Dear members of the Colorado
General Assembly,
In the midst of today’s growing environmental crisis, climate legislation is becoming increasingly vital. Climate change is causing fires, droughts, intense heat, and air pollution, and the time to implement effective solutions is running out.
We are Colorado’s youth, and our future is at stake. We can’t afford to let the oil and gas industries grow as our wildlife is dying. We won’t watch our air become more and more polluted as the country’s wealthiest corporations get richer and richer. It’s time to take action against climate change.
In the state legislature this session, there are four bills that we believe are vital for climate action. These bills are HB21-1162: Management of Plastic Products; HB21-1189: Regulate Air Toxics; SB21-200: Reduce Greenhouse Gases Increase Environmental Justice; and HB21-1266: Environmental Justice Act.
HB21-1162 would help prevent plastic pollution by banning expanded polystyrene products and single-use plastic bags, as well as by requiring a ten-cent charge for paper bags. This bill would also reduce fossil fuel extraction by decreasing the demand for the oil used to make plastic products.
HB21-1189 would protect Colorado’s air by requiring air toxics monitoring. It would also require community involvement in developing monitoring systems, which helps ensure that companies factor the interests of the community into their decisions. Finally, it would hold polluters accountable by requiring that they fund air toxics monitoring themselves.
SB21-200 would make vital progress toward environmental justice by requiring the air quality control commission (AQCC) to factor social impacts of the climate crisis into its decisions. It would also speed up the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction process by creating a more straightforward path for reductions and by requiring the AQCC to finalize its rules by early 2022. It would ultimately force Colorado utilities to transition to renewable energy by mandating a 100-percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2040.
HB21-1266 recognizes that every person has a right to a healthy environment. If this bill becomes law, it will identify communities that are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. It would also create an environmental justice action task force to ensure equal access to a pollution-free climate and environment.
The climate crisis threatens our generation’s future, and the time to make changes is now. It’s scary knowing that, unless our lawmakers and the global community act soon, our future is in jeopardy. We’re taking action because we can’t afford not to.
We are calling on our legislators to protect our future by taking climate action. So we ask our lawmakers: Will you support these bills? Will you commit to passing vital climate legislation?
We are Colorado’s youth, and our future is at stake. We can’t afford to let the oil and gas industries grow as our wildlife is dying. We won’t watch our air become more and more polluted as the country’s wealthiest corporations get richer and richer. It’s time to take action against climate change.
In the state legislature this session, there are four bills that we believe are vital for climate action. These bills are HB21-1162: Management of Plastic Products; HB21-1189: Regulate Air Toxics; SB21-200: Reduce Greenhouse Gases Increase Environmental Justice; and HB21-1266: Environmental Justice Act.
HB21-1162 would help prevent plastic pollution by banning expanded polystyrene products and single-use plastic bags, as well as by requiring a ten-cent charge for paper bags. This bill would also reduce fossil fuel extraction by decreasing the demand for the oil used to make plastic products.
HB21-1189 would protect Colorado’s air by requiring air toxics monitoring. It would also require community involvement in developing monitoring systems, which helps ensure that companies factor the interests of the community into their decisions. Finally, it would hold polluters accountable by requiring that they fund air toxics monitoring themselves.
SB21-200 would make vital progress toward environmental justice by requiring the air quality control commission (AQCC) to factor social impacts of the climate crisis into its decisions. It would also speed up the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction process by creating a more straightforward path for reductions and by requiring the AQCC to finalize its rules by early 2022. It would ultimately force Colorado utilities to transition to renewable energy by mandating a 100-percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2040.
HB21-1266 recognizes that every person has a right to a healthy environment. If this bill becomes law, it will identify communities that are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. It would also create an environmental justice action task force to ensure equal access to a pollution-free climate and environment.
The climate crisis threatens our generation’s future, and the time to make changes is now. It’s scary knowing that, unless our lawmakers and the global community act soon, our future is in jeopardy. We’re taking action because we can’t afford not to.
We are calling on our legislators to protect our future by taking climate action. So we ask our lawmakers: Will you support these bills? Will you commit to passing vital climate legislation?
|
Signed,
Leigh Schmidt Madigan St. George Anna Sherman Leighanne Bennett Andy Quach Jack Mitchell Dreu Charles Katie McDonald Esther van de Lagemaat Alex Wong Analyn Hoffner Emily Gillette Annika Waples Phoebe Dominguez Isabel Pych Anja Pearson Eve O’Neill Estevan Renteria Elijah Pouliot Add your name! |
Khaiya Olsen Joe-Ann Suazo Sophie Tessier Preslie Jerebker Chloe Waskey Giulia Luebben Julian Feiveson Emily Ruby George Claire Babcock Anna Salmore Dornu Inene Zahraa Al Asadi Darby Hendrix Stephanie Wittstruck Olivia L Lila Kapadia Willa Schendler Abby Kennedy |
Teddy Sopkin Bailey Dorsey Audrey Logan Sarita Pilloud Josephine Monette Sydney Welter Paige Machemer Diana Schmidt Isha Kanu Cora Meenan |
If you're a young person in Colorado, sign our open letter here:
