Rio Grande Chapter

The American Public Health Association published Climate Change: Mastering the Public Health Role in April 2011. This document has many useful charts and information regarding the impact of climate change. Please follow this link to access it.

http://www.apha-environment.org/pdf/APHA_ClimateChg_guidebook.pdf

Included in this report is the chart that shows that 98% of climatologists, who are active in publishing on climate change, believe that climate change is human caused.

Only John Fleck of the Journal has connected the obvious dots between wildfires and climate. I've emailed other reporters to ask them to discuss this connection -- while complex, it should not be ignored: Warming will make conditions conducive to fires worse and worse.

If a few more people wrote a short note to each of these fire reporters, it would be hard for them to ignore. After all, they can talk to scientists right at the center of things in Los Alamos.

Staci Matlock and Nico Roesler of The New Mexican: smatlock@sfnewmexican.com, nroesler@sfnewmexican.com

By Mona Blaber

Every study released lately seems to have worse news about climate change, but it’s hard to translate the figures and statistics into any kind of idea of how life will change in New Mexico, or any region, in the coming decades. I asked University of New Mexico Earth and Planetary Sciences professor David Gutzler, who has researched climate variability in the West, about what these predictions mean for us.

State considered information provided by PNM, not EPA

State plan would have 4 times as much pollution

In the last issue of The Sierran, I wrote about the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to install pollution controls on two coal plants in New Mexico’s Four Corners region (San Juan Generating Station and Four Corners Power Plant). The EPA’s proposal for selective catalytic reduction controls would reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emitted by the plant by 80 percent.

Governor Martinez plan to scrap 2009 NM Energy Conservation Code will prompt energy waste, higher utility bills and increased pollution

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The state’s Construction Industries Commission voted today to scrap the 2009 NM Energy Conservation Code (NMECC) that was adopted in 2010 after a series of open and public hearings that included evidence from stakeholders across the state. At the same time, the Commission voted to adopt a new energy-wasting code that would meet the bare minimum federal standards without any of the New Mexico-specific features that were incorporated into the 2009 NMECC.

How to Reduce your Carbon Footprint, Send Less Money to Middle Eastern Kleptocracies, Reduce Pollution from the Canadian Tar Sands, and Save a Ton of Money, while Having Fun

By Dexter Coolidge

Solar thermal for heating the house is, of course, used only part of the year. However, last year we took the leap to heat the whole house with solar thermal, with a boiler assist, largely for environmental reasons. I am exhilarated by the results. The environmental impact has been far greater than I expected and the dollar savings have astonished me.

April 15 - “PNM is currently seeking to raise its rates well over $100 million per year - the largest increase in New Mexico history. At the same time, PNM is not doing nearly enough to mitigate this and future proposed rate increases driven by its continued investment in old, dirty fossil-fuel power plants,” Don Hancock, Chairman of the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, said Friday.

What's New at Viva Verde?

Viva Verde's goal is to connect community members in southern New Mexico with the local green goods, services and resources to be more energy efficient, save on energy costs, and to live more lightly on the planet. We want to promote local green businesses and organizations that are accessible to everyone and that contribute to more sustainable communities.

Updated, Bilingual Edition of the Viva Verde Guide for Southern New Mexico:
NOW ON-LINE! http://www.vivaverdenm.com/home.html