They say you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing, but give a man a barometer and he will be better able to predict changes in the air.
In 1994, Bill Stirling – former mayor of Aspen (1983-1991) and lifelong civic activist – realized that we needed to wake up and change some things in the air. He joined with Randy Udall and Lynn Haines, co-directors of AEEC and Energy 2000 (two early environmental initiatives), to form the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE). Their goal was to build an organization that would drive regional climate action and greenhouse gas reduction.
Last week, Stirling, one of Aspen’s true treasures and a great local personality, was gifted a very fancy barometer in recognition of his work in founding CORE at a celebration held in the backyard of the Buttermilk Lodge to recognize CORE for its 30 years of work promoting sustainable energy use in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Over the years, many organizations and initiatives have been formed in this valley to combat the environmental impacts that we so desperately need as a community. But CORE’s mission to move the Roaring Fork Valley toward a carbon-free, energy-neutral future was ahead of its time, and the fact that it endures says a lot about the foresight Stirling had three decades ago.
“I realized that it was high time to stop talking about doing something and finally do something,” he said in a press release ahead of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the United States Capitol.th Anniversary of the founding of CORE, which officially took place on September 2, 1994. “We were trying to deal with all the things that were going on here related to climate change. One of the first warnings for us was that the ski area was going to lose some winter days in the spring and fall. We started with the easy to achieve goals, like changing the lighting, insulating doors and installing solar panels.”
Over the past three decades, CORE has evolved from what he calls “easy-to-achieve goals” to much larger projects.
“I’m incredibly proud of what this organization has accomplished over the past 30 years,” he continued. “CORE has remained agile and adaptable, playing a key role in initiatives such as bringing wind power to Colorado and partnering with the Aspen Ski Company to build a generator using methane gas from the abandoned coal mine in Somerset. That effort provided energy for the Roaring Fork Valley. Now we’re tackling methane emissions again – this time from an abandoned mine in the Coal Basin above Redstone.”
To honor Stirling and support the continuation of the mission, CORE announced the creation of the Stirling Giving Society for the organization’s most loyal donors.
“By donating or committing $2,500 or more, members of the Stirling Giving Society provide critical support to CORE in preserving the region’s natural resources, reducing carbon emissions and continuing the work Stirling began 30 years ago,” CORE said in a press release.
Stirling arrived in Aspen in 1972 with a thick beard and a sense of optimism in the face of adversity, demonstrated through his work in the Peace Corps in Kenya and as a teacher in New York City. Today, half a century later, his signature snow-white hair and outgoing personality still light up every room he walks into. He’s made it his mission to always know which way the wind is blowing.
Congratulations, Bill. Great job.
