Please keep fighting for us Bill! We are fighting for you. I know you have support here in Colorado. I have been spreading the word to friends in Missouri & Illinois winning you backers there as well. Tonight I call my friends in Florida. I ask all of you out there to help get Bill Richardson's name out there and give our country a fight chance.
Bill Richardson is a realist who knows that there is no "silver bullet" to solve the problems of energy and global warming. Neither conservation nor any one source of alternative energy alone can solve these problems: we can only solve these problems by attacking them on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Bill Richardson has pushed rail transportation in New Mexico, where he is governor, and has worked for energy efficiency and conservation. He has worked for changing building codes to provide incentives for conservation. He is for wind energy. He has even worked for bicycle and pedestrian paths, which are below the radar for most candidates.
Bill Richardson is the only candidate for environmentalists.
It’s a tough battle defending this issue for me, knowing that we failed to sign the Kyoto Agreement years back and also being aware this same agreement will soon expire within the next four years; and the US, to date as not produced an alternative plan to replace the Kyoto agreement. For that fact, I haven’t even heard our present administration evening beginning a plan in earnest to address Global Warming.
Read More »What ever plan is implemented, by who ever, is going to hurt and as an American I know I’ll resist the change in my driving habits and perhaps auto performance when a plan is enacted. So, if I’m going to suffer these burdens I want an energy plan that works and I feel Governor Bill Richardson’s plan makes the most sense.
Read More »The American people want an end to the War in Iraq, how’s that going to be attended to, also coming up quickly and perhaps more importantly is Iran, which will really present a strain on our governing bodies, perhaps the military and our economy. Pakistan will also present an additional drain on the president’s time to insure its nuclear resources are not taken over by undesirable elements within the country.
Read More »That means reducing oil imports from around 65% to 10-15%. We can do this in part by getting the 100-mile per gallon (mpg) car into the marketplace. We must work to double the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, or CAFE, to 50 mpg by 2020. And we will set a life-cycle low-carbon fuel standard that reduces the carbon impact of our liquid fuels by 30% by 2020."
Now I agree with all that, but by 2020? A $5.00/gal gas-guzzler tax at the pump as I have advocated here will do it in five years! Bill, step up to the plate-it's an unpopular idea at first, but when you look at the benefits: the ELIMINATION of oil imports from the Middle East from swine who are trying to kill us, a MEASURABLE improvement in our balance of payments because we are not buying crude from those killers, lower interest rates because of lower borrowing needs by the Federal government and, of course, an environment that is cleaner and less likely to melt the polar ice cap and put New Orleans under 5 feet of water forever.
Well, here we are only three years later and we were within two bucks of $100 and after a few weeks of filling and backing near this $100 number, I think you will become very accustomed to oil trading in triple digits.
So, that's the way it is…and that is the way it will stay…unless someone just like Bill Richardson is president and that president exercises some real leadership in this regard. I am a pessimist about both points…but Bill could surely prove me wrong. Prove me wrong Bill…please.
How can this be, one might ask? Let's assume, just for a moment, that the country could elect a real President with brains and leadership [I know that is almost an impossible task] and that leader made the following statement on his inauguration day: " It is time that we became energy independent and stopped sending money to the Middle East for oil whose people in turn use our own money to kill us. I am going to push the country to support the following "Gas Guzzler Tax at the Pump:" In five years, not tomorrow or the day after, but in five years so you can adjust your buying habits and psych if your car does not attain at least 50MPG you will be charged and EXTRA tax of $5.00/gallon that will go directly to the U.S. Treasury. If your car attains a City/Highway rating of at least 50MPG, you will receive a CREDIT of 50 cents per gallon. I know, you are shocked at this kind of tax...I know all the arguments...blah, blah, blah...but what has happened since the 1970's when our "friends in the Middle East" shut down our oil supplies is that prices have gone from $10.00/bbl of oil to $98.00/bbl; gasoline has gone from a buck/gallon to over three/gallon. And just where did most of that money go? To us? Not much. It went to our dear friends in the Middle East who then have so much excess funds that they can afford all sorts of expenditures in trying to kill us. If we keep sending money over there will likely be supporting a technology that might bring a nuclear attack here in our midst. Read More »
Crossposted at the Huffington Post.
Today's announcement by the Nobel committee is a well-deserved benchmark in Al Gore's remarkable record of public service. Congratulations to Al and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and a heartfelt thank you for your work.
In fact, I would argue Gore's work on bringing attention to the global warming crisis is the most critical of his distinguished career. He has been on the fore front, and has dragged our attention to the crisis when we still have a little time to change course. His Nobel Prize is fitting.
Today's Peace Prize announcement is noteworthy not only because it recognizes Al Gore's extraordinary achievement. It is noteworthy because it signals a new world recognition that the fight for global climate change and the work to revolutionize our energy production as essential to peaceful co-existence.
We must confront the global warming threat head on and we must act now. The continued battle between and within nations for scarce resources is fueling tragic unrest. Our dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security. Global warming threatens our environment, and its catastrophic effects threaten the basic stability of the world and its people. With Al Gore's win, the Nobel Committee has recognized that the fight against global warming truly is about peace.
We need bold change. We need a new energy revolution, and a renewed commitment to diplomacy as an integral part of fighting the global climate crisis. I have seen first hand in my negotiations in Darfur the consequences when we don't attend these issues before they boil over into tragedy. I have also seen first hand that remarkable progress is possible when we set our minds to it. I know what we can do to revolutionize our energy system, because I've done it in New Mexico.
In New Mexico we follow the Kyoto Protocols, even if Bush won't. We have created incentives for alternative energy technologies to spur innovation. And we've created a regional transmission authority to enable more effective integration of new energy production into our energy grid.
I've made New Mexico the Clean Energy State. And as President, I would make this the Clean Energy Nation. The Sierra Club has called my plan for a new energy revolution the most aggressive of any candidates' plans. Some believe that my proposals go too far - in my plan, we would cut oil demand by 50% and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050. But I believe we must act boldly and act now. The world is looking to us for bold leadership on climate change, and our next President must be prepared for the challenge.
Al Gore's work on global warming have been a turning point in this battle, and his award today is a fitting recognition. But solving this problem will take more than the heroic efforts of one man. It will require sacrifice from every American. It will require the resolve of the citizens of the world. And it will require bold Presidential leadership.
You can read more about my plan to create a New Energy Revolution at
http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/issues/energy.
This would be a great easy reference to print out and use as talking points when discussing Bill Richardson with people.
The site is: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/3/05910/48951
Another great Richardson Round Up by Stephen Cassidy. Promoted by Joaquin
Highlighting his considerable foreign expertise, Governor Bill Richardson last week set forth a path to avoiding military confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program. Richardson called on Bush administration to stop threatening Iran with "incendiary rhetoric," and instead recognize our interests in engaging Iran diplomatically.
Richardson's week ended with a well-received speech before Latino leaders in Florida. Decrying the tone of the debate in the Senate on the immigration bill and how Latinos are portrayed in the media, Richardson asked:
Do you notice that when they depict immigrants, they have someone crossing a wall, jumping as if they are criminals? How about the farmers who break their backs working or those who are cleaning the toilets and working at the hotel where we stay? How about the American media covering the immigrant who died protecting his country?
Also of note, Pollster.com added Richardson to its Top Democrats charts, joining Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Charles Franklin of Pollster.com stated, "For other Democratic candidates, we've not seen a substantial upturn anywhere. Richardson stands alone in that respect at the moment."
For a full review of Richardson's week, continue reading. Read More »
Richardson's week ended with a well-received speech before Latino leaders in Florida. Decrying the tone of the debate in the Senate on the immigration bill and how Latinos are portrayed in the media, Richardson asked:
Do you notice that when they depict immigrants, they have someone crossing a wall, jumping as if they are criminals? How about the farmers who break their backs working or those who are cleaning the toilets and working at the hotel where we stay? How about the American media covering the immigrant who died protecting his country?
Also of note, Pollster.com added Richardson to its Top Democrats charts, joining Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Charles Franklin of Pollster.com stated, "For other Democratic candidates, we've not seen a substantial upturn anywhere. Richardson stands alone in that respect at the moment."
For a full review of Richardson's week, continue reading. Read More »
It was also a significant week for peace and stability in Korea and Asia - which highlights Richardson's expertise in foreign affairs and his diplomatic skills. With Richardson as President we get two for the price of one - a can-do leader on domestic issues and an experienced diplomat that knows how to bring people and nations together.
Read a review of Richardson's week at Link
This afternoon the Governor issued the following statement regarding the actions of New Mexico's two US Senators in regard to the energy bill that passed the Senate last night.
"I commend Senator Jeff Bingaman, the Chair of the Energy Committee, for his efforts to make the energy bill something that would help initiate the dramatic change required to cut our dependence on imported oil and reduce global warming. Senator Bingaman strongly supported a number of critical pieces of the legislation including a reasonable renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Unfortunately his efforts were undone by Republicans who ultimately significantly weakened this important bill.Senator Pete Domenici's leadership of a group of senators who won't allow even a weak RPS to be debated on the Senate floor is hostile not only to a sustainable energy future but also to New Mexico and western renewable energy producers who could expand their market. Why on earth is Senator Domenici supporting senators who are acting against the interests of his own state and region?
I am hopeful that the House of Representatives will be able to fix the energy bill and pass something that moves the nation closer to energy independence and responsible environmental stewardship."
We're not going to beat global warming with tentative action. We can only succeed if we unite behind a strong revolutionary vision for a future where the world isn't dependent on oil. Our national security and our planet depend on our success. Bill Richardson has the boldest and most aggressive plan, according to the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters -- click here to read more.
As President, the Governor will cut oil demand 50% by 2020. He's going to do this by raising the fuel economy standards to 50 mpg by 2020 and getting the 100 mile per gallon plug-in hybrid on the market. Is that too bold? When our planet's future is at stake, I couldn't imagine anything less.
President Bill Richardson will also require utility companies to produce 50% of their energy from renewable sources by 2040. An aggressive plan, but one that's necessary for our national security and our planet's future.
These cuts, and a market based and cap and trade system for greenhouse gas emissions, will cut greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2050.
The Governor has a plan to end our dependence on foreign oil, increase our national security, create thousands of good paying jobs in renewable technologies, and protect the future of our planet. We need this kind of vision and leadership in the White House right now.
Posts
