Colorado campaign sparks outcry
A recent Denver ad campaign has generated pushback for its advice on climate change.
The campaign rests on three snappy pillars with a message imploring Denver residents “do more, do less, do something” in the fight against climate change. A tip to “eat less meat” has stirred outcry from several Coloradans, including government representatives, agricultural producers and other industry stakeholders.
Many claim the foundational research driving the campaign is outdated and the call to eat less meat is ignorant of the role livestock production plays in Colorado’s history, economy and culture.
The campaign
The campaign is a product of the City and Council of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR). The tagline encourages residents to “do more, do less, do something” about climate change by rethinking habits contributing to pollution and waste.
Among the campaign’s tips for doing less is a call to “eat less meat,” which has enraged many across Colorado’s agricultural sector.
A July 14 press release on denvergov.org refers to the campaign as an ambitious behavior-change initiative rooted in community research and behavioral science with goals to unite Denver residents in the battle against climate change.
The same source reports the campaign reflects a growing sense of urgency in the Denver area regarding climate change, citing 2024 data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication which shows 84 percent of Denver County residents believe global warming is happening, compared to a national average of 21 percent reported in the same study.
“Denverites already care deeply about climate change, and we know solving this crisis requires bold action,” says Elizabeth Babcock, CASR executive director. “But history shows major change often starts with people. When individuals act together, we have the power to shape markets, influence policy and accelerate progress. This campaign is about showing every Denverite their actions matter and when we move together, we move the needle.”
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says he believes the campaign makes it easier for community members to take easy, everyday actions to help meet shared climate goals.
“Every day I see Denverites come together to support our city, and climate action is no exception,” says Johnston. “Together, we can do more of what helps, less of what hurts and work together to make Denver a better place, not just for us but for our kids and grandkids who will call our city home for generations to come.”
Despite the campaign’s intent to unite residents, many claim it has done the opposite, causing division by polarizing producers against politicians and widening the gap between urban and rural Coloradans.
The reaction
Colorado’s agricultural sector is a major component of the state’s economy and generates approximately $47 billion annually, according to a March 2024 brief by the Colorado General Assembly. In January alone, the National Western Stock Show generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Denver area.
Several industry stakeholders and agriculturists have called the campaign ignorant in terms of history, science and culture.
In an undated letter addressed to Johnston and cited by Jeff Rice in a report for The Fence Post, Colorado state Sens. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Byron Pelton denounced the campaign, labeling it “tone deaf” and insulting to Colorado agriculture. The letter garnered additional support from 15 other legislators, according to the same Fence Post article.
“As elected representatives from Colorado’s rural communities, we are deeply frustrated and disapprove of the city and county of Denver’s decision to fund a $3 million campaign encouraging residents to eat less meat as a climate strategy,” the letter reads. “This campaign, promoted under the misleading banner of sustainability, represents not only a tone-deaf approach to climate policy but a direct insult to the people and industries who feed our city, our state and the world.”
Prowers County Commissioners Ron Cook, Roger Stagner and Ty Harmon also issued a formal resolution condemning the campaign.
The resolution cites agriculture as the economic backbone and cultural foundation of Prowers County and rural Colorado and credits the industry with sustaining livelihoods, stewarding the land and feeding the nation.
“Colorado has a proud, multigenerational tradition of ranching and livestock production which contributes significantly to the state’s economy, local food security and healthy communities,” the resolution says. “Launching anti-meat campaigns is not only ignorant, but insulting to the generations of ranching families who built and sustained this state from its earliest days to the present.”
The document also notes the ill timing of the campaign, which comes just shy of Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood. In closing, the Prowers County Commissioners offer formal opposition to the campaign, as well as “any similar efforts which criticize the livestock industry or undermine the livelihoods of Colorado’s ranchers and agricultural producers.”
In a column for The Denver Gazette, Fence Post Assistant Editor Rachel Gabel echoes many of the same sentiments, claiming the campaign is founded on misinformation and calling inclusion of livestock production in the conversation around climate change arbitrary and ignorant.
“Colorado protein producers have embraced efficiencies and new methods to put sustainability at the top of the list of priorities, not because it was forced upon them, but because doing right by the land and livestock is an investment in their success,” Gabel writes. “Colorado would benefit from understanding agriculture’s role in feeding the world, stewarding the land, providing habitat for 900-plus species and keeping the economy statewide and in the rural communities where stock trailers often roll through town.”
“Cattle producers are able to produce more product with fewer inputs thanks to better genetics, better nutrition and technology,” Gabel continues, citing statistics which note emissions from beef cattle contribute only two percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
“Though it seems to remain an easy target, modern cattle production is more efficient and packs a much smaller environmental impact than in previous generations,” Gabel concludes.
Following pushback from the media and public, the City of Denver has removed some of the more controversial messages from the campaign’s website, including the call to eat less meat. Several billboards still stand.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
