(NM) Gov.: Environmental Progress Made at Local Level (Barf Alert!)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | May 12, 2006 | Tania Soussan

[CedarDave]

Environmental activists should focus on making progress at the local rather than federal level, Gov. Bill Richardson told the national governing council of the Wilderness Society in Albuquerque on Thursday.

The Bush administration and Congress are not advancing environmental policies, but governors and mayors are making progress, the governor told the group. "I know things are not good now (in Washington, D.C.), but at the state level, there are so many ways we can protect our land," Richardson said.

As an example, he said he has sued the federal government over oil and gas drilling in southern New Mexico's Otero Mesa grasslands and has toughened state laws to raise the environmental bar for drilling there.

"We're at the forefront," Richardson said. "We're fighting the good fight."

Richardson also encouraged the group to take advantage of the new coalition of traditional environmentalists, sportsmen, ranchers and other groups that is forming on wilderness, renewable energy and other green issues. "We gotta bring that together," he said.

Richardson, who is widely considered a contender for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, was asked whether the environment will be an issue in that election cycle.

He said both the environment and energy are "sleeper issues"— along with education— that will be key in the 2008 election.

"I think it's important you join the debate on energy," he said. "Having a new energy policy is America's number one priority."

Al Gore might have succeeded in his 1998 bid for president if he had talked more about green issues, Richardson said. "It might have regenerated those voters, those young people who care so deeply about the environment," he said.

Richardson's comments were well-received. "We need more Bill Richardsons in this country," said Wilderness Society President William Meadows.

[CedarDave]

For anyone who wants to stay home this fall or in 2008 in disgust with Congress or the President, this is what you will get -- radical environmentalists whose goal it is to make you live your life the whay THEY believe is best.

Together with teachers they are banding together here to prevent more fossil energy development with the result, of course, being higher energy costs for all.

[digger48]

What a wonderful time to brag about slowing domestic oil production

[P-40]

Environmental activists should focus on making progress

Progress? That is an odd word to use. If you want progress on "green" issues, the Bush administration isn't just talking, they are doing.

[CedarDave]

We have a former Wilderness Society president, Jim Baca, who is running for state land commissioner. His platform, of course, is to restrict oil and gas drilling on state public lands, which, BTY, provide most of the revenue for state education. Luckily for us, there is another candidate in the Dem primary who is not so radical. I would be worried if the Democratic party in NM was all moonbats as they are in Santa Fe, but there are a lot of moderate traditional Democrats who rely on energy development for their livelihood. Hopefully they will prevail.

On the other hand, this is a wonderful issue for the fall campaign -- a couple of ads showing lines at the gas pump, high priced gasoline, rising home heating bills together with newspaper headlines like "Environmentalists Block Energy Project" ought to help.

[mtbopfuyn]

After Richardson aided and abetted the Texas runaway chicken poop RATS, I've had no use for him.

[Coldwater Creek]

Why don't they do something about the blowing sand?????????

I haven't lived in NM for years and I can still taste the grit in my teeth.

I don't even know if I was born on NM or Texas soil.

[CedarDave]

If you were born in West Texas, you were born on New Mexico soil because it always blows from west to east!

[Coldwater Creek]

I was born on the boarder, so who knows!!!!!!