The Durango City Council called for tough action on climate change recently, along with many other snow lovers – ranging from athletes to local governments.
The councilors signed a letter delivered to the Environmental Protection Agency’s office in Denver, supporting tough regulations for power plants.
“We support the ski area and are concerned about any environmental impacts that would damage Purgatory,” Mayor Sweetie Marbury said.
The EPA’s proposed new rules for coal-fired power plants would cut carbon pollution 30 percent nationwide by 2030.
The rule would allow states to choose how to cut the use of coal by expanding renewable energy and improving efficiency.
The letter campaign that councilors joined was started by Snowriders International, and it specifically addressed the concerns of ski towns and winter sports lovers.
“Global warming is no longer a threat for the distant future – its impacts can be seen today on mountain slopes across the world,” the letter read.
The letter went on to address the economic risk that climate change might pose.
Similar concerns were voiced by officials at the Colorado Association of Ski Towns meeting, Marbury said. Many are looking to beef up their summer offerings.
“They are concerned about the economics of dwindling snow,” she said.
If the rule is approved, Colorado is in a good position to develop solar and wind energy and meet the EPA’s expectations, Councilor Dick White said.
These steps are important to help address what he called “the most serious issue of our time.”
