Members of the Legislature, the Governor, the Albuquerque Journal and others have all set their priorities for the upcoming 60 day session in which most of the work gets delayed until the final two weeks. That is normal. What is upsetting to me is that none of the law makers or others have even indicated any concern for the number one issue facing this state and world. And that is the relentless use of fossil fuels and an ensuing climate disaster.
Maybe it just requires to much science. Maybe the oil and gas boys just wont give permission to even think about it to their mascots in Santa Fe. Maybe the members just think that they can't do anything about it so why bother! But that is where they are wrong.
Here is a idea I would like to see as a start and an indication they are thinking hard about the future. How about taking all current oil and gas subsidies away from those tycoons of yesterday and turn it over to a fund to install solar panels on all public buildings in the state. Schools, city halls, county court houses and even the state capitol. That hundred million we give to fossil fuel corporations would go a long way in our quest for a sustainable state government, and a cleaner air shed. This project would create jobs too! And help an economy that the Governor and Mayors in this state seem to be helpless to grow themselves.
2 comments:
As you say, kind of, addressing climate is beyond the ability of government, but enough public pressure could make this happen.
There are numerous organizations that would get behind this automatically, and then possibly people like the tribes, academics, unions, state employees, teachers, etc. I think most of those oil and gas field jobs, which they will squeal loudly about, are not even real jobs any more but contract employment, and any new jobs need to be well paying union jobs if, as you've noted, there is ever to be enough consumer buying power to get the state's economy going again.
The governor has never experienced any real pressure that I can recall, but I think she has imagined some. After the election, imagining a progressive voting Latino hoard coming over the horizon, she uttered a few what could have been mistaken for progressive sounding words about her party's need to change, and recently she approved the Medicare expansion, imagining that her next opponent would otherwise be using it as a hammer against her.
A little bit of that pressure and the Democratic legislature will fall in line, whispering praises to the Virgin Mary or whoever that they finally have a purpose, and our federal delegation, which is already busy up there practicing doing nothing, will be embarrassed into doing something, and they have a variety of tools they can use to help make something like this happen.
I agree 100% about using solar panels for public buildings.
What is so complicated about this?
The payback period is about 12 years for a solar modified home in NM, and then one can save even more after that by selling excess to utilities. I don't know what it would be for larger facilities.
The private sector is well ahead in this regard; just look at the Albuquerque Academy solar panel field!
Of course they have people with brains running the organization.
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