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HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.council.018-05RESOLUTION NO. 18 Series of 2005 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO, APPROVING THE CANARY INITIATIVE FOR THE CREATION OF "THE ASPEN GLOBAL WARMING ALLIANCE" AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS IN FURTHERANCE OF SAID INITIATIVE. WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that the City of Aspen is a world renowned destination resort community; and WHEREAS, the City of Aspen's economy is dependent upon tourism and a healthy mountain community life style; and WHEREAS, the world's leading climate scientists have documented a clear global warming trend and the unmistakable impact of human activities on that trend; and WHEREAS, global warming of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific community may cause extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world, including Aspen and other similar mountain communities; and WHEREAS, climate change could be the most critical current threat to Aspen's way of life, health, and economy; and WHEREAS, local actions can help to pave the way for national and international leadership; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that addressing the potentially adverse affects of global warming upon the health and economic well-being of its citizens and guests is, and should be, of the highest priority for the City of Aspen; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to continue investing in renewable energy sources so as to ensure a continuing supply of economic and sustainable energy sources for its internal operations and its citizens; and WHEREAS, many of the critical components of a local action plan for climate protection are already in place or under development in the City of Aspen, including, but not limited to, the following initiatives: · Adoption of the world's first Renewable Energy Mitigation Program in 2000 which has raised more that $3.0 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy in four years; · Providing 57% of municipal utility's electricity from renewable sources; · Adoption of the Building America Program for affordable housing projects funded by the City of Aspen; · Adoption of the Efficient Building Points Program for all residential building permits; Adoption of higher efficient building thresholds for all employee housing projects funded by the City of Aspen; Adoption of the Aspen Energy Code in 1995; Adoption of the Ecological Bill of Rights by the City Council which establishes the right to clean air and water, protects wilderness and open space, access to public lands, efficient use of energy and resources, protection from exposure to health hazards, freedom from excessive noise and consistent enforcement of environmental regulations; Implementation of a City chemical management plan to reduce use and disposal of hazardous chemicals; Enactment of a sales tax for the acquisition and protection of open space; Enforcement of Land Use Code regulations that require developments to offset their impacts on water, air, open space, transportation; Support of national forest plans that protect roadless areas and prevent destructive development; Implementation of various programs and initiatives including, City building recycling of office paper, glass, plastic, batteries, newspaper, and cardboard; purchase of recycled content office paper; City recycling of hundreds of tons of asphalt per year; computer recycling provided for all city residents; composting or chipping of all branches, grass and leaves, use of organic fertilizers, integrated pest management; collection of scrap metal to be given to sheet metal company instead of taken to the landfill; the formation of a "Green Team" by City employees that does a number of environmental projects throughout the City; Operation of the second-largest taxpayer-funded mass transit system in Colorado; Operation of City transit programs including free local service, cross-town shuttles; Implementation of a modem paid-parking program to discourage vehicle use within the City downtown area; Creation of a car sharing program; Retrofitting mechanical and lighting systems in public buildings; Adoption and enforcement of woodstoves and fireplaces regulations to ensure only certified clean-burning devices and a limitation on numbers of fireplaces and woodstoves; Implementation of an aggressive street-sweeping program with minimal use of street sand; Adoption and implementation of an innovative air quality State Implementation Plan with control measures focused on trip reductions; Maintenance of over a dozen miles of biking and walking trails that get people to work without a car (some of these trails are plowed in the winter to allow winter commuting); Investment in hydroelectric plants at Ruedi Reservoir and Castle Creek which now produce the cheapest electricity source for the City of Aspen; The pumhase and use of alternative fuel vehicles and free bicycles for use by City employees; Water monitoring programs to assess impacts of deicers and other chemicals on local streams; · Discontinuation of use of magnesium chloride for snow melting to preserve water quality and protect public health; · Continuing commitment to maintain minimum stream flows in area rivers; · Maintenance of an Audubon certified municipal golf course; · Restoration and creation of new wetlands; · Construction of a raw water system for irrigation; · Joining with other public and private organizations as a partner of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, in support of its coordinated efforts to spread the word about what climate change can mean to the Rocky Mountain region and what can be done about it; · Adoption of water and electric rates that encourage conservation; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that more should be done to address the potential risks associated with the phenomenon of global warming, including, but not necessarily limited to, greenhouse gas reduction activities, energy security and cost reduction; affordable housing; mobility and, transportation choices; solid waste reduction and recycling; reliable, affordable water supply; urban and rural forest protection; sustainable economic development; and, clean air. NOW, WHEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO, THAT: Section One. The City Cotmcil of the City of Aspen hereby approves that certain proposal entitled "The Canary Initiative" and calls upon Pitkin County, the Town of Snowmass Village, other similarly situated mountain resort communities, other non-profit organizations in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, citizens throughout the Aspen area, the State of Colorado and the United States Government to assist in the most appropriate manner for the establishment of the Aspen Global Warming Alliance. Section Two. The City Manager is hereby directed to: 1. Join, together with the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Skiing Company, the Aspen Global Change Institute, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, and the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, in the creation of the Aspen Global Warming Alliance. The members of the Alliance should be free to establish their own goals and objectives, but should initially attempt to guide the City of Aspen in the implementation of the Canary Initiative. 2. Continue to work cooperatively with other governmental entities, non- profit organizations, and businesses in the Roaring Fork Valley to encourage them to join the Aspen Global Warming Alliance for their mutual benefit and support. 3. Establish cooperative relationships with other municipalities in Colorado and the United States that have greenhouse gas reduction plans under the auspices of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (e.g. Ft. Collins, Boulder and Denver); and encourage other ski resort and mountain communities to join in similar eflbrts. 4. Negotiate and present to City Council for its consideration a membership agreement with the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary, legally binding pilot greenhouse trading program for emission sources and offset projects in North America. 5. Prepare and submit to Council for its consideration a professional services contract to perform a comprehensive integrated scientific assessment specific to the Aspen area on the likely consequences to Aspen of global warming over the course of the 21s~ century. 6. Establish a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory for the City of Aspen that quantifies GHG emissions and is capable of tracking progress or lack of progress quantitatively in reducing emissions for all sectors of the Aspen economy. Said emission inventory shall be of sufficient quality, at a minimum, to qualify for consideration by the Chicago Climate Exchange membership and participation. 7. Establish, with the assistance of the Aspen Global Warming Alliance, periodic GHG reduction goals for the City of Aspen, and various sectors of the community. 8. Negotiate and present to City Council for its consideration a contract with the Municipal Energy Authority of Nebraska (MEAN) or other entity to increase the City' s current purchases of wind power so that wind energy provides an additional 10% of municipal utility' s supply by the end of 2005. Said contract shall not exceed a continuing annual cost of $388,800.00. 9. Negotiate and present to City Council for its consideration during the 2006 budget process a contract with the Municipal Energy Authority of Nebraska (MEAN) or other entity to increase the City' s current purchases of wind power by an additional 16.5% by the end of 2006. Said contract shall not exceed a continuing additional annual cost of $240,200.00. 10. Prepare and present to City Council a construction contract for the expansion of the City' s renewable energy source by constructing a new hydroelectric plant on Castle Creek. Said contract shall be for a sum between $250,000 to $500,000.00 and shall be included in the City' s 2006 budget. 11. Prepare and present to City Council a business plan for the acquisition of additional water rights in the Roaring Fork drainage to protect in- stream flows. 12. Prepare and present for City Council consideration, a plan to reduce GHG emissions from transportation and vehicular traffic in Aspen. 13. Prepare appropriate legislation for City Cotmcil consideration that would reduce energy consumption in multi-family and commercial buildings in the City of Aspen. 14. Establish a comprehensive, aggressive and sustained public awareness campaign on global warming for the Aspen area that is readily capable of duplication for other regions of the state or country. The public awareness campaign shall, at a minimum, include the publication and distribution of educational materials explaining the reason for the City' s adoption of the Canary Initiative, an objective explanation of the global warming phenomenon, and an objective recitation of the potential threat of climate change to the Aspen economy and way of life. 15. Coordinate with the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Global Change Institute the design and presentation of a major international conference on global warming for 2006; and, prepare and present to City Council for its consideration a line item in the 2006 budget an amount not to exceed $50,000.00 for financial support of said conference. The conference shall be designed to ensure maximum community participation in all of its workshops, presentations, symposiums, and reports. The Aspen Global Warming Alliance shall be asked to assist in the design of the conference. 16. Prepare and submit to the City Council a supplemental budget request for the 2005 budget, not to exceed $110,000.00 on an annual basis, to forthwith employ a new City employee within the City's Environmental Health Department. Said employee shall assist, direct and coordinate all City activities as set forth in the Canary Initiative and this resolution including, but not limited to, coordinating the activities of the Aspen Global Warming Alliance. INTRODUCED, ~3D~,A~ ND ADOPTED by the City Council~o~ ~.. City of Aspen on the ~ day of// //Ag~ ~d~ , 2005. Helen Kal'm Ir~l~Td)rnd, Mayor I, Kathryn S. Koch, duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy of that resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Aspen, Colorado, at a meeting held ~)v/[~ /~::7 , 2005. Kathryn S. Ko~, ~ity~l~rk JPW- saved: 3/8/2005-3705-G:Xjohn\word\memos\GLobal warming.doc '~l~e {~anar~ ~nitiati~e A Proposal For the Creation of the Aspen ~Io§M ~arming ~lllian£e The City of Aspen March 2005 Page 1 The Canary Initiative Almost daily we read stories in the media that the phenomenon commonly referred to as global warming is currently causing devastating effects on ecosystems all over the world, and will, if the trend continues, have tremendous world-wide impacts on our social, economic and political systems. This phenomenon may also have immediate and serious consequences to the economy of Aspen and other similar mountain resort communities. The climate in Aspen has been described as being absolutely perfect for a ski resort: night-time and day-time temperatures and precipitation rates are within very exacting ranges for the production o f perfect snow for skiing. T he slightest variation i n annual average winter temperatures or precipitation can dictate the success of a particular ski season. Thus, the following questions must be posed and answered: · What if the vast majority of knowledgeable scientists are correct about global wanning? · What if no major policy changes are made so that current wanning trends continue or the rate of warming increases in the future? · What will global warming mean for Aspen and other similar mountain ski resorts? · What will it mean for Aspen's economy? · What are we doing to find out whether or how global warming will affect Aspen? · What options do we have for adaptation or mitigation of climate changes in our region? · If we do nothing, what will we tell our children and grandchildren in the future if the phenomenon destroys our current way of life? Because Aspen has such a unique economic dependence on its climate and potentially one that can be altered by the slightest change in average global temperatures, it is not inconceivable that Aspen and other similar mountain communities will experience the effects of global warming before any other region on earth. Do we really want to wait until that happens and we are told the "point of no return" has passed? The Canary~ Initiative is a proposal to create and initially fund an Aspen Global Wanning Alliance. The Alliance is envisioned to be a coalition of public-private entities, including non-profit institutions and organizations, interested and concerned with global warming issues. It calls upon the City of Aspen, Pitkin County, the Town of Snowmass Village, The Aspen Skiing Company, The Aspen Institute, non-profit organizations in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, citizens throughout the Aspen area, other similarly situated mountain resort communities, the State of Colorado, and the United States Government to assist in the most appropriate manner possible for the establishment of the Aspen Global Wanning Alliance. The Alliance is envisioned to have both short term and long term goals. In the short term, the Alliance would: ~ Canaries were used by miners to test the air in mines for hazardous substances. If a canary died, minem knew it was time to leave. Page 2 · cause to be performed a comprehensive integrated scientific assessment specific to the Aspen area on the likely consequences to Aspen of global warming over the course of the 2t~t century; · establish a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory for the City of Aspen that quantifies GHG emissions and is capable of tracking progress or lack of progress quantitatively in reducing emissions for all sectors of the Aspen economy; · establish periodic GHG reduction goals for the City of Aspen and various sectors of the community; and · establish a comprehensive, aggressive and sustained public awareness campaign on global warming for the Aspen area that is readily capable of duplication for other regions of the state and country. In addition, the Canary Initiative proposes specific action steps for the City of Aspen, including additional purchases of renewable energy sources, support for a major global warming conference to be held in Aspen in 2006, participation in the Chicago Climate Exchange, the purchase of additional water fights, and support staff to assist in the coordination of all initiatives taken by the City of Aspen and the Alliance. If Aspen is to be the canary in a miner's cage, we should not simply wait for our economy to die from a change in our climate, but instead we should be doing all that we can to defend against this very real threat to our way of life. Aspen is ideally suited for the creation of such an Alliance. Aspen has a tradition of supporting not only environmental organizations, but scientific, social and humanitarian endeavors. The name "Aspen" has become synonymous with high quality skiing. It could, and should, become synonymous with a phenomenon that could have serious consequences for the entire world. In 1949 Walter & Elizabeth Paepcke invited the world's leading intellectuals, artists, statesmen, humanists and business leaders to our tiny town in the Rocky Mountains to celebrate the Goethe bicentennial. From that event Aspen marks the unofficial birth of its modem era and as a major cultural center. It also began an era that brought Aspenites to the realization that Aspen has a role to play in America and the World. In 1950, the Aspen Institute was organized with a principal charge to "give greater meaning to man and wiser direction to society." That lofty aspiration was followed by decades of equally lofty achievement2. Included in those achievements relating to the subject at hand, it is worthy of note to mention that the first- ever United Nations Conference on the Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972 evolved from an Aspen Institute environmental program. Equally impressive are the achievements 2 Other achievements include, but are not limited to, the organization of the first Photography Conference ever held in America, the organization of the oldest film festival in the United States, the convening in 1962 of perhaps the first global climate change conference ever held anywhere, hosting of the Aspen Summit held by President Bush and Prime Minister Thatcher in 1990 on the second day of the Gulf War, the organization of the first Bipartisan Congressional Retreat in 1997 (the first such retreat ever held), and, in 1999, the gathering at the Institote's Wye Conference Campus of President Clinton, Prime Minister Netanyahu, PLO Chairman Yasser Ararat, and King Hussein of Jordan, to conclude the Wye River Peace Accord. Page 3 of other non-profit organizations that were created in Aspen following, and in the tradition of, the Goethe Bicentennial3. The Aspen Global Change Institute was selected by the agencies of the US Global Change Research Program to host a top level workshop in 1997 that explored the relevant science on climate change impacts to the US and to develop a plan for a National Assessment. The workshop was attended by top policymakers and scientists from government agencies such a s NASA, N OAA, and t he E PA a long with scientists from major universities around the country. The strategy developed at this AGCI workshop and a subsequent meeting in Washington DC led to the implementation of the US National Climate Change Impact Assessment which was conducted from 1998 to 2000 culminating in two reports, an Overview titled, Climate Change Impacts on the United States: The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change summarizing the findings and a Foundation report containing all the technical supportive research. The Aspen Global Wanning Alliance should follow this wonderful tradition and continue to give meaning to the "Aspen Ideal?' The Alliance could be designed and organized to foster multiple important functions to fulfill its mission. The precise nature and functions of the Alliance should be determined after it is created and functioning. The following is merely a list of suggested goals and programs that could be pursued: · Creation o f multiple forums for interdisciplinary dialogue o n t he subject o f global warming allowing for the interaction of social scientist, biologists, meteorologists, climatologists, physicists, economists, demographers, and politicians. · Public education efforts to include educational initiatives to give the public an opportunity t o fully understand t he potential challenges o f continued global warming and providing methods for minimizing any future climate changes. · Development of educational materials and curricula for teachers of all levels of education (from grammar school to college). · Assist in organizing and facilitating research collaborations, particularly among different professional disciplines. · Advocacy for local, state and federal legislative initiatives, including positions on the Kyoto Protocols, creation of greenhouse emission registries, vehicle emission standards, electric vehicle initiatives, etc. · Assist the City in achieving its emission reduction goals and implementing its action goals. 3 A short list of those organizations include the Aspen Music School and Festival, the Aspen Center for Physics, the International Design Conference, the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Aspen Global Change Institute, the Aspen Writers Conference, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Challenge Aspen, the Silver Lining Ranch, and the Aspen Youth Experience. 4 The "Aspen Ideal" has been defined as re-creating Aspen into a place where physical activity, art, music, and the humanities can together enrich the spirit and elevate society - a place that nurtures the Complete Person, living in a community that nourishes the mind, body and spirit of its citizens. Page 4 What is global warming and why is it important to learn more about it? For over a decade, the international media has reported one scientific study after another indicating that our planet is entering an unprecedented period of global warming5. There is no real dispute in the scientific community that the earth's average temperature has increased rather dramatically in recent years and that the increase has been caused mostly by human activity and not natural fluctuations. The following figures show how dramatic those global changes have been6. Fig, 1: Variations of the Earth's surface temperature over the last 140 years and the last millennium. (a) The Earth's surface temperature is shown year by year (red bars) and approximately decade by decade (black line, a fleered annual curve suppressing fluctuations below near decadal time-scales.) There are uncertainties in the annual data (thin black whisker bars represent the 95% confidence range) due to data gaps, random instrumental errors and uncertainties, uncertainties in bias corrections in the ocean surface temperature data and also in adjustments for urbanization over the land. Over both the last 140 years and 100 years, the best estimate is that the global average temperature has increased by 0.6 :t: 0.2°C. Figure 2 shows average global temperature changes for the last 450,000 years. The reader should note that the average temperature difference between today and the midpoint of the ice age is only 4°C (7.2°F)! The last glaciation of North America ended only 10,000 years ago7 when the temperature difference was only 2°C± (3.6°F±). The average winter temperature difference between Aspen and Grand Junction is only about 5°F8. See e.g. AP story appended hereto as Exhibit 1, "Reports point to proof of global warming." 6 Third Assessment Report of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPIC) - "Summary for Policymakers", pg. 3. The Il>CC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Programme. 7 Four major continental glaciations are recorded in North America. The last (Wisconsin) began about 70,000 years ago, and ended 10,000 years ago. At the peak of the last glaciation, approximately 97% of Canada was covered by ice. Canadian Museum of Nature. www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/iceage.htm The figures for November through February are as follows: Nov. = 7 °F, Dec. = 4 OF, Jan. = 3 OF, & Feb. = 7OF. www.weather.com Fi ires~ --Temperature in degrees centigrade (compared with 1960-1990 baseline) --Atmosphenc carbon dioxide (CO2 in paris per million ) Page 5 Like most fields of scientific study, there are uncertainties associated with the science of global warming. Scientists know for certain that human activities are changing the composition of the earth's atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2), in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times have been well documented. There is no doubt this atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities. It is well accepted by scientists that greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and tend to warm the planet. By increasing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, human activities are strengthening Eaxth's natural greenhouse effect. The key greenhouse gases emitted by human activities remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries. Warming has occurred in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and over the oceans. The following factsl° are clearly not in serious dispute by the scientific community: Since the late 1950's (the period of adequate observations from weather balloons), the overall global temperature increases in the lowest 8 kilometers of the atmosphere and in surface temperature have been similar at 0.1 °C (0.18 °F) per decade. Satellite data show that there is very likely to have been a decrease of about 10% in the extent of snow cover since the late 60s. There has been widespread retreat of mountain glaciers in non-polar regions during the 20th century. Since 1950 it is very likely that there has been a reduction in the frequency of extreme low temperatures, with a smaller increase in the frequency of extreme high temperatures. Concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases and their heat trapping effects have continued to increase as a result of human activities. Carbon dioxide has increased 31% since 1750; for m ethane (CH4) t he increase h as been 15%; and, for nitrous oxide (N20) the increase has been 17%. About ~ 9 .http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/abrum/data elacial3.html ~0 These facts are summarized from the Third Assessment Report referenced in foomote 2, above. Page 6 of the anthropogenic emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere during the past 20 years is due to fossil fuel burning. The rest is predominantly due to land-use change, especially deforestation. Precipitation has increased by about 1 percent over the world's continents in the last century. High latitude areas are tending to see more significant increases in rainfall, while precipitation has actually declined in many tropical areas. Sea level has risen worldwide approximately 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) in the last century. Approximately 2-5 cm (1-2 inches) of the rise has resulted from the melting of mountain glaciers. Another 2-7 cm has resulted from the expansion of ocean water that resulted from wanner ocean temperatures. What may be in dispute by the scientific community is (a) what will the wanning trend look like in the future, and (b) what specific localized changes can be predicted. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describesH the uncertainty of this area of study as follows: Scientists have identified that our health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife and coastal areas a re vulnerable t o t he changes that global warming may bring. But projecting what the exact impacts will be over the 21st century remains very difficult. This is especially tree when one asks how a local region will be affected. Scientists are more confident about their projections for large-scale areas (e.g., global temperature and precipitation change, average sea level dse) and less confident about the ones for small-scale areas (e.g., local temperature and precipitation changes, altered weather patterns, soil moisture changes). This is largely because the computer models used to forecast global climate change am still ill-equipped to simulate how things may change at smaller scales. Some of the largest uncertainties am associated with events that pose the greatest dsk to human societies. IPCC cautions, "Complex systems, such as the climate system, can respond in non-linear ways and produce surprises." There is the possibility that a warmer world could lead to mom frequent and intense storms, including hurricanes. Preliminary evidence suggests that, once hurricanes do form, they will be stronger if the oceans are warmer due to global warming. However, the jury is still out whether or not hurricanes and other storms will become more frequent. Mom and mom attention is being aimed at the possible link between El Nifio events - the pedodic warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean - and global warming. Scientists am concerned that the accumulation of greenhouse gases could inject enough heat into Pacific watem such that El Nifio events become more frequent and fierce. Here too, reseamh has not advanced far enough to provide conclusive statements about how global warming will affect El Nifio. Like many pioneer fields of research, the current state of global warming science can't always provide definitive answem to our questions. Them is certainty that human activities am rapidly adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and that these gases tend to warm our planet. This is the basis for concern about global warming. ]] http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsffcontenV'C limateUncertainties.html#known#known Page 7 The fundamental scientific uncertainties are these: How much more warming will occur? How fast will this warming occur? And what are the potential adverse and beneficial effects? These uncertainties will be with us for some time, perhaps decades. Global warming poses real dsks. The exact nature of these dsks remains uncertain. Ultimately, this is why we have to use our best judgment - guided by the current state of science - to determine what the most apprepdate response to global warming should be. What effects will global warming have on the climate in Aspen? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency~2 has stated: · Continued warming could melt the glaciers in Glacier National Park by 2030. · Wanner mountain streams may harm trout and other cold-water species, adding to existing stresses such as whirling disease. · Plant species distributions may change as the climate changes. · Rare alpine plants may become increasingly rare. Climate and precipitation data for the Aspen area has only been gathered for a relatively recent period of time. Figure 3 shows the only data that the City of Aspen has collected regarding the amount of snowfall received at the City's water plant from 1934 to the present. While the linear trend line indicates that the amount of snowfall has increased over this period of time, the amount of data is too limited to rely on any calculated trend line. Fig. 3 - Snowfall in inches 1934-35 - 2003-04 Seasons Season t2 Appended hereto as Exhibit 2 is a copy of a publication produced by the USEPA and National Park Service. It is intended as a case study for climate change, wildlife, and wildlands in the Western mountains and plains. Also appended as Exhibit 3 is a publication entitled "Climate Change and Colorado" published by t he U SEPA O ~ce o f Policy, Planning a nd E valuation. T his p ublicafion concludes t hat "There most likely will b e increases i n temperature a nd changes i n precipitation, s oil moisture, a nd sea Ievel, which could have adverse effects on many ecological systems, as well as on human health and the economy." It further concludes that "the extent of forested areas in Colorado could change as little or decline by as much as 15-30%." Page 8 Figures 4 and 5, below, show the date of the last and first frosts for each year for Aspen for the last 50 years. While the trend lines would appear to be consistent with a warming trend, showing "last spring frosts" coming earlier and "first fall frosts" coming later, the amount of data is too limited to reliably predict any trend13. 29-Jun Ig-Jun 9-Jun 30-May 30-Apr 20-Apr 10-Apr Fig. 4 - Last Frost of the year (1949 - 2004) 27-0ct 17-Oct 7-Oct 27-$ep 17-Sep 7-Sep Fig. 5 - Fimt Frost of the year (1949 - 2004) 9-Jul Fig. 6 - (1914 - 2004) Frost-Free Days Per Year y = 0.2503x + 76.864 13 See Exhibit 4 appended hereto wherein the AP reports that scientists at Comell University predict earlier spring in the Northwest by studying the dates when lilac bushes first bloom. Page 9 Fig. 7 - (1914 - 2004) Below-Zero Days Fig. 8 - (1914 - 2004) Average High and Low Temperatures --e--Average High Average Low The above data may not be for a sufficiently long period of time to reliably make any conclusions a bout t he reeent climate o r precipitation t rends i n the Aspen area, b ut t he trends are certainly worrisome. The frost free period has increased at a rate of 2.5 days per decade since 1914. The fi'ost free period over the last 50 years has increased from an average of 76 days to an average of 108 days in 2004. Since 1914, the average low temperature in Aspen has increased from 24 °F to 28 °F. The truth is we do not really know what effects the continuing trend in global warming will have on Aspen or how soon we need to worry about such trends. Isn't it time we tried to find out? We can reasonably conclude, however, that unless the trend is reversed, our skiing season will be shortened, and before too long, our entire season will be lost. Any threat to Aspen's economy and way of life would certainly be addressed by our elected officials and our community in a meaningful way. We should not ignore the threat that global wanning poses on Aspen. The canary in the miner's cage is showing very definite signs of malaise. Page 10 RESOLUTION NO. Series of 2005 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO, APPROVING THE CANARY INITIATIVE FOR THE CREATION OF "THE ASPEN GLOBAL WARMING ALLIANCE" AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS IN FURTHERANCE OF SAID INITIATIVE. WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that the City of Aspen is a world renowned destination resort community; and WHEREAS, the City of Aspen's economy is dependent upon tourism and a healthy mountain community life style; and WHEREAS, the word's leading climate scientists have documented a clear global warming trend and the unmistakable impact of human activities on that trend; and WHEREAS, global wanning of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific community may cause extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world, including Aspen and other similar mountain communities; and WHEREAS, climate change could be the most critical current threat to Aspen's way of life, health, and economy; and WHEREAS, local actions can help to pave the way for national and international leadership; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that addressing the potentially adverse affects of global warming upon the health and economic well-being of its citizens and guests is, and should be, of the highest priority for the City of Aspen; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to continue investing in renewable energy sources so as to ensure a continuing supply of economic and sustainable energy sources for its internal operations and its citizens; and WHEREAS, many of the critical components of a local action plan for climate protection are already in place or under development in the City of Aspen, including, but not limited to, the following initiatives: · Adoption of the world's first Renewable Energy Mitigation Program in 2000 which has raised more that $3.0 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy in four years; · Providing 57% of municipal utility's electricity from renewable sources; · Adoption of the Building America Program for affordable housing projects funded by the City of Aspen; · Adoption of the Efficient Building Points Program for all residential building permits; Page 11 · Adoption of higher efficient building thresholds for all ~mployee housing projects funded by the City of Aspen; · Adoption of the Aspen Energy Code in 1995; · Adoption of the Ecological Bill of Rights by the City Council which establishes the right to clean air and water, protects wilderness and open space, access to public lands, efficient use of energy and resources, protection from exposure to health hazards, freedom from excessive noise and consistent enfomement of environmental regulations; · Implementation ora City chemical management plan to reduce use and disposal of hazardous chemicals; · Enactment of a sales tax for the acquisition and protection of open space; · Enforcement of Land Use Code regulations that require developments to offset their impacts on water, air, open space, transportation; · Support of national forest plans that protect roadless areas and prevent destructive development; · Implementation of various programs and initiatives including, City building recycling of office paper, glass, plastic, batteries, newspaper, and cardboard; purchase of recycled content office paper; City recycling of hundreds of tons of asphalt per year; computer recycling provided for all city residents; composting or chipping of all branches, grass and leaves, use of organic fertilizers, integrated pest management; collection of scrap metal to be given to sheet metal company instead of taken to the landfill; the formation of a "Green Team" by City employees that does a number of environmental projects throughout the City; · Operation of the second-largest taxpayer-funded mass transit system in Colorado; · Operation of City transit programs including free local service, cross-town shuttles; · Implementation of a modem paid-parking program to discourage vehicle use within the City downtown area; · Creation of a car sharing program; · Retrofitting mechanical and lighting systems in public buildings; · Adoption and enforcement ofwoodstoves and fireplaces regulations to ensure only certified clean-burning devices and a limitation on numbers of fireplaces and woodstoves; · Implementation of an aggressive street-sweeping program with minimal use of street sand; · Adoption and implementation of an innovative air quality State Implementation Plan with control measures focused on trip reductions; · Maintenance of over a dozen miles of biking and walking trails that get people to work without a car (some of these trails are plowed in the winter to allow winter commuting); · Investment in hydroelectric plants at Ruedi Reservoir and Castle Creek which now produce the cheapest electricity source for the City of Aspen; · The purchase and use of alternative fuel vehicles and free bicycles for use by City employees; · Water monitoring programs to assess impacts of deicers and other chemicals on local streams; Page 12 · Discontinuation of use of magnesium chloride for snow melting to preserve water quality and protect public health; · Continuing commitment to maintain minimum stream flows in area rivers; · Maintenance of an Audubon certified municipal golf course; · Restoration and creation of new wetlands; · Construction of a raw water system for irrigation; · Joining with other public and private organizations as a partner of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, in support of its coordinated efforts to spread the word about what climate change can mean to the Rocky Mountain region and what can be done about it; · Adoption of water and electric rates that encourage conservation; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that more should be done to address the potential risks associated with the phenomenon of global warming, including, but not necessarily limited to, greenhouse gas reduction activities, energy security and cost reduction; affordable housing; mobility and, transportation choices; solid waste reduction and recycling; reliable, affordable water supply; urban and rural forest protection; sustainable economic development; and, clean air. NOW, WHEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO, THAT: Section One. The City Council of the City of Aspen hereby approves that certain proposal entitled "The Canary Initiative" and calls upon Pitkin County, the Town of Snowmass Village, other similarly situated mountain resort communities, other non-profit organizations in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, citizens throughout the Aspen area, the State of Colorado and the United States Government to assist in the most appropriate manner for the establishment of the Aspen Global Wanning Alliance. Section Two. The City Manager is hereby directed to: 1. Join, together with the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Skiing Company, the Aspen Global Change Institute, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, and the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, in the creation of the Aspen Global Wanning Alliance. The members of the Alliance should be free to establish their own goals and objectives, but should initially attempt to guide the City of Aspen in the implementation of the Canary Initiative. 2. Continue to work cooperatively with other governmental entities, non- profit organizations, and businesses in the Roaring Fork Valley to Page 13 encourage them to join the Aspen Global Warming Alliance for their mutual benefit and support. 3. Establish cooperative relationships with other municipalities in Colorado and the United States that have greenhouse gas reduction plans under the auspices of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (e.g. Ft. Collins, Boulder and Denver); and encourage other ski resort and mountain communities to join in similar efforts. 4. Negotiate and present to City Council for its consideration a membership agreement with the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary, legally binding pilot greenhouse trading program for emission sources and offset projects in North America. 5. Prepare and submit to Council for its consideration a professional services contract to perform a comprehensive integrated scientific assessment specific to the Aspen area on the likely consequences to Aspen of global wanning over the course of the 21st century. 6. Establish a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory for the City of Aspen that quantifies GHG emissions and is capable of tracking progress or lack of progress quantitatively in reducing emissions for all sectors of the Aspen economy. Said emission inventory shall be of sufficient quality, at a minimum, to qualify for consideration by the Chicago Climate Exchange membership and participation. 7. Establish, with the assistance of the Aspen Global Warming Alliance, periodic GHG reduction goals for the City of Aspen, and various sectors of the community. 8. Negotiate and present to City Council for its consideration a contract with the Municipal Energy Authority of Nebraska (MEAN) or other entity to increase the City' s current purchases of wind power so that wind energy provides an additional 10% of municipal utility' s supply by the end of 2005. Said contract shall not exceed a continuing annual cost of $388,800.00. 9. Negotiate and present to City Council for its consideration during the 2006 budget process a contract with the Municipal Energy Authority of Nebraska (MEAN) or other entity to increase the City' s current purchases of wind power by an additional 16.5% by the end of 2006. Said contract shall not exceed a continuing additional annual cost of $240,200.00. 10. Prepare and present to City Council a construction contract for the expansion of the City' s renewable energy source by constructing a new hydroelectric plant on Maroon Creek. Said contract shall be for a sum between $250,000 to $500,000.00 and shall be included in the City' s 2006 budget. 11. Prepare and present to City Council a business plan for the acquisition of additional water rights in the Roaring Fork drainage to protect in- stream flows. 12. Prepare and present for City Council consideration, a plan to reduce GHG emissions from transportation and vehicular traffic in Aspen. Page 14 13. Prepare appropriate legislation for City Council consideration that would reduce energy consumption in multi-family and commercial buildings in the City of Aspen. 14. Establish a comprehensive, aggressive and sustained public awareness campaign on global wanning for the Aspen area that is readily capable of duplication for other regions of the state or country. The public awareness campaign shall, at a minimum, include the publication and distribution of educational materials explaining the reason for the City' s adoption of the Canary Initiative, an objective explanation of the global warming phenomenon, and an objective recitation of the potential threat of climate change to the Aspen economy and way of life. 15. Coordinate with the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Global Change Institute the design and presentation of a major international conference on global warming for 2006; and, prepare and present to City Council for its consideration a line item in the 2006 budget an amount not to exceed $50,000.00 for financial support of said conference. The conference shall be designed to ensure maximum community participation in all of its workshops, presentations, symposiums, and reports. The Aspen Global Warming Alliance shall be asked to assist in the design of the conference. 16. Prepare and submit to the City Council a supplemental budget request for the 2005 budge[, not to exceed $110,000.00 on an annual basis, to forthwith employ a new City employee within the City's Environmental Health Department. Said employee shall assist, direct and coordinate all City activities as set forth in the Canary Initiative and this resolution including, but not limited to, coordinating the activities of the Aspen Global Warming Alliance. INTRODUCED, READ AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Aspen on the __ day of ., 2005. Helen Kalin Klanderud, Mayor I, Kathryn S. Koch, duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy of that resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Aspen, Colorado, at a meeting held ,2005. Kathryn S. Koch, City Clerk JPW- saved: 3/8/2005-3705-G:\john\word~memos\GLobal warming.doc HeraldOnline: Reports point to proof of global warming Page 1 Of 4 Reports point to proof of global warming By MATT CRENSON, AP National Writer (Published November 13, 2004) (AP) - Politicians in the nation's capital have been reluctant to set limits on the camon dioxide pollution that is expected to warm the planet by 4 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit during the next century, citing uncertainty about the severity of the threat But that uncertainty may have shrunk somewhat with the release last week of two scientific repoi-ts suggesting that global warming is not just a hypothetical possibility, but a real phenomenon that has already started transforming especially sensitive parts of the globe. Overall, the reports say, Earth's climate has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900. In the Arctic, where a number of processes ampli~ the warming effects of carbon dioxide, most regions have experienced a temperature rise of 4 to 7 degrees In the last 50 years. That warmth has reduced the amount of snow that falls every winter, melted away mountain glaciers and shrunk the Arctic Ocean's summer sea ice cover to its smallest extent in millennia. according to satellite measurements. Swaths of Alaskan permafrost are thawing into soggy nogs, and trees are moving northward at the expense of the tundra that rings the Arctic Ocean. These changes seriously threaten animals SUCh as polar bears, which live and hunt on the sea ice. The bears have already suffered a 15 percent decrease in their number of offspring and a similar decline in weight over the past 25 - years. If the Arctic sea ice disappears altogether during the summer months, as same researchers expect it will by the end of the bentury, polar bears have little chance of survival. Things are less serious in the lower 48, wnere the effects of climate change have been more subtle. In much of the United States. spnng arrives about two weeks eadier than it did 50 years ago. Tropical bird species have anaeared in Florida and along the Gulf Coast. Soecies EXHIBIT HeraldOnline - Reports point to proof of global warming Page 3 Of 4 The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has risen from 280 parts per million in 1800 to 380 parts per million today due to the combustion of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide causes warming because it heats up more when exposed to sunlight compared' to other atmospheric gas~s. Scientists have always expected the Arctic to respond earlier and more intensely than other regions to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thanks to several phenomena that make the far north especially sensitive to climate perturbations. When warmer temperatures melt snow, for example, the bare ground that is exposed absorbs more heat than the white surface did, causing yet more warming. A similar thing happens when sea ice melts, exposing open water. In the past three Septembers the Arctic sea ice has melted back 12 percent to 15 percent .beyond its normal minimum extent. "It almost suggests that maybe we're about to reach a threshold beyond which the sea ice may not be able to recover," said Mark Serreze of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. Ice in the interior of the Arctic pack normally remains frozen from year to year, growing thicker with each season. But the recent increase in melting has eaten into much of that multi-year ice. So while the Arctic Ocean still freezes over each winter, more of the solid cover now consists of thin single-year ice that melts every spring. The Arctic is also particularly sensitive to warming because its plants and soil hold less water than more temperate environments. That means more energy reaching the ground is dedicated to heating the surface instead of evaporating water. The atmosphere is thinner in the Arctic than it is farther south, which also intensifies warming. And while temperate zones shed some of their extra heat by shipping it north in ocean currents and meteorological fronts, the Arctic is the end of the line in that respect. A small minority of scientists remains unconvinced that increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide can be held responsible for the recent warming, arguing that natural variability explains most if not alt of the trend Global Temperature Changes (1861-1996) 0.8 o ~ -o.2 -0.8 Year Source: IPCC (1995), updated 4-10 inches over the p~t centre'y, and precipitatinn over land has increaSed slightly. The frequency o f extreme rainfall events also has increased throughout much of the United States. . A new ti~temationai scientific assessment by the Intergovern- mental Panel on Climate Change recendy concluded that "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible huma~ influence ' on glo[Jul climate." Future Climatic changes For a given concentration of greenhouse gases, the resulting increase in the atmosphere's heat<rapping ability ann be pre- dicted with precision, but the resulting impact on climate is mere uncertain. The climate system is complex and dynamic, with constant interacticn between the atmosphere, land, [ce, and oceans. Further, hmnans ha','e never experienced such a rapid rise itl greenhouse gases. In elliot, a Ialge and uncontrolled plane!- wide experiment is being conducted. General circulation models are complex computer simulations that describe the circulation of air and ocean currents and how energy is transported within the climate system. While uncertain- ties remain, these models are a powerfuI tool for studying climate. As a result of continuous model improvements over the last few decades, scientists are re~onably confident about the link between global greenhouse gms concentrafioos and tempera- ture and about the ability of models to characterize future climam at continental scales. Recent model calcu[ation~ st}ggest that the global surface temper- atnre could increase an average of 1.6-6.3'~F by 2100, with signif- icant regional vttriation. These temperature changes would be Far greater than recent ~.atural fluctuations, a~xd they would occur slgnificandy taster than any known changes in the last 10,000 yearn. The United States is projected to warm more than the global average, especially as t~wer sulfate aerosols are produced. The models suggest [hat the rate of evaporation will increase as the climate warms, wkich will increase average global prenipita- lion. They also suggest increased frequency of intense rainfall as well as a mad:ed decrease in sell moisture over some mid* continentai regions during the smnmen Sea level is projected to increase by 6-38 inches by 2100. Calculations of regional climate change are much loss retiab!e than global ones, and it is unclear whether regional climate will become more variable. The fi'equency and intensity of some extreme weather of critical importtmce to ecological systems (droughts, floods, frosts, chmdiness, the frequency o:f hot or cold spells, ,md the intensity of associated tim and pest outbreaks) could increase. Local Climate Changes Over the last centta3:, the average temperatore in Fort Collins, Color;ldo, has increased 4.I°F, and precipitation has decreased by up to 20°,'o in tn,my pat~s of the state. Over the next centoxy, climate in Colorado may change even more. For example, based on projentions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and results from the United Kingdom Itadley Centre's climate model (HadCM2), a model that account,q for both greenhouse gases and aerosols, by 2100 temperatures in Colorado could increase by 3-4°F in spring m~d f",dI (with a range of 1-8°F) trod 5-6°F in anmmer and winter (with a range of 2-1.2°F). Precipitation totals are estimated to change little in summer, although there ~ould be an increase in the fi'equcncy of sinemet thunderstorms associated with moistore flew from the Gulf et'Mexico. In spring and fall, precipitation is estimated to thcrease by I 0%, and winter increases could have a range of 20-70%. Other clinxate models may show different results. The amount of precipitation on extreme wet or snowy days in winter is likely to increase. Tko frequency of extreme hot days in smltrner would increase because of the general werniing Precipitation Trends From. 1900 To Present Treeds~lO0 +20% +10% +5% -5% -10% Scurce: Karl et at. (1996) evaporation may increase the need for irrigation. However. these same conditions could decrease water supplies, which also may be needed by natural ecosystems, urban populations, industry, and other sectors. Understandably, most studies have not ~lly accounted for changes in climate variability, water availability, and imperfect responses by t',~trmers to changing climate. Including these factors could change modeling results substantially. Analyses that assume changes in average climate and effective adaptation by farmers suggest that aggregatu U.S. food production woo£d not be harmed, although there may be si~tificant regional changes; In Colorado, agriculture is a $4 billion annual industry, three- fourths of which comes i'i-om livestock, mainly cattle. Almost half the crop acreage is irrigated. The major crops in the state are com. wheat, and hay. Climate change could reduce groin yields 8-33%. Hay and pasture yields could hll by 6% or rise by 13%, depending ca whether irrigation is used, leading tO changes itl. acres frowned and produatinn. For example, yiel&s could Pall wkile production rises because of'an increase in acres farmed. Forests Trees and forests are adapted to specific climate conditions, and as climate wan'as, thrusts will change. These changes could include changes in species, geographic range, and health arid productivity. If conditions also become drier, the current range and density of forests could be redticed mid replaced by grass- lands and pasture. Even a warmer and weber climate could lead to change~; trees that are better adapted to these rend/lions, such as fir and spruce, would thrive. Under these conditions, thrusts could beanme more dense. These changes could occur during the lffethnes of today's children, particularly if'change is accelerated by other su'esses such aa fire, pests, and diseases. Some of these stresses would thermqelves be worsaned by a warmer and drier climate. With changes itl climatu, the extent of forested areas hi Colorado could change litde or decline by as much as 15-30%. The uncertainties depend on mauy facturs, including whether soils become drier and, if so, how much tk~en Hotter, drier weather could increase the frequency and ~ntensity of wildfires, threatan- ins both property and fi~rasts. Along file Front Range, drier cunditions would reduce the range and health of ponderosa and lodge, pole forests, and increase their susceptibitily to fire. Grasshmds and rangeland could expand into previously forested areas in the western part of the state, and p~onTJuniper forests in Changes In Forest Cover Current +10°F, +13% Precipitation . ~ Tuncira ShrubgNoodland ~ Conifer Forest Grassland ~ Broadleat Forest Arid Savamla/~Voodland Source: VEMAP Participants (1995); Neilsen (1995) the southern part of file state could expand northward. Milder winters could increase the likelihood of insect outbreaks and of subsequent wildfires in the dead £~.tel left after such an outbreak. These changes would affect the character of Colorado lbresixs and the activities ti'tat depend on them. l-[owevm; increased rainfidI could reduce the severity of these effects. Ecosystems Ecus~ystems in Colorado are diverse, ranging from grasslands and deserts to mountain shmblands, forests, meadows, and alpine tundra. They also include numerous wetlands and streams. Because of elevation changes and human land use, many habitats are fragmented and restricted iu area. Changes in tanlperaV, tre and precipitation caused by climata change could affect tee incatinn and hanlth of these ecosystems. Wamling could affect alpine areas, causing tree lines to dsc by roughly 351) feet for ever,' degree Fahrenheit of warming. Mountain ecosystems such aa timse found in Rocky Motmtain National Park could shift upslope, redgcing habitat for many · subalpine species. Changas itl rain/all and anowfatl could alter slx'eamtlows and affect wetlands and wildlife, and possibly accelerate the invasion of non-native plants icrc streamside habitats. Aquatic species that are sensitive to water temperature could be affected adversely by climatu change. Cold-water fish such its trout could [use important habitat in Colorado, and endangered species such as the Cc, lorado squawfish could have difficdlty adapting· For further information about the potential impacts of climate change, contact tile Climate and Policy Assessment Division (2174), U S E~4, 401 id Street S~'1,~ Washington, DC 204F. 0 "If the interdependence and synchrony between animals .and plants are disrupted, the very survival of some species could be threatened," Wglfe said. Climate change also could affect plant and bird migration patterns, animals' hibernation patterns, reproductive cycles, woodland composition, plant pathogens and the availability of plant food for insects and animals. On the positive side, the warming trend is extending the growing season in the Northeast by several days - although hotter summers can negatively affect some crops, such as apples and grapes. Most scientists anticipate the increase in greenhouse gases -- and subsequently, the warming trend - will continue, so it's important researchers more broadly monitor the consequences for crops, animals and natural areas, Wolfe said. Heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane are produced mainly by industry, automobiles and power plants, climatologists say the gases absorb infrared radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere. Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.