In Colorado Springs we have already experienced our fair share of climate-change-driven natural disasters, from the devastating Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires that destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and took four lives, to the historic 2013 flooding that followed shortly after.Â
The average temperatures in our community have been rising over the years and Colorado Springs Utilities is now predicting that 70 percent of all the cityâs residences will have air conditioning installed over the next few years. Colorado Springs is growing hotter faster than the rest of the state, and Colorado is often in the top 10 states showing the greatest temperature increases. Last summer, record-burning wildfires translated to terrible air quality, putting our health and well-being at risk. Â