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Bill would create a new framework for energy, growth
By Sandy Buffett
For the last several years and thanks to the vision of Governor Richardson, the N.M. Legislature and our growing community of entrepreneurs, New Mexico has paved the way toward building a clean-energy economy. From renewable energy tax credits to recently-passed green jobs legislation to attracting new solar manufacturing companies and the nation’s largest solar plant, the Land of Enchantment is poised for a clean-energy boom.
At the same time, the Albuquerque Journal reported recently on new findings of the impacts of climate change on New Mexico. This study confirms what many New Mexicans are already observing and experiencing. Global warming from greenhouse gas emissions threatens to reduce our water supply, diminish our snowpack and lead to earlier runoff.
Climate change will enable conditions for massive wildfires and severe floods, create weather extremes that will make agriculture and livestock production more difficult, and increase temperatures in our streams and forests, which threatens our quality angling and hunting opportunities.
Now it’s time for the U.S. Congress to take the lead. With Congress now considering the American Clean Energy and Security Act, we can build upon New Mexico’s clean-energy leadership and abundance in sunshine, wind and geothermal to revitalize our economy and protect our natural heritage.
The act, proposed by Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey, is a comprehensive solution to our energy and climate needs that places firm limits on carbon pollution and increases renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. This act will create jobs, reduce our dependence on oil and reduce the carbon pollution that causes global warming.
This act will open up entirely new job sectors for New Mexican workers — from engineers needed to design electrical grids that carry electricity from eastern New Mexico wind farms to manufacturers and installers of solar panels and construction workers who can weatherize homes and commercial buildings. These are jobs that cannot be outsourced to foreign countries if we grow them right here in New Mexico.
Making advancements in clean energy isn’t about the old industries fighting with the new or creating false choices of industry vs. environmental protection. The American Clean Energy and Security Act will create a new American framework for using smart and efficient energy and promote new clean, high-wage jobs for our workers.
Not only will the American Clean Energy and Security Act put New Mexicans back to work, it can give us the boost we need to lead the nation in clean and renewable energy production. Delay is not an option — we need to act now to create jobs in manufacturing and new industries, and protect the health of our families, as well as the air, land, water and quality of life we enjoy here in New Mexico.
It’s imperative that Congress strengthen and pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act so we can work together to provide new career opportunities and clean energy solutions for New Mexico.
Buffet is the executive director of Conservation Voters New Mexico.
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Indeed Climate Watcher. Teague voted for this, like his leader and mentor Pelosi demanded. Anyone who thinks Harry is a moderate Democrat now has yet another travesty of a bill crippling business and adding massive taxes and wastful spending to our ballooning deficit for no benefits. Just keep watching Harry keep turning left.
Thomas Jefferson would revile this legislation and this Congress.
Voting for 1200 page bills without knowing the contents is Unamerican and I am furious.
What is known about this bill indicates it will raise energy on all, increase outsourcing of jobs and just shift CO2 overseas rather than reduce it.
Beyond my perspective that global warming may be real but not a problem, this is very bad government intrusion.
At least a carbon tax with an alternative subsidy would be simple, straightforward and honest.
This bill would lead to an energy police state.
Dump Harry.
For those who think that our government understand anything about "climate change" or "global warming" or whatever it is they are calling it these days take a look at this article. Pay close attention to where it was written Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB124597505076157449-lMyQjAxMDI5NDI1NjkyNzY1Wj.html
It says something when our government it wanting to raise taxes and add more spending, but they can't even defend it to other countries let alone the people they are supposedly representing.
For a mind-numbing perspective about this 1200 page (TAX) legislation visit http://blog.heritage.org/ and scroll down to and read:
"Morning Bell: Waxman-Markey an Energy Tax That Doesn’t Work"
By the way – I've read quite a bit about PEW and from my sense of smell — has a decidedly green odor.
So I can understand that lots of negative commenters are ignorant on this bill since it's over 1000 pages, but if you had been paying attention you would see that, to me unfortunately, oil, gas, and nuclear energy producers are going to be getting a significant amount of allowances from this bill. I'm from Southern NM and there are already tons of job loss there, because of oil and gas piss poor management. Why turn down another opportunity for new jobs? It's not a threat, its an opportunity. I definitely would like to see my friend in Hobbs who right now can't find a job in the oilfield instead find a green job; he'd like it too since he has two kids to support. NM has some of the best renewable resource potential in the US, ignoring it is a dumb move seeing that it has such great potential in a diving economy. Finally, reports released by the Congressional Budget office this week show this bill will raise people's taxes $175 a year (wow! This is pretty much equal to PNM's rate raise they just gave us up north). Second final, yesterday ACES put in provisions to make sure these green jobs are paying a living wage (Davis-Bacon) and are not low wage, bad jobs.
Has anyone really read the bill or are we just peeing on ankles here? Every bill has some merit … this one has some demerit, and part of that demerit has been the lack of visibility the legislation has had – meaning, the lack of debate. The impacts are huge, both pro and con. I think we're all tired of this back room crap and rushing a bill through so fast that NO ONE can read it all and come to grips with it … Don't ya think?
I challenged you all to rebut my position that Waxman-Markey is an onerous energy tax that will raise the price of everything, but you didn't even try. Instead, you argued, as I understand it, "We would feel really good if we could get jobs in the green industry because the world is like dying, you know, and we're so excited about it, we'd like everyone to pay more money for everything in order for us to get those jobs."
Look, people, the personal computer didn't take off because government taxed typewriters. Cell phones aren't omnipresent today because the government taxed rotary phones. And all your precious green jobs aren't going to miraculously materialize because government taxes oil and gas.
For all of those intereste I will reiterate. To pass HR2454, will raise your taxes considerably. You are now paying sixty cents on every dollar you earn in local, state and Federal taxes. Each increase brings you closer to a totalitarian government.
When the government reaches a point of 90% to 100%, your freedoms are out he window. You many not think that is in the future, but it is much closer than you think.
Wehn all the money is in the hands of the government, guess who will tell you what to eat, where to work, how much you can take home and what you will study for in the Universities. To allow increases at the rate they want to by the government would be a catastrophe for the American people.
The jobs they are creating is paid for by your money.
Entrepreneurship is the only way to pull ourselves out of the grand slump we are in at the present time. increasing taxes is just putting the taxpayers further in the hole.
My suggestion would be to call your representatives in Washington and push them to vote against HR2454, if you would like to retain your freedom from a totalitarian government. The bill is due on the floor of the house today, so you don't have too much time.
To stay silent and do nothing is to give up your rights as an American. As the old cliche goes: "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." It is time for all of us to stand up and be heard.
Considering the vulnerable state of our economy, it's time that we started making smart investments to put it back on track. Investments that give us the bang for our buck and create sustainable, healthy jobs for people in our community.
Also, New Mexico is 2nd in solar potential, 12th in wind potential, and so on and so forth. If utilizing our abundance of natural resources is the concern, than how can anyone in NM be against green jobs?
Great post!
Very interesting post, Sandy.
The platitudes are flying at such a furious pace, I hardly know where to begin. Let me see if I can try to tackle two I find particularly problematic.
First, despite claims (claims without supporting evidence) to the contrary, climate change is indeed occurring. I don't expect readers of this blog to take my word for it. Simply read this definitive report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf.
The report speaks for itself.
Second, the claim that clean energy jobs are "low-paying" simply doesn't square with the facts. This study by the Pew Charitable Trusts provides a detailed analysis of the kinds of jobs that already exist in the clean energy sector: http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Clean_Economy_Report_Web.pdf.
Electricians, engineers, skilled carpenters, builders, lawyers and financial analysts are all examples of existing clean energy jobs. Hardly what comes to mind when I think of "low-income jobs."
If there are solutions out there that both tackle the problem of climate change and provide incentives to boost the creation of clean energy jobs, I believe those solutions ought to be supported.
Also, if you read the bill summary, there are several measures in place to help protect low income and moderate income folks from rising fuel costs – it is actually estimated that they will benefit financially from the bill with a net gain from the rebates and allowances from the bill.
Also, there is ample potential to create new long lasting career jobs with this legislation. Folks often overlook the fact that a green job can be anything from administrative work, marketing, advertising, accounting to actually manufacturing and installing/maintaining renewable energy systems.
We have more to gain from this legislation than other states – we have one of the highest renewable energy potentials in the country!
Pass ACES – for New Mexican families!
Climate change is real and we in NM are already experiencing climate-related impacts (www.rockymountainclimate.org/website%20pictures/Hotter%20and%20Drier.pdf).
Local and state governments have already taken the initiative and are realizing the benefits of transitioning to a low-carbon economy (www.coolcities.us/).
We need Congress to do its part and pass the ACES bill. It's a job creation plan, a consumer savings plan, a public health improvement plan, a national security plan – while remaining a strong climate action plan (energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090515/hr2454_support.pdf).
Pass ACES!
By supporting HR 2454, we are supporting new jobs in the clean energy sector for the hardest hit during this economic crisis: young adults. As a recent college graduate myself, I know what it is like to enter a job market that is struggling to stay afloat – this legislation is the single biggest source of potential jobs especially for New Mexico! Clean-energy jobs are diverse and well paying — from engineers and construction workers to machine setters and marketing consultants — providing employment for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds with annual and affordable incomes. Furthermore, the job growth rate for the clean energy industry has proven to be growing greatly – with the number of clean energy jobs growing at a rate 2 ½ times greater than in the general economy. These are jobs that New Mexicans need!
New Mexico also has to potential to benefit greatly from renewable energy investment. We already have ample solar companies, like Schott Solar, relocating to New Mexico. Our green collar industry is growing, and would grow substantially with the passage of this bill.
If you think any of what I wrote is propaganda, show me some facts to disprove it.
You might get a chuckle out of this, by the way; my favorite definition of "Propaganda." Once Pravda, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party in the CCCP, ran a blurb, "Russia Comes In Second; US Next To Last." Unsaid was that there were just two teams and America came in first, Russia last. That's propaganda – it sounds good, but it can be disproved.
It's sad that some American's are willing to sacrifice everyone's (except theirs who will be the rulers) future for green debt initiatives that will only enslave.
Green jobs will be low wage and merely adding to the insatiable appetite of govt to tax more, such as cap and trade.
There's no proof that climate is heating-up, in fact there seems to be NASA proof that the planet is actually cooling.
Ask yourself why the minority hate and despise self-reliance, such as utilizing the abundant NM natural resources?
Those who want so-called clean green energy also want to control your every move in life, which is tyrannical and the opposite of what this country was founded upon.
How does Laer's talking points differ from the Big Oil propaganda?
I couldn't disagree with you more. Ask yourself, which is melting faster, the ice caps or the economy? Hint: It's the latter by far, and spiking all energy costs in at least the short- to mid-term will only deepen and lengthen the recession.
As for all those new clean energy jobs, you cannot count the jobs Waxman-Markey supposedly will open up unless you also count the jobs it will destroy in oil, gas and related sectors of the economy, where several million are employed.
Out of work New Mexicans will suffer through higher costs long before they get the benefit of any new green jobs, I'm afraid. Call your representatives and ask them to vote NO on Waxman-Markey.