Editor:

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s nominations of climate-deniers like Scott Pruitt to cabinet positions, it is imperative that state leaders take climate action into their own hands through the implementation of programs in line with the goals of the Clean Power Plan, which calls for a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions from the power sector by 2030.

Gov. Hickenlooper’s abandonment of his executive order to require a one-third cut of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants is unacceptable. Hickenlooper cited “collateral damage” as the primary cause of the executive order’s dissolution. The collateral damage that Colorado will experience from climate change is a far greater threat. This is no way to maintain Colorado’s status as a “national leader in fighting air pollution.”

Now is not the time to buckle under pressure. Colorado, as well as the rest of the country, requires strong leadership and policies that focus exclusively on clean, renewable energy.

Emma SpettEnvironmentColorado.org