The New Energy Economy proposal to curb toxic greenhouse-gas emissions from New Mexico's coal-fired power plants, and parts of the oil and natural gas industry, is the right step for New Mexico.

The Environment Improvement Board hearings began Aug. 16 at 8 a.m. and on some nights this week lasted until 1 a.m. These grueling 12 to 17 hour days have been full of bright, hopeful moments with incredible testimony from the public and expert witnesses supporting the cap and emphasizing the urgency of the matter.

Experts included Steve Michel, chief counsel for Western Resource Advocates' energy program; Winona LaDuke, a Native American economist and writer who ran for vice president in 1996 and 2000, and came to New Mexico from Minnesota to selflessly spend her birthday supporting the people of New Mexico; and Dr. David Gutzler, a professor in the University of New Mexico's Earth and Planetary Sciences Department who specializes in climatology, meteorology and the predictability of weather and climate.

Many of the people the New Mexico Environmental Law Center represents live near the greatest polluters and generally have fewer resources with which to address impacts of climate change such as water shortages, extreme weather events, and increased rates of disease. This is exactly why this case is so important to us, and why we have spent the last two years working on it.

New Mexico consistently ranks as one of the nation's poorest states. More than half of our population is Latino, and 10 percent of our population is Native American. Half of our population is rural.

Studies about the impacts of climate change on our land and our people predict that climate change will launch the Southwest into a severe, prolonged drought; that air pollution will increase due to massive forest fires; and that our health will be impacted by more diseases. They also predict that our poorest populations and our traditional cultures will be hit the hardest.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center is the only law firm in the state to specialize in environmental justice casework. We, and our client New Energy Economy, are leading the way with an effort to enact regulations that will reduce New Mexico's greenhouse-gas emissions and serve as a model for the rest of the nation.

It is imperative that New Mexico step forward and begin to regulate greenhouse gases. We must act as fast and significantly as we can if we have any hope of solving this problem.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center's mission is to protect New Mexico's natural environment and communities through legal and policy advocacy, and public education. The Law Center charges few, if any, fees to its clients, most of whom are from Hispanic and Native American communities. Membership and gifts will help us move forward on this case to protect New Mexicans from toxic pollution. Please contact Sebia Hawkins at 505-989-9022, shawkins@nmelc.org if you'd like to help us win this important case.

Santa Fean Douglas Meiklejohn is the director of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center.