitors don’t want to return to raft on a river that runs black with ash and smells of dead fish, ski on a ribbon of man-made snow or walk around streets dense with smoke. Friends in the restaurant industry lamented how quiet it was this summer compared to summers past, and I won’t even begin to discuss lost revenue due to the train.
If we allow the federal government to weaken its methane emission safeguards, we won’t be doing enough to combat climate change. I am concerned that what we experienced this year will become the new normal, and may even get worse. Is this what we want? If you have a stake in our community, I urge you to submit a public comment on the rollback of the EPA methane rule! Our local economy depends on it!
Dominique Edgerly
Durango
