{"id":2446801,"date":"2019-07-25T21:07:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T03:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=310104"},"modified":"2019-07-26T08:05:56","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T14:05:56","slug":"basalt-council-members-propose-aggressive-action-on-climate-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/basalt-council-members-propose-aggressive-action-on-climate-emergency\/","title":{"rendered":"Basalt council members propose \u2018aggressive\u2019 action on climate emergency"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.3658536585366\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-310104-461\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/greendeal-atd-072619-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/greendeal-atd-072619.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Aspen Times file | Basalt Councilwoman Katie Schwoerer proposed that the council endorse a declaration of climate emergency at its Aug. 13 meeting.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Basalt Councilwoman Katie Schwoerer proposed that the council endorse a declaration of climate emergency at its Aug. 13 meeting.<\/strong><br \/>Aspen Times file<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/greendeal-atd-072619.jpg\" alt=\"Basalt Councilwoman Katie Schwoerer proposed that the council endorse a declaration of climate emergency at its Aug. 13 meeting.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/greendeal-atd-072619-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/greendeal-atd-072619-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Aspen Times file | Basalt Councilman Auden Schendler proposed more aggressive action by the board on climate issues.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Basalt Councilman Auden Schendler proposed more aggressive action by the board on climate issues.<\/strong><br \/>Aspen Times file<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/greendeal-atd-072619-1.jpg\" alt=\"Basalt Councilman Auden Schendler proposed more aggressive action by the board on climate issues.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/basalt-council-members-propose-aggressive-action-on-climate-emergency\/?#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/basalt-council-members-propose-aggressive-action-on-climate-emergency\/?#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">The Basalt Town Council is preparing to discuss taking some \u201caggressive\u201d actions on the climate crisis at its Aug. 13 meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Councilwoman Katie Schwoerer proposed that the council pass a resolution endorsing the declaration of a climate emergency so that the town can take aim at global warming in future actions. The declaration is being introduced around the world from the local to national level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI can\u2019t imagine why we wouldn\u2019t do this,\u201d Schwoerer said. \u201cIt is purely just establishing our priorities and then allowing us to move forward on action that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As of mid-July, more than 750 governments worldwide had declared the climate emergency, she said. About 20 governments in the U.S. had signed on. Boulder was the first municipality to do so in Colorado on Tuesday evening. Basalt can be on the leading edge of the movement, Schwoerer said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote p402_hide\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<blockquote readability=\"6\">\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve done some climate leadership but we haven\u2019t done really aggressive stuff.\u201d \u2014 Councilman Auden Schendler<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders have introduced resolutions on the climate emergency in Congress. Basalt\u2019s resolution would include similar language.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWhat this would do is set the tone of the town and our government to make climate action our first and foremost priority and set the groundwork to let our communities know this is the greatest challenge that human civilization has ever encountered and we must act immediately,\u201d Schwoerer said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Councilman Auden Schendler expressed his support and upped the ante on the proposal. He outlined two steps that he wants Basalt to take immediately to act on the climate crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019ve done some climate leadership but we haven\u2019t done really aggressive stuff,\u201d Schendler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201c(A)nother thing I think the town ought to do is we ought to put a ballot question on the next ballot that asks if the community would be willing to switch all households to renewable power through Holy Cross Energy,\u201d Schendler said. \u201cThere aren\u2019t that many towns or cities that have done this. It would make us among the first 10 to do this. It would highlight the issue, it would support Holy Cross Energy and its efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Holy Cross Energy is among the most innovative and aggressive energy providers in the country. It\u2019s set a goal to provide 70% clean energy by 2030. It\u2019s currently allowing customers to purchase 100% of their energy from renewable resources for an extra fee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Schendler said residential customers in Basalt would be able to go 100% renewable for between $9 and $14 extra per month on their electricity bill. As the energy cooperative increases its renewable energy mix, the premium paid by customers will decrease and ultimately disappear, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Schendler said he would propose at the Aug. 13 meeting that Basalt prepare a ballot question on mandatory renewable energy purchases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think we should go for it. If people vote it down, great, but this is really important to bring the issue to the fore, to support Holy Cross and it would put another stake in the ground for Basalt,\u201d Schendler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">His other suggestion was changing Basalt\u2019s building code \u201cdown the line\u201d to require new construction forgo natural gas for electricity for heating. Going entirely electric is desirable because Holy Cross continues to increase renewable energy in its mix.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019m just floating that as the kind of thing you could do under a climate emergency declaration,\u201d Schendler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Councilmembers Bill Infante and Jennifer Riffle spoke in favor of Schwoerer\u2019s proposal for Basalt to endorse declaration of a climate emergency, though no vote will be held until Aug. 13. Mayor Jacque Whitsitt said she wants an in-depth discussion of the idea with advance notice so members of the public can weigh in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:scondon@aspentimes.com\">scondon@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/basalt-council-members-propose-aggressive-action-on-climate-emergency\/?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Basalt Councilwoman Katie Schwoerer proposed that the council endorse a declaration of climate emergency at its Aug. 13 meeting.Aspen Times file Basalt Councilman Auden Schendler proposed more aggressive action by the board on climate issues.Aspen Times file Show CaptionsHide Captions The Basalt Town Council is preparing to discuss taking some \u201caggressive\u201d actions on the climate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2446801","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-22 02:42:13","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2446801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2446821,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446801\/revisions\/2446821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2446801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2446801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2446801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}