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What is your role in the CAP Collaborative and how did you get involved?
I am honored to serve as Chair of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) Collaborative Board.
The Collaborative Board was formed by Routt County, the City of Steamboat Springs and Towns of Hayden, Oak Creek and Yampa through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) as a means to collaborate on the implementation of the CAP. The Board is comprised of representatives from each of the five government partners and four community members.
As an elected member of the Steamboat Springs City Council, I serve as Council’s representative to the Board.
Why does the CAP matter? Why should Routt County residents care about the CAP goals?
The Climate Action Plan is a road map for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately preventing the most dire impacts of a warming climate. Here in Routt County, the climate risks of drought, extreme heat, flooding, wildfires and shifts in seasonal weather patterns threaten the very things that we value most about our Community — the intrinsic beauty of the Yampa Valley, our agricultural roots, access to clean air and water and the abundant recreational opportunities.
Is there a specific sector of the CAP that you feel the most connected with?
The Waste sector because to me it is the most tangible and controllable for each of us as individuals in our daily life. Almost everything has to be disposed of at some point, so whenever I buy something, I think about do I really need it, can it be re-purposed, re-used, recycled or am I going to have to throw it away.
Buying only what I need and choosing to buy from companies that are aligned with my values is one of the easiest and quickest ways to embrace sustainability not just by minimizing waste but also given the environmental degradation, energy use and transportation associated with the production and delivery of the items.
Composting food waste is another easy and cost-effective way to reduce emissions. I had the privilege of chairing the Organics Task Force created by the 2019 Waste Diversion Strategic Plan. That experience opened my eyes to fact that almost 30% of the waste stream is food and that methane which is emitted from decomposing food is a much more potent greenhouse gas.
I also love that recycling, reusing materials and composting not only reduces my carbon footprint but also creates more jobs and strengthens our local economy.
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