Representatives from two government bodies and two energy-related organizations will join a panel next week to discuss ways to protect the planet.
Mark Schwantes, manager of corporate services at La Plata Electric Association; Gregg Dubit, executive director of 4CORE (Four Corners Office of Resource Efficiency); Amber Blake, multimodal transportation coordinator for the city of Durango; and Susan Hakanson, an administrative analyst with La Plata County, will discuss issues at the meeting organized by the League of Women Voters of La Plata County.
The League’s effort is part of a climate change initiative sponsored by the national League of Women Voters, said Deanna Collins with the organization’s environmental energy sustainability committee.
Collins also is co-chairwoman of the local climate change initiative committee.
The list of goals of the national League includes reducing greenhouse gases, promoting a clean-energy economy and helping Third World countries tackle climate change.
Global warming is one of the more serious threats facing the nation, Collins said.
“We interviewed eight organizations in La Plata County about what they are doing as part of our local climate-change initiative,” Collins said. “We chose four to participate on the panel.”
The interviewees included the Fort Lewis College Environmental Center, the city of Durango’s sustainability coordinator, the Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado and the San Juan Citizens Alliance in addition to the four chosen.
Hakanson said she’ll talk about La Plata County practices and policies that have to do with sustainability and green programs.
“We have an internal Energy Management and Resource Conservation Team,” Hakanson said. “Our goals are cost savings and energy-savings management.”
Schwantes will discuss renewable-energy credits of $350 per kilowatt that are available to people who install renewable-energy systems. The credits come from LPEA.
He also will talk about commercial lighting upgrades, green-power purchases and solar-voltaic systems.
Dubit is scheduled to talk about the savings in energy and money realized by homes and businesses in Southwest Colorado by turning to alternative sources of energy and engaging in energy-efficient programs.
4CORE is trying to motivate residents – with financial incentives – to do more for the environment by getting an energy audit in their home or business or by joining the Solarize La Plata project that aims at getting 100 households to install photovoltaic solar systems.
daler@durangoherald.com
If you go
“Working to Protect the Planet,” panel discussion sponsored by the League of Women Voters, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.
