Tuesday, October 11, 2011

An Analysis of Effective Components of Climate Change Policies in Three Colorado Counties

This is the abstract of the report I've written titled, "Climate Change Policies in Three Colorado Counties."
I've included a link to the report in Google Docs. I'd love to hear your thoughts on policies that you've seen work for local government.


Climate change is critically impacting the environment and economy at the local level. County governments have an opportunity to adopt climate change policies that address local environmental and economic concerns. The Colorado counties of Boulder, Gunnison, and Pitkin have all adopted some form of climate change policies. There are some components of each of these policies that are more effective in terms of economic, environmental, and community benefits. An effective climate change policy clearly states specific cost analyses, environmental impacts at the local level, the relationship between impacts and the community, and the economic benefits of policy adoption. This Capstone project addresses specific cost and energy analyses and provides a beneficial policy framework for county governments.