Climate Action Plan Newsletter

As our community continues to advocate for work advancing racial equity, we believe that the Our Climate Future planning process, centered in equity and leading with race, is more relevant and important than ever. I’m proud that we started this planning process last year and will have the first City plan that centers on equity. Please make sure to lend your voice as we gather input during Phase 2 (more below).

Summer Time, Summer Time, Sun-Sun, Summer Time! It’s summer and our community is finding new and different ways to enjoy summer, even with fewer vacations, fewer kids’ camps, and less pool time. Our data indicates that our trails, natural areas, and outdoor spaces are being utilized more than ever before and I feel lucky every morning on my dog walk to have nature so accessible. 

In our last newsletter Lindsay Ex announced her appointment as Interim Housing Manager, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the Interim Climate Program Manager. My name is Michelle Finchum and I have worked for the City since 2001, mostly in the Utilities department as the community engagement specialist. Since 2017, I have been the Municipal Sustainability Specialist, implementing the Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan and having the honor to announce that our organization met the Climate Action Plan goals in 2017 (21% below the 2005 baseline) and continues to lead by example.

I am excited to be a part of the forward thinking work of climate action in our community—for example, see below for a special announcement from Platte River Power Authority!

Enjoy this newsletter – we have a lot to share!

Michelle

 

Share Your Solutions to Achieve a Resilient and Equitable Climate Future

We need collective action! We’re asking community members for their ideas on how to achieve the community’s goals around waste, energy, and climate as part of the next phase of Our Climate Future. This new phase of engagement builds upon priorities identified last fall, which include sustainable transportation, reuse and recycling, renewable energy, equity and inclusion, and more. 

Collective action works! We’ve seen how it changed the course of COVID-19 and we’re seeing how it is elevating the voices of people of color to combat systemic racism in the United States. Collective action can also be a powerful tool to ensuring Our Climate Future is equitable, resilient, and prosperous for all. 
Take Action

Platte River Power Authority to Decommission Rawhide Coal Plant by 2030
The Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) recently announced that its Rawhide Unit 1 generating resource will cease producing electricity by 2030, 16 years before its planned retirement date. The plant's closure will mark the end to all coal-fired generation for PRPA! 

“Rawhide Unit 1 has served us extremely well for the past 36 years,” said Mayor Wade Troxell, who also serves on the Platte River Board, “but the time has come for us to move toward a cleaner future with grid modernization and integration while maintaining our core pillars of providing reliable, financially sustainable and environmentally responsible energy and services.”
Read the Press Release

Youth Voices Identify Climate Action as Top Priority
At the June City of Fort Collins Council Futures Meeting, five speakers representing youth voices from our community identified the following as their top priorities for Fort Collins:
  • Leadership in climate action
  • Waste reduction
  • Equitable access to public spaces and transportation
  • Protection of open spaces
  • Equity and social justice, especially racial justice
  • Affordability
The speakers gave kudos to the City for the work we are already engaged in around climate action, and encouraged us to keep pushing the envelope to ensure a healthy and equitable future for our young people. Thank you to the speakers for your inspirational messages!
Watch the Meeting Recording

Awards & Recognition
The City has recently received several exciting awards recognizing us as a leader in climate action:
Thank you for the continued support that makes it possible for us to earn this recognition!

Improve Your At Home Air Quality

Did you know that June is Healthy Homes Month?

Complete a DIY Assessment of your home and receive a personalized set of recommendations on how to reduce exposure to indoor air contaminants and safety hazards. Along with recommendations, if you complete the assessment and email the Healthy Homes Program (healthyhomes@fcgov.com) with your results before July 1, you will receive the following free gifts:

  • Radon Test Kit
  • Healthy Household Cleaner
  • Healthy Household Cleaning Recipes 
  • Sustainable Cloth for Dusting
Complete the DIY Assessment

CAP Community Advisory Committee Member Spotlight: Dimitris Stevis

Dimitris Stevis is originally from Greece and migrated to the USA during the 1970s to attend university. He continues to have close ties with Greece, and visits annually.  He and his partner have lived in Old Town East since 1990, where they have also raised their children, now 17 and 15 years old. He is a professor of politics at CSU, where he teaches environmental politics, political economy, and labor politics. He is also one of the co-leaders of the recently established Center for Environmental Justice. Dimitris is a firm believer in the need to combine teaching, research, and practice in the service of sustainability and equity.

About the Climate Action Plan
The City is implementing its 2020 Climate Action Plan strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The goal is to achieve a 20 percent reduction from 2005 emissions by 2020, 80 percent by 2030, and be carbon neutral by 2050.

Contact Us

Michelle Finchum
Interim Climate Program Manager 
mfinchum@fcgov.com 

Carolyn Conant 
Climate Program Assistant 
cconant@fcgov.com 
970.416.2473

Sustainability Services
222 Laporte
Fort Collins, CO 80521