Global Warming News

As the new home of NMPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Mexico can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.

This Thursday, a letter signed by numerous concerned Senators, including New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman, will be delivered to President Bush, calling for reductions in global warming pollution within 10 years. The letter, circulated by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) is to be presented on the one-year anniversary of last year’s “Sense of the Senate” resolution calling for a mandatory program to “slow, stop, and reverse” global warming emissions.

Coinciding with this effort in the Senate, is a new report, called "The Carbon Boom," released today by the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group (NMPIRG) Education Fund, which shows that global warming pollution in New Mexico jumped 218% between 1960 and 2001. Increased coal emissions and oil emissions were responsible for 68% and 24% of this increase, respectively.

“When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging. To protect future generations from the effects of global warming, we need to act now to stop this trend of increasing pollution,” said NMPIRG Environmental Associate Lauren Ketcham.

Using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the NMPIRG Education Fund’s new report examines trends in carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel combustion nationally and by state between 1960 and 2001, the most recent year for which state-by-state data are available. Major findings of the report include:

• New Mexico emitted 18.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960; by 2001, the state’s emissions had grown to 57.8 million metric tons, an increase of 218%.

• Nationwide, emissions of carbon dioxide nearly doubled between 1960 and 2001, jumping from 2.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960 to almost 5.7 billion metric tons in 2001, an increase of 95 percent.

• A dramatic growth in oil combustion in the transportation sector and coal combustion for electricity generation fueled the rapid increase in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions between 1960 and 2001. Increased coal and oil combustion each accounted for 40% of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions.

• In New Mexico, increased coal combustion – primarily to generate electricity – accounted for 68% of the state’s increase in carbon dioxide emissions from 1960 to 2001. Coal has the highest carbon content of any fossil fuel, meaning that burning coal for electricity produces more carbon per unit of energy than does burning oil or natural gas. Over the four decades analyzed, as demand for electricity boomed, New Mexico added 4,382 megawatts of new coal-burning power plant capacity. Increased combustion of oil and natural gas contributed 24% and 7%, respectively, of the state’s growth in emissions from 1960 to 2001.

The early effects of global warming are already evident in New Mexico and worldwide. According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year ever recorded. Left unchecked, global warming threatens to cause serious future water shortages in New Mexico, as our snowpack-fed rivers and streams dry up.

The U.S. could substantially reduce its global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants and cars more efficient and increase the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, noted John Fogarty, M.D., Director of New Energy Economy. “New Mexico is second in the nation for its solar potential. Combine this with the scientific and technological expertise present at the state’s labs and universities, and there’s no reason New Mexico shouldn’t be leading the nation in renewable energy,” he said.

Another key component to reducing our global warming emissions is to use less energy in the first place. “Simple changes in building design, for example, could save us substantial carbon dioxide emissions, and at the same time save the public and private business thousands on their electric bills,” said Howard Kaplan, Architect with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Center for Sustainable Design and Construction.

“We applaud Senator Bingaman for urging President Bush to support real reductions in global warming pollution. Our leaders must take decisive action to stop the worst effects of global warming. We call on Senator Domenici to join Bingaman in taking a stand on this important issue,” said Ketcham.