Like many of us in Colorado, I have built my life around my passion for the outdoors. I feel lucky to be able to make a living helping others enjoy everything Colorado has to offer, and I am looking forward to another exceptional ski season here in the San Juans.
After skiing, climbing and guiding on multiple continents and all over the U.S., it is clear to me Colorado is second to none in its potential to provide our communities and millions of tourists with a once-in-a-lifetime experience to enjoy unrivaled beauty. Unfortunately, that beauty and the economic benefits it attracts each year are under threat.
Climate change may well be the most formidable challenge we’ve faced on both a local and national level. Colorado – and our Southwest corner in particular – has already begun to experience the impacts of climate change in the form of volatile snowpack levels, destructive wildfires and displaced wildlife. According to the National Climate Assessment released last year, Colorado and the Southwest can expect even more heat waves, more extreme and sustained droughts, and poorer air and water quality in the decades ahead.
Those of us who rely on the land and local tourism to sustain our livelihoods know that less snow and poor air quality is a big threat to our bottom lines. With the tourism industry being a top money-maker and job-creator for our state, Colorado has a lot to lose if climate change goes unchecked. But thankfully, Colorado is poised and ready to protect our communities from climate change with a new national program – the Clean Power Plan.
This past August, the Obama Administration finalized the Clean Power Plan, which sets the first-ever standards in the U.S. for reducing carbon pollution from power plants. Power plants are responsible for 40 percent of our country’s carbon pollution, so these new standards are our best shot at addressing climate change on a national level.
In respect for the role of local communities, the Clean Power Plan also gives states the opportunity to design their own plan to reduce emissions, so we can take into account our unique economy and interests. If Colorado commits to a bold state plan to meet the Clean Power Plan, we can make meaningful progress toward ensuring that our snowpack, rivers and forests are here for many generations to come.
As the owner of a small business and an outdoor recreationalist, I feel particularly motivated to ensure Colorado implements a strong state plan to reduce our carbon pollution. Not only will swift action help ensure my business stays afloat, it will also spur innovation and accelerate the development of clean, affordable energy across our state. That means a stronger, more resilient economy for all of us, and thousands of new, lucrative American jobs that our small towns need.
Now is the time to show support for Gov. Hickenlooper as he builds our state program. The Clean Power Plan is exactly the kind of forward-thinking, outside-the-box measures we need to address our most pressing issues. Please join me in supporting a state plan that goes above and beyond to protect Colorado.
Josh Kling is the owner and lead guide for Kling Mountain Guides, LLC in Durango. Reach him at josh@klingmountainguides.com or 259-1708.
