Oil and Gas
The Astonishing Key To Improving Our Lives

New Mexico has a long, proud history that involves oil and gas and even coal. In 2018, New Mexico’s oil and gas industry “supported 134,000 in-state jobs and added $16.6 billion” to our economy. ¹

We need a strong, independently-minded, knowledgable person in the NM office of Public Lands. Larry Marker has unique understanding of many of these industries because of his professional and personal experiences. 

In today’s society, you will hear about the so called evils of fossil fuels. There are many people who would have you believe that the use of fossil fuels is detrimental to our planet’s health and that we are quote unquote “killing ourselves and the planet by using fossil fuels”. Let’s take a brief look at what fossil fuels have actually done for the developed world. Let’s look at some of the benefits instead of only looking at the risks and drawbacks. Is that fair?

Let's look at some of the benefits instead of only looking at the risks and drawbacks. Is that fair?

There are many good things about fossil fuel:

  • fossil fuels are cheap
  • fossil fuels are plentiful
  • fossil fuels are reliable

There are many benefits to the use of fossil fuels in our world:

  • fossil fuels have allowed us to create access to cleaner water
  • fossil fuels have made our homes and cities cleaner
  • fossil fuels help protect us against potential catastrophic climate disasters.
In New Mexico, specifically the oil and gas industry contributed $2.9 billion dollars to our state budget in 2021. That’s a whopping  35% of the total state budget!²
 
 
oil and gas, fossil fuels

In New Mexico specifically, the oil and gas industry contributed $2.9 billion dollars to our state budget in 2021. That's a whopping 35% of the total state budget!

Here are a few examples from the NM Oil & Gas Association: 
  • $219.1 million from Gross Receipts Tax
  • $18.9 million from Corporate Income Tax
  • $184 million from Personal Income tax
  • $38.9 million from Oil and Gas Conservation Tax
In New Mexico, the oil and gas industry literally fuels our economy. It provides jobs and incomes which leads to further economic development. In addition, the industry contributes approximately 1/3 of New Mexico’s annual general budget, something to the tune of $3 billion dollars! The oil and gas industry are relied upon heavily to fund our state roads, our public safety and the education of our kids.  
It’s a vital piece of life here in New Mexico. 

Oil and Gas Give Us Easy Access to Clean Water

Getting clean water to large amounts of people quickly and cheaply requires a lot of energy. In fact, the developed countries of the world have much better access to clean water because of the oil and gas industries in those countries. Without the affordable and available fossil fuels getting clean water into your home would be much more difficult and expensive! The truth of the matter is that there is a correlation between more energy use and greater access to clean water. 

Fossil Fuels Have Made Our Homes and Cities Cleaner

Comparing these two maps side by side will show an overall decrease in the death rate due to unsafe sanitation. You should notice that the countries that are least affected by unsafe sanitation are those that are highly industrialized and use fossil fuels heavily. 

In addition, over the last few decades we have invented new ways to help clean the air and reduce the overall air pollution. These new technologies are all powered by, you guessed it, fossil fuels! 

Fossil Fuels Help Protect Us From Potential Catastrophic Disasters

Many people, when talking about climate change and the use of fossil fuels never talk about the issue of overall climate related deaths. Ultimately, we all want a safer world for ourselves and our children. We don’t want to worry about dying from droughts, floods, storms, or extreme temperatures. 

The world has seen a huge decline in these types of deaths. The truth is that the energy from fossil fuels has enabled the developed world to build strong, durable and healthy societies that are largely resilient to extreme heat, extreme cold, floods, storms, earthquakes, fires, etc. The fact that fossil fuels are cheap, readily available, and abundant gives us an advantage over undeveloped countries. Our use of energy allows us to get resources and supplies out to those who are in need, use early warning systems and make quick evacuations, among other things. 

Fossil fuels are an important part of our energy mix. They make our environment safer and cleaner. They help protect us against potential catastrophic climate disasters. They are a reliable and affordable source of energy, and their use has helped to improve living standards around the world.