🌱Climate change asks us, can we be better?

Combating climate change and environmental destruction is daunting. Finding solutions requires not only innovation (sometimes radical) but also clearing political hurdles, whether the proposal is in the political sphere or not. A lot of the fight on The Hill in Washington and other state and local government offices has turned radical: Get to 100 percent emissions as soon as possible, or keep the status quo. But, rather than (more likely in addition to) overthrowing the systems that are deeply engrained into the world's economic and social psyche, what about improving the systems that we already have? Residential and commercial emissions account of 39 percent of emissions in the United States, most of which are from heating and cooling, according to the [U.S. Green Energy Council](. Inefficient heating and cooling, open seals and other flaws in building design keep this number high. It's an unduly cost to both building owners and tenets financially and the warming atmosphere. So why not make them better? Yes, it costs money up front, but does that outweigh what it saves in hard dollars and externalities in the future? New York City is leading the charge in tackling building efficiency, establishing a cap on their emissions. Though a smaller city and not as sweeping of a change, Denver also passed a green building reform last year. This movements shows the power of cities, especially a global icon like New York, to muscle through the politics of the word 'climate change', let alone the proposed solutions. Can we ask ourselves as individuals how we can be better? There is an argument that a single person's choice will not make a difference, but, just like the negative effects of the tragedy of the commons on the environment, can the positive effects of large swaths of individuals shifting their lifestyle have a positive cascading impact? Colorado forests have for years suffered from behemoth wildfires, fire suppression policies, drought, beetle infestations and other disturbances. Their widespread mortality is killing off vast swaths of previously forested land and the ecosystem services - including carbon sequestration - that those lands once provided. [Read More +]( [California irrigation giant sues to halt Colorado River drought plan signed by Trump]( Threats of mandatory water cuts prompted the Imperial Irrigation District to sue to halt a plan critical in preparing the Colorado River Basin states for water scarcity. [Read More +]( [Climate change was the engine that powered Hurricane Maria's devastating rains]( A new study shows that the record rainfall during Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017 was in part due to climate change. [Read More +]( [Big buildings hurt the climate. New York City hopes to change that.]( In what some are calling an unprecedented move, New York City passed legislation that will cap emissions for a variety of buildings to help the city achieve an overall 40 percent reduction of emissions by 2030. [Read More +]( [Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren rolls out big plan for public lands]( In a post, Warren said that as president she would sign an executive order to ban new fossil fuel leases on her first day — a moratorium that would apply to offshore areas as well as federally managed land. [Read More +]( [Activists to target London airport on fifth day of climate strikes]( Climate activists disrupted Heathrow Airport Friday ahead of Easter weekend on fifth day of protests highlighting climate change. [Read More +]( What else we're reading this week - Federal court [dismisses Trump administration's]( repeal of coal, oil valuation rule via Reuters - Colorado House passes [climate change bill]( via Colorado Politics - Central American [farmers head to the U.S.]( fleeing climate change via The New York Times - Opinion:[‘Shock and dismay’]( for Notre Dame (so should it be for Chaco Canyon) via Indian Country Today - [Young activist]( the Pope]( scolding EU leaders on climate change]( via CNN Quote of the day: ““This is huge. I haven’t seen a city that has tackled climate change head-on in a way like this, setting specific targets for buildings and providing a path forward for how they can comply through innovative policy tools.” - John Mandyck, the chief executive of the Urban Green Council, on New York City's move to improve building efficiency Tip of the day: Check your house for its own inefficiencies. The worst offenders for energy are windows and doors. When not properly sealed, they can let out heat or cool air in the winter and summer, respecitvely, requiring your climate control system to pump out more of what your house needs to stay at its set temperature. [Subscribe now!]( A free weekly environment briefing that comes to you. No algorithms, clickbait or ads – just what's worth reading. I've got your back Hi, my name is Liz Forster. I am an environment reporter and have a particular interest in public land management, natural disasters, climate change and ecology, among other topics. I received a degree in Environmental Policy from Colorado College and have worked for a Colorado newspaper since. Subscribe and each week, I'll comb through newspaper's headlines and send you the latest, most pertinent environment news. Questions, comments, suggestions? Email me at liz.forster@gazette.com or follow me on Twitter at @lizmforster. You're receiving this email because you signed up for Environment Weekly emails The Colorado Springs Gazette, L.L.C. | 100 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 [Unsubscribe {EMAIL}]( [Update Profile]( | [Our Privacy Policy]( | [About our service provider]( Sent by noreply@gazette.com