Earth In Crisis: An Electrified World
Ways To Get Off The Burning Carbon Train
By Tracey MacDermott
For the GPHN
The environmental news last month was filled with despair: The Office of Environmental Protection in England warned that environmental tipping points are fast approaching. Closer to home, the Colorado River hit critically low levels, New Mexico is burning and the U.S. can’t seem to pass a bipartisan climate bill.
What are we waiting for?
Last year’s climate bill failed when Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, refused to support it. While debate rages on in Washington, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued warnings that without drastic and accelerated efforts to slash carbon from coal, oil and natural gas, the ability to limit warming to what has been defined as the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius level will be out of reach.
The idea of ending our addiction to carbon sources seems overwhelming. Yet it is possible, and each of us can be part of the solution. We make decisions every day whether we move toward sustainability or continue down a gross consumption path. We have an opportunity now to change the way we travel around our city and how we use energy in our homes.
In November of 2020, Denver voters approved ballot initiative 2A, the Climate Protection Fund, which increased the local sales and use tax by 0.25 percent. A year later the city announced a five-year plan on how that money will be spent. Cities generate more than 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Denver officials have said their aim is to reduce greenhouse gasses 65 percent by 2030.
What does this have to do with your decisions and solving the climate crisis?
You can directly benefit if you are considering making serious change to reduce your carbon footprint. Let’s start with the rebate for the e-bike program. Denver recently offered $400 to all residents, and $1,200 for income-qualified residents, towards the purchase of e-bikes. It also offered $500 toward e-cargo bikes.
The city received 3,250 rebate applications, with 40 percent going toward income-qualified individuals. The program was so popular that Denver officials announced on May 11 that they have temporarily reached capacity for the rebates and no additional applications are currently being accepted. The application will be reopened at some point in the hopefully not-distant future, and interested residents should sign up for notifications.
Using an e-bike or a fully human-powered bike to run errands, commute to work or to visit our favorite Park Hill restaurants and businesses, helps reduce our overall emissions. The Colorado Department of Transportation notes that short trips by car can actually be more polluting per mile than long trips, because pollution is highest in the first few miles.
Reducing ozone and smog in Denver is critical for clean air and livability. If you are in a household with two cars, could an e-bike possibly help you give up one of those cars? Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and getting exercise at the same time is a terrific way to help the planet.
In addition to e-bike rebates, there are also rebates for Electric Vehicle charging home-wiring, air/ground source and mini-split heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters, solar, battery storage and electric service upgrades. Each one of these helps your household get off the burning carbon train that is sending Mother Earth into uncharted territory.
The online resource site Electrify Now reports a quarter of US emissions are from burning gas for heat. “The average gas furnace and gas water heater combined will produce 5-11 tons of CO2 per year. These products typically last 10 to 15 years and over their lifetimes will produce 60 to 150 tons of CO2.”
With rebates that are available, you can avoid the 5-11 tons of CO2 every year.
If you are thinking about an electric car but not quite ready to purchase, now is still a good time to install the EV charger. The rebates apply to a certified Level 2 Charger, home Tesla charger or a bidirectional charger. You can receive up to $1,000 for a Level 2 Charger or up to $2,000 for a bidirectional charger. With the bidirectional charger you can use your fully charged EV to return power to the home. This certainly would help during a power outage.
Even if you are not fully ready to electrify your home there is something in the rebates for everyone. Small incremental changes to our energy use can help head off disaster. These rebates can help make the switch to an electrified world more affordable.
If you are able, please dive in and begin the switch to electrification and be a part of solving this emergency.
Tracey MacDermott is an at-large member of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., and immediate past chair. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017, and is currently the Statewide Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project for the 100% Committed Campaign.