Less talk, more action

Robert Castellino has worn a lot of hats over the last 20 years he ran the ski-racing program at Eldora in the early 80s, worked in telecommunications, founded his own greeting card company, supported adolescents as a youth minister and, as a lifelong photographer, has authored five photographic story and guide books about Boulder, Denver and Colorado at large.

Now hes donned another hat environmental activist.

Ive always had a passion for the environment and the books Ive written in the past have always had a component about the ecology of commerce and our place in relationship to nature in Colorado, Castellino says. Nature has always driven my experience in Colorado and everything I know about the land and how it defines us. So thats been at the core of my passion as a photographer, being in touch with nature, the land, the diversity of the landscape and the people in it, how we celebrate it in our everyday lives. Thats why so many of us come here, to be connected with the outdoors and enjoy this amazing lifestyle we have.

A little more than two years ago, Castellino decided he needed to take action to save the natural beauty that has inspired him throughout his life. On Nov. 15 and 16, the result of Castellinos decision will culminate in the Colorado Climate Summit, a conference that Castellino says will move attendees past the conversation about the global climate crisis and toward solving the problem.

There will be some of the usual conference trappings keynote speakers will kickoff the event: Alison Holloran, executive director at Audubon Rockies; Mario Molina, strategist and department director with the Climate Reality Projects Climate Leadership Corps; and Coreina Chan, manager in the Rocky Mountain Institutes buildings practice division.

But after a series of presentations with experts, the conference will get hands-on. Attendees will break out into teams, based on geography and expertise, and work with presenters to solve a series of real-world problems facing Coloradans, from glacial melt to drought to beetle kill to fire, in hopes of not only addressing the ecological effects but the economic bearing as well.

Here is the major deal the Switch 2020 contract, says Castellino. We are requesting that every person who participates ... sign their own contract, a checklist based on how far down the road they are, what they are going to do to make the switch to renewable energy by 2020 and reduce their water footprint by 50 percent by 2025. Accountability is part of the process.

Castellino says even those who cant attend the summit will still be able to create their own Switch 2020 contract by reaching out to summit participants who live near them. Castellino plans to work with other summit organizers to create an online map of participants, allowing people around the state to find someone in their community who can share the knowledge they gleaned from the conference.

That notion of community is the driver here, says Castellino. How can we reach 64 counties and make a difference on the ground there are seven regions in our state and we have different cultural interests based on where we live in Colorado. How can we reach out across these cultural barriers, geographically and demographically, bringing together people who arent just activists but who are doing things?

Castellino says that diversity is key to addressing the climate change crisis, and hes got the numbers to back up that belief. Census data shows that Latinos make up approximately 21 percent of the states population, and according to projections from the State Demography Office, Latinos will make up one-third of Colorados population by 2040. To address the states fastest growing demographic, the Colorado Climate Summit partnered with the Americas Latino Eco-Festival. ALEF Executive Director Irene Vilar will present at the summit.

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Less talk, more action