Global Warming News

Everyone today is talking about global warming—around the kitchen table, in high school classrooms, and the pages of Time magazine. Luckily, there are solutions to global warming and they are right here in New Mexico. A report released Monday by the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group (NMPIRG) Education Fund, entitled, "A Blueprint for Action: Policy Options to Reduce New Mexico’s Contribution to Global Warming," outlines fifteen policy options that would help New Mexico meet the challenge of global warming and significantly reduce emissions in the state. In June 2005, Governor Richardson issued an Executive Order that sets the state on a path to lead the country in addressing global warming—significantly reducing emissions by 10% below 2000 levels by 2020 and 75% below by 2050.

“New Mexico can make major strides toward reducing its share of global warming pollution by acting now to make cars cleaner, improve the efficiency of our homes and businesses and expand our use of solar and other clean energy sources,” said Jeanne Bassett, NMPIRG Education Fund Executive Director. The press conference took place against the backdrop of solar panels, a hybrid car, and the Bosque School of Albuquerque, a model of energy efficient building design—these represent just some of the solutions available to the state.

The consensus view of climate science holds that global temperatures are increasing, that human activities are the cause, and that further warming is inevitable unless emissions of gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere are significantly reduced.

This warming, which is leading to unpredictable weather patterns, drought, and increased levels of ground-level ozone, is already having profound implications for the state of New Mexico. Over the last century, average annual temperature in the Southwestern United States has increased 2° F to 3° F. These changes have led to smaller snowpacks and earlier snow melts, decreasing available drinking water supplies and increasing the risk of spring flooding, summer droughts, and more intense fire seasons.

Governor Bill Richardson recognizes the threat global warming poses to the state: in addition to setting targets for emission reductions, the Governor recently joined Arizona Governor Napolitano to create, the Southwest Climate Change Initiative to craft joint strategies for reducing global warming pollution in the region.

According to Bassett, “The solutions to global warming present important opportunities for New Mexicans. They will create jobs by developing our solar and wind resources. Consumers will save money at the gas pump and on their heating bills. And local governments will generate more tax revenue. It just makes good sense for New Mexico.”

The report outlines fifteen policies available to New Mexico that will improve the efficiency of vehicles and buildings and promote renewable energy—solutions that will deliver significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

Transportation is New Mexico’s second-largest source of carbon dioxide pollution – responsible for more than one-quarter of the state’s emissions in 2000. “You can’t talk about global warming without talking about the cars that we drive. And the technology is out there to do something about it. We know how to produce vehicles that emit fewer global warming gases and that run further on a gallon of gasoline. It’s just a matter of getting those vehicles to the public,” said NMPIRG Environmental Associate, Lauren Ketcham.

The report urges New Mexico to follow eleven other states in adopting a Clean Cars Program which would mandate stringent global warming tailpipe emissions standards and get more advanced technology, low-polluting cars on the roads.

Transportation policy options also cover everything from requiring the sale of more efficient automobile tires to establishing a renewable fuels standard, which would require that a portion of the state’s motor fuel come from renewable sources.

“Increasing the percentage of ethanol and biodiesel in our fuel mix has been proven to increase engine efficiency and often fuel efficiency as well, improve air quality, and result in less global warming gas emissions than burning traditional gasoline and diesel fuels. Plus, all vehicles can run on certain biofuel blends without modification,” said Charles Bensinger, Biofuels Program Director of Renewable Energy Partners of New Mexico.

Changes are also needed to improve the efficiency of homes, businesses, and industry, which would reduce global warming emissions by conserving energy. Buildings are the largest consumers of energy in the state—and most of that energy comes from coal-fired power plants. Included in the report are policies that would strengthen commercial and residential building energy codes to reduce energy consumption by 50%, achieve more rigorous appliance efficiency standards, and reduce energy use by expanding electricity and natural gas energy efficiency programs.

“Simple changes in building codes, for example, could save us substantial carbon dioxide emissions, and at the same time save the public and private businesses thousands on their electric bills,” said Howard Kaplan, Architect with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Center for Sustainable Design and Construction.

Of course, reducing global warming also means changing how New Mexico gets its energy. With 87% of the state’s electricity coming from coal, New Mexico’s power plants are the largest source of global warming pollution in the state. New Mexico can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use by making electricity generation in New Mexico cleaner.

“New Mexico has incredible potential for solar and wind energy and with the technology now available, there is no reason why New Mexico can’t become a leader in the production of clean, renewable energy,” said John Fogarty, M.D., Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility New Mexico.

To achieve this clean energy future, the report proposes expanding and strengthening New Mexico’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which would require that 30% of all electricity consumed in the state come from renewable sources by 2020. Additionally, the report calls for dramatically increasing the installation of solar energy systems in the state, while ensuring that no new coal-fired power plants be built.

Lastly, the report suggests that the government sector reduce its own emissions through “lead by example” measures, such as purchasing renewable power, cutting energy consumption in new buildings, increasing energy efficiency, and purchasing more efficient vehicles for state fleets.

The report concluded that adoption of the fifteen strategies presented would reduce New Mexico’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 22 million metric tons below “business as usual” case projections by 2020. This would achieve 75% of the reductions New Mexico would need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to Richardson’s target—10% below 2000 levels by 2020.

“For New Mexico to live up to its potential of becoming a clean energy state and a leader in the fight against global warming, it is imperative that the state seize every opportunity to begin reducing its emissions. Solutions are out there, now, we just need to get busy making them a reality,” concluded Bassett.

Additional Contacts:
Eric Ames, Western Environmental Law Center- (505) 751-0351
Charles Bensinger, Renewable Energy Partners of New Mexico- (505) 466-4259, cell: (505)-670-2474
John Fogarty, MD Physicians for Social Responsibility- (505) 982-9002, cell: (505)-470-8686
Howard Kaplan, Center for Sustainable Design and Construction- (505) 348-4011
Bernard Stuart, General Manager, Matrix Solar- (505) 833-0100

A Blueprint for Action: Fifteen Policy Options to Reduce New Mexico’s Contribution to Global Warming

Reducing Emissions from the Transportation Sector:

1. Adopting the clean cars program, which will put increasing numbers of hybrid-electric cars on New Mexico’s roads and impose limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions.

2. Requiring the sale of low-rolling resistance replacement tires that improve vehicle efficiency without negatively affecting safety.

3. Establishing a revenue-neutral “feebate” program to reward the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

4. Requiring automobile insurers to offer pay-as-you-drive automobile insurance, in which insurance rates are calculated by the mile, rewarding those who drive less while potentially reducing accidents.

5. Adopting policies that would reduce growth in vehicle miles traveled by cars and light trucks on New Mexico’s highways, such as measures to reduce sprawling development and encourage the use of transit and other transportation alternatives.

6. Establishing a renewable fuels standard, such that a portion of motor fuel, both gasoline and diesel, comes from renewable sources.

Reducing Emissions from Homes, Businesses and Industry:

7. Developing and enforcing stronger commercial and residential building energy codes to improve the energy efficiency of new construction and thereby reduce building-related energy costs and global warming pollution.

8. Adopting appliance efficiency standards for a series of residential and commercial products, saving money for consumers and reducing electric sector emissions.

9. Reducing demand for electricity generation through a tiered electricity pricing structure, where residential consumers are charged higher rates for consuming more energy.

10. Reducing energy use by expanding electricity and natural gas energy efficiency programs.

11. Expanding the use of energy-efficient combined heat and power systems in industry and commercial buildings.

Reducing Emissions from Electricity Generation:

12. Expanding and strengthening New Mexico’s Renewable Portfolio Standard so that 30 percent of all electricity consumed in New Mexico’s comes from new, clean, renewable sources by 2020.

13. Dramatically increasing the installation of solar energy systems to achieve a goal of 50,000 solar homes by 2020.

14. Preventing a dramatic increase in emissions from coal-fired power plants, using appropriate public policy tools.

Reducing Emissions with Other Strategies:

15. Reducing government sector emissions through “lead by example” measures, such as purchasing renewable power, cutting energy consumption in new buildings in half, increasing energy efficiency, and purchasing more efficient vehicles for state fleets.