Denver Takes First Big Step Becoming Environmentally Friendly

Finally, Colorado has accomplished something on which virtually every person in the state can agree.

On March 17, 2008, - the day of the green - Gov. Bill Ritter proudly announced numerous green initiatives for the mile-high city. But this talk of green was not because of the holiday.

According to the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver's Pepsi Center (home of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and NBA's Denver Nuggets) will soon become 100-percent environmentally friendly, just as the Democratic National Convention is about to come to town, August 25 through 28.

Along with the big news, officials that are with the Pepsi Center stated how they also plan to announce a new major Play Fan recycling and Energy Conversation initiative, which includes new recycling bins, and a hybrid-only parking region, as well as a "no idling zone", located outside the arena. This particular announcement portrayed an ongoing endeavor by the city and also convention officials to be environmentally friendly during the four day event for this upcoming August.

In a news conference with the owners of the Pepsi Center, Kroenke Sports Enterprises, the Governor proudly stated, "We have been discussing how this can be the greenest convention since the advent of electricity and to have the Pepsi Center be out ahead of us in terms of going fully green, it's a very significant help for us!"

The governor is not the only one who believes this. Many supporters came to the big event where the announcement was declared, (including Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl) and the people of Denver were thrilled for being number one in the nation to participate in the effort of dropping our environmental footprint to zero.

Six year old Kalia of Brighton, is incredibly enthusiastic. Her father, Doug, talks about waking up to finding his daughter hard at work. "She took one of our indoor trash cans and a permanent marker to draw the recycle arrows on the side of the can. After she cuts box tops off of used boxes, we smash the box flat to add with other used paper, cans and such and she loves to help take them to the recycle dumpsters."

And it's not just their home Kalia works on. "There are times I'll go for a walk with her bother and her," Doug continues. " she encourages him, as well as some of their neighborhood friends to help clean trash on our streets to discard them properly. My kids also contribute by making sure electricity is not wasted, turning lights off of rooms they're not in. We've switched nearly all of our fixtures with energy saving fluorescent light bulbs. It's a great feeling watching one child lead others to do their part in respecting the environment and making this a better place. If kids can do it, who's to say us adults can't?"

Currently, many homes are dependent on electricity the old fashioned way. But with businesses like the Pepsi Center making the switch to renewable energy, this leaves a hopeful goal that someday it will be a new trend for residential homes to do the same. One business that has faith of this happening is Sterling Planet. They advertise their belief how anyone, anywhere can make the difference with the move to a "Green America" for today. Individuals, businesses, as well as other organizations can choose the Green-e certified merge of wind, solar, and bioenergy from generating projects located in the U.S.

If you don't want to listen to Al Gore, or other scientists who have been predicting this for some time, take a look around the streets that you drive on, look at the sky in your city, and look at the children and consider if the world will look the same when they are your age. You don't have to be a wealthy individual, or a business to take part, and the time is now to attempt to clean up our way of life.

Sources:

Sterling Planet
http://www.sterlingplanet.com/news/newsid22/

Premier Facilities Enterprises
www.premierfacilityservices.com/pepsicenter.html

KUSA Channel 9

Rocky Mountain News

D. Keys