Thank you to The Durango Herald for your article “What does climate change mean for Chapman Hill?” (Jan. 13).
It is a smart move on the city’s part to reconsider large investments in our little ski area given the projected decline in our state’s snowpack and stream flow. Climate change threatens all of Colorado’s future ski and snowboarding industry.
Colorado’s climate has already warmed by 2 degrees over the last 30 years, according to a state commissioned study. Colorado’s future forecast: increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves, reduced snowpack, reduced water availability and increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires. These impacts affect Colorado’s agriculture and human health, costing jobs and tourism dollars.
It’s not fun to face the facts of what we are up against. Our future may include many more difficult decision. Scientists tell us we need to move away from business as usual, because our current carbon consumption is leading us beyond a tolerable average temperature increase.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the worldwide body of respected scientists who are experts, say we have 10 years to change our carbon consumption patterns before the damage is so extensive that it’s impossible to reverse in our lifetimes or even our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
The longer we wait to enact national climate policy, the harder our climate will be to address – like waiting to put out a wildfire until its size is so large it becomes near impossible to contain.
We cannot weather climate change inaction.
Susan AtkinsonDurango
