Earliest Citation:
"Enlibra" That word isn't in the dictionary, at least not yet.
After all, it was just introduced to the world on Monday. (July 14, 1998)

Conservative Republican Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt and
liberal Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber coined it together,
hoping it will eventually revolutionize environmental debates.

'Enlibra is a word we made up,' Leavitt explained to a gathering of reporters at
the National Press Club - after a full day of talking to reporters for magazines and
national newspapers in New York City and Washington about it.

It is from two Latin phrases:

en - to direct toward; and
libra - to find balance.

"Our purpose then in putting forward enlibra is to find a symbol
for the middle and balance in environmental debates," Leavitt said.
-- Lee Davidson, 'Coined word aims to bring balance to wilds issue,'
Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), July 14, 1998

Backgrounder:
This word, sent to the Word Spy by subscriber Donald Van Metre, combines
the prefix en-, to bring into a certain condition or state, and
the Latin term libra, balance.

It was made up by two U.S. governors:
Republican Mike Leavitt and Democrat John Kitzhaber.
Leavitt, in particular, has been a champion of enlibra, and given that he is currently in line to head the Environmental Protection Agency, his so-called 'enlibra principles' are getting much media attention these days. To give you a flavor of what these principles entail, here they are in slogan form:

Change A Heart, Change A Nation -
Environmental Understanding is Crucial

Reward Results, Not Programs -
Move to a Performance-Based System

National Standards, Neighborhood Solutions -
Assign Responsibilities at the Right Level

Collaboration, Not Polarization -- Use
Collaborative Processes to Break Down
Barriers and Find Solutions

Science For Facts, Process for Priorities
- Separate Subjective Choices from
Objective Data Gathering

Markets Before Mandates - Pursue
Economic Incentives Whenever
Appropriate

Recognition of Benefits and Costs -
Make Sure All Decisions Affecting Infrastructure,
Development and Environment are Fully Informed

Solutions Transcend Political Boundaries
- Use Appropriate Geographic
Boundaries for Environmental Problems

You can read about these principles in more
detail here: http://www.westgov.org/wga/policy/02/enlibra_07.pdf

Example Citation #2:

In their annual board meeting Tuesday, the [Western Governors' Association]
will discuss key regional policy issues including air and water quality, the
'enlibra' doctrine of environmental management, the reliability of the region's
electric supplies during intense usage this summer and Endangered Species
Act reform. -Jean Christensen
'High-technology issues top Western governors' agenda,'
The Associated Press, June 9, 2000

Words on Words :

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen and philosophers and
divines. With consistency a great soul has simply
nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his
shadow on the wall. Speak what you think today in
hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow
thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every
thing you said today.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet, Self-Reliance, 1841
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of the above material was sent to us as a subscriber to The Word Spy :
Web Site Source Page : http://www.wordspy.com/index.asp
Subject: The Word Spy for 09/02/2003 -- enlibra
Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003 08:00:03 -0400
From: Paul McFedries : wordspy@logophilia.com:
Web Site Source Page : http://www.wordspy.com/index.asp
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