Richard D. Barish
For New Mexicans who care about protecting the environment and investing in clean energy, Eric Griego is the one Democrat who can be counted on to fight for these issues.
In the race for Congress in New Mexico’s First District, there is only one candidate with a longstanding, consistent and uncompromising record of fighting for environmental protection and clean energy investments. That candidate is Eric Griego.
In the State Senate, Eric Griego sponsored and got passed green jobs training legislation and dedicated state investments in clean renewable industries. At a time when science deniers made climate change a controversial concept, Sen. Griego was not afraid to speak up and to act. He led the effort to successfully defeat rollbacks of a state-only carbon cap and eliminate our participation in the Western Climate Initiative.
When he was a member of the Albuquerque City Council, Griego spearheaded the city’s Water Conservation Task Force and led the effort to pass the Renewable Energy Incentive Program, which attracted green jobs to the city. And while Marty Chávez took thousands of dollars from big developers and pushed their pro-sprawl agenda, Griego fought for smart growth that would promote jobs, but not degrade the environment.
Eric Griego is one of only three current state legislators with a lifetime 100 percent rating from Conservation Voters New Mexico. He has been enthusiastically endorsed by CVNM, League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club.
Eric Griego has the boldest environmental platform in the race, and it is a top priority for him. He has gone on record with a draft bill that would create clean energy jobs, put us on the road to independence from foreign oil, and combat climate change. His legislation would put a down payment of at least $150 billion toward building a clean energy economy. He would fight for a moratorium on building new coal power plants and to phase out existing plants.
From the outset, he opposed the Keystone XL pipeline, which would permit the sale of dirty, tar sands oil and delay the transition to clean, renewable energy sources. Many politicians speak in generalities about the need to move beyond fossil fuels and to invest in renewables, but Eric Griego is the one Democrat in this race for Congress who has been unafraid to go on the record with concrete positions.
Griego’s opponents
Griego’s opponent, Marty Chávez, has made the environment a central part of his campaign, but the truth is that throughout his long political career, he has looked out for the interests of his campaign contributors more than the environment. The Albuquerque Journal took Chávez to task for exaggerating the environmental accomplishments of the city during his time as mayor in a January 13, 2008 article.
There will be enormous pressure in Washington from the special interests and the lobbyists, and in light of Chavez’s history, there are serious questions about whether he would do the right thing when push comes to shove.
In an article in the Albuquerque Journal on April 29, 2012, Chavez said that he would “work as an advocate in Congress for the state’s natural gas industry.” Natural gas production is highly polluting, including threatening our groundwater, and natural gas still produces large amounts of greenhouse gases when it is burned to create energy. The focus needs to be on developing renewable energy, not more fossil fuels.
Michelle Lujan Grisham lacks any record at all on protecting the environment and clean energy. It is worrisome that the urgent issues of energy independence and climate change do not appear to be a priority for her. Her website contains no environmental position statement at all! New Mexicans need a representative who will fight for federal investments to create clean, renewable energy jobs and for a clean and healthy environment for our children.
For New Mexicans who care about protecting the environment and investing in clean energy, Eric Griego is the one Democrat who can be counted on to fight for these issues.
Barish is Political Chair for the Central New Mexico Group Sierra Club.