News Release: Hickenlooper, Others Launch Colorado Climate Project

Denver, August 24, 2006 -- At a news conference in the offices of Denver Water, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Lakewood Mayor Steve Burkholder, and others this morning announced a new project to bring together public and private leaders and organizations from across Colorado to develop an action plan to reduce the state's contribution and vulnerability to a climate disrupted by human activities.

"State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofits are leading the way on addressing climate change," said Hickenlooper. "Here in Colorado, we are working collaboratively with leaders from the public and private sectors to develop an action agenda on climate change to leave a legacy of economic opportunity, environmental health, and genuine sustainability for future generations."

Burkholder said, "What an economic opportunity! What an environmental opportunity that we have! In Colorado we have the natural resources, the expertise, and the worforce to move forward in the utilization of energy efficient methods. Now is the time to take concurrent paths that use what we have and what is possible."

The Colorado Climate Project, a program of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, is being led by six project directors. Hickenlooper, Burkholder, and Mayor Doug Hutchinson of Fort Collins represent three of Colorado's five largest cities. The other project directors are Tom Long, a Summit County commissioner; Gail Klapper, director of the Colorado Forum, a statewide group of business leaders; and Al Yates, former president of Colorado State University.

The project directors will shortly appoint a blue-ribbon panel of about 30 public and private leaders to develop a Colorado climate agenda of recommended actions that can be taken by the state government, local governments, water providers, and the private sector to reduce emissions of heat-trapping pollutants and to prepare for the effects of a changed climate. Co-chairs of the panel will include Eric Kuhn, general manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District; Dan McClendon, manager of the Delta-Montrose Electric Association; and a third person to be named later.

Yates said, "We in Colorado could wait for other states to do enough to keep our state safe. We in the United States could continue to wait for other nations to do enough to keep our country safe. But that's not us, that's not who we are. Colorado is one of the surest bellwethers in the country -- we break new ground, we lead the way, we are our nation's pioneers."

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