The Organ Mountains (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
From the water that comes out of our kitchen faucets to the acequias that nurture New Mexico’s crops, clean water is a natural resource on which all New Mexicans depend. When water and other precious resources are threatened by contamination and climate-induced scarcity, we risk the health of our children, the self-sufficiency of our communities and our long-term livelihoods.
On this Earth Day, we remember that New Mexicans have known for generations that “el agua es la vida.” However, we are currently hearing claims from the big, multinational corporate interests on Governor Martinez’s so-called “small-business task force” that regulatory safeguards, such as sensible clean water protections, must be repealed in the hunt for economic growth.
We also witnessed an unprecedented attack on safeguards that protect the water we drink and the air we breathe at the 2011 Legislature (thankfully, all those efforts to eliminate or undermine commonsense protections were defeated).
Notably, according to two recent polls, New Mexicans across the state aren’t buying into the out-of-state corporations’ and lobbyists’ wish list for dismantling our existing safeguards. To be sure, the polls demonstrate support for even more protective environmental safeguards to keep our water, land and air clean and healthy.
Two surveys
Last fall, Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund (CVNM-EF) released its poll of conservation values in several rural New Mexico counties. The poll, conducted in rural McKinley, Mora, Cibola, San Miguel, Rio Arriba, Grant and Luna counties, shows that environmental safeguards, jobs in renewable energy, and holding polluters accountable are things that these rural New Mexicans strongly value.
Another notable poll on attitudes towards the environment is Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Survey of five western states, released in January. According to this poll, New Mexico voters agree on the importance of clean water, clean air, natural places, and wildlife preservation – even when they disagree on political and economic issues.
The CVNM-EF survey reveals that 77 percent of rural New Mexicans polled in these counties support the adoption of stronger safeguards to protect our drinking water and soil from contamination. This closely mirrors data from the State of the Rockies report, in which – after hearing a neutral explanation of environmental safeguards – 72 percent of New Mexicans polled said that current safeguards should be maintained.
The State of the Rockies poll further reports that 77 percent of all New Mexicans believe we can keep the safeguards that protect our air, land and water, while maintaining a strong economy; only 20 percent feel that the environment and the economy are in conflict.
Despite a bombardment of propaganda from polluting special interests, New Mexico voters continue to maintain a commonsense, balanced view when it comes to protecting our air, land and water. Although the economy is still far and away the first concern in the minds of New Mexicans, these voters believe that environmental safeguards are not in conflict with job growth. Indeed, sensible environmental protections are laying the foundation for New Mexico’s robust, healthy economy of the future.
Renewable energy
The growth of the clean, renewable energy industry continues to be a bright spot in our state’s economy, spurring competition and providing high-paying jobs for New Mexicans that improve their health, safety and economic well-being. In CVNM-EF’s survey, 78 percent of rural New Mexicans polled in the seven counties favored investing public funds in renewable energy sources.
In the State of the Rockies poll, a whopping 91 percent of New Mexicans also said that they would be willing to pay more to increase the state’s use of renewable energy. Looking at these figures, there is no room for doubt: New Mexicans agree that renewable energy is an important part of our future, and they are enthusiastic about the jobs and economic growth that this industry brings to our state.
Holding polluters accountable
We also asked rural voters in these selected counties about contamination by industry polluters. Overwhelmingly, rural New Mexicans in the counties polled (76 percent) agree that we should increase penalties for polluters that contaminate our air and water. When polluters violate a law, the state has the power to hold them accountable for that violation through fines and penalties. However, these voters agree that the current penalties are not enough to deter polluters from contaminating our air and our water.
Some of the best examples of pollutants that threaten our health are greenhouse gases like carbon – air pollutants that are exacerbating asthma, drought and climate change. Recently, New Mexico passed safeguards to reduce carbon pollution, a move that is heavily supported by the rural voters in our poll. Fifty-three percent of these rural voters polled support regional action and 51 percent support state-level action to reduce carbon pollution.
Further, when asked if they agree or disagree with the following statement – “I believe New Mexico can reduce global warming pollution and expand jobs and economic prosperity at the same time” – 61 percent of those surveyed agreed.
Although New Mexicans’ beliefs regarding climate change differ, 78 percent in this poll said that there is evidence that New Mexico is getting warmer and cycles of drought are increasing. And now, sadly, we see this unfolding. Just last week the mayor of Las Vegas, N.M., declared a drought emergency with only a few months of water supply in its local reservoir.
Time for elected officials to listen
These two polls tell a story that New Mexicans agree that it is a priority to protect our air, land and water, including during difficult economic times. It is time for our elected officials to listen to the people.
New Mexicans want to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we cherish, and the great majority believe that enforcing and strengthening our existing safeguards is the way to do it.
Buffett is executive director of Conservation Voters N.M. Education Fund. The CVNM-EF poll was conducted from September 13, 2010 to September 19, 2010 by Third Eye Strategies. Seven hundred (700) registered voters in the following counties in New Mexico were polled: McKinley, Mora, Cibola, San Miguel, Rio Arriba, Grant and Luna. The survey has a margin of error of ± 3.7 percent.