US elections: Little city with big climate dreams
Where the US government fears to tread, the town of Boulder, Colorado, will dive right in.
On Tuesday, city residents will vote whether to adopt a 'carbon tax' to offset emissions from residences and businesses in Boulder. The cost? A mere $22 extra for the average resident per year. By 2012, Boulder wants its emissions to be 7 percent below its 1990 levels -- itself following the Kyoto protocol the federal government has not yet signed.
Boulder is home to the University of Colorado, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and with its highly-educated and affluent residents is a liberal haven. And if previous elections are any indication, Boulderites are ready to adopt almost anything: Several years ago, the city passed a law making people who own dogs not dog owners ... but dog guardians.