Op-ed: Western slope youth demand climate action

The Western Slope of Colorado is a region inhabited by a wide and expanding range of citizens. From hard working ranchers & farmers with roots stretching back to the late 1800s, retirees searching for a warm place to stay active, young college students like us, basking in the burgeoning college town vibes of Grand Junction, and more; we all call the region home. Long has this rural corner of America been in the peripheral of the rest of the country, but the tide is changing. The Western Slope is home to the ever growing CMU, numerous successful small businesses, and a vibrant outdoor recreation economy. Rather than a fuel stop, we are a destination.

Rural communities like ours have historically been neglected on the national stage, but it’s a dangerous oversight in the climate conversation. Longer droughts and shorter snowfalls, year after year of record-breaking heat, and sick forests are all sounding alarm bells for our way of life in the rural West. Just this month, a new report revealed that the Western Slope is warming at four times the speed of the rest of the country, disproportionately affecting ranching, agriculture, and recreation, industries that provide this area with fundamental economic footholds.

Climate change is affecting our way of life, and the systems put in place to protect U.S. citizens are not doing their job. This willful lack of effort imperils the cultural and economic pillars of the Western Slope. The pundits, conmen, and elected officials who’ve feasted at the trough of industry-funded climate denialism will get off scot-free. But our Colorado River, the wild ranges of elk and deer, the future of Palisade peaches and Olathe sweet corn, the trout in our streams, our livelihoods and our land will all pay the price of their denial.

Our generation is taking action. In research laboratories across the country, we’re inventing the future of cleaner and cheaper energy. Across Colorado, we’re installing new wind and solar at record speeds. We’re commercializing the battery technology needed to keep the lights on between sunny days and windy nights. And we’re creating thousands of good-paying local trades jobs that will be a cornerstone of the economy to come.

So what do we need? We need you to laugh in the face of any politician who shows up without a climate plan that reduces emissions, stops the firesale of our American public lands to big polluters, creates resources for old-energy workers to transition to good jobs, and ensures American competitiveness in new industries taking place on a global scale.

If you’re ready to stand with us, you’ve got a great chance on Friday, September 20. CMU and High School students will join with youth across the world in rallying for climate solutions. Come and hear what we’ve got to say at the West Slope Climate Rally at 4 PM in the CMU Main Plaza and 5-6:30 PM at Lincoln Park. Motivated and passionate young people from across the region are joining forces with global efforts and demanding stark climate action be taken by local, national, and global politicians.

We can sit back and watch what happens, or we can take action and fight for a livable future, a future where we can enjoy the summertime peaches, farmers markets on Main Street, and ensure we have clean air and clean water for future generations. All that we need is for students, farmers, families, professionals, and every single person to use their voice and demand action to protect our way of life. All that we need is YOU.

Signed,

Ian Thomas & Jillian Klinger-CMU Sustainability Council

Nayeli Hernandez-CMU Latino Student Alliance

Johneth Price-Grand Valley Students United