Denver's 5 year plan on climate means they have to know how my tenant cooks his food? Nederland's river guardians? A new semester, and a new dad joke for my repertoire.
A curious question in my landlord inspection license for Denver ...
I have written in the past about Denver's rental licensure program.
I won't go back over that. What I do want to share is a curious series of questions I was asked while filling out my application.
I had to (it was not optional) indicate what type of energy was used to heat our rental, to heat its water, and to cook food. In case you're curious it's gas, electric, electric respectively.
Why on earth does the City and County of Denver need to know this for a rental application? After all, as it says in my $200 inspection report, all the heat and cooking appliances work. That should be the end of it.
Well, I reached out to the City's Excise and License department to ask why. Here's what I got back in an email.
"That is a question for data collection - of interest to our city partner agency that deals with climate and sustainability."
I asked which office they meant specifically and was directed to the Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency (see the link below).
I reached out to their press person and asked why they wanted the info, what purpose it would serve, etc. I have yet to hear back, but when I do I will update.
I looked around on Denver's Climate website to see if I could find anything on my own. About the only things I could find were buttons dealing with Denver's Five Year Plan (an ominous title for it if you've done any reading on Russian history--see the graphic attached), their renewable electricity plan, and/or their climate gas inventories.
See the attached screenshot for which of the site's buttons to push if you'd like to read the same ones I did.
My guess, and absent hearing it is just a guess, is that this data gathering is part of their greenhouse gas inventory. Still, it makes me uneasy to know my rental unit is on some list somewhere.
I'll update as I hear more. In the meantime, has anyone reading seen or had to do similar (registering your appliances or heating)? If so, please feel free to add to the comments.
https://www.denvergov.org/Community/Sustainability
Related:
The second in a series of wind turbine fires out near me. I wonder if climate action plans like Denver's and the state's will account for this.
They get the power, we get the fires. And failure will only become more common as these things age out.
https://www.julesburgadvocate.com/2024/01/11/wind-turbine-near-peetz-collapses-catches-fire/amp/?fbclid=IwAR0Uink_2UB-9COHe-dUROVE6RCbJYVedNlqJSAi4N-bVzXEU1cEtCR6zQc_aem_AZ0RJmKcwj_Lce8wT3-QvGzhzP6307mtxttU_aXUSiwq5VM3H-1VYsmM6v2FPxbE8Lo
A day for curiosities indeed.
First Denver wants to monitor how my tenant cooks his food (see the post right prior to this one).
Now Nederland has appointed two residents as guardians of Boulder Creek to (according to the Sun article linked below), "... [give] it a voice in town policy."
Yep. You read that right.
I've written about this and similar efforts in the past: about "personhood" status for animals, exemplified by trying to run a habeas corpus motion for an elephant in a zoo, and the international rights of nature movement.
Writing this post was a challenge because it required stifling a whole series of jokes that kept intruding on my consciousness so I could put together a cogent sentence.
Let's try to think about this clearly. The Town of Nederland passed a measure in 2021 to do exactly what I mentioned above, to start giving rights to nature.
According to the Sun article, which quotes one of the new guardians for the creek, "'We’re not really trying to enforce anything. We’re just trying to keep channels of communication open,' said Alan Apt, the other Boulder Creek guardian appointed by Nederland. 'We have a lot of support from citizens in Nederland who are generally very environmentally concerned, and I think we’re all concerned about climate change.'”
Okay, so if this isn't about enforcing anything, what is the point of this exercise? Is it a variant of things I've heard from some government officials (or I've posted about in one of Speaker Julie McCluskie's speeches): the "I hear you, I acknowledge you (but am not going to actually do anything)" feel-good, hot air?
If that's what Nederland is after, if that makes them feel good, and if they're willing to spend the money on it, well, I guess that's their choice.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/12/nederland-river-guardians-boulder-creek-colorado/
A new semester and a new dad joke for my class.
That time of the week. Last post til Sunday and so something for fun not related to politics.
If you were one of my students you'd be treated (subjected?) to repeated dad jokes in class. I have quite a stock.
I'll let you in on a little teacher's secret: it's the students that change every semester, the dad jokes don't. Well, that's mostly the case. Sequence courses (Fall's Calculus-based mechanics followed by Spring's Calculus-based electricity and magnetism for example) present a challenge because those are the same students.
You're wise to hold some back, but I would also say you should be open to inspiration. Let your heart be your guide.
During the cold snap this week I was lifting weights in my unheated garage and a joke hit. Hit like the overweight wrestler in the meme I attached.
"You guys staying warm? Yeah? That's good. It was really cold in my gym this morning, but once these guns started firing [flexes biceps], it heated up real quick."
I wish I could tell you that it was met with raucous applause and laughter, but it was the usual mix of groans and a few chuckles, exactly what a dad joke should elicit.
Got a favorite of your own? Please add to the comments. Extra respect for ones related to lifting weights or being in the gym.
Have a good Friday and Saturday. Back at it Sunday!