Governor Bill Richardson Releases New Book Leading By Example

Democratic presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has released a new book on the subjects of energy, global warming, and the environment. It is titled "Leading By Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security Revolution."

According to a press release issued by the Bill Richardson For President campaign on Tuesday, Governor Richardson's book calls for a "major commitment" to reforming energy usage and production, while emphasizing the need for renewable energy and decreased dependence upon oil imports.

Richardson pointed to the "very real" danger presented by global warming (a.k.a. climate change), stressing the importance of addressing it quickly and adequately. He expressed the belief that Americans must lead an "energy revolution", while referring to the dangers of reliance on overseas energy sources and polluted air.

His book calls for a 10-year program aimed at the elimination of foreign oil dependence by increasing efficiency, using alternative energy sources, and taking other measures toward this goal. Governor Richardson was quoted as saying that the U.S. environment and economy are "suffering", as he pointed out that the price of oil has exceeded ninety dollars per barrel. He also stated that the United States spends three-hundred billion dollars/year "buying and defending" oil from other countries.

He also expressed the belief that the plan described in his book would generate new jobs and make the United States more secure, while inspiring other countries to take such measures, but emphasized that action must be taken "boldly" and without delay.

According to Amazon.com, the book is a 256-page hardcover with Governor Richardson's photo on the cover. It presently has two five-star reviews and an Amazon sales rank of 4,730 (relatively good). It is also available for purchase on Barnes & Noble's web site.

Wikipedia's entry on the subject of global warming controversy indicates that disagreement on the issue remains, although belief in global warming's existence and dangers has become much more prevalent. Concern regarding global warming became widespread years earlier in Europe than in the United States. The documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" helped promote understanding of this issue, but the best methods for solving the problem remain heavily disputed.

According to the biography on his campaign web site, Governor Bill Richardson was born in California in 1947. He attended Tufts University in 1966, and became married in 1972. He has worked as a U.N. ambassador, Energy Secretary, and Congressman.

Sources:
1. Bill Richardson For President, http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/pressreleases?id=0350
2. Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Example-Inspire-Security-Revolution/dp/0470186372/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-6813707-3817430?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194446374
3. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_controversy
4. Bill Richardson For President, http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/about_bill/