Abandoning Kyoto?

[adam]

Is there good reason for Boulder to back off the ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals the City Council passed in 2002, and upon which it based the carbon tax it's now collecting from its citizens?

The potential backtracking (meeting Kyoto protocol goals not in 2012, but in 2035 or even 2050) was broached by an Environmental Affairs spokesperson at a community meeting Wednesday ([URL="http://www.bouldercarbontax.org/2008/03/20/whither-kyoto/"]read our coverage[/URL]).

No rationale has been provided so far for the change. But mark your calendars for April 8, when Environmental Affairs will make recommendations to the city in an upcoming April 8 council study session.

It's sure to rile up some consituents though. Tom McKinnon comments on our blog post that: "I, too, am concerned about abandoning the Kyoto goal. We worked hard to get 202 passed at the ballot box with promise that we would strive to meet the UN goals. 1) If we are abandoning Kyoto, let’s come right out and say it rather than couching it in obfuscatory language like 'We’re looking to longer time horizons.' 2) Give the climate activists in the city every chance to keep us on track before the ClimateSmart office makes this unilateral decision."

What do you think? What could be a reasonable basis for such a shift? Or should the city stay on its original track?

[adam]

A quick followup on our initial post: We report on our blog that Boulder's Climate Smart team is still committed to its original plan of meeting the Kyoto Protocol goals. Although more recently, it's become clear that Boulder is a risk of missing those goals anyway.