As manager of the Durango Farmers Market and on behalf of the local agriculture community here in Durango, I want to thank Gov. Hickenlooper and his administration for the opportunity to comment on the Clean Power Plan at the recent local hearing. The Clean Power Plan is our best chance right now not only to do the right thing when it comes to taking action around climate change contributors, but also protect our local food economy across Colorado.

With increasingly severe droughts across the West and changing weather patterns everywhere, conditions are getting harder for farmers to plan for their growing seasons and maintain a sustainable livelihood. Time is of the essence, and there has never been a better opportunity for Colorado to take strong steps toward addressing climate change with real action.

The Clean Power Plan is a good policy toward mandating real action, plain and simple. Because of our state’s former investments in clean energy, we’re already most of the way toward meeting the goal of the program – a 30 percent reduction in carbon pollution from coal plants in Colorado by 2030. Given our progress, we shouldn’t stop there – we need a state plan that transitions us from coal to renewables such as wind and solar, not more natural-gas production that gobbles up farmland without regard for the next generation. We need to ask ourselves, how can we make sure Colorado stays livable and healthy?

Supporting the Clean Power Plan is probably the easiest and one of the most effective ways that we can be part of the solution when it comes to averting climate disaster. Thank you to everyone who’s come out in the past few weeks, including The Durango Herald, to support the Clean Power Plan. This common-sense plan can go a long way toward supporting the longevity of our food system, creating new jobs and positively contributing to the health of our communities. I’m glad our governor is taking a stand to do what’s right when it comes to climate change, and I hope you will join us.

Cody Reinheimer

Durango