Lead or Get Out of the Way

Thanks to you we’ve made great progress this summer building support for a strong Western Climate Initiative to fight global warming. Hundreds of you have sent e-mails, written Letters to the Editor and more than 130 businesses, doctors, nurses, church leaders, professors, students, farmers and individuals have called on Gov. Richardson to stand up for a strong, regional cap-and-trade system that will reduce global warming emissions."

However, agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are preempting states’ authority to set tough auto emission standards. Legislation is being introduced that would prohibit states from working together to set limits on global warming pollution.

And New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman issued a statement in July saying that a federal cap and trade program should “preempt” state and regional programs.

However, if states and regions want to take more aggressive action to combat climate change—like stronger cap and trade programs and vehicle tailpipe standards—we should encourage them to lead the way, in order to achieve the pollution reductions that science demands.

Please e-mail Senators Bingaman and Domenici to tell them that Washington, D.C. needs to pitch in, or get out of the way. We need to keep the Bush administration from unraveling all of New Mexico’s hard work to address global warming.

Follow these 3 easy steps to help out.

1. Look over the message below, and feel free to add your own comments. Using your own words makes the message more meaningful.
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3. Click the button to send your message.

Subject	NM to DC: Lead or Get Out of the Way
Letter	Dear Senators Bingaman and Domenici, While the federal government has failed to act, states, like New Mexico, have been moving boldly ahead with the solutions to global warming. New Mexico has adopted strict tailpipe standards and has committed to joining a regional cap and trade program, called the Western Climate Initiative. I fully support these state initiatives and urge you to protect them from federal preemption. As the federal government grapples with climate change policy, states will continue working on bold solutions. Rather than creating roadblocks for states, Washington D.C. should be supporting states that forge ahead with stronger policies, the kind of policies we need if we're to avoid the worst effects of a warming planet. Sincerely,
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