How should Boulder best reduce GHG's?

BT's Stance

Many of the measures needed to lower GHG emissions already have an investment payback of less than five years. With the Xcel rebate program, some payback periods would be further lowered to approximately two years. Demand side management programs are a good thing. They save energy and they lower carbon emissions needed to produce energy. These rebate programs, along with new technology, provide us many opportunities to reduce energy use. What the city needs is a widespread campaign to educate citizens about ways to take advantage of these energy saving opportunities. Unlike the proposed Climate Action Plan, the education plan will not require one million dollars each year for 8 years or take 10 years to implement. And as these education programs take hold, follow-on years would continue to need fewer dollars, finally phasing out in a few years as the programs become self sustaining.

Boulder Tomorrow, along with much of the business community, is skeptical about the Boulder Climate Action Plan, as it represents yet another drag on our economy, making energy more costly here than in other surrounding cities. The Plan is also regressive, as it hurts those at the lower end of the economic ladder the most.

Boulder Tomorrow believes the city should be involved in educating citizens on how to save energy and take advantage of existing rebate programs. With some tough but astute budget choices (as the city is now asking its citizens to make), we believe this effort could be financed from the existing general fund without imposing a new tax on Boulder citizens and businesses.