American culture is reckoning with some of the negative impacts of our history. We are having significant and necessary conversations — and political outcomes — around the history of race in America. Some of those conversations have started to focus on the important concept of reparations. In the past few weeks alone, St. Paul, Nashville, […]
Gary Wockner
Special to The Colorado Sun
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: By slowing growth, Lakewood enacts Colorado’s strongest climate action plan
Lakewood voters should be applauded across Colorado this week — the wrecking ball of growth steamrolling our state has finally met its match at the ballot box. By a six-point margin on July 2, Lakewood voters enacted a “Slow Growth” ordinance that restricts the amount of new residential development in the city. This kind of […]
Posted inGrowth, Opinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: For voters in local Colorado elections, it’s the growth, stupid!
Last week’s somewhat stunning election results for mayor of Denver highlight that Colorado’s explosive population growth is consuming local election campaigns and outcomes. All three high-profile competitors against current Mayor Michael Hancock — Jamie Giellis, Penfield Tate and Lisa Calderon — focused on the negative impacts of growth on the city of Denver and the […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Why population growth is destroying Colorado’s hopes to rein in climate change
The last time the State of Colorado reported its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2014, the news was bad — emissions had gone up, year after year, and were expected to continue doing so, and they almost certainly have. The cause was due to the increased emissions from an increasing number of oil and gas […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: “Inclusivity” must include Colorado’s environment
By most measures, Colorado has achieved a hallmark of human cultural “inclusivity” over the past few years. The capstone came last week when newspapers across the U.S. heralded Colorado’s “first openly gay governor” in the U.S., Jared Polis, who is also our first Jewish governor. It appears that his cabinet appointments will also break new […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: A “Green New Deal” For Colorado: Top 10 Goals for the environmental movement in 2019
Several environmental groups in Colorado are screaming “Historic Victory!” as the Democrats took over every level of state government in the recent election. With this victory in hand, as well as a pro-environment governor, it’s time to set priorities and goals. Here’s the Top 10 goals to work toward in 2019: One: Move The Frack […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Can the ‘Outdoor Recreational Economy’ save Colorado’s environment?
Two weeks before the election, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper stood with a phalanx of “outdoor recreators” and state agency staffers while announcing the results of a new study by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. The study claimed that the “Outdoor Recreation Economy” — let’s call it “ORE” — had reached $62 billion a year […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Traffic will only get worse if voters approve Proposition 110
Are you stuck in traffic? You did not create this mess. Our elected leaders did. And if you vote in favor of Proposition 110, it’ll just get worse. Explosive population growth is the biggest threat to Colorado’s quality of life, and to Colorado’s wild landscapes and rivers. Supporting Proposition 110 will just fuel and subsidize […]