Earth In Crisis: Denver’s Climate Champions
Highlighting The City’s True Heroes. Spoiler: Mayor Hancock Takes Credit, But Doesn’t Make Our Cut
By Tracey MacDermott
For the GPHN
Five years ago this month Mayor Michael Hancock announced Denver’s goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable electricity. By that time 72 other cities were already leading on this issue. Denver was the ninth city in the state to make the announcement.
The next year, 2019, Glenwood Springs and Aspen successfully completed their goals to be powered by renewables. Hancock made a promise that all municipal buildings would be 100 percent renewable by 2025 and the whole city by 2030. There has been no recent update on the 2025 municipal building goal — which is less than two years away. In 2020, Denver reported that 42 percent of its electricity was supplied by renewable sources.
So we were a bit surprised — and more than a bit amused — when last month the United States Conference of Mayors awarded the lame-duck mayor a first place Climate Protection Award in the large city category. The award was for the city’s Climate Protection Fund, the 0.25% voter-approved sales tax dedicated to local climate action.
Also this spring, the city announced that Hancock has been appointed to join an international task force on climate migration. What an interesting development — given this is hardly an issue that Hancock has, at least publicly, focused his attention.
OK, so clearly big-city mayors pat each other on their backs all the time. But let’s get real — as in, this month let’s celebrate a few of Denver’s real climate champions.
The citizens of Denver
The real heroes of Denver’s Protection Fund (aka the “climate tax”) are the citizens of this city. Three years ago 62 percent of Denver voters passed the 2A climate tax. The tax was a direct result of earlier grassroots efforts led by activists from Resilient Denver.
Specifically, Ean Thomas Tafoya (more on Ean to follow), proposed a ballot measure in 2019 to tax energy use. Opposition from utilities halted its progress. Councilman Jolon Clark subsequently began working on a similar climate-friendly measure, but it was met with opposition from, you guessed it, Mayor Hancock. City Council agreed to halt the measure if Hancock would form a citizen task force on climate.
Ultimately, the tax passed. Credit for passing the innovative measure belongs to activists including Tafoya, and the collective spirit of the citizens of Denver.
Ean Thomas Tafoya, climate activist
Tafoya ran this year for mayor of Denver. While unsuccessful, he focused on our most critical issue — climate change. His platform promoted climate and environmental justice, as well as housing, worker’s rights, and public health and safety. His own campaign logo included wind turbines and the sun beaming over Colorado’s Rocky Mountains
For many years Tafoya’s been at the center of many initiatives leading to climate action in Denver. They include the citizen-led Green Roof Initiative and Waste No More. After the passage of the Green Roof Initiative in 2018, Denver City Council revised the measure to allow builders more options to meet the requirements.
Denver’s Waste No More requires all Denver businesses, including apartment buildings, condos, restaurants, hotels, and sporting arenas, to provide compost and recycling pick-up services. It passed with 70 percent voter approval last November.
Tafoya’s other work included opposition to the I-70 expansion and fighting for protection from Suncor pollution for marginalized communities. As the state director for Green Latinos, he is leading the way for communities impacted from air pollution.
Woody Garnsey, Penfield Tate, SOS — and Candi CdeBaca
In 2013, Mayor Hancock traded away open space in Hentzell Park in southeast Denver for a downtown office building. In 2018, the city approved a land swap of city land at 29th and Fairfax to HM Capitol for a small park in the middle of a new development project. It was a piece of land valued over $1 million — and taxpayers still had to shell out plenty in the end to build the promised “free” park.
In the last two years, Hancock put the weight of his entire city administration behind efforts to develop the Park Hill Golf Course land.
These are but a few examples of what kind of “parks advocate” he’s been as mayor.
Early on, longtime Park Hill resident Woody Garnsey organized efforts to stop development of this open space, which is protected with a city-owned conservation easement. Garnsey maintained his focus on saving this 155 acres of land for future generations. He organized the Save Open Space team, which included former state Sen. Penfield Tate.
City Councilwoman Candi Cdebaca was a vocal supporter of SOS Denver, and in her commitment to preserve the conservation easement for Denver.
In April, Initiative 2 O was soundly defeated by voters. It was a resounding rejection of both Hancock’s and most of council’s support of Westside Investment Partners.
The work of Garnsey and SOS Denver creates an opportunity for Denver to protect open space, help our ozone and reduce the heat island effect — as well as providing a place for recreation for current Denver citizens and for future generations.
The list above is not all inclusive; many others deserve recognition as well. And Hancock? On the issue of climate justice, not so much. We owe much of that hard work to citizens who have led efforts not just on the examples listed here, but who also lead each day by individual actions.
You too, can contribute by getting involved. We each have the capacity to become champions for our climate.
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.