I may be a bit biased since I think of global warming from an environmental scientists point of view, but I cannot understand why Governor Bill Richardson is not higher in the polls. He is the only one with the vision AND experience needed to lead this country out of our self destructive path. The issue of our time has been reduced to an afterthought. It seems rational that the environment should be the most salient issue of the campaign, but it is mentioned more as a fad than anything else. Environmental and energy policy has a correlation with many of the "important issues" the candidates are talking about. Why must so much of our future be based on media hype and stardom?

The link between environmental degradation and disease has been firmly established. The health care solutions the candidates are proposing are certainly needed, but we also must address the cause of some health care issues. Polluting industries can have a direct adverse effect on human health. Address those problems and it can alleviate some strain on health care. People seem to not care that along with the greenhouse gases everyone is up in arms about, much of which is released by coal power plants, comes the stuff that makes us sick. Mercury, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, particulates, etc.

Our energy policy is still chugging along on fossil fuels, which leaves us dependent on foreign oil. If we have a president that addresses energy policy in an intelligent manner and reduces our fossil fuel consumption, that would have a positive feedback on foreign policy. Maybe then the Middle East will not seem so important.

Bill Richardson has the most aggressive environmental policy of any candidate, democrat and republican. He has the leadership and vision to take our country in the proper direction. People need to get beyond the myopia of digesting what the leading candidates are espousing and see the bigger picture. Maybe then they will realize how much we need Governor Richardson to be the next president. Certainly much more than a president based upon celebrity such as with Clinton and Obama.

If we continue down the path of the current polling we may end up with another administration that views climate change as an annoyance at best. We may end up with another president that alienates the rest of the world when it comes to working together to solve such immense endeavor. There is an interesting article today about the United States further alienation when it comes to environment from MSNBC at the following link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22226310/