Only one Wyoming municipality has signed on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and it may be no surprise that it's the town of Jackson.

Jackson Mayor Mark Barron said being a member of the climate protection agreement is not an "us against them" stance against the energy developers that have built a budget surplus for the state in recent years. Rather, saving energy and cutting carbon emissions is very much in line with Wyoming's conservative values regarding financial frugality and maintaining world-class air, wildlife, water and landscapes.

"Our quality of life depends on energy extraction. My challenge for all of us is to find ways to use them efficiently while protecting our natural resources," Barron said.

Barron and former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson discussed how cities and towns can save money by cutting pollution in the face of changing climate conditions and a tightening of the global commodities market at a forum Thursday evening at Casper College. It was the first in a series of fall lectures focusing on climate change challenges. The series is sponsored by University of Wyoming Outreach Credit Programs, University of Wyoming Casper College Center, Haub School & Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources.

"We need to get our own houses in order so we can participate in this broader discussion of climate change," said Barron.

Barron said there's significant resistance on climate change among city and town officials in Wyoming, as was evident by a discussion earlier in the day with the Natrona County Commission.

During the discussion, commissioners questioned the possibility of stopping coal production in Wyoming and the validity of Anderson's global warming arguments.

While most of the commission agreed that reducing pollution and emissions would likely be a good idea, no matter their feelings on global warming, Commissioner Matt Keating said he worried the conversation about global warming wasn't honest.

"I do believe we need to be good stewards and I think we are, but some of the issues that I have with global warming advocates is that they always seem to direct all of their focus at coal and oil and gas, and that's what drives our state," Keating said. "I don't believe that we aren't being good stewards."

Keating pointed to Anderson's presented photo of the Earth as a beautiful representation, but one that warrants other considerations.

"You started with the Earth - do you know why it's round? It's round because it started as a molten ball, the way that God developed it," he said. "It has this balance, and it takes care of the CO emissions that you seem so afraid of."

Anderson's insinuation that some "fringe" scientists who don't agree with commonly accepted global warming theories are paid off by oil and coal companies angered Commissioner Barb Peryam, who said that just because people don't agree with Anderson doesn't mean they're dishonest.

Because of such resistance to the idea of global warming, Barron said he instead focuses his message on fiscal savings. In 2006, the town of Jackson replaced standard incandescent light bulbs with more efficient light bulbs at several city facilities and received a rebate of $13,000 from its utility provider, Lower Valley Energy. The energy savings from the lighting program alone is expected to pay back the investment in 3.5 to 5.5 years and reduce annual carbon emissions by 32 tons.

Since, the town has partnered with Teton County to expand energy efficiencies to transportation, recycling and all aspects of municipal services. In 2007, the town passed a resolution to reduce electrical use from fossil fuels by 10 percent by the end of 2010.

In his outreach to fellow mayors and city officials, Barron said he often repeats a favorite quote from Lower Valley Energy's president and CEO, "The cheapest kilowatt is the one you never use."

While fielding questions from the audience, Barron said he believes it's important for municipalities, and other government entities, to take on energy-saving initiatives before imposing regulations and rules on businesses and citizens. Zoning regulations and "smart growth" planning to reduce traffic and conversion of open spaces is highly controversial, Barron said.

"Density is one thing people hate more than sprawl," Barron said.

Anderson gained international notoriety in the charge to reduce carbon emissions when he launched Salt Lake City's "green" program in 2001 ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

By 2006, Salt Lake City reported a 31 percent reduction of carbon emissions. By capturing methane emissions at its sewage treatment and landfill facilities, the city is able to burn the methane for "co-generation" to power the facilities.

Although public response to climate change initiatives are mixed and sometimes highly controversial, Anderson said the quick payoff on investment and long-term monetary savings win broad support.

For those who don't believe cutting carbon emissions is good business, Anderson said people can look to major corporations such as DuPont, which reduced pollutants by 67 percent and saved $2 billion.

Even BP America is utilizing solar and plans to add wind generation to power its natural gas operations in the Wamsutter gas field in south-central Wyoming.

"All of this goes to show that we have the means to make a real positive difference," Anderson said.

(Star-Tribune staff writer Megan Lee contributed to this report.)

Contact Dustin Bleizeffer at 307-577-6069 or dustin.bleizeffer@trib.com.