by Micah Parkin

Dear Editor,

Wondering how to vote on 2L, 2O, and 2P? If you are at all concerned about climate change, there’s only one way to vote – yes!

350 Boulder County, 350 Colorado and even the founder of 350.org – renowned author Bill McKibben – have all endorsed Boulder’s efforts to create a local electric utility because we know that doing so is the only way that we’re going to achieve the rapid transition to 100% clean renewable energy in the timeframe that science requires.

Here’s why. At current rates of global emissions, we’ll burn our “carbon budget” for a 50% chance of staying below 1.5 degrees C by 2025 (according to “The Sky’s Limit” report).

Time is very short. Yet Xcel intends on being largely fossil fueled decades into the future.

Boulder knows better. We self-imposed the nation’s first carbon tax to do our part to address climate change. We know we have a responsibility to do all in our power to transition rapidly to a fossil free future. It may take a few years more to make this happen, but there is no Planet B.

$2 extra per month on our electric bills for a couple of years to finish the legal and technical exploration into creating a local renewable energy-powered utility is worth it. Especially in light of the $30M in pre-tax profits Xcel takes out of our city every year to pay shareholders, multi-million dollar executive salaries, jets and the like.

Please vote yes on 2L, 2O, and 2P!

Micah Parkin

Executive Director

350 Colorado

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