New Mexico State Sen. Kent Cravens announced earlier this week that he is running for lieutenant governor. In a video of Craven’s announcement by reporter Peter St. Cyr, Cravens says “CO2, I didn’t think, is a harmful thing,” Cravens said. “I thought that’s what plants need. I don’t know, I’m not a scientist.”

Carbon dioxide is indeed used by plants, which need it to grow. But large amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere by the combustion of fossil fuels. That’s why it’s known as one of the primary “greenhouse gasses” responsible for global warming.

Around the 4 minute, 25 second mark, Cravens says, “We have to get real about energy policy. Right now there are groups in Santa Fe that are meeting to discuss a cap, or a tax on businesses for CO2 emissions.

“There’s groups out there that want to finish killing off the oil and gas industry,” he adds.

Cravens comments will be familiar to those who paid attention to the ad campaign from CO2 is Green.

That group writes on its Web site, “CO2 is necessary to plant and animal life on Earth. Unfortunately, the positive effects of CO2 in our atmosphere have not been given proper consideration within the legislative, judicial, and regulatory proceedings.”

While it looked like the CO2 is Green ads initially backfired, this may show that they succeeded a little bit.