Global Warming In the News

Coloradans feeling like every summer is hotter than the last may be more right than they ever knew.

 

A new report out from one of the state's leading environmental groups shows the temperatures in the metro area during the summer of 2006 were 3.8 degrees warmer than normal.

The 56-page Environment Colorado analysis shows temperatures in Colorado cities (Pueblo: up 2.6 degrees, Colorado Springs up 3.9 degrees) climbing at a much higher rate than the national average temperature which is up half a degree. Its members attribute the climb to global warming.

"Twenty years ago in Colorado, very few people had air conditioners," said Matt Baker of Environment Colorado. "Now, every new house that's built has air conditioning and that's because our summers are getting hotter."

Baker says the report will be used to convince state lawmakers to make numerous changes to stop the "human activity" causing climate change. Among the ideas Baker and other environmentalists will push at the Capitol to reduce overall carbon emissions include: requiring all new power plants to meet specific emission requirements, to adhere to a clean fuels standard which would result in less carbon in cars and to set a goal to reduce carbon emissions statewide by 30 percent by the year 2020.

"Climate change is a serious problem and we need to start acting on it right now," said Baker. "(If we don't) I think what you'll see in the future is a lot more days like today and they'll start happening in May and go until October."

Some lawmakers acknowledge the higher temperatures, but question whether people are entirely to blame for them. Further, they are concerned about the impact of "extreme" policy changes on consumers and the state's economy.

"We know the earth has warmed and cooled for eons to temperatures much more extreme than we have today," said Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany (R-Colorado Springs). "I think the watchword here is caution and to go slowly before we damage Colorado businesses or Colorado jobs.

"I think we need to have some empirical data that shows there is some benefit to doing (what's being suggested) and what the cost to consumers is to do that sort of radical change in Colorado."