Arizona: League endorses conservation leaders

League endorses conservation leaders

Regarding "To save energy, change leaders, not light bulbs" (Opinions, Tuesday):

Thomas Friedman is right on target.

It is not enough that millions of Americans take the effort to reduce their energy consumption by replacing energy hungry incandescent light bulbs with thrifty compact fluorescent bulbs or installing energy efficient heating and cooling systems.

To become truly energy independent and to significantly reduce energy consumption and air pollution, we must develop an integrated sustainable energy policy that holds everyone responsible to do his or her part.

The Arizona League of Conservation Voters takes Friedman's idea seriously by endorsing and electing statewide candidates committed to conservation issues such as sustainable energy policy, educating officials and their constituents on important energy issues, lobbying the Legislature and Corporation Commission, holding elected officials accountable for their performance with our annual scorecard and maintaining a political action committee that supports pro-conservation candidates.

In 2006, 41 of the 49 Arizona League of Conservation Voters-endorsed candidates won their races, making the 2007 Legislature more conservation friendly than the previous Legislature by passing four clean energy laws and one important clean air law.

It is up all Americans to demand through the electoral process to hold themselves and their leaders accountable for a sustainable energy policy and it is the mission of the Arizona League of Conservation Voters to help Arizona's voters accomplish this vital goal.

- Thomas Hulen,Tempe
The writer is executive director of the Arizona League of Conservation Voters.