Highlights followed by complete statements of Colorado high school students testifying before Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission on Feb. 18, 2021
Devyn Simeoni: This disconnect of making plans and not following through with them needs to end! There needs to be more accountability! It is imperative that the Polis administration acts immediately on its climate commitments and not delay any further! Near-term greenhouse gas reductions are key to preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Colorado needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions urgently.
Rachel Tseng: As a native youth, as a student with hopes of pursuing a career in the field you all are in right in, and as a fellow concerned Colorado citizen, I do not want to have future generations bear the weight of your climate inaction. I was here two years ago asking for the same things today. I expect to see better.
Rose Jou: I am here today not because I love looking at depressing climate reports and speaking at these hearings, but because I know that my generation’s future is in peril. Because the generations that came before us prioritized convenience over sustainability and because corporations are more concerned with momentary profit that they’re able to make than they are with the resilience and long term effects of their consequential actions. I am here to urge you, decision makers, people in power, members of the commission, to do what is necessary not just to aim for a healthy future, but ensure it... I can see that Colorado is far off track from its climate goals and from the urgent Greenhouse Gas reductions needed to secure a safe and healthy future. You’ve made slow, incremental progress, but the climate crisis — and Colorado’s climate commitments — demand bold action. Colorado needs an emissions backstop that will result in quantifiable, enforceable, and equitable greenhouse gas reductions. A firm limit on climate pollution would drastically decrease harmful emissions...A backstop (emissions cap) would guarantee that the state meets its climate goals, even if other policies fall short.
Deven Lemercier – The Climate Crisis is obviously threatening our very existence, but the underlying issue of Climate Justice is crucial, and it is essential that the AQCC take direct, concrete action to ensure that legitimate climate justice is taken in all actions. Especially in Colorado, Climate Justice has long been forgotten, and BIPOC and disadvantaged communities across the state have had to pay the price dearly. A shining example of this is the fact that Coal Plants in Colorado disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities, leading to increased rates of asthma, cancer, and an unending list of other health issues. Not only do minority communities pay the biggest price, but they also consume the least, and are least responsible for emissions and climate change overall. Colorado and the AQCC are falling dangerously behind in taking action to reduce harmful pollution in communities that are overburdened with it. Let me rephrase. Every moment that we delay real action is a moment that Coloradans are breathing unsafe air. Let me put it this way; if the actions of the AQCC were put through a school test, they would so far receive a failing grade. Again, I’m a 16 year old having to urge decision makers to do better, because it is blatantly obvious even to someone my age, that we’re not doing good enough. It’s long past time to seriously consider action. We are failing our people. Our own people. We are poisoning Coloradoans, making them sick, and asking them to pay for the coal that burns their lungs.
Devyn Simeoni– Near-term GHG reductions are key to preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Colorado needs to reduce GHG emissions urgently.
- Near-term GHG reductions are key to preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Colorado needs to reduce GHG emissions urgently.
Hello, my name is Devyn Simeoni and I am a senior at Fairview high school. I am proud to be a Coloradan and a future voter because we have an amazing scientific community at a state and federal level, which has contributed to the global knowledge on environmental issues. This has inspired me to pursue a career in environmental research.
We are here today to discuss air pollution and what I’m seeing in this forum, is my motivation for bold action by my generation. A motivation you clearly do not share.
We need to recognize that our state is “now falling significantly short of fulfilling its climate commitments and goals.”
“All available data show Colorado’s projected Greenhouse Gas emissions are far from the 2025 and 2030 targets.”
“The most up to date projections, including all currently announced coal plant retirements, show that Colorado is still facing a gap of 13-24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2025 and 31-40 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent(CO2e) in 2030.”
“The Division has not put concrete, specific regulatory proposals on the table that can cut pollution at those levels, on that timeline.” This delay has serious consequences for the climate.
This disconnect of making plans and not following through with them needs to end! There needs to be more accountability! It is imperative that the Polis administration acts immediately on its climate commitments and not delay any further! Near-term greenhouse gas reductions are key to preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Colorado needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions urgently.
Near-term greenhouse gas reductions are key to preventing the worst impacts of climate change.
Colorado needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions urgently.
EDF’s proposal is capable of making the urgent progress that’s needed. The Commission should seriously consider this opportunity for action.
Let’s get motivated.
Thank you for your time.
**
Rachel Tseng– Colorado is not on track to meet its climate goals in 2025 and 2030. Current policies cannot accomplish the GHG reductions required. Without further action, the state will fall short of its science-based goals. Although the state has planned further action in the “Roadmap”, that plan is not enough to guarantee the pollution reductions that Colorado needs.
Hello and thank you all for the opportunity to speak today! My name is Rachel Tseng and I am a high school student with the Netzero Environmental Club from Boulder.
I’ll just start off with this: Colorado is not on track to meet its climate goals in 2025 and 2030 and coming to you all on the commission, you decision makers, you professionals, you responsible adults to this session of public comment, is a decision that I hope motivates you to take real climate action.
Nearly 2 years ago, the Colorado General Assembly passed a statutory mandate to reduce statewide emissions 26% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. The statute places the responsibility to create and enforce a definite and quantifiable framework for these reductions in the hands of this Commission. So? What is progress so far?
Under current policy adopted through January 2021, the Environmental Defense Fund found that the state is only expected to reduce emissions by 7-16% in 2025 and 19-26% in 2030. In other words, Colorado faces an emissions gap of a net 31-40 Million Metric Tons CO2e in 2030.
Not only that, the reversal of your own decision to accelerate the retirement of three coal power plants back in November purely from the pressure of industry further harms any hopes of having this goal be on track.
I came to Denver my sophomore year back in the spring of 2019. What did I talk about? The retirement of coal power plants, a need for a serious plan to reduce emissions.
As a native youth, as a student with hopes of pursuing a career in the field you all are in right in, and as a fellow concerned Colorado citizen, I do not want to have future generations bear the weight of your climate inaction. I was here two years ago asking for the same things today. I expect to see better.
**
Rose Jou– Colorado needs an emissions backstop that will result in quantifiable, enforceable, and equitable GHG reductions. A backstop would guarantee the state meets its climate goals, even if other policies fall short.
Hello everyone. My name is Rose Jou. I am a member of the Fairview Net Zero Environmental club and a Senior in high school here in Colorado.
I am here today not because I love looking at depressing climate reports and speaking at these hearings, but because I know that my generation’s future is in peril. Because the generations that came before us prioritized convenience over sustainability and because corporations are more concerned with momentary profit that they’re able to make than they are with the resilience and long term effects of their consequential actions. I am here to urge you, decision makers, people in power, members of the commission, to do what is necessary not just to aim for a healthy future, but ensure it.
I am no expert on this issue, nor will I pretend to be. But even as a high school student, I can see that Colorado is far off track from its climate goals and from the urgent Greenhouse Gas reductions needed to secure a safe and healthy future. You’ve made slow, incremental progress, but the climate crisis — and Colorado’s climate commitments — demand bold action.
Colorado needs an emissions backstop that will result in quantifiable, enforceable, and equitable greenhouse gas reductions. A firm limit on climate pollution would drastically decrease harmful emissions. EDF’s proposal would prevent approximately 215 million metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere between 2022 and 2030, an action that aligns with our 2025 and 2030 reduction goals. The sector specific policies that are currently in place are a step in the right direction, and we greatly appreciate all the hard work you’ve done to get us here. However, we can and must do more. A backstop would guarantee that the state meets its climate goals, even if other policies fall short.
EDF’s proposal offers a viable solution that would reduce emissions at the pace and scale required to meet our climate goals. The Commission cannot afford to pass up this opportunity to fight for our future. Your decisions have the power to positively impact people’s health, the earth on which we live, economies, and communities. So I ask that the Commission hear our voices, consider EDF’s proposal, and move forward on real climate action for us. Thank you.
Deven Lemercier – My name is Deven Lemercier, I’m part of Fairview’s Net Zero Environmental Club, and I’m only 16 years old. And yet, here I am, fighting for a liveable future! The Climate Crisis is obviously threatening our very existence, but the underlying issue of Climate Justice is crucial, and it is essential that the AQCC take direct, concrete action to ensure that legitimate climate justice is taken in all actions. Especially in Colorado, Climate Justice has long been forgotten, and BIPOC and disadvantaged communities across the state have had to pay the price dearly. A shining example of this is the fact that Coal Plants in Colorado disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities, leading to increased rates of asthma, cancer, and an unending list of other health issues. Not only do minority communities pay the biggest price, but they also consume the least, and are least responsible for emissions and climate change overall. To some extent we all know this: I am privileged to go to school in Boulder, but I know that I am not exposed to the same dangerous pollution that people even in Commerce City or in Pueblo are. Colorado and the AQCC are falling dangerously behind in taking action to reduce harmful pollution in communities that are overburdened with it. Let me rephrase. Every moment that we delay real action is a moment that Coloradans are breathing unsafe air. Let me put it this way; if the actions of the AQCC were put through a school test, they would so far receive a failing grade. Again, I’m a 16 year old having to urge decision makers to do better, because it is blatantly obvious even to someone my age, that we’re not doing good enough. It’s long past time to seriously consider action, such as the EDF proposal, that can reduce pollution and prioritize climate justice. Thank you for your time.
We are failing our people. Our own people. We are poisoning Coloradoans, making them sick, and asking them to pay for the coal that burns their lungs.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n6XntzKfU4G0syAXBo7U0ARZ_TyLxgLqUkBN23k9qKM/edit
