Richardson Campaign Press Release - Governor Bill Richardson Blasts Bush Administration for Continued Rejection of Kyoto Protocol

Points to States/Provinces Effort to Fight Global Warming

SANTA FE - Today Governor Richardson issued the following statement in response to recent reports of the Bush Administration's ongoing "go-it-alone" approach to global warming.

"The United States doesn't need another conference to talk about global warming, we need to commit to the Kyoto protocol and start reducing greenhouse gas emissions now. States refuse to wait for more Presidential foot dragging—that's why we created the Western Climate Initiative and have already committed to reduce greenhouse gases to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Our world can't afford to wait for leadership any longer."

On August 22nd the eight members of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), including New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Utah, Washington and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia, announced the establishment of a regional goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the West to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

In February of this year the governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington created the WCI with a commitment to significantly reduce regional GHG emissions thus lowering the risk of dangerous threats to the climate (www.westernclimateinitiative.org). Science suggests that this will require worldwide reductions as great as 85 percent in carbon dioxide emissions from current levels by 2050.