Our modern world runs on energy, and nearly everything we do consumes energy in one form or another. The production, distribution and consumption of energy all affect the natural environment in a variety of ways, including the use of vast quantities of water, fragmentation of the landscape with roads and transmission lines, degradation of our air quality, and risks to human and environmental health through exposure to toxic releases.
The air quality in Arizona’s urban areas is linked to our energy policies and transportation planning, and will continue to be a critical issue as Arizona continues to grow. The question remains – how can we continue to meet our energy needs while minimizing the negative repercussions on the natural world that we and all other living things ultimately depend upon? First, we must learn to use energy more efficiently. Second, we must increase our use of clean, renewable resources and ensure those resources are widely distributed. And lastly, we must recognize that our natural resources are finite and exercise judicious restraint.
Clean air, safe drinking water, and a healthy environment in which to live are widely regarded as basic rights of Arizona’s citizens. We must do what we can to ensure that adequate safeguards and regulations are in place to protect the health of Arizona’s residents and future generations.
The Arizona League of Conservation Voters Education Fund Supports:
- Incentives for increasing the use of clean, renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources
- Measures to increase energy efficiency to lower overall energy use and demand.
- The 10-year continuation of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), to ensure that our state continues to play a strong role in protecting human and environmental health.
- Reform of ADEQ’s solid waste program to ensure that the agency division has adequate resources available to enforce solid waste laws and protect human and environmental health from hazardous materials and releases.
- Other efforts that would ensure all Arizonans are able to enjoy a safe and healthy environment, including efforts to address the disparate impact felt by ethnic minority and low-income communities in exposure to hazardous waste and toxic releases.
