News
RIFLE — Rifle Mayor Keith Lambert has been chosen as one of 30 leaders around the state to be appointed to Gov. Bill Ritter's Climate Change Advisory Panel, meeting for the first time last week.
The new committee was formed to make recommendations to the governor and help take steps to implement the goals outlined in the governor's Colorado Climate Action Plan.
“There are things that can be done such as insulating your home and changing your light bulbs out,” Lambert said. “Forty percent of the nation's power usage in buildings is in homes. You can reduce that 40 percent by 80 percent by taking steps to better insulating your home, using compact fluorescent bulbs and imbedded computer systems and better insulated window.”
The purpose of the panel is to identify critical steps needed to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals and to take advantage of Colorado's rich pool of expertise in diverse areas to help seek opportunities to address climate change and review potential climate adaptation strategies in Colorado.
“The structure this advisory panel will provide is a two-way street for communications about the state's efforts to address climate change,” said Alice Madden, the governor's climate change adviser. “We look forward to the input and viewpoints of all the members of this diverse panel, which includes representatives of the energy industry and environmental groups.”
Lambert joins others such as Tim Taylor, CEO of Xcel Energy, Mike Kaplan, president and CEO of Aspen Ski Co., Chris Urbina, director of Denver Public Health and Stan Dempsey, president of CO Petroleum Association.
“This is really a feather in the cap for the city of Rifle and the region,” Lambert said. “My hope for the whole thing and what I hope to bring are certain steps we can take that are cost effective. We've had a discussion about the things that can be done such as insulating your house and changing your light bulbs out.”
Lambert said that even though the state is moving towards a new energy economy, he still believed the old ways of doing things — extraction of historic energies such as coal, natural gas and oil — still have a place in the future.
The city of Rifle is already making strides in the new energy arena with the second largest solar array system in the state. There plans to replace downtown lights with LED lighting and the city has embraced the Energy Star program for new homes as well as water conservation.
The new panel will meet about three or four times a year in Denver and, in accordance with the governor's order, will address topics such as options for expanding and coordinating state-led efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; methods for engaging interested stakeholders in voluntary and mandatory programs to achieve greenhouse gas reductions; mechanisms for conducting effective planning for adaptation to climate change; and making additions to future versions of the plan, focusing on the key issues such as energy efficiency, utilities, agriculture, transportation and waste reduction.
“The whole point is to look at the state of Colorado and make a recommendation to see what we as a state can do now,” Lambert said.
The new committee was formed to make recommendations to the governor and help take steps to implement the goals outlined in the governor's Colorado Climate Action Plan.
“There are things that can be done such as insulating your home and changing your light bulbs out,” Lambert said. “Forty percent of the nation's power usage in buildings is in homes. You can reduce that 40 percent by 80 percent by taking steps to better insulating your home, using compact fluorescent bulbs and imbedded computer systems and better insulated window.”
The purpose of the panel is to identify critical steps needed to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals and to take advantage of Colorado's rich pool of expertise in diverse areas to help seek opportunities to address climate change and review potential climate adaptation strategies in Colorado.
“The structure this advisory panel will provide is a two-way street for communications about the state's efforts to address climate change,” said Alice Madden, the governor's climate change adviser. “We look forward to the input and viewpoints of all the members of this diverse panel, which includes representatives of the energy industry and environmental groups.”
Lambert joins others such as Tim Taylor, CEO of Xcel Energy, Mike Kaplan, president and CEO of Aspen Ski Co., Chris Urbina, director of Denver Public Health and Stan Dempsey, president of CO Petroleum Association.
“This is really a feather in the cap for the city of Rifle and the region,” Lambert said. “My hope for the whole thing and what I hope to bring are certain steps we can take that are cost effective. We've had a discussion about the things that can be done such as insulating your house and changing your light bulbs out.”
Lambert said that even though the state is moving towards a new energy economy, he still believed the old ways of doing things — extraction of historic energies such as coal, natural gas and oil — still have a place in the future.
The city of Rifle is already making strides in the new energy arena with the second largest solar array system in the state. There plans to replace downtown lights with LED lighting and the city has embraced the Energy Star program for new homes as well as water conservation.
The new panel will meet about three or four times a year in Denver and, in accordance with the governor's order, will address topics such as options for expanding and coordinating state-led efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; methods for engaging interested stakeholders in voluntary and mandatory programs to achieve greenhouse gas reductions; mechanisms for conducting effective planning for adaptation to climate change; and making additions to future versions of the plan, focusing on the key issues such as energy efficiency, utilities, agriculture, transportation and waste reduction.
“The whole point is to look at the state of Colorado and make a recommendation to see what we as a state can do now,” Lambert said.
