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?.4} <br />4 t?^?a AF <br />?rrrV??yt S`A J f.. <br />r <br />fN Al rx..?_ <br />I r ?t Y <br />? r W <br />b $ 1 i i ( y JJ , <br />% <br />.A MESSAGE FROM. GOVERNOR BILL RITTER. )R. <br />Global warming is our generation's greatest environmental challenge. The scientific evidence that human <br />activities are the principal cause of a warming planet is clear, and we will see the effects here in Colorado. <br />But the seeds of change are also here in Colorado, in our scientific and business communities, and in each <br />of us individually. <br />This Colorado Climate Action Plan is a call to action. It sets out measures that we in our state can adopt to <br />reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 percent by 2020, and makes a shared commitment with other <br />states and nations to even deeper emissions cuts by 2050. <br />Why is this important? For Colorado, global warming will mean warmer summers and less winter snowpack. <br />The ski season will be weeks shorter. Forest fires will be more common and more intense. Water quality could <br />decline, and the demand for both agricultural and municipal water will increase even as water supplies dwindle. <br />Can Coloradans really make a difference? I believe we can, and that we have a moral obligation to try. In <br />setting and achieving our climate action goals we will show leadership as a state, engage with neighboring <br />states in a regional effort, and call upon the federal government to take strong actions on national initiatives. <br />This plan has been developed over several months, in a collaborative process, including business and commu- <br />nity leaders, conservationists, scientists and concerned citizens. It pushes energy efficiency measures that will <br />reduce demand for electrical energy and lower utility bills; builds on the state's recently expanded Renewable <br />Portfolio Standard and looks for ways to develop our renewable energy supplies even further; includes an <br />ambitious goal for making cars and trucks run more cleanly and efficiently while saving consumers money at <br />the pump; and provides an exciting new opportunity for rural Colorado by creating economic incentives for <br />major utilities and industries to pay farmers and ranchers to sequester more carbon in the soil. <br />The plan includes a strong plea, voiced also by the bipartisan Western Governors' Association, for an <br />accelerated round of federal investments to deploy clean coal technologies. <br />Its success depends on everyone doing his or her part. We can reduce global warming and keep our economy <br />strong and vibrant. This is an exciting time for Colorado as we look toward an expanded New Energy <br />Economy with new jobs, new businesses and new investments. <br />If we do this right, we can turn the challenge into opportunity for Colorado's workforce. Insulating homes and <br />buildings, establishing wind farms, building solar arrays, and constructing clean coal power plants will demand <br />thousands of trained workers. Stepping up energy conservation and developing new sources of clean, renewable <br />energy will grow the New Energy Economy in Colorado. These benefits will radiate across the state, from coal <br />mining areas in western Colorado to fauns in eastern Colorado, and from Fort Collins to Pueblo, where urban <br />areas have an enormous need for efficiency retrofitting in homes and buildings. <br />If we don't do it right, in Colorado, across America and around the globe, our children and grandchildren <br />will inherit a much diminished world. <br />I urge all Colorado residents and communities to join in as we take these bold steps toward preserving <br />a livable climate for future generations. <br />Sincerely, <br />4W4 <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Governor