League Member Activities
Mona Blaber Gives Testimony on Proposed Repeal of Carbon Cap Rules
The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board is considering repeal of the carbon cap rule enacted by the EIB last year. New members decided to allow the industry to request repeal of the rule. At hearings in December, League members spoke out against repeal. Judy Williams questioned the process by which the Board, after extensive hearings and evidence last year, decided to reconsider the rule. Williams said little has changed since then except that carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning fossil fuels reached the highest levels ever in 2010.
This eloquent testimony comes from League member Mona Blaber speaking for herself and her daughter.
"My name is Mona Blaber. I live here in New Mexico. I’m not here for the environment. I’m here because of my 5-year-old daughter, and every child.
I understand why you are considering repeal of the two carbon-reduction plans your predecessors approved last year, and I understand why PNM and other plaintiffs are appealing them.
PNM and the plaintiffs found economists who assert these plans would hurt the economy, and the Environment Department and New Energy Economy had economists that said it would help the economy.
What none of them refer to are studies done this year, by mainstream and one by traditionally conservative economists, saying that coal costs far more than its value added to the economy. The American Economic Review in November published a study saying that coal costs us $2 in health and pollution damages for every dollar of energy it adds (http://bit.ly/sVVBai). That makes coal the most expensive source of energy, and it tells us that every New Mexican pays much more for coal than the amount that shows up on our utility bills. Switching to renewables would save New Mexicans far more money than business as usual would.
Plaintiffs say this plan won’t matter much to the Earth. I hope and believe that’s because they don’t know the scope and urgency of this crisis. Most people don’t, and none of us want to believe it. It sounds crazy to say our children may be forcing Armageddon, but the Earth doesn’t care what we believe. It just keeps hurtling toward disaster, and the warnings of nearly every climate scientist fall on deaf ears because we don’t want to believe them. If you knew that our children and grandchildren face a future that is a constant struggle to secure water and food and to avoid pandemic illnesses and violence, if you knew how quickly and aggressively every city and state, including New Mexico, must act -- within about five years -- to avoid the worst catastrophic effects, you’d be trying your hearts out to find ways to reduce emissions as quickly as possible. That is what a group of people called the Environmental Improvement Board would do, what any human being with a soul would do, if you truly knew the consequences.
I understand the plaintiffs’ point of view and that they think that repealing these rules won’t make much difference in the big picture. But you’d realize that’s a sick and cynical excuse to do nothing when our children’s lives depend on doing everything possible. I’m submitting one article (http://bit.ly/w2HbGK); it’s what scientists have been saying for quite a while but most people aren’t aware of, and I think it explains pretty well why we’re all here. Please read it. Maybe you’ll understand why we’re here; we’re here because there is only one right thing to do, because, as hard as it is for all of us to believe, civilization is at stake."
This eloquent testimony comes from League member Mona Blaber speaking for herself and her daughter.
"My name is Mona Blaber. I live here in New Mexico. I’m not here for the environment. I’m here because of my 5-year-old daughter, and every child.
I understand why you are considering repeal of the two carbon-reduction plans your predecessors approved last year, and I understand why PNM and other plaintiffs are appealing them.
PNM and the plaintiffs found economists who assert these plans would hurt the economy, and the Environment Department and New Energy Economy had economists that said it would help the economy.
What none of them refer to are studies done this year, by mainstream and one by traditionally conservative economists, saying that coal costs far more than its value added to the economy. The American Economic Review in November published a study saying that coal costs us $2 in health and pollution damages for every dollar of energy it adds (http://bit.ly/sVVBai). That makes coal the most expensive source of energy, and it tells us that every New Mexican pays much more for coal than the amount that shows up on our utility bills. Switching to renewables would save New Mexicans far more money than business as usual would.
Plaintiffs say this plan won’t matter much to the Earth. I hope and believe that’s because they don’t know the scope and urgency of this crisis. Most people don’t, and none of us want to believe it. It sounds crazy to say our children may be forcing Armageddon, but the Earth doesn’t care what we believe. It just keeps hurtling toward disaster, and the warnings of nearly every climate scientist fall on deaf ears because we don’t want to believe them. If you knew that our children and grandchildren face a future that is a constant struggle to secure water and food and to avoid pandemic illnesses and violence, if you knew how quickly and aggressively every city and state, including New Mexico, must act -- within about five years -- to avoid the worst catastrophic effects, you’d be trying your hearts out to find ways to reduce emissions as quickly as possible. That is what a group of people called the Environmental Improvement Board would do, what any human being with a soul would do, if you truly knew the consequences.
I understand the plaintiffs’ point of view and that they think that repealing these rules won’t make much difference in the big picture. But you’d realize that’s a sick and cynical excuse to do nothing when our children’s lives depend on doing everything possible. I’m submitting one article (http://bit.ly/w2HbGK); it’s what scientists have been saying for quite a while but most people aren’t aware of, and I think it explains pretty well why we’re all here. Please read it. Maybe you’ll understand why we’re here; we’re here because there is only one right thing to do, because, as hard as it is for all of us to believe, civilization is at stake."
