Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson says Americans will have to sacrifice to make the country more energy-efficient.
Richardson, who is New Mexico’s governor, touted himself and his stance on energy issues at an informal gathering of about 70 people at Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix on June 4.
“I’m going to ask everybody in America — listen to this word — to sacrifice a little bit, sacrifice a little bit for the common good,” he said.
Richardson called protecting the Earth’s climate a “moral imperative,” and said power plants, utility companies, and everyday Americans should be required to get on board.
“It’s mandates, it’s not goals,” he said. “We’re going to do it, and it’s going to be fixed in the legislation. But it’s also going to involve every one of us here. And it’s going to mean that, you know, maybe if we adopt something in our lives that maybe is a little more energy-efficient, it’ll be a little inconvenience, but we have to do it.”
For his part, Richardson said he bought a hybrid vehicle two years ago, although he said he couldn’t fit in it at the time. Richardson has lost a considerable amount of weight in the past couple years with a diet of nutrient-rich shakes and one meal a day.
That’s one example, Richardson said, of how hard the government and car companies need to work to make living green more attractive and doable for the average American.
Wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions, dependency on oil
Among Richardson’s plans if he wins the presidency in 2008 would be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050, cut oil demand by 50 percent by 2020 and reduce the United States’ dependence on foreign oil to 10 percent from 65 percent.
Richardson said he believes coal-fired and nuclear power plants can’t be stopped, but that they can be changed.
He said nuclear power plants should have to answer more questions about waste and safety, and that coal-fired plants should shift to cleaner combustion methods.
Coal-fired plants supply the fuel for more than half the country’s electricity. Each ton of coal burned emits more than two tons of carbon dioxide, the prime contributor to global warming. Richardson said the country should wean itself from coal by investing in wind, biofuels and other energies.
Richardson noted that he’s behind some big-name politicians in the polls, but urged the crowd to keep their minds open.
“We’re already crowning winners,” he said. “A lot of candidates may have more rock-star status than I do, and certainly more money… I just ask you to think of your fellow Westerner.”
Richardson served as U.S. Secretary of Energy from 1998-2001 in the Clinton administration.
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