JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 NEW MEXICO 2020: ISSUES TO WATCH
The NM Environmental Law Community Voices: Center’s Top-10 Issues Activism and Resilience
Dreaming Beyond Youth United for Extraction Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA)
VOLUME 12 NUMBER 1 GREENFIRETIMES.COM PLEASE SUPPORT GREEN FIRE TIMES PUBLISHER GREEN EARTH PUBLISHING, LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SETH ROFFMAN / [email protected] As we enter a new decade, Green Fire Times wishes to thank those who ASSOCIATE EDITOR ALEJANDRO LÓPEZ have supported our efforts over the past decade. We look forward to GUEST ASSOCIATE EDITOR BIANCA SOPOCI-BELKNAP working with you. We will continue to create an inspiring publication DESIGN WITCREATIVE that contributes uniquely to New Mexico’s media landscape. GFT COPY EDITOR STEPHEN KLINGER provides a platform for regional, community-based voices—useful in- formation for residents, businesspeople, students and visitors—anyone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JONI ARENDS, VEROAYLIN CAMPOS, ARTEMISIO interested in the green movement—and the history and spirit of New ROMERO Y CARVER, ELAINE CIMINO, CHARLOTTE GRUBB, SUSAN GUYETTE, ELIZA HILLENKAMP, MICHAEL JENSEN, JAPA K. KHALSA, SENECA JOHNSON, MAKAI LEWIS, Mexico and the Southwest. RUBY LÓPEZ, JOSUE MARTÍNEZ, DOUGLAS MEIKLEJOHN, FAITH PENNELL-SUTTON, SETH ROFFMAN, KIMBERLY SMITH, REBECCA SOBEL, NAYELI SOLIS, BIANCA SOPOCI- Storytelling is at the heart of community health. GFT shares stories BELKNAP, YANG TOLEDO, RALPH VIGIL, CHILI YAZZIE of hope and is an archive for community action. In each issue, a small, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ROBERT ESPOSITO, MICHAEL JENSEN, dedicated staff and a multitude of contributors offer articles docu- JAPA K. KHALSA, MARIEL NANASI, SETH ROFFMAN, RALPH VIGIL menting projects supporting sustainability—culture, history, traditional ADVERTISING SALES [email protected] economy and ecological traditions respectful of Mother Earth. OR: [email protected], 505-226-3382
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CONTENTS
OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE, OUR CHILDREN ARE INSIDE – YUCCA (YOUTH UNITED FOR CLIMATE CRISIS ACTION) / 4
THE NM ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER’S TOP 10 ISSUES TO WATCH – DOUGLAS MEIKLEJOHN / 6
FOOL ME ONCE… – RALPH VIGIL / 10
NEW MEXICO WATER DIALOGUE / RIO CHAMA CONGRESO / 11
THE LIVE EARTH AND EXTRACTIVE ENERGY – CHILI YAZZIE / 12
GROUNDING OUR CLIMATE JUSTICE WORK – YANG TOLEDO / 13
DEMANDS FOR A JUST TRANSITION – KIMBERLY SMITH AND MAKAI LEWIS / 15
PUBLIC CONDEMNS SALE OF ANCESTRAL TRIBAL AND PUBLIC LANDS – REBECCA SOBEL / 16
THE PERMIAN BASIN: FROM PREHISTORIC REEF TO CLIMATE INFERNO – CHARLOTTE GRUBB / 18
FRACKED WATER – FRACKED HEALTH – ELAINE CIMINO / 19
LANL – A WORLD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS – JONI ARENDS / 21
YUCCA’S NUCLEAR PERSPECTIVE / 23
RENEWING HEALTH-PROMOTING HABITS IN THE NEW YEAR – JAPA K. KHALSA / 24
SHIFTING FROM SUGAR: DIABETES IN NEW MEXICO – SUSAN GUYETTE / 26
IT TAKES A VILLAGE – A BENEFIT FOR HONOR THE EARTH AND TNAFA / 27
NEWSBITES / 11, 12, 16, 21, 23, 28
WHAT’S GOING ON / 29
– INTRODUCTION – YUCCA: DREAMING BEYOND EXTRACTION
We are honored to partner with Green Fire Times to bring you the 124th issue of this critical publication. For three years, Earth Care has co-curated the January “Community Resilience” issue to mark another year in the trenches in the face of these troubling times. This year, Earth Care’s Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) invited articles related to the theme, “Dreaming Beyond Extraction.” State- ments from YUCCA’s steering commmittee were co-written by the group. Members include Veroaylin Campos, Artemisio Romero y Carver, Eliza Hillenkamp, Seneca Johnson, Ruby Lopez, Josue Martínez, Faith Pennell-Sutton, Nayeli Solis and Yang Toledo. We have 10 years to transform our economy in order to address the climate crisis. In New Mexico, that presents both the challenge and the opportunity to transition away from extraction and to build a dignified, renewable and life-gener- ating economy. This edition of Green Fire Times outlines some of the issues we need to tackle in 2020, as well as opportuni- ties for action and movement building. Thanks for reading! Student Climate Strike at the New Mexico capitol, Santa Fe, Sept. 20, 2019. © Seth Roffman
GREENFIRETIMES.COM 3 OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE, exploit every drop. It’s a tragic irony that the only mention of the Permian in the recently published Climate Change Report signed OUR CHILDREN ARE INSIDE by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham states, “The Perm- ian Basin has enriched New Mexico, and the oil and gas industry A Declaration of the Climate Emergency and a Call for Intergenerational Justice is expected to grow and continue supporting our economy in the future.” FROM YUCCA (YOUTH UNITED FOR CLIMATE CRISIS ACTION) We are headed toward a cliff, racing at 200 miles an hour. We At one-degree warming, we are already seeing the devastating impacts of severe weather events, young people are strapped in the backseat—screaming and beg- longer and deeper droughts, California and Australia aflame, food and water shortages, forced dis- ging for those driving to hit the breaks and change course. Instead, placement, costly damage to infrastructure and communities and the beginning of the sixth mass those in power are hitting the accelerator—promising that the extinction. bridge they’ve been building incrementally for decades will be ready to save us someday. Someday…. Will you be alive in 2030 to witness whether The first issue we need to address is that we are operating from the world achieves its two fundamentally different premises. One is based in science commitments under the (and our lived experience of the climate crisis). The other is based Paris Climate Agree- on what proponents call “pragmatism” but could also be called ment? Will we finally convenience, delusion and, quite frankly, cowardice. We need the begin changing course in adults and “leaders” in the room to acknowledge the existential order to hit the 1.5-de- threat that climate change poses. If science is not the premise, gree cap that scientists we’re not having the right conversation. Greta Thunberg, in her advise, or if we will con- address at COP25 in Spain, demanded world leaders focus on the tinue down our current science. She said, “For about a year I have been constantly talking emissions path toward about our rapidly declining carbon budgets over and over again. 3.5 degree warming? (1) But since that is still being ignored, I will just keep repeating it.... [In the] IPCC report that came out last year, it says that if we How about in 2050, ought to have a 6-to-7 percent chance of limiting the global tem- when scientists predict perature rise to below 1.5C degrees, we had on January 1, 2018, that global fisheries will collapse and the tens of millions of people worldwide who depend on the 420 gigatons of CO2 left to emit in that budget. And of course, oceans for sustenance no longer have food? (2) that number is much lower today, as we emit about 42 gigatons of CO2 every year, including aviation. With today’s emissions levels, Will you be alive in 2100 when scientists predict New Mexico’s conifer forests will be gone that remaining budget will be gone within about eight years. These forever? When those same scientists warn that our current trajectory toward 3.5-to-4 degrees of numbers aren’t anyone’s opinions or political views. This is the warming will mean “vast changes to the environment, including: current best available science.”
• Ice vanishing from both poles We need every one of our leaders to acknowledge the cliff we are on. We need leaders to rise to the challenge of tackling the climate • Many rainforests turning to desert crisis head-on by working in service to the people as communities • Rising sea levels flooding into the interior of continents come together to transform our society at every level. Or we need them to have the courage to step aside. We need every candidate • Irreversible loss of diversity among plants and animals and every elected official to say openly and honestly that we are facing a Climate Emergency and act accordingly. That means No We will be alive. We will be alive, and we will be faced with the consequences of your genera- Fossil Fuel campaign contributions. That means the climate crisis tion’s mass consumption, waste and fossil-fueled “prosperity.” We will be faced with the conse- and just transition as a premise for every campaign and every pol- quences of your generation’s inaction and complacency. We will be alive for ecosystem collapse, icy proposal and an explicit response to each of our demands. An for mass starvation, for one billion climate refugees. (3) We will be alive for climate destabilization. emergency is not an item on your to-o list—it is something that
We will be alive as the miraculous species of these sacred lands leave us forever, one by one, no matter our pleading to know and love them. We will be alive with the grief and profound sorrow New Mexico’s total carbon foot- of mass extinction, mass displacement and mass destruction. print has grown—thanks to our Perhaps this is why we have such different perspectives on the climate crisis as young people. The adult world marches on as if everything is normal. We live at a time when we have just 10 Permian Basin boom. years to cut our emissions by half—requiring massive change in every sector of our economy and in our daily lives. Yet nothing of note is changing. In fact, over the last year the United States overtook Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil. Our coun- demands urgent and sustained attention and action until it is under try is also the world’s largest producer of natural gas, and we increased natural gas exports by 53 control. That is what we expect from our leaders. Otherwise, as percent in 2018. Greta said at COP25, commitment and pledges that knowingly fall short of what is needed but create the perception of change New Mexico’s total carbon footprint are “misleading.” She warns that these gestures toward change will We will be alive as the mirac- also grew—thanks to our Permian prove even more dangerous than inaction because they will quell Basin boom. The Permian Basin is public outrage and pressure—effectively lulling us back to sleep as ulous species of these sacred the largest oil reserve in the world, we march dutifully over the edge. and our current leadership intends to lands leave us forever. We demand accountability and transparency. If current leaders are falling short, they should expect to be primaried and challenged. 4 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 We are headed toward a cliff, racing at 200 miles an hour. We young people are strapped in the backseat.
Since last September, we’ve been organizing and mobilizing to demand immediate action on the climate emergency and accountability from our governor and lawmakers. We mobilized more than 5,000 New Mexicans for the climate strike. They joined over four million young people around the world to demand immediate and urgent action. Our struggle here in New Mexico is rooted in our people’s rich traditions of loving and defending the land and fighting for environmental justice. Our Climate Strike Campaign has continued to grow and build strength with calls for direct action and civil disobedience that adult allies have answered and with partnerships that are growing across our intersectional movements for environmental and social justice.
This legislative session we will be turning up the pressure. Our basic de- mands remain the same:
1. Immediately declare a Climate Emergency in the state of New Mexico
2. Create a Just Transition Fund from Oil & Gas Revenues to sup- port the research, planning, and implementation necessary to end New Mexico's dependence on fossil fuel revenues, to achieve car- bon neutrality for our state by 2040, and build a sustainable econo- my that works for all New Mexicans—no more sacrifice zones.
3. Pass a moratorium on fracking to protect our water and our health and preserve the countless sacred Indigenous sites threatened by fracking. 4. Pass community solar legislation by 2020.
5. Ensure New Mexico is powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
We will be working to advance these demands with specific policy propos- als in 2020. The launch of our C4 organization is enabling us to get directly involved both politically and in the election process. We are calling on all adults to join us, as allies, for as we acknowledge the climate emergency, we must also acknowledge the deep intergenerational wounding and injustice it presents—and begin our work toward healing.
1. https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/usa/
2. https://news.stanford.edu/news/2006/november8/ ocean-110806.html
3. Pottsdam Institute for Climate Impact and Research and Climate Analytics ¢
We are building an intergenerational climate justice movement. Please join us on the first day of the 2020 Legislative session, Jan. 21, 11:30 a.m. at the Roundhouse. To learn more and get involved, sign up at www.climatestrikenm.org.
YUCCA is coordinated by Earth Care, a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that trains young activists in social and environmental justice organizing and supports intergenerational campaigns to advance climate justice, sustainability, democracy and civil rights. YUCCA’s steering committee represents diverse communities of northern New Mexico including Indigenous, Latiinx, Chicanx and low-income communities. Student Climate Strike at the New Mexico capitol, Santa Fe, Sept. 20, 2019 www.youthunited4climatecrisisaction.org Photos © Seth Roffman, except second from top on left, courtesy YUCCA GREENFIRETIMES.COM 5 pushes accelerated carbon extraction, the response domestically and The New Mexico internationally has been aggressive action on climate change, much of it youth-led. In New Mexico, one of the most visible climate organiza- tions is Earth Care’s YUCCA (Youth United 4 Climate Crisis Action, Environmental Law www.youthunited4climatecrisisaction.org), a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that trains young activists and supports intergenerational campaigns in social and environmental justice organizing. Earth Care’s YUCCA co-curated this issue of Green Fire Times in order to spotlight important Center’s Top 10 Issues environmental justice issues in our state as we begin the new year. 2020 will surely see the continued increase in numbers and strength of the BY DOUGLAS MEIKLEJOHN climate crisis movement.
For the last two years, this annual article has highlighted actions of the Trump administration. 2) Trump Administration Gutting the Clean Water Act That is the case this year as well. However, we are starting to see the results of New Mexico’s The Clean Water Act (CWA) gives the federal Environmental Pro- new administration in state-level policies and rules that could actually protect the air, land and tection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers the respon- water for our communities. Here are some of the top stories to watch in 2020. sibility to regulate water pollution in “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). In September 2019, the EPA finalized a new rule that 1) Trump Withdraws from the Paris Agreement... and Youth Lead the Resistance significantly limits federal protections in “traditional navigable wa- ters” and eliminates protections for ephemeral waters—waters that flow only with rainfall or snowmelt. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has estimated that as much as 96 percent of the stream miles in the state might lose federal protections under the new definition.
The EPA has also proposed changes to regulations that implement Section 401 of the CWA, which allows a state—or a tribe with CWA authorization—to verify that a discharge under a federal permit or license complies with existing state or tribal water quality rules. New Mexico would be particularly affected by changes to 401 certifications because it is one of only three states that do not have authorization from the EPA to administer National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and are dependent on the EPA for that.
With these two regulatory changes, New Mexico’s waters will have drastically reduced protection under the Clean Water Act, and even where federal permits may be issued, the state and tribes could lose the ability to intervene if their water quality standards are not being met under the federal permit. The Law Center has filed comments on both of these regulatory changes on behalf of our client, Amigos Bravos.
On Nov. 4, 2019, President Trump announced that the U.S. was withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change. It takes one year after the official announcement for a country to finally withdraw, meaning Nov. 4, 2020, or one day after the 2020 presidential election. The Trump administration’s approach to climate change is clear:
Table showing U.S. oil and gas expan- sion compared with the total projected expansion of the next nine producers. Table by Rystad Energy UCube, in Oil, Gas and the Climate: An Analysis of Oil and Gas Industry Plans for Expansion and Compatibility with Global Emission Limits (Dec. 2019), a project of the Global Gas and Oil Network YUCCA Climate Strike banner (www.youthunited4climatecrisisaction.org) (www.ggon.org). While the U.S. A pipe discharging into a river in New Mexico. Photo: NMED Surface Water Quality Bureau 6 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 3) Tererro Mine in Pecos Watershed A proposed new mine in the Upper Pecos watershed near Tererro shows what early and sustained community mobilization can accomplish. On April 4, 2019, New World Cobalt announced it had acquired land near the site of the previous Tererro Mine. The community, led by the Upper Pecos Water- shed Association (UPWA, represented by the Law Center), organized to resist proposed new mining by Comexico, a subsidiary of New World Cobalt. The proposed mine site is almost entirely in Santa Fe County, but the impacts to water resources and communities are in San Miguel County, with tributaries running east to the Pecos River.
Comexico has submitted an application to the Mining and Minerals Division of the Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department for exploratory drilling. Because it would be on federal Forest Service land, the proposed mine also needs to go through the National Environmental Policy Act June 25, 2019 meeting of the Upper Pecos Watershed Association. (NEPA) process. On Dec. 2, 2019, the Forest Service issued a Scoping Letter Photo: Michael Jensen, NMELC on the proposed exploratory drilling project, and is seeking public comments. The Scoping Letter is the first step in the NEPA process.You can comment on the Scoping Letter by going to the Forest Service website for the 4) Gila Diversion proposed mine (see below.) On Dec. 20, 2019 the U.S. Department of the Interior told the New Mexico Entity of the Central Arizona Project that the federal agency was cutting off access to over (https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=56733). $56 million in funding because the state had failed after 15 years to identify a feasible diversion project on the Gila River, and, because of this, the Bureau of Reclamation was unable to complete its draft Environmental Impact Statement before the Dec. 31 deadline. However, community organizing has led to alternative proposals for sustainable supply of irrigation and drinking water to the area while leaving the Gila free-flowing. The state Interstate Stream Commission could use other funds to try to complete a diversion project or it could support the community-based approaches.
U.S. Forest Service map of the proposed Tererro mine site
Stop Tererro Mine (https://stoptererromine.org)
Gila River, lower Colorado Region, New Mexico Unit of the Central Arizona Project Photo: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Upper Pecos River near Dalton Picnic 5) Kirtland Air Force Base Consent Decree Area. Photo: Michael In the 20 years since a jet fuel leak was discovered at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), Jensen, NMELC progress in dealing with the groundwater contamination, especially from ethylene dibromide, a known carcinogen, has been slow. There continue to be doubts that the
GREENFIRETIMES.COM 7 plume is under control and that treatment is working. The SouthWest Orga- Legislature, Sen. Mimi Stewart, Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Rep. Andrés Rome- nizing Project (SWOP) and other organizations and individuals, represented ro, represented by the Law Center, filed an Amici Curiae—“Friends of the Court”— by the Law Center, are working to force KAFB to take decisive, effective brief in support of the NMED litigation with the U.S. District Court. action. They filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) in 2019 and the Air Force has be- gun discussions. As a result, the Law Center prepared a draft Consent Decree 7) LANL 2016 Consent Order for review by the Air Force, and there could be a response in 2020. In 2005 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) management entered into a Con- sent Order, agreeing to fully characterize all of its historical waste sites and clean up its legacy waste within 10 years. LANL failed to meet that deadline, but rather than enforce the 2005 Order, the Martínez administration issued a new consent order in 2016 in response to the threat of litigation by Nuclear Watch New Mexico (NWNM), with representation by the Law Center and others, with, potentially, over $272 million in fines for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). A U.S. District Court judge ruled in July 2018 that parts of the lawsuit could move forward. There will likely soon be a ruling on the outstanding motions for summary judgment that the judge allowed to proceed.
Community Boundary
Exhibit 1 – Community Boundary “Community Boundary*This exhibit shows the approximate loca 6) Air Force PFAS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in many industries since the 1940s. There is substantial scientific evidence that Aerial photo of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Photo: LANL PFAS pose significant human health and ecological risks.The Air Force began testing its facilities around the country for PFAS in 2009 and in 2018 detected PFAS at the Schaap family dairy near Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis along with about 10 other sites in the area. The New Mexico attor- ney general and NMED filed litigation to get the U.S. Air Force to conduct prompt cleanup of toxic pollutants at both Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases. The soil, groundwater and surface water at the bases are contaminated with PFAS contained in fire-fighting foam used at the bases. The Air Force is arguing that it is protected by the “sovereign immunity” of the federal government and that federal law prevents a lawsuit that challenges an ongoing Superfund cleanup. However, the federal government has explicit- The Río Grande flowing through White ly waived immunity under two relevant environmental laws, and the Air Force Rock Canyon below LANL. Photo: is not currently engaged in an ongoing cleanup. Three members of the state Michael Jensen, NMELC Kathy Sanchez (middle, The preliminary in blue), founder of “area of concern” Tewa Women United, around Cannon Air leading a “toxic tour” Force Base; map of the area around produced by the LANL. Photo: Mi- NMED for a public chael Jensen, NMELC meeting held on April 29, 2019 8 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 8) Produced Water and Gov. Lujan Grisham are now developing a state methane rule. The Methane Advisory In 2019, the Legislature passed, and the governor signed, HB546, the Panel—made up of agency, environmental and industry representatives (including Staff At- Produced Water Act, which requires new rules allowing use of pro- torney Charles de Saillan of the Law Center)—released its draft technical document (https:// duced water outside of oil and gas production. Produced water is a www.env.nm.gov/new-mexico-methane-strategy/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2019/08/ byproduct of oil and gas operations and is typically re-used in fracking MAP-Draft-Technical-Report-December-19-2019.pdf) for public comment in December, operations. It always contains oil and is usually very saline. It often has heavy metals and what is called “NORM” (naturally occurring radioac- tive material). In other words, PW is an industrial waste and, in many cases, a hazardous waste. A coalition of environmental and public health organizations has formed to ensure that PW meets stringent water quality standards and that use stays within oil and gas operations. The NMED, along with the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) and the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) held meetings around the state to get public input on this critical issue. Draft rules could come out in 2020, with opportunities for further public comment. Encana Energy Oil Fields appear like a circuit board near Methane flaring from a drill site. Photo courtesy the Sierra Club Midland, Texas. Creative Commons photo. 9) Methane Rule with comments due Feb. 20, 2020. Comments may be submitted to nm.methanestrategy@ The Trump administration withdrew the 2015 Obama administration state.nm.us or sent by mail to: 1190 St. Francis Dr., Santa Fe, NM 87505 (Attention: Sandra federal methane rule that required best industry practices at oil and gas Ely). Following public comment, the agencies and panel members will host public operations on federal land in order to reduce methane releases from meetings to discuss options for reducing methane identified in the technical report. leaks, venting and flaring of methane. Environmental organizations 10) Regulatory Clout New Mexico went through eight years of environmental- and environmental justice-deregu- lation under the Martinez administration and is now entering the fourth year of deregulation at the federal level under Trump. The state needs significant re-regulation supported by large increases in budgets and staffing for agencies whose work impacts the environment. Federal actions (or inaction) have left or will leave the state vulnerable to deterioration of water and air quality. These will require the state to find ways to assert its own authority to protect New Mexico’s air, land, and water. In Dec. 2019, Eric Janz, staff attorney for the Law Center, Much of the work to protect the environment comes from frontline communities, usually was honored by the Natural Resources, Energy and Environ- low-income communities of color, which have long carried the disproportionate burden of mental Law section of the New Mexico Bar Association as environmental contamination in their communities. This will continue to be the case, and the Lawyer of the Year. state needs to work with and support these efforts, rather than—as has often been the case— ignore these voices or subvert them. By uniting with diverse communities, the state can find Since 1987, the Law Center has been fighting for New and assert its own way forward in the face of a federal government determined to destroy the Mexico’s communities and the air, land and water we all environment for the benefit of corporate interests. The Trump administration’s environmen- need to thrive. The Center is a non-profit environmental tally destructive policies and actions have motivated individuals and organizations to mobilize justice law firm that provides free or low-cost legal repre- and push back. This is a very hopeful sign and maybe the biggest story to watch in 2020. ¢ sentation throughout the state. The Center’s clients advocate for environmental protection, public health and community quality-of-life. The Law Center does not accept government Douglas Meiklejohn founded the New Mexico Environmental Law Center in 1987 funding. It is supported through donations from individuals, and has spent more than 40 years as an attorney working for the public interest, with local companies and foundations. www.nmelc.org . a focus on representing New Mexicans whose communities are impacted by environ- mental injustice. In 2019, he was designated a “Santa Fe Living Treasure.” GREENFIRETIMES.COM 9 rently in the scop- We are still recovering from ing phase, which will determine the irresponsible mining operations. conditions they set. They held a public meeting on Dec. 12, 2019 in Pecos to explain the proposed scope of work. A 30-day public comment period ends on Jan. 17. It is crucial that concerned citizens get their comments in asap so that conditions may be set that reflect our concerns. The public meeting was packed with hundreds of residents who made it clear that this project is not welcome in our watershed. Their application with the state’s Mining and Minerals Division is awaiting a public hearing, which will likely take place in March at the earliest. Santa Fe County has passed a hard-rock mining ordinance, and San Miguel County is hoping to follow suit soon. The village, county and the Upper Pecos Watershed Association are currently seeking Outstanding National Resource Waters protections for the Pecos River, from the headwaters to the village. Fool Me Once... What’s at stake? Most residents in the area know the answer to that. We are still recov- ering from irresponsible mining operations. Ninety thousand fish were killed off in Our fragile watershed can’t sustain another mining operation. 1991 due to disturbed soil from the cleanup that leached contaminants into the river BY RALPH VIGIL during a spring runoff event. Millions of taxpayer dollars were spent to clean up the In early June I was getting ready for my day at 4 a.m. as usual when I looked at my phone and noticed that my wife had forwarded an article on a popular news app. I opened the message and my eyes immediately focused on the words “Australia-based mining company to explore the Jones Hill deposit with- in the Santa Fe National Forest north of Pecos.” We know they intend to explore to discover and sell to a mining company, and we know what happens next. At that moment I decided to spring into action. I didn’t care how early it was; mess after companies’ subsidiaries went bankrupt and took no responsibility for the I immediately started texting and emailing leaders of acequia, land grant, tribal destruction they created. The Irreversible impacts will be felt for hundreds of years. and environmental communities to come together to start looking into this proposed project and put a stop to it. The response was quick. Soon, a historic We must be mindful of the importance of our watershed that provides so much that coalition was formed with dozens of organizations representing environmen- all of life depends on and everything we can’t live without. And that is water! The tal, acequia and watershed groups, along with local governments and tons of Upper Pecos Watershed is vital, sacred, and makes all life possible along its corridor, community members, all working together to protect all that our watershed all the way to the Río Grande in Texas and out to the Gulf of Mexico. This area has provides for us. been sacred to all people of the surrounding indigenous tribes, who have depend- ed on its resources for thousands of years. Its diversity of life, scenery and solitude New World Cobalt’s subsidiary, Comexico LLC, announced on April 9, 2019 attract over a million visitors a year. that they had acquired the Tererro Copper-Gold-Zinc VMS project in New Mexico. The agreements they entered into provide them the right to acquire I can’t even begin to explain what it means to me; it would take several books and 100 percent interest in 20 federal mining claims, which encompass 400 acres. hundreds of years to put that into words. All I can say is Life! As an eighth-gener- They also staked new federal claims covering 4,300 acres. The proposed proj- ation farmer, steward of the land and protector of water, I will fight to protect the ect is to drill as many as 30 holes up to 4,000 feet deep. They talk about this place that has provided for generations of my family and will continue to provide being an outstanding opportunity to develop a new camp near the Jones Hill for generations to come. I will not stand by and allow corporate greed, the promise Deposit and that their strategy is to advance the development of the deposit of jobs and lies of the “good” this will bring to my community to go unchecked. We to expand its resource base now that metal prices have improved. While they have sustained ourselves on the Pecos through our acequias, traditions and culture for claim that this is just an “exploratory project,” we were not born yesterday, and hundreds of years and the quality of our water has been essential to that survival. we know they intend to explore to discover and sell to a mining company, and we all know what happens next. Please visit their website to view their boasts Please stand with us, our water and our future by becoming active in this fight to about this project. You will see for yourselves that their intent is not just to preserve this precious place for our children’s grandchildren, so they can enjoy it as explore. we have. Find out how to take action at the coalition’s website: stoptererromine.org ¢ As per the very outdated General Mining Act of 1872, the Forest Service can- not reject a proposal to explore valid mineral claims on Forest Service lands, Ralph Vigil is the owner of Molino de la Isla Organics LLC, a small, certi- but it can and will place conditions on the project. The Forest Service is cur- fied organic farm in east Pecos, NM. He also serves as chairman of the New Mexico Acequia Commission. 10 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 Photo courtesy the San Juan-Chama Watershed Partnership NEW MEXICO WATER DIALOGUE Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s talk is entitled Emerging Policy Priorities. After lunch, a panel 26TH ANNUAL MEETING with Paula García, executive director of the New Mexico Acequia Association; Phil King, professor of Civil Engineering at New Mexico State University (NMSU); and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque Holly Richter, Arizona Water Projects Director for The Nature Conservancy, will dis- cuss “Resilient Water Management in Practice.” Rolf Schmidt-Petersen, director of the As our climate changes, temperatures rise with greater ex- Interstate Stream Commission, will also speak. tremes between hot and cold, and droughts and floods Registration is $70. To register, visit nmwaterdialogue.org. become more severe. Resilience is the capacity of a system to respond to disturbance by resisting damage and recovering quickly. 5TH ANNUAL RIO CHAMA CONGRESO The New Mexico Water Dialogue is holding its 26th annu- Ghost Ranch Conference Center, Abiquiú, N.M. al meeting on Jan. 9, from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. The theme is “Building Water Resilience for New Mexico Communities.” The San Juan–Chama Watershed Partnership’s fifth annual Río Chama Congreso will “We value as many voices as we can assemble, to improve take place on Feb. 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ghost Ranch Conference Center in our collective understanding of what we all face,” said Conci Abiquiú, N.M. The congreso’s theme is Fishing, Boating and Recreation. Bokum, a member of the board of directors. Highlights include a presentation by keynote speaker Axie Navas, New Mexico’s first Keynote speakers include David Gutzler, professor of the Outdoor Recreation Division director. Navas’ role is to help bring the state’s outdoors University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Department of Earth to the forefront of economic development. Topics of discussion will also include public Sciences. His talk is titled “How Clear is the Climate Change access rights to streams crossing private land, youth education and outreach opportuni- Crystal Ball?” ties, bridging the divide between indigenous/land grant communities and recreationists, and proposed repairs to El Vado Dam. Melinda Harm Benson, also from UNM’s Earth Sciences department, will speak on “Resilience as a Lens for Gover- The San Juan-Chama Watershed Partnership comprises local, county, state, tribal and nance.” A panel that includes John Fleck, professor of New federal agencies, non-government organizations and individuals from the region. They Mexico Water Resources Program at UNM; Stacy Timmons, come together to support a healthy ecosystem, a vibrant economy and sustainable com- Hydrology program manager at the New Mexico Bureau munities for those who live and depend on the watershed. of Geology and Mineral Resources; and Daryl Vigil, water administrator for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, will discuss “Sci- For more information, visit www.sanjuanchama.org . ence-Based Planning for Resilience.” To RSVP, visit https//sjcwp-congreso2020.eventbrite.com . GREENFIRETIMES.COM 11 The Live Earth and Extractive Energy WATER DISTRIBUTION HUB COMPLETED BY CHILI YAZZIE After three years of design and construction, the Middle Río Grande The Earth is replete with natural resources. Much is known about them, as Conservancy District has completed a $1.7 million distribution hub at the they have been analyzed and their properties defined. Science has theo- Socorro Main Canal. The pipe and pump system will make it possible to rized how Earth’s elements were formed, and science prescribes how they deliver water to an additional 1,700 acres in times of extreme drought. can be used by humankind. Yet, despite innumerable explorations, analyses “Return water” flows from an irrigation drain back into the river. The and theorems, all the properties of the Earth and her resources have not been fully comprehended by Western man. system can control the speed of drying in some stretches of the Río Grande. The hub was funded through a Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant. The processes of The energy-by-exploita- natural resource ex- traction are guided tion agenda is accelerating by strategies based WILD AND SCENIC DESIGNATION PROPOSED on a perspective the predicted demise of our wherein materiality FOR GILA RIVER predominates spiri- Earth, our home. tuality. This per- The proposed federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act could protect the Gila spective functions River from development and encourage outdoor recreation, but the des- primarily within ignation would not interfere with a controversial plan to divert as much the physical dimension. It is a deductive process that derives from Western as 14,000 acre-feet of the river to municipalities and other interests. A man’s attempt to dichotomize the concrete and abstract dimensions of section of the Act says activities such as irrigating or grazing may occur life—the physical and spiritual. The contention, thus, is that the body of in river corridors or on adjacent lands only if they are consistent with Earth and its natural resources are inanimate, spiritless and meant to be protecting the river’s unique characteristics. A federal custodian would wantonly exploited. determine which activities meet that standard. The Grant County Board of Commissioners has endorsed the proposed legislation. NINETY-SEVEN DAMS IN NEW MEXICO CONSIDERED HIGH HAZARD New Mexico leads the nation with nearly 50 percent of its dams consid- ered high-hazard. Ninety-seven dams have been determined to be in poor or unsatisfactory condition, with the potential for loss of life if they fail, according to a two-year study by the Associated Press. Most of those aging dams are in rural areas. In 2019, the state water trust board received $50 million in project requests. The Legislature approved $10 million for dam improvements and flood control projects. TOXIC CHEMICALS SEEPING INTO AQUIFERS FROM AIR FORCE BASES The New Mexico Environment Department has requested $1.2 million to study a plume of chemicals (PFAS) that are seeping from Holloman and Cannon Air Force bases. Groundwater samples show levels hundreds of times higher than a federal health advisory limit. The chemicals appear to be from firefighting foam used for years in routine training in southern and eastern New Mexico. The Air Force, which is currently involved in an effort to clean up contamination from a decades-old jet fuel spill at Kirtland Air Force Base, has not taken responsibility for the plume. In March, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas sued, asking the Air Force to pay for studying and cleaning up the contamination. The Dairy Farmers of America are among the groups concerned that busi- nesses, homes, dairies and city water could be in jeopardy. Student striker at the Climate Strike organized by YUCCA. © Seth Roffman 12 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 Indigenous peoples know that the physical and spiritual paradigms are inseparable; one cannot be complete without the other. This understand- ing celebrates the physical and spiritual composition of all matter. This perception has been misunderstood, discounted and disrespected by the predominant Western mind. Regardless, the Indigenous perspective has uncompromising validity, as it is true to its foundational origination, while the Western frame of thought has an incomplete foundation. The Indig- enous worldview is more relevant, realistic and comprehensive than what European-rooted society, science and technology offer. Positive benefits of resources development include revenue, jobs and convenience. In the debate on energy source transition, the retention and expansion of these benefits are the principal arguments for continued exploitation of resources. This is understandable, as losing these benefits “Three Centuries of Pueblo Resistance” Red Nation panel discussion on colonialism. are a threat to the livelihood of families. Nevertheless, the transition to Santa Fe, August 2019. © Seth Roffman renewable energy is inevitable because of the declining economic viabil- ity of extractive energy and its irreversible damage to the environment. Credible members of the scientific community, academia, conscientious businesses and world governments, and international forums like the GROUNDING OUR United Nations, have concluded that the destructive impacts of extractive energy are the main cause of the climate crisis. CLIMATE JUSTICE WORK These realities cumulatively constitute the greatest dilemma faced by BY YANG TOLEDO humanity and raise the existential question: Should we continue destroy- ing the Earth or save the planet? Both extractive energy development The youth in YUCCA have developed a unique set of demands that guide the polit- proponents and save-the-earth advocates are resolute in their positions. ical and social Climate Emergency movement we are leading—but we stand on the Neither will retreat. It portends a fight to the end. If there is no effort at shoulders of those who have come before us. Our work begins with the acknowl- understanding between these polarized positions, there will be no win- edgement that we are all working in occupied Indigenous lands and that Indigenous ners; we all lose. communities have been on the front lines—contending with the environmental and health impacts of extractive industry in New Mexico since the beginning. We In 2006, the late, majestic, modern-day theorist Stephen Hawking pre- also acknowledge that Indigenous communities, communities of color and work- dicted that this planet has only 100 years left. He surmised the cause of ing-class communities have borne the brunt of the costs of energy extraction. In this demise will be climate change, virulent disease and the nuclear threat. New Mexico, it is our Diné communities who have suffered under the shadows of This dire prediction suggests that only five generations of humanity have coal plants and fracking wells. It is essential that our movement work is informed by a future, and then it is done. As if in keeping with that prediction, the life the teachings of our predecessors, elders and mentors in the environmental justice of Earth is waning, as evidenced by the decimation of species and bio- movement. systems. This, combined with unrelenting efforts by some governments and extractive industries to exacerbate the energy-by-exploitation agenda We want to share an important framework to help us all ground our climate justice is only accelerating the predicted demise of our Earth, our home. work in the longstanding struggles for Indigenous liberation and economic justice. That framework is called The Red Deal. It was developed and is led by the Red Na- Our paramount concern must be to protect the life of Earth so that tion—an Indigenous grassroots organization “dedicated to the liberation of Native humankind can live beyond Hawking’s prediction of untimely demise. It peoples from capitalism and colonialism.” The Red Deal was crafted by community is our most somber responsibility to find common ground to coexist for members, Native people, young and poor people to build on and forward ideas in the sake of our grandchildren and future generations. Indigenous peoples the Green New Deal—with Indigenous liberation and critical class theory at the have crucial answers that will help us survive this ultimate dilemma, if the center. world will listen. ¢ We cannot simply heal our individual Duane “Chili” Yazzie touts his cre- dentials as grandpa, farmer, Earth trauma, nor can we consume better Protector and community leader. A longtime advocate of human rights and the rights of Earth Mother, to save the environment. he is currently president of the Shiprock Chapter of the Navajo The Green New Deal (GND) is championed by U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Nation. Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass). Rep. Ocasio-Cortez traces her inspiration to become a climate champion back to her experience as a Photo © Robert Esposito Water Protector at Standing Rock, where, during her bid for Congress, she joined in protests against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The GND is a proposed package of legislation that aims to address climate change and economic GREENFIRETIMES.COM 13 A movement to reclaim our humanity and rightful relations with our Earth you. Only when people move do we build enough power to force concessions and eventually win.” The third tenet is Politicians Can’t Do What Only Mass Movements Do. Building on the second tenet, the Red Deal redefines the kinds of “reforms” we need to be pushing. “Reform typically means asking the powerful to implement gradual changes that we hope will eventually improve our lives. This approach attempts to treat the symptoms of a crisis, rather than the structures of power that create crisis in the first place… Our philosophy of reform is to reallocate -so Yang Toledo calls for one of YUCCA’s five demands—A Green New Deal to transform cial wealth back to those who actually produce it: workers, the poor, Indigenous and transition our economy in 10 years. © Seth Roffman peoples, the Global South, women, migrants, caretakers of the land and the land itself.” inequality through a rapid transition to a green economy within 10 years. Besides increasing state-sponsored jobs, the GND seeks to address poverty by locating The final tenet isFrom Theory to Action. The Red Deal implores our commu- green jobs and large-scale public works projects in "frontline and vulnerable nities to create the solutions our people need. It reminds us that we cannot forget communities." The resolution also calls for universal health care, increased mini- to invest in the on-the-ground organizing and education of our people to create mum wages and protection against monopolies. change in our communities that are already impacted. “We cannot simply be against something; we must be for something...We will make policy recommen- The Red Deal provides four key tenets that place the needs of Indigenous com- dations that can be used at any level of government, from the grassroots to the munities at the center: First, what creates crisis cannot solve it; second, change tribal council to the state. We cannot simply build isolated utopias while the rest must come from below and move to the left; third, politicians can’t do what of the world burns, nor can we wait for the slow process of reformist reform to mass movements do; and fourth, the climate conversation must move from kick in. We cannot simply heal our individual trauma, nor can we consume better theory to action. to save the environment. We cannot vote harder and place all our hope in a few individuals in Congress. We must reclaim our collective power. When the state The first tenet, , draw[s] from Black What Creates Conflict Cannot Solve It “ invests its greatest resources to contain the threat of mass mobilization, we must abolitionist traditions to call for divestment away from the criminalizing, cag- ing and harming of human beings and divestment from the exploitative and extractive violence of fossil fuels.” It notes that divestment is a critical strategy that we must pursue in order to fund a just transition and the investments in community-driven development that we need, such as education, physical and mental health care and environmental restoration. It notes that half of our federal budget is spent on the military. “Proposed discretionary spending for na- tional security in 2020 comes in at $750 billion, $718.3 billion of which is slotted specifically for the U.S. military….” while cuts are being made in critical services. It advocates divestment, not just from the military but from prisons, detention facilities and policing systems that criminalize Indigenous, people of color and poor communities. “Imagine if we had a The Red Deal builds on ideas trillion dollars to in- vest in healthcare for everyone. To increase in the Green New Deal while teachers’ pay so they can provide quality, centering Indigenous voices. free education to YUCCA sit-in at N.M. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office everyone. To repair roads and provide safe and accessible public transportation for everyone. To already be organized in those spaces and those communities. We must be one invest in large-scale language revitalization programs in every Indigenous nation step ahead, ready to capture the momentum of the next rebellion and catapult it on the continent… With the resources we gain from divestment, we could end into a full-blown mass movement.” world hunger, illiteracy, child hunger, homelessness, and build renewable energy The Red Deal is a critical framework for everyone interested in furthering climate tomorrow.” justice in New Mexico. It draws the connections between the climate crisis and the human rights and environmental rights issues facing our Indigenous and The second tenet is The Red Deal Change From Below And to The Left. other frontline communities. It makes the connection between our climate crisis advocates for “a movement to reclaim our humanity and rightful relations with and colonization and capitalism. We see it as an important guide for resilience and our Earth” and offers an example of the kind of community-oriented change community-based organizing so that we can build a sustainable environment that needed: “Pueblo communities feed for nearly every ceremonial event. The benefits all.¢ original purpose of this was to pry surplus from those who held more wealth and redistribute it amongst those who didn’t so that neither a poor class nor a ruling class could form. Everyone’s material needs were met; there was no star- To learn more about the Red Deal and the Red Nation movement, vation, no homelessness, no alienation. Everyone was a relative, and everyone visit https://therednation.org/ . had relatives.” The Red Deal states: “People power is the most direct form of democracy… Our leverage is people. Leverage comes from a movement behind Yang Toledo (Diné) was born and raised in Farmington. She is a senior visual artist at the New Mexico School for the Arts and a steering committee member of YUCCA. 14 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 Demands for a Just Transition BY KIMBERLY SMITH AND MAKAI LEWIS Do you worry that the air you breathe is making you sick? Do you think twice before drinking the water where you live? The San Juan Generating Station (SJGS)—one of the oldest and dirtiest power plants in the country—is set to close in 2022. For decades it has polluted the air, water and land of Diné Bikéyah (ancestral homeland of the Navajo Nation) and the Four Corners region. Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is the majority owner and operator of the SJGS, located in Waterflow, New Mexico. The SJGS supplies electricity to PNM’s 500,000 customers throughout New Mexico. In 2018, PNM A delegation of Diné community members traveled from the Four Corners admitted that the plant was no longer economical compared to alternatives and to testify at a PRC hearing in Santa Fe. told their shareholders they could make more money if the plant was closed. In December 2019, a hearing was held by the New Mexico Public Regulation On the ground, conducting our HIA, we saw these dynamics of exclusion continue Commission (PRC) to address PNM’s plans for “abandonment” of the plant. A to play out. Eighty percent of respondents stated that they were concerned or very delegation from the impacted Diné community came to Santa Fe for the hear- concerned about community consultation. The majority thought that tribal and state ing. This is some of what we shared. governments and the power plant company had not included them in planning for the SJGS closure or the ETA. In fact, initially, more than half of the 400-plus com- Over the past two years, we have conducted a Just Transition Health Impact munity members we surveyed were not even aware that PNM had decided to close Assessment (HIA) in order to inform and engage our community in preparation the plant and that it would be retired by 2022. for the closure of the SJGS and coal mine. We traveled from community to community to gather the stories of our people so that we all might understand Our work targeted long-term residents of the area. Ninety-six percent of those we what the plant’s presence has meant for those living in its shadow. We have been spoke with self-identified as Indigenous. Our respondents came from Shiprock, working to ensure Naschitti, Round Rock, Red Mesa and communities in between. Eighty-nine percent that those most live within a 100-mile radius of the plant. The vast majority (82 percent) have had Our community members have directly impacted clan or family ties in the area for many generations. Seventy-seven percent grew up have a voice in in the area. Seventy-nine percent intend to stay there with their families felt and experienced the impacts defining what a “indefinitely.” just transition should look like. of the plant and mine in their The community members we spoke with have witnessed and experienced the For it is our Diné changes that have come with the SJGS. Only 13 percent felt that the overall impact community that bodies and on the land. of the plant in their community has been positive. When asked what they were most has been directly concerned about as the plant closes—the top two issues were responsibility for the impacted by the health of the community, and cleanup. Eighty-six percent said they were concerned San Juan plant and mine for the last 40-plus years. And it is our community that or very concerned about health. Eighty-six percent also said that they were con- will be left with the plant’s legacy. cerned or very concerned about cleanup. With our community advisors, we created a 15-page survey that was completed Our community members have experienced the impacts of the plant and mine in by more than 400 members of our community. We traveled to the communities, their bodies and on the land. What happens to the land, air and water is reflected in sat with our relatives, translated the survey into our Native language and listened our bodies. Sixty-one percent of the community we surveyed have experienced or to people recount the changes that the plant has brought. To our knowledge, have immediate family members who have experienced serious health issues. The our Just Transition Campaign is the only effort during the last two years that has health issues most commonly reported were asthma, cancer, lung disease and heart taken time to reach out and bring the voices of those Indigenous community disease. All are associated with exposure to the contaminants found in coal pollution members on the ground—downstream and downwind from the plant—into the process of decision-making regarding the plant’s transition. While doing this work, we did not cross paths with any of the Native or non-Native NGOs. In the 2019 Legislature we opposed the Energy Transition Act (ETA). The ETA was drafted by a coalition of non-Native NGOs and PNM and did not include a single mention of our Indigenous community’s needs. The community was not consulted in its drafting. Transition funds in the bill did not include our community. We fought to change the bill to require community advisory bodies and comprehensive assessment of the impacts, as well as dedicated funds for our community and regulatory protections that would require that the polluter pay for the cleanup. Most of our amendments were discarded. The amendments that were ultimately added were far from sufficient. There is minimal consulta- tion required and only $1.8 million dedicated to Indigenous community needs— compared to $283 million for the company. Without our organizing efforts, the Najhozhoni Ben testifies before the N.M. Public Regulation Commission. bill’s supporters would have excluded our community entirely. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 15 and waste. Most of EXCERPT OF TESTIMONY TO THE NM PRC respon- BY ZACHARIAH ARON BEN dents re- ported that As a young Diné practitioner of our sacred arts I am obligated to protect they use this ecosystem in order to continue our sacred ceremonies that nourish our minds, bodies and souls. In this cycle of life, plants consume air and the land water and in turn are consumed by animals, upon which we sustain our- for food selves. Physical ailments manifest when air pollution settles on vegetation and other on which our sheep and cattle feed. The San Juan River, the lifeline of cultural our communities, is downstream from the PNM generating station, as is resources most of our Navajo peoples’ farmland. and that I am requesting reparation towards our biodiversity, nature aesthetics they eat that do not have a physical voice to comment today. I also speak for our locally future generations. To ask for integrity, accountability from our regulators farmed to help our people affected by the PNM generating station. Let's work together to heal and realize restoration for our beautiful ecosystem, not foods. only for ourselves today but for our children’s children to continue this They natural way of life in harmony. Ahéhee.’ Kimberly Smith reported observ- ing and experiencing changes in the environment that they attribute to the presence of the San Juan plant, including reduced biodiversity and vegetation, and degraded air and water quality. The plant’s Public Condemns Sale presence has compromised The majority thought that tribal our community’s relationship of Ancestral Tribal to our lands, and if cleanup and Public Lands and state governments and the is not done properly, our land-based traditions and 15,000 Acres of Greater Chaco and Greater Carlsbad company had not included them culture could be further landscapes on the Auction Block threatened. in planning for the SJGS clo- BY REBECCA SOBEL When asked what their prior- sure or the ETA. ity demands for the closure Tribal governments, as well as thousands of people and more than a dozen process are, the vast majority groups, representing over five million members, have called on the Trump want more soil, air and wa- administration to cancel its February lease-sale of nearly 15,000 acres of ter-quality studies. They want and deserve to know the extent of the contamination ancestral tribal and federal public lands in New Mexico for fracking. from the site and to be assured that cleanup will be comprehensive. Robyn Jackson, Climate and Energy Outreach Coordinator for Diné There also needs to be a comprehensive assessment of the health impacts on long- C.A.R.E, called for protest of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) term residents of the area. The community members we surveyed will continue approval of the lease-sale, stating, “Cultural resources have yet to be sur- to be exposed to contamination from the site unless PNM is held responsible for veyed, consultation with Diné communities and other tribal nations has not comprehensive cleanup, decommissioning and remediation. occurred, and impacts to human and environmental health have not been resolved in communities living with oil and gas production. It is beyond The PRC and the New Mexico irresponsible for BLM to approve more leases. This lease offering would add Environmental Department to a long history of environmental injustice in regard to Native people and (NMED) need to require a their lands.” comprehensive decommission- ing and remediation study— This is the latest effort in the Trump’s administration’s “energy dominance” conducted independently and agenda, which has sacrificed public lands in quarterly lease-sales across the with transparency—before West. In June 2019, the agency auctioned off nearly 40,000 acres throughout any money is allocated to the New Mexico, despite thousands of protests from tribal governments, advo- company. Our community has cacy organizations and citizens, including a group that ran 60 miles to deliver Makai Lewis been seen as disposable in the protests. Advocates continue to draw attention to the clear link between the boom-and-bust cycles of ex- BLM’s oil and gas leasing and the worsening climate crisis. traction. The bust has arrived; More than 94 percent of available land in the greater Chaco region and 97 it will be our community that is left to pick up the pieces and bear the long-term percent in the greater Carlsbad region have already been sold to industry costs. We are asking the PRC to hold PNM accountable and protect the rights of using outdated resource management plans that fail to analyze impacts of our community to live long, healthy lives so that our homeland can begin to heal. industrialized fracking. More than 65,000 wells currently operate on New There must be corporate accountability for the 45-plus years of poisoning people, Mexico’s public and tribal lands. land, water, air and our non-human relatives.¢ A statement released by Tewa Women United’s Kathy Sanchez, an elder from Kimberly Smith and Makai Lewis are Just Transition Campaign co-directors with New Energy San Ildefonso Pueblo, and Beata Tsosie-Peña (Santa Clara Pueblo), director Economy, a Santa Fe-based renewable energy advocacy group. of TWU’s Environmental Health Program, says, “We are generational repre- sentatives of our ancestral lineage; we are the present-day caregivers of our A public hearing for the San Juan Generating Station replacement power case will be held on Jan. ancestral lands. We never consented to the forced mismanagement of these 21, 9 a.m. at the PERA building in Santa Fe. PNM is proposing a 280-MW natural gas plant places by the BLM. As matriarchs and survivors, we do not give our con- near the SJGS to replace some of the lost capacity. Members of the public can provide up to three sent to have our Earth Mother’s body violated by drilling, hydro-fracking or minutes of testimony. For more information, visit www.nmprc.state.nm.us/ sold into slavery in any form for the oil and gas industry. We know that this 16 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 geology. “Pure water is more valuable than the oil The groups and gas that is locked and tightly held by noted that the BLM our Earth Mother.” – Daniel Tso, Ed- conducted little or no ucation and Human Services Committee, analysis on the poten- 24th Navajo Nation Council tial harm to public health or to air, rivers, streams, night skies, wildlife habitat, cultural resources, or the national parks and nearby nuclear storage facilities. Advocates have thanked the New Mexican congressional delegation for their efforts to protect public health and cultural heritage within the greater Chaco landscape, especially Sen. Tom Udall and Rep. Ben Ray Luján’s recent efforts that were included in the bi-partisan FY2020 Appropriations bill, which restricts funding for new oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile buffer and allocates $1 million for a tribal-lead cultural resources study of the area. Community members protest at Sandoval County Commission fracking permit hearing. Although greater Chaco protections have made minor steps forward, oil and gas Photo © Mariel Nanasi, courtesy New Energy Economy leasing continues to significantly compound the climate crisis. Reports indicate that close to one-quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions can be traced continued violence leads to targeted harm on Native peoples, their lands, waters and back to fossil fuel extraction from federal public lands, with carbon emissions delicate ecologies.” from the Permian Basin alone threatening to consume more than 10 percent of the global carbon budget by 2050. ¢ The BLM has failed to take a hard look at the cumulative effects of oil and gas leasing and has even rolled back opportunities for the public to weigh in, shorten- ing “protest” or appeal periods from 30 to just 10 days, not allowing comments via Rebecca Sobel is the senior climate and energy campaigner at WildEarth Guardians “We are the present-day caregivers of our ances- and works to support the Chaco Coalition. tral lands. We never consented to the forced mis- management of these places by the BLM.” – Kathy Sanchez, Tewa Women United email or fax, and refusing to hold public hearings, even near impacted communities. Daniel Tso is chair of the Health, Education and Human Services Committee, 24th Navajo Nation Council, representing Baca-Prewitt, Casamero Lake, Counselor, Littlewater, Ojo Encino, Pueblo Pintado, Torreón-Starlake and Whitehorse Lake chapters. Tso said, “How many more of these lease sales will we have to protest and comment on? The BLM hasn’t completed the required cultural resource studies and hasn’t consulted Diné community members in the areas that industry has selected. We are the first holders of the land, yet we are the last to be given notice. Pure water is more valuable than the oil and gas that is locked and tightly held by our Earth Mother. She’s saving the precious gift of life—water—for the generations of our people. The mega-corporations cannot be allowed to sustain themselves at the cost of our future generations. There has to be a balance point: people over money.” A recent federal appeals court ruling exposed the BLM’s myopic approach to assess- ing the impacts of gas drilling. The court overturned the agency's narrow focus on individual wells and mandated proper consideration of the cumulative impacts from thousands of wells planned across the region. In response to the ruling and in light of the fact that hundreds of drilling permits issued in recent years lacked adequate environmental analysis, a coalition of tribal leaders, environmental and community groups called on the agency to halt new oil and gas activities. Yet the BLM has con- tinued to offer even more land for sale,while releasing questionable “supplemental white papers” instead of the required Environmental Impact Statements. More than a dozen groups submitted extensive comments on the pending February auction of 17,000 acres of public lands across New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Nearly 1,500 acres are within 20 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park and adjacent to Santa Fe National Forest. More than 13,000 acres are within close proximity to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which has sensitive cave and karst GREENFIRETIMES.COM 17 Student Climate Strike, Santa Fe, N.M. trated wells.6 Investors are © Seth Roffman pulling away from one of the biggest players, Exx- onMobil, whose cash flow is weak despite producing huge amounts of oil and gas.7 ExxonMobil might see the writing on the wall, which would explain the re- cent decision to switch from short-cycle investments in fracking and toward long- term upstream profits.8 Record flaring is a physical indicator in the Permian of an overproduction glut.9 From July to September 2019, New Mexico vented or flared 750 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd).10 This methane byproduct is much more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than 11 The Permian Basin: carbon dioxide. A recent New York Times article, where special equipment was used that allowed From Prehistoric Reef to photographs to reveal excessive methane leaks in the Permian Basin, has raised increased alarm over the regulation and reporting of this gas.12 If methane is not Climate Inferno burned off when released, it can warm the planet over 80 times as much as car- bon dioxide over a 20-year BY CHARLOTTE GRUBB period.13 Leaks are respon- A social and political sible for about a quarter of The Permian Basin is located between the southeast corner of New Mexico global warming worldwide. and southwestern Texas. The name Permian actually comes from the geological schism has erupted between Methane can also contribute Permian period, 299-251-million years ago, when small reefs became reservoirs to ground-level ozone, which 1 for petroleum within a platform of sediment deposits. This shale basin satu- those who directly benefit can lead to asthma and other rated in petroleum is about 250 miles wide by 300 miles long. health problems if inhaled. Benzene, a carcinogen, is also New Mexico is now the third-largest oil-producing state in the United States from Permian Basin reve- emitted with methane. (after Alaska and California), due to the Permian Basin. With production at A social and political schism 900,000 barrels per day, the Permian’s production is larger than most of the nues and those who do not. has erupted between those 2 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The region is now who directly benefit from responsible for nearly one-third of total U.S. oil production. At this rate, U.S. Permian Basin revenues and those who do not.14 In southeast New Mexico near production is expected to equal that of Saudi Arabia and Russia combined Carlsbad, Rolexes and Escalades have become common as six-figure salaries go 3 by 2025. In 2018, emissions from Permian Basin fracking were equivalent to to those who work in the field. With an influx of mostly male and often seasonal 4 nearly 50 coal plants. workers in close quarters has come prominent temporary housing known as “man camps,” where alcohol and prostitution are common, as well as sewage treatment Roughly 30 and other infrastructure health hazards.15 Alarming environmental threats percent5 of New Mexico’s “What they did in 50 years, we’ve got to do in five,” said Allen Davis, current Eddy have accompanied skyrocketing education County manager and former Chevron executive. Davis’ quote is in reference to the funds are growth of Permian oil and gas production in western Texas.16 oil and gas production. dependent upon expect- The only mention of the Permian Basin in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s climate ed financial plan is how “the Permian Basin has enriched New Mexico, and the oil and gas in- returns from the Permian Basin. This may explain Gov. Michelle Lujan Grish- dustry is expected to grow and continue to support our economy.”17 The governor’s am’s blind eye to the alarming environmental threats that have accompanied skyrocketing oil and gas production. 6https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-exxonmobil-abandons-goal-of-quick-cash-from-permian-fracking/ 7https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-12/cracks-show-in-the-permian-s-promise-as-shale-producers-retrench Putting the urgent, existential threat of global warming aside, betting on the 8https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-exxonmobil-abandons-goal-of-quick-cash-from-permian-fracking/ Permian Basin is risky. Financial returns are far from guaranteed, due to a 9 https://ieefa.org/record-flaring-in-permian-basin-indicates-an-unsustainable-boom/ collapse in global oil and gas prices, as well as low flow from highly concen- 10 https://www.eenews.net/stories/1061472625 11 https://www.eenews.net/stories/1061472625 1 https://www.britannica.com/place/Permian-Basin 12 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/12/climate/texas-methane-super-emitters.html 2 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/27/us/new-mexico-oil.html 13 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/methane/ 3 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=38992 14 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/27/us/new-mexico-oil.html 4 https://wildearthguardians.org/brave-new-wild/climate-energy/beware-the-blindspot/ 15 http://www.honorearth.org/man_camps_fact_sheet 5https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2019/04/19/new-mexico-oil-gas-industry-money-contribu- 16 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/27/us/new-mexico-oil.html tions-schools/3402056002/ 17 https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/112119-CCTF-report-released.pdf 18 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 plan to target production-related emissions (only methane) is considered ensure the global temperature does not increase by 1.5°C by 2030 and cause irreversible to be inadequate by the environmental community.18 The state’s plan is widespread species collapse and catastrophic weather disruption. incongruent with international alarm over greenhouse gas emissions.19 In 2019 there were deadly typhoons, heat waves, droughts and wildfires. 2019 also saw a In December 2019, policy makers, scientists and advocates met in Spain global uprising of citizens including millions of youth in the streets demanding bold solu- for the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) tions. The climate crisis is here, and it’s time New Mexico’s plans reflect that by starting to to discuss the current state of global warming and propose solutions. limit oil and gas production.¢ There it was revealed that global temperatures are expected to rise by 3.2° to 3.9°C this century if we continue to emit greenhouse gas emis- sions at current levels.20 We have 10 years to cut these emissions to Charlotte Grubb is a researcher and writer who focuses on energy and eco- nomic issues. She most recently worked as an author for the Energy Policy 18https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2019/10/16/governor-lujan-grisham-new-mexico-oil-gas-wa- Institute before relocating to Santa Fe ter-plan-environment/3985146002/ in 2019 to work on climate justice issues in New Mexico. 19 https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27082019/12-years-climate-change-explained-ipcc-science-solutions 20 https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052251 “Produced” water, post-fracking try is a major funder of this study. The partnership also includes New Mexico Consortium at UNM, New Mexico Tech (NMT), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) Alamogordo Desalination Project, as well as several private industry entities. State officials are considering spraying fracked wastewater onto roads for dust control and to use it to irrigate crops such as chile. The current regulatory system for using recycled oilfield waste for irrigation is insuf- ficient to protect our agricultural lands, farmworkers and food supply. In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated its National Water Resource Action Plan (WRAP) in response to projected impacts of climate disruption. In September 2019, the agency added produced water to its draft plan, with which the agency seeks to “drive commitments and action across stakeholder groups, including federal, state and tribal partners.” New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Secretary James Kenney, who has written a white paper on produced water, has said that New Mexico has withdrawn from a memorandum of understand- ing (MOU) with the EPA. The NMED has held public informational FRACKED WATER meetings across the state on produced water. At the meetings I attended, it wasn’t mentioned that the EPA was already in its rulemaking phase or – FRACKED HEALTH the impacts that could have on the state’s rulemaking, which concluded Treated “Produced” Water Reuse Action Plans Proposed in November. BY ELAINE CIMINO Hazards of Produced Water Contaminants An average of 12 million gallons of water per well are mixed with hundreds of chemicals Peer-reviewed studies have shown that even after treatment, produced and injected under extreme pressure to fracture (frack) a rock formation to release oil and water retained carcinogenic contaminants that can impact plants, natural gas. The slurry of chemicals, minerals, salt, oil, grease and naturally occurring ra- animals and human health. A five-year study in California showed that dioactive materials that comes back up is called flowback or “produced” water. Wastewater crops irrigated with produced water had become susceptible to disease. generated in New Mexico tends to be high in salt, which is expensive to remove. The Pacific Institute, a global water think tank and advocate for sustain- able water policies, produced a report in 2015 on treated produced water The cost of man- that had been used on crops. Issues the institute identified for New Peer-reviewed studies have shown that aging produced Mexico include: water is a signifi- even after treatment, produced water cant factor in the 1. Risks to soil and water Contamination PFAS, radium, heavy profitability of oil metals waste stream retained carcinogenic contaminants. and gas produc- 2. Waste disposal and management from Industry tion. At the same 3. Potential impact to crops time, there is growing concern that the use of freshwater by the industry will reduce the 4. Potential impact to livestock amount available for agriculture or drive up the price farmers pay for water. 5. Pathways of contamination 6. Percolation pits New Mexico State University (NMSU), the University of New Mexico (UNM) and the U.S. 7. Underground injection of wastewater Department of Energy (DOE) are partnering on a $100-million-dollar grant to study how 8. Idle and orphan wells to put fracked wastewater to beneficial use outside of the industry. The oil and gas indus- 9. Accidental spills, leaks and Illicit discharges 10. Threat from groundwater overdraft and land subsidence GREENFIRETIMES.COM 19 Information about oil and gas production activities in New Mexico is insufficient. This makes adequate risk management by the NMED, Office of the State Engineer (OSE) and the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (ENMRD) impossible. Among the many exam- The cost of managing produced ples of this lack of over- sight is the over-pumping water is a significant factor in of the Ogallala Aquifer, part of which lies be- neath eastern New Mexi- the profitability of oil and gas co. Reforms on brine and radium in the state’s laws production. and regulations need to be strengthened. Red Nation member protests the Produced Water Act at a rally in Albuquerque 11. Legacy pollution for drilling mud disposal 12. Potential risks from beneficial reuse 13. Potential contamination of crops 14. Impact to marketing and public perceptions of agriculture products 15. Potential risks to farmworkers 16. Reuse of sewage for irrigation 17. Current regulations and standards are inadequate from unknown contaminants risking public health impacts, including radium and brine exemptions, GW standards, injection storage and aquifer storage and effluent dumping must be strengthened 18. No New Mexico state reports on health impacts from produced water 19. Fracking: Environmental justice issues – state must study impacts Impacts of Industrial Chemicals Hundreds of chemicals are used in or produced from oil and gas exploration and production. Many are known to have harmful (or unknown) effects on livestock and crops, as well as impacting farmworkers and residents living within 10 miles of fracked wells. These people are among the most vulnerable to air and water pollution. Dumping in an unlined pit near Hobbs, N.M. Inadequate or unsafe waste disposal methods, accidental spills and leaks and illegal dumping can release chemicals into the environment. Idle, orphaned and abandoned wells can allow oil, wastes and chemicals to move into soil More data and informa- and groundwater, posing a largely hidden threat to surrounding agricultural tion are needed to protect areas. human health, the envi- ronment and New Mexi- co’s agricultural industry. Regulating, Monitoring A bill proposed in 2019 and Enforcement in New Mexico has been resubmitted for Regulations for toxic chemicals and waste handling are outdated and inade- consideration in the 2020 quate to protect human health, the environment and the safety of our food legislative session. SB459 supply. would initiative a four-year moratorium on new frack- Disposal of oil-field wastewater in unlined percolation pits poses a significant ing leases while relevant risk of contaminating groundwater. While this practice has been banned in issues are studied and a several states, it is still widely used in New Mexico, especially in the Permian viable plan and legislation Basin, where a “wild west” mentality is running roughshod over farms, roads are enacted to guide state and health of the communities. agencies and enforcement. For more information, There are also serious deficiencies in the way New Mexico regulates under- visit www.pauseonfrack- ground injection. Wastewater has been injected into disposal wells that could ing.com and www.com- pollute underground sources of drinking water, irrigation water and water mongroundrising.org. ¢ for livestock. In the past eight years, many regulations in the state have been “streamlined” or deregulated, and the current federal administration has weakened the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water acts. Public health is now Elaine Cimino is an author and artist who has been working on water and land-use issues at risk. in New Mexico for 25 years. 20 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 LANL – A WORLD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY JONI ARENDS Manufacturing the plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons uses a lot of water, creates a lot of radioactive, hazardous and toxic solid and liquid waste, and results in emissions to the air. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) began operations in April 1943. The Manhattan Project officials said they would only be on the Pajarito Plateau (which LANL occupies) for a short while. But it’s been almost 77 years. Here is the project’s legacy: • They have extracted resources, including water from the regional drinking water aquifer. • They have buried over 18 million cubic feet of waste there (three times the amount destined for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)) in unlined trenches, pits and shafts that leak. • LANL pollutants have been found in the shallow, intermediate and deep layers of the regional drinking water aquifer as well as in the springs that flow to the Río Grande. • They have released pollutants into the air. Crews repackage waste from fiberglass reinforced plywood box into a container that can be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M. Photo: U.S. Dept. of Energy EPA TO REQUIRE NEW WATER The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), own- POLLUTION CONTROLS IN LOS ALAMOS er of LANL, to be self-regulating for most of the radioactive materials used in weapons production. Plutonium is one of these. It is a radioactive metal. Its half-life is 24,000 years, meaning that it will remain radioactive for 240,000 years. Ingestion or inhalation In response to a lawsuit, the Environmental Protection Agency of plutonium will cause cancer. (EPA) will require new pollution controls. The EPA says that stormwater discharges from Los Alamos National Laboratory Before the president left for winter vacation at Mar-a-Lago in December 2019, he signed (LANL) and Los Alamos County are contributing to violations of the National Defense Authorization Act. It includes $712 million for expanded man- water quality standards and that those discharges must be con- ufacturing of the cores for nuclear weapons (also known as plutonium pits) at LANL trolled and regulated under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimi- and the Savannah River Site, located in South Carolina, on the Savannah River. Under nation System (NPDES) permit. the plan, LANL would manufacture 30 pits per year, and the Savannah River Site would manufacture 50, beginning in 2030. Stormwater downstream from LANL has high levels of poly- chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), copper, zinc, nickel and gross alpha Since the mid-1990s, LANL has been limited to manufacturing 20 pits per year. Nev- radiation and is threatening public health. The water protection ertheless, no more than six have been manufactured in one year, and operations were group Amigos Bravos petitioned the EPA to address the threat in closed down for four years, beginning in 2011, because of safety, security and seismic 2014 but EPA did not respond. In 2019, Amigos Bravos and the issues. LANL’s manufacturing facility, the Plutonium Facility, or PF-4, sits in a seismic Western Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit. area between major faulting systems—the Guaje Mountain Fault and Rendija Canyon Fault. The last surface rupture occurred only 1,400 years ago, which means DOE and New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) data show LANL must meet higher operating and protective requirements. DOE and LANL are PCB levels in Los Alamos Canyon are more than 11,000 times known for dragging their feet to meet these stricter requirements. greater than the NM Human Health water quality criteria and 51 times greater than the NM Wildlife Habitat water quality criteria. In the first decade of this century, Sandia Canyon shows PCB contamination more than 14,000 times The NDA Act includes DOE and LANL proposed to con- greater than the NM Human Health water quality criteria and 66 struct and operate a Super Walmart- times greater than the NM Wildlife Habitat water quality criteria. $712 million for expand- sized Nuclear Facility next to the Plu- PCB levels in Pueblo Canyon are more than 3,500 times greater tonium Facility. CCNS and Robert H. than the NM Human Health water quality criteria and 16 times Gilkeson, an independent registered greater than the NM Wildlife Habitat water quality criteria. These ed manufacturing of plu- geologist, brought the seismic issues three drainages are heavily impacted by urban stormwater runoff. tonium pits at LANL forward to the congressional delega- tion, DOE, LANL and independent State reports document many more exceedances of standards. oversight boards. In the end, the Nu- Mortandad Canyon is high in PCBs, mercury, silver, cyanide, and the Savannah clear Facility project was canceled due copper and gross alpha radiation pollution. Pajarito Canyon is to the rising costs to meet the seismic impaired for gross alpha radiation, aluminum, PCBs and copper. River Site. requirements. LANL’s own documents confirm these findings. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 21 In the first decade of this century, RELATED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES a Nuclear Facility project was JAN. 15 EPA PUBLIC HEARING canceled due to the rising costs to LANL Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit renewal. www.epa.gov/nm/ lanl-industrial-wastewater-permit-draft-permit-no-nm0028355-0 meet the seismic requirements. JAN. 16 In order to address the other existential threat—nuclear weapons—Con- EPA PUBLIC HEARING cerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS) is working to obtain the same LANL Individual Stormwater Permit renewal. www.epa.gov/nm/ results with the new plans to expand pit production. lanl-storm-water-individual-permit-draft-permit-no nm0030759 JAN. 28 Our dream is that the LANL mission might transition from manufactur- ENVIRONMENT DAY, NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE ing weapons of mass-destruction work to life-affirming work. One tool to [email protected] ensure this happens is the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition on Nu- clear Weapons. It opened for signature on Sept. 20, 2017. Ninety days after MAR. 15 50 Nation States sign and ratify it, the treaty will go into full force and effect. TULAROSA BASIN DOWNWINDERS CONSORTIUM As of Dec. 23, 2019, 80 Nation States have signed the Treaty; 34 have signed National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque and ratified it. Third annual fundraiser. www.trinitydownwinders.com MARCH The treaty is based on international humanitarian law. It prohibits State DRAFT E.I.S. RELEASED FOR HOLTEC FACILITY Parties from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, transferring, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) draft Environmental Impact State- possessing, stockpiling, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons. It ment for proposed Holtec Interim Nuclear Waste Storage Facility in NM also prohibits State Parties from assisting, encouraging or inducing anyone released for public comment to engage in any of those activities. Further, states must not allow nuclear weapons to be stationed or deployed within their borders. For more infor- APRIL 4, 8–9 A.M. mation, visit the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons at TULAROSA BASIN DOWNWINDERS CONSORTIUM http://www.icanw.org/ and Reaching Critical Will, a project of the Women’s Peaceful demonstrations at the openings of Trinity Site at Tularosa Gate and International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Stallion Gate. www.trinitydownwinders.com/ at http://reachingcriticalwill.org/ . APRIL TAOS ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL Nine Nation States, possessing nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons, have not Includes films addressing the nuclear weapons threat. signed the Treaty. They are China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Paki- https://taosenvironmentalfilmfestival.com/ stan, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States. Campaigns are under- JULY way to urge these countries to sign the treaty. CANDLELIGHT VIGIL Once the treaty goes into effect, LANL’s expertise in the field of non-prolif- Tularosa Little League Field eration of nuclear weapons will be needed to keep track, not only of nuclear For those who have died or lived with cancer from radiation exposure at the weapons, but also of nuclear materials. 1945 Trinity test 1979 CHURCH ROCK URANIUM SPILL COMMEMORATION Similar to the discussions about the climate crisis and our dependence on NMED HAZARDOUS WASTE PERMITS fossil fuels for a source of state reve- 10-year renewal applications due from LANL and the Waste Isolation Pilot nue, New Mexicans also must discuss a Plant (WIPP) collective future that is not dependent AUG. 5-9 upon the nuclear weapons industry. VETERANS FOR PEACE NATIONAL CONFERENCE How do we use the treaty to create Albuquerque and Los Alamos, N.M. a sustainable, renewable, contami- https://www.veteransforpeace.org/ nation-free future that supports life, well-being and community? ¢ AUG. 5–10 BEARING WITNESS MEMORIAL SESSHIN Santa Fe and Los Alamos To learn more and to sign up to receive the Upaya Zen Center marks 75 years since the nuclear bombings. https://www. weekly CCNS News Update, visit upaya.org/ http://nuclearactive.org/. AUG. 6–9 ACTIVITIES IN LOS ALAMOS Joni Arends is co-founder and executive Ashley Pond, Los Alamos, N.M. director of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Contemplative sitting, silent procession, rally with speakers and performers, Safety (CCNS) 505.986-0997, ccns@ candle lighting. http://paceebene.org/ nuclearactive.org, http://nuclearactive.org AUG. 6–9 Joni Arends received the Griff Salisbury CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE NATIONAL CONFERENCE Environmental Protection Award from the Hotel Albuquerque and Los Alamos, N.M. New Mexico Environmental Law Center, Marking the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Martin Sheen, Dec. 2019 Dolores Huerta, Roshi Joan Halifax and many others. Photo © Seth Roffman https://paceebene.org/ 22 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 YUCCA’S NUCLEAR URANIUM CONTAMINATION OF AQUIFER PERSPECTIVE A plume of uranium contamination is migrating from the Bluewater Dis- posal Site into the San Andres-Glorieta aquifer in northwest New Mexico. From Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) The area was heavily mined from the 1950s to the 1990s. New Mexico En- vironment Department officials have said that more test wells and a com- YUCCA stands alongside water protectors, land defenders and human rights prehensive monitoring network are needed. At the NMED’s request, the and peace advocates in opposition to nuclear extraction and nuclear produc- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to collaborate with tion of all kinds. the state to ensure accurate measurements. The EPA will work with three mining companies to identify groundwater impacts and cleanup solutions We have been told a lie by our government and by industry. That lie is that in McKinley and Cibola counties. The companies will be required to make nuclear resources are necessary; that nuclear weapons make us safer and that initial payments of $700,000 toward cleanup costs. nuclear energy is necessary to address climate change. Actually, nuclear re- sources have created death and destruction for the people and lands of New At a Senate Indian Affairs hearing chaired by U.S. Sen. Tom Udall in Albu- querque in October 2019, Loretta Christiansen, chief medical officer for the Mexico at every phase of their life-cycles. In fact, New Mexico has been a Navajo Area Office of the Indian Health Service (IHS), announced that a Nuclear Sacrifice Zone. federal study found that a quarter of Navajo women had elevated levels or uranium in their blood. The extraction of uranium from Indigenous lands has devastated gener- ations of workers, families and animals, and will continue to harm public ENERGY INSTITUTE PROJECTS DIRE health for time spans we can’t even imagine. Abandoned uranium mines and mine spills that have never been cleaned up have taken the lives of New CONSEQUENCES FROM FRACKING BAN Mexicans and continue to poison our lands and waters. The New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division has identified 259 sites that produced urani- A hydraulic fracturing ban in certain locations has been proposed by some um, 137 of which have no record of reclamation. Democratic presidential candidates. The director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute says that if oil and gas industry frack- How could New Mexicans ever be ing were banned, there would be dire consequences for New Mexico and New Mexico has proponents of uranium extraction? If the country. Marty Durbin attended a business luncheon in Albuquerque in we look clearly and acknowledge the December, where he highlighted the results of the GEI’s study. been a Nuclear plight of our Diné and Laguna Pueblo Durbin said that 27,000 jobs in New Mexico would be lost and $7 billion in relatives, who continue to face the dev- economic activity would be eliminated within the first year of a prohibition. Sacrifice Zone. astating aftermath of the Churchrock Additionally, household incomes would drop by $2 billion, and $681 million mine spill, more than 500 abandoned in state and local tax revenue would disappear. Over five years, 142,000 jobs mines throughout Navajo Nation, and would be lost and $86 billion in gross domestic product would be lost. the Jackpile-Paguate Uranium Mine Superfund site, we would never consider The Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas became supporting extraction of uranium on anyone’s lands. the world’s most productive oilfield in 2019. The state produced about 900,000 barrels of oil a day and collected about $7.8 billion. Durban touted The production of nuclear weapons has led to contamination of water the global stabilization of oil prices as a result of U.S. production and spoke resources and exposure of our mothers, children and elders to dangerous of a “shale oil revolution.” radiation. San Ildefonso—which had its sacred places stolen by the federal government to create the Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL)—has A recent study from a researcher at Cornell University says that the boom in fracking to extract shale gas, largely composed of methane, is responsible been subjected to the environmental racism of the nuclear industry. Com- for a surge of atmospheric concentration of the powerful greenhouse gas. munities throughout the Española Valley, as well as those downstream from The report warns that if this extraction continues to rise, it will make the the labs, have experienced contamination of their waters, lands and bodies. goals of the Paris climate agreement more difficult to achieve. Atomic bomb tests at the Trinity Site have left residents and “Downwind- ers’”with generations of cancer clusters and premature death. NMSU AWARDED GRANT The use of these weapons has created unthinkable murder, devastation and generational suffering for our brothers and sisters across the sea. TO STUDY WATER SECURITY Radioactive waste created by both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy has New Mexico State University’s College of Engineering is part of a team that no solution except...they say they will bring it to New Mexico, the Nuclear has been awarded a five-year, $100 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of En- Sacrifice Zone, to once again poison our people and the land we love. Will ergy to create the Energy-Water Desalination Hub to address water security we let them? issues. The objective is to conduct early-stage research and development for energy-efficient and cost-competitive desalination technologies for treating While the members of frontline communities and the human species itself “nontraditional” water sources. are under threat from the constantly growing climate crisis, our federal government is using our money and the national labs in New Mexico to Pei Xu, PESCO Endowed Professor and Ward Family Endowed Interdis- make weapons that require creation of ecologically catastrophic waste. By so ciplinary Chair in Civil Engineering, is leading NMSU’s participation in a heavily funding nuclear development, the U.S. government is not just divert- consortium that includes Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge ing resources from the climate crisis, but is in fact perpetuating an additional National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and National existential threat that our generation will have to face. Instead of spending Energy Technology Laboratory, along with industry partners. billions of dollars on death and destruction, we should be using those funds ($712 million appropriated in 2019) to address critical social needs in our NMSU also received a second $5 million grant from the National Science communities, build economic vitality and family-supporting jobs that people Foundation in Sept. 2019 to continue smart grid research. can be proud to hold, and facilitate a just transition to a fossil-fuel- and nu- clear-free energy future. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 23 Renewing Health-Promoting Habits in the New Year BY JAPA K. KHALSA, DOM Student leaders with signs against nuclear extraction and waste during YUCCA’s FridaysfortheFuture Action, in partnership with Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety We need everyone to get involved in the process to hold LANL accountable for their legacy waste, for their role in nuclear proliferation, and to say no to nuclear Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy Screenings booth, ABQ Health & Wellness Expo waste dumping in New Mexico. We demand peace, justice and sustainability and Photo © Seth Roffman a world free of both fossil fuel and nuclear destruction. ¢ Have you ever tried to change a habit and struggled to stick with the new habit? This statement was delivered to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham by YUCCA leader Triana Mapped out a new exercise regimen and ended up with unused exercise equip- Reid. It was co-written by the YUCCA Steering Committee: Veroaylin Campos, Artemisio ment in your garage? Or a new healthier diet plan fell to the wayside while you Romero y Carver, Eliza Hillenkamp, Seneca Johnson, Ruby Lopez, Josue Martínez, Faith returned to the old style of eating and gained the weight right back? Pennell-Sutton, Nayeli Solis and Yang Toledo. Why do some health habits stick and others don’t? It is clear that restorative, body-supportive habits promote health recovery, and we know that this is good for us… So why is it so hard sometimes to give up a PNM’S NAVAJO NATION particular food or bad habit and nurture a new one? WORKFORCE TRAINING Well, to understand this fully, we have to unpack how our spirit/body/mind connection influences day-to-day habits. The reason is this: There is an underlying SCHOLARSHIPS self-limiting belief that is hard-wired into our subconscious mind and it is quite simply blocking the new habit. On Dec. 20, 2019, Public Service Company of New Mex- ico (PNM) announced a $500,000 commitment to Navajo One would think that life pressures or timing issues lead to these broken promises students in the Four Corners area for the PNM Navajo to ourselves, but truly it is this deep down self-limiting belief, often from early Nation Workforce Training Scholarship Program. The childhood, that creates an inner conflict that interferes with making and keeping program supports training for Navajo tribal members for the new habit. existing and emerging jobs. “In the transition of moving New Mexico forward together and becoming 100 percent Day-to-Day Life Example emissions-free by 2040, our continued partnership with the Let’s take a real-life example to see how this plays out in regular life, and then we Navajo Nation continues to be a highly valued relation- will look at how to generate a new, expansive belief that aligns us with our soul’s ship,” said Pat Vincent-Collawn, PNM Resources chair- longing, which is unlimited. The habit is possible once we clear the inner conflict man, president and CEO. and align with our infinite nature. PNM has fulfilled an initial five-year $1-million agreement Let’s say you decide to give up sugar for the New Year, thinking that it will help to signed with Navajo Nation officials in 2013. To date, the keep weight down and lower inflammation. Your body may feel better if you stick program has awarded almost 700 scholarships and pro- to fruit and avoid processed sugars. It seems like a no-brainer. If you apply your duced 337 Navajo graduates, who have earned trade certifi- sensitivity to it, you may notice a difference as soon as you switch to choosing cates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees, according fruit over processed sugars. to a news release. PNM’s new $500,000 commitment to the program—provided by shareholders—is to run For a while the “feel better” will carry you in your new habit. But let’s say when through 2025. PNM will continue to work with the Navajo you go out with friends or to a party, sugary treats are everywhere and you start to Technical University in Crownpoint and San Juan College go through an emotional trigger around it. Suddenly you feel left out or no fun. in Farmington to administer the program. You could tell yourself “Oh, just one bite of dessert is fine,” but if this emotional trigger is not examined, it could lead to a spiral relapse into decadent desserts. Sugar becomes a way to relieve the feeling of inner sorrow or loneliness. Let’s ex- amine the feelings of this emotional experience around the decision to stop eating 24 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 sugar to figure out the self-limiting belief that is undermining the new habit. Inhale deeply and gently suspend the breath, and mentally repeat the new belief You might “feel” left out and no fun when deprived of sugar, which means that three times. Then state the new belief once out loud as you release the breath. the cycle of thoughts is racing around feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps there is Continue this cycle for nine to 11 repetitions. ¢ an underlying belief of lack of love around food choices. As a child, perhaps you were rewarded with sweets for good behavior, so stopping sweets is trigger- ing that early belief and brain patterning. The feeling of not being good enough and not being “part” of the family experience gets triggered when sugar is EASY VEGAN withheld. GLUTEN-FREE If we look at this thought/feeling behavior or action pattern and remember MINESTRONE SOUP family meals where the dynamic was anticipation of dessert in exchange for good behavior… we can see a self-limiting belief that one will only get love Local food and farmers’ markets when there is dessert! This belief is a true heart-longing, and will seriously un- (Farmersmarketsnm.org) lead to local dermine the capacity to resist sugar. and global health through sustainable agriculture and food security. Purchase So what to do? The answer is actually simple, but not easy to do. Once the old veggies at our renowned local farmers’ belief is identified we can search and find the inner conflict that is creating markets or join your neighborhood the suffering and pain. The self-limiting belief is along the lines of “I will not CSA farm-share. receive love unless I eat sugar.” Fast cooking in an instant pot. Chop up some carrots, celery and one Unlimited Beliefs onion. Sauté with olive oil and a splash of water till just soft. Add two chopped So we ask ourselves, what are new ways that I receive love now? How can we tomatoes and juice or can of diced tomatoes. (Optional: add one can of white free ourselves from the box of the old belief and move into an open-ended beans.) Sprinkle in basil, oregano, thyme or whatever Mediterranean herbs belief that is aligned with where we are now? you’ve got handy. Cover with veggie stock plus ¼-inch of stock above veggies. Add one cup of gluten-free pasta, close lid and high pressure for nine minutes, Perhaps we can tap our resources; reach out to supportive friends or a life let sit for two minutes before releasing pressure. If you don’t have pressure partner and set up fun activities that don’t involve dessert! Or create a new kind cooker, exactly the same, just cook for 20 minutes and add pasta for the last 12 of reward system that you nurture and reward yourself for your good behavior minutes of cooking. with fun activities that you look forward to, rather than sweets as a reward. We can move to experience love in a different way. There are many ways one can receive love, only some of them involving food… so a new belief will free us from the attachments and triggers of food and love. The new belief could be along the lines of, “There are unlimited ways that I receive love and have fun.” The Why is it so hard sometimes to How To’s Dr. Japa K. Khalsa, author of Enlightened Bodies, is a If you have a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a certified yoga therapist. give up a particular food or bad habit in mind She schedules sessions over Skype, FaceTime or in person. that you wish 505.929.2794, drjapa.com. Grdcenter.org is a long-estab- habit and nurture a new one? to change, lished New Mexico non-profit focused on educating health walk through professionals in Kundalini yoga therapy. the following steps to drill down on the old belief that is limiting you. This is a system from Kundalini Yoga Therapy that can help you cultivate new beliefs that support healthy habits leading to health recovery: 1. On a piece of paper, draw a line across the top and a line down the center. 2. The new belief will go on the right side of the page and the old emotions and beliefs will go on the left. 3. Pick one area of your life where you are struggling and take a moment to feel the frequency of that struggle and what you would like to change about it. WEwe are farm-to-table ARE banking LOCAL at its finest 4. Brainstorm a bit on the left side of the page and see if you can pin down the feelings, the thoughts and the underlying core belief that is limiting you. 5. Jot down that core belief. 6. Now contemplate how that belief is holding you back from what you truly long for in life. Your soul is unlimited and expansive in every way, so breathe deeply, close your eyes and feel into your higher self, guiding you toward your inner freedom! 7. Write down this new belief on the right side of the page. Try to keep the new As a permaculture-focused non-profit credit union we work belief concise. on improving the well-being of our communities, members, and environment. Letting it All Sink In Own a hemp business? Our doors are open to hemp SANDIA.ORG/HEMP To let this new belief truly sink in, Kundalini Yoga Therapy advises the follow- agribusiness, and we're looking to partner with you. 505.292.6343 X1920 ing technique that allows the subconscious mind to coordinate with the breath to imprint the new belief. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 25 Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. © Seth Roffman simple carbohy- Fiber Grams drates. Vegetable or Fruit Per Cup – EVERYDAY GREEN – Pinto or Black Beans 15.0 Not eating hidden Artichokes. 10.3 simple sugars is a complicated matter. Peas 8.8 Besides those found Raspberries 8.0 in high fructose corn syrup and Blackberries 7.6 sugar, they are in Squash 6.6 crackers, luncheon Jicama 6.4 meats, refined grains such as ce- Cornmeal 6.0 real, pasta, breads, Broccoli 5.1. crackers, pretzels, muffins, cakes, Green Beans 3.4 cookies, pancakes, Corn 2.0 donuts, rice cakes, Onion 2.0 peanut butter and puffed-rice cereals. Hidden sugars are everywhere in pro- cessed foods, such as sodas, desserts, catsup, yogurt, gum, alcohol, wine and Shifting from Sugar: beer—among others. Diabetes in New Mexico A gradual shift off sugar Tip for shifting with ease: and refined carbohydrates is BY SUSAN GUYETTE healthy for prevention and Add in one new, deli- intervention. Sugar feeds What is diabetes, exactly? Certainly, it is more than a matter of insulin resistance. inflammation and heightens The social consequences of diabetes include family burden and loss of produc- cious whole food a week, risk, not only for diabetes, tivity at work, not to mention, early death. Loss of seniors at an early age affects but for the other preventable the teaching of traditional cultures, and cultural continuance is vitally important in degenerative diseases as well— New Mexico. This article focuses on lifestyle factors for preventing type 2 diabe- crowding out processed heart disease, cancer, arthritis tes mellitus, natural complementary management and losing weight. You may be and Alzheimer’s (and other at more risk than you think. foods and simple sugars. memory disorders). Untreated, diabetes can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, pregnancy risks, vision loss, digestive issues, blind- Diabetes in New Mexico ness, stroke, amputation and end-stage kidney disease. A closer look at the New Mexico diabetes epidemic shows reason for great concern. Nationally, 30 million Americans have some form of diabetes (2017), Tips for the Swift translating to nearly 10 percent of the population. Another 86 million are estimat- Why are sugars in whole foods less harmful? Besides containing fewer carbs in ed to have prediabetes (blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not yet high fillers, whole foods contain insulin-regulating fiber. Cutting out sugar and foods enough to be diagnosed as diabetes). In the U.S., according to a new report from that turn quickly into sugar (high-glycemic-index foods) and eating low-carb the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four young adults and foods can become a delicious adventure. close to one in five adolescents have prediabetes. In New Mexico, approximately 14.1 percent of the population has diabetes and an additional 39.7 percent of the 1. Eat a high-fiber diet (Chart 2). adult population has prediabetes. Ethnic differences in diabetes rates are especially 2. Cook with garlic, a local plant with blood-sugar-decreasing prominent. Native Americans have the highest rate (Chart 1). properties. 3. Avoid GMO foods, which have been linked to kidney and liver disease and connected to diabetes. Choose organic. Direct medical expenses in New Mexico for diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes 4. Create desserts from low-sugar fruits (such as blueberries, straw- are estimated at a staggering $2 billion annually—impacting available resources for berries, raspberries) in a shake or a smoothie. Adding psyllium husks well-being. to a smoothie provides seven grams of fiber per two tablespoons. The gel-forming fibers in psyllium slow down the digestion of food, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. In one study of people with About Diabetes type 2 diabetes, a daily dose of five grams, consumed three times per An additional factor related Diabetes, a metabolic day for six weeks, resulted in a 29 percent reduction in blood sugar illness, is associated with levels within the first two weeks (NIH). to good health: insulin is a problems controlling the 5. Stabilize blood sugar by supplementing with spirulina. There are hormone insulin, causing many brands available to add to a drink—just find one with no added fat-making hormone. high blood sugar. Extend- sugars. ed exposure to high blood 6. Regularly use blood-sugar-lowering spices, such as cinnamon, black sugar levels damages nerve pepper and mustard. fibers that affect blood vessels, the heart, eyes, limbs and organs. Sugar and car- 7. Eat healthy fats, such as monounsaturated olive oil, fish oil, av- bohydrates in high-glycemic-index foods trigger the release of insulin, particularly ocado oil and seed oils—to avoid the saturated fat-, trans-fat- and 26 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 Race/Ethnicity % Diagnosed FUNDRAISER American Indian/Alaskan Native 20.3% Black/African American 16.2% FOR HONOR Hispanic 13.0% THE EARTH Asian/Pacific Islander 10.7% New Mexico 10.4% AND TNAFA United States 9.9% February 6, Scottish Rite Theater, Santa Fe, New Mexico “It Takes a Village,” a fundraiser for Honor the Earth and the Tradi- tional Native American Farmers Association (TNAFA), will take place at the Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe on Feb. 6, from 7 to 10 p.m. Featured performers include Indigo Girls and New Mexico poet/ singer/environmental scientist Lyla June Johnston. Winona Laduke, an author, economist and international leader in the areas of climate jus- tice, environmental justice and renewable energy, will speak. The event will open with a blessing from TNAFA director Clayton Brascoupe and Tesuque Pueblo elder Vickie Downey. hydrogenated-fat diabetes risk factor. 8. Desserts are often the challenge for a shift. Again, think of adding in and LaDuke often cites an Anishnaabe prophecy, which speaks of the time crowding out the processed. For example, eating a gut-friendly plain yogurt of the Seventh Fire. “This is a time when our people will have two cup with three drops of a better stevia (e.g., dark chocolate) and vanilla, roads ahead of us—one path is well-worn, but scorched—and another, poured over berries and sprinkled with cinnamon—is a stellar dessert. which is green. It will be our choice upon which path to embark. That 9. Avoid soft drinks and sweetened fruit juices, and even natural ones without is where we are.” fiber (e.g., orange juice). Consider that a soft drink contains approximately 20 teaspoons of sugar. (An exception may occur if you are experiencing a low LaDuke and Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and Emily Saliers co-founded the blood-sugar level.) non-profit Honor the Earth, which uses Indigenous wisdom, mu- 10. Enjoy healthy beverages, such as ginseng tea and those with the ayurvedic sic, art and the media to raise awareness and support for Indigenous spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg. environmental issues. “It Takes a Village” is a collaboration formed to Bengal Spice has the ayurvedic blood-sugar stabilizers. Thinking local: juniper raise awareness of programs that support healthy families, sustainable berries are found to lower blood glucose levels. Just go easy, about five berries traditional farming, seed-saving, and to be a catalyst for strengthening crushed in a tea, for these berries are a diuretic. communities. 11. Take blood-sugar stabilizing supplements, such as chromium picolinate, L-carnitine, Coenzyme Q10, Quercetin, and zinc. Tickets are $30 to $125. A pre-show reception for patron ticket- 12. Exercise is valuable for diabetes prevention and management. During holders is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online physical activity your muscles use sugar (glucose) for energy. Regular physical at www.universe.com/ittakesaville-santafe. activity also helps your body use insulin more efficiently. Toward a Healthier Future How to move forward? Addressing food deserts in New Mexico, where no fresh vege- tables are available, is a critical first step. Encouraging backyard or communal gardens, more food cooperatives, and farmers’ markets increases fresh-food availability. Early detection and treatment are very important. With small dietary shifts and exercise at the prediabetes point, risk is greatly reduced. If you are eating highly processed foods, you are at risk. Diabetes impacts future generations genetically. We alter our genes and the expression of our genes by the way we eat. Consider the responsibility of our generation to youth in terms of creating access to healthier food, and paving the way as good role models. So what about the traditional biscochittos, frybread and soda? Keep them for that once- or twice-a-year treat and enjoy the traditions. Eat well and be well in the New Year! ¢ Susan Guyette, Ph.D., is of Métis heritage (Micmac Indian/Acadian French). She is a planner specializing in cultural tourism, cultural centers, museums and native foods, as well as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Her passion is supporting the cultural retention of time- honored traditions. [email protected] Top: Indigo Girls, Winona LaDuke; Bottom: Lyla June Johnston, Vickie Downey and kids GREENFIRETIMES.COM 27 INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER TO creating a foundation for economic development in New Mexico and the Southwest. CREATE ON-CAMPUS INCUBATOR The X_GRID coalition partners include: Emera Technologies, Sandia Nation- al Laboratories, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Los Alamos National The U.S. Dept. of Commerce has awarded the Indian Pueblo Cultural Laboratory (LANL), University of New Mexico (UNM), Public Service Com- Center (IPCC) in Albuquerque a $1-million grant for a 10,000-square- pany of New Mexico (PNM), Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, New Mexico foot space for entrepreneurs in the creative, art and agricultural in- SMART Grid Center, Microgrid Systems Laboratory, New Mexico Angels & dustries. The grant will be matched by the State of New Mexico. The New Mexico Startup Factory, Santa Fe Business Incubator, and Santa Fe Com- maker space is a $6-million project. munity College’s Smart & Microgrid Grid Training Center. “Emerging Native American entrepreneurs want to create economic MSL also serves on the management team and two research groups of the and social opportunities, but they often don’t have access to the latest New Mexico SMART Grid Center, a National Science Foundation (NS- tools or training,” said Rep. Deb Haaland in a statement. “This grant F)-funded ($20 million) statewide grid modernization consortium. The Smart will help the IPCC serve artists and entrepreneurs by providing access & Microgrid Training Center (SMTC), initiated by MSL in partnership with to cutting-edge equipment, skills training and technical support in areas Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), is developing two microgrids to serve as such as woodworking, jewelry-making and graphic design so they can demonstration facilities while also supporting education, testing and research. start and grow businesses and create jobs in our community.” The first is a “nanogrid,” dedicated to a new greenhouse and controlled growing environment. The second will be a full campus-wide microgrid for all The maker space is part of a $70-million expansion at the IPCC. energy and water systems. Siemens Industry is the project’s engineering part- Construction is to start in early 2020. The space will open sometime ner. The nanogrid conceptual design is from The National Renewable Energy in 2021. Buffalo Design is developing the architecture. Indian Pueblos Laboratory. SFCC has also hired a full-time faculty member to develop and Marketing owns and is developing the land around the IPCC. teach curriculum in the distributed energy systems area for SMTC. Pennsylvania State University (PSU), a leader in microgrid and energy storage U.S. COMMERCE DEPARTMENT technology, distributed energy systems and workforce training, has joined forc- es with MSL and SFCC to develop the Distributed Energy Systems Technical FUNDS NMSU I-CREW PROGRAM Education Network Initiative (DESTENI). Its goal is to develop a replicable and industry validated technician training and certification program. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Ad- ministration (EDA) has awarded $750,000 to New Mexico State MSL’s current projects include the Energy Sovereignty Institute for Native University’s (NMSU) College of Engineering to create the Innovation American communities and an associated workshop for New Mexico tribal and Commercialization for Regional Energy Workforce (I-CREW). energy stakeholders. MSL has also collaborated on a proposal for Santa Fe’s I-CREW will focus on accelerating clean energy technology and devel- Midtown District development, which would include energy and integrated oping a statewide clean energy workforce. smart systems. For more information, visit https://microgridsystemslab.com. “The I-CREW program leverages our state-of-the-art national labs, abundance of renewable resources and a strong commitment to fight- ing the climate crisis toward developing critical clean energy technol- ogies while creating good jobs,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, during the award’s announcement. Udall was joined by Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Xochiti Torres Small. Heinrich said, “The transition to clean ener- gy represents the greatest opportunity to create thousands of new jobs all across New Mexico—particularly in our rural communities. Wind technician and solar installer are two of the fastest-growing jobs in the nation.” MICROGRID SYSTEMS LAB AND THE SMART & MICROGRID TRAINING CENTER AT SFCC The non-profit Microgrid Systems Laboratory (MSL), headquartered in Santa Fe, was established to accelerate the transition to a more resil- ient, sustainable and equitable energy system worldwide. MSL oper- ates operates across four synergistic programs: Research, Innovation, Demonstration and Education (RIDE). MSL’s X_GRID Technology Acceleration Hub is working to improve electrical grid resilience and sustainability—including with decentralized energy systems—while Nanogrid Conceptual Design. Courtesy MSL 28 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 DAILY, 9 AM–5 PM WHAT’S GOING ON NM MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE ALBUQUERQUE 1801 Mountain Rd. Free admission to NM residents with ID on the first Sunday each month. $8/$7/$5. JAN. 9, 8 AM–4:30 PM 505.841.2800, nmnaturalhistory.org NM WATER DIALOGUE – 26 TH ANNUAL MEETING Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW DAILY, 8 AM–5 PM Building water resilience for NM communities. Speakers include RÍO GRANDE NATURE CENTER STATE PARK UNM’s David Gutzler and Melinda Harm Benson. $20-$70. Regis- 2901 Candelaria NW tration: nmwaterdialogue.org 270 acres of woods, meadows and farmland. Visitor center open 10 am–5 pm. $3 per vehicle. 505.344.7240, rgnc.org JAN. 11, 2–4 PM LA CANOA – NINA OTERO-WARREN: ABQ 2030 DISTRICT 20TH CENTURY MUJEROTA Voluntary collaboration of commercial property tenants, building managers, property owners th NHCC Library, 1701 4 St. SW and developers; real estate, energy and building sector professionals, lenders, utility compa- In celebration of the 2020 NM Women’s Vote Centennial, Dr. Anna nies and public stakeholders such as government agencies, nonprofits, community groups Nogar will explore the many facets of Otero-Warren, early 20th-cen- and grassroots organizers. Property partners share anonymous utility data and best practices. tury Nuevomexicana. Free. 505.246.2251, www.nhccnm.org/events/ Professionals provide expertise and services. [email protected] JAN. 23 APPLICATION DEADLINE BIOPARK BEGINNINGS FOOD IS FREE ALBUQUERQUE ABQ BioPark, 903 10th St. SW Local businesses can sponsor gardens in 2020. Organization har- Twelve-or 6-week class for ages 3–6, accompanied by an adult. Songs, games, crafts and visits vests and distributes surplus crops and facilitates gardens for people to the zoo, aquarium, botanical garden and Tingley Beach. $175/$90. 505.848.7180, with disabilities. (Feb. 1 nominations deadline) [email protected] www.cabq.gov/biopark/preschool-programs THROUGH JAN. 26, 2021 SANTA FE IPCC, 2401 12th St. NW PUEBLO WOMEN PAVING CULTURAL PATHWAYS JAN. 4–11, 6 PM Exhibition highlighting how the work of women from 19 commu- WINTER READING SERIES nities impacts Pueblos today. Also: Relocated: Urban Migration, Persever- IAIA Library and Tech Center, 83 Avan Nu Po Rd. ance and Adaptation, about the effects of the federal employment pro- Readings by visiting writers and MFA mentors at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Free. gram that brought many Pueblo people into the cities. 505.843.7270, Iaia.edu/about/visit www.indianpueblo.org JAN. 11, 10 AM–2 PM JAN. 15, 6–8 PM CELEBRATION OF LOVE FOR THE EARTH NM SOLAR ENERGY ASSOCIATION MEETING Child Counseling Center of NM, 1400 Maclovia St. O’Neil’s Pub, 4310 Central SE “Growing Compassionate Hearts” For 7-to-10-year-olds concerned about climate change and Annual member meeting and board election. Interested members what’s happening in the world. 505.577.4607, childcounselingcenter.com welcome. Nmsolar.org JAN. 16, 6–7:30 PM JAN. 16, 10:30 AM–1:30 PM INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET–SF BENEFIT BUSINESS FINANCE FAIR Intl. Folk Art Market Center, 620 Cerrillos Rd. Electric Playhouse, 5201 Ouray Rd. NW Mother goddess traditions of India, presented by Josh Schrei. $12/free for IFAM members. Opportunity for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs inter- 505.992.7600, www.folkartmarket.org ested in small business resources and financing. Presented by the NM Economic Development Dept. Free. Registration required: JAN. 16, 6:30–8:30 PM www.tfaforms.com/4748136 AGELESS LIVING TV SERIES PREMIERE SF Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy FEB. 21-22, 2020 Premiere screening featuring 22 best-selling inspirational authors. Co-hosted by NM PBS and NM ORGANIC FARMING CONFERENCE AgeNation. Live music. Free guest passes: EventBrite.com https://bit.ly/2qJxqdMm Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town Healthy soils, seed saving, marketing, wholesale, regulations, in- THROUGH JAN. 19, 2020 dividual crops, grant assistance, new product showcase and much RECONCILIATION EXHIBITION more. $150. For registration or to sponsor a farmer: sagefaulkner@ IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, 108 Cathedral Pl. yahoo.com, www.nmofc.org A multi-artist response to the ending and transformation of “La Entrada” as part of SF Fiesta intended to open dialogue. 505.983.1666, iaia.edu/iaia-museum-of-contemporary-native-arts FEB. 27–28 LAND AND WATER SUMMIT JAN. 21 Sheraton Hotel Albuquerque Airport NM LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS The theme: Climate-Ready Water Management. Presented by Xe- State Capitol riscape Council of NM and Arid LID Coalition. 2/26: Pre-summit JAN. 21, 9:30 AM field trip. www.landandwatersummit.org REPLACEMENT ENERGY FOR SAN JUAN GENERATING STATION SATURDAYS, 1 PM PRC, PERA Building WEEKLY DOCENT-LED TOURS Public Regulation Commission hearing regarding closing the coal-fired power plant. National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St. SW JAN. 23, 10 AM–2 PM Tours of exhibits and themes in the Art Museum. $2-$3, free with CONTINUING EDUCATION AND CONTRACT TRAINING OPEN HOUSE museum admission. 505.246.2261, nhccnm.org Rm. 131, Main Building, SF Community College, GREENFIRETIMES.COM 29 6401 Richards Ave. FEB. 13–JULY 26 Meet instructors and students. Registration: 8 am–5 pm. 505.428.1676, www. INDIGENOUS FUTURISM IN CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART sfcc.edu/ce IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, 108 Cathedral Pl. The future from a Native perspective, illustrating the use of cosmology and science JAN. 25, 9 AM–JAN. 26, 12 PM as part of tribal oral history and ways of life. 2/13, 5–7 pm: opening reception. EDIBLE INSTITUTE 505.983.1666, iaia.edu/iaia-museum-of-contemporary-native-arts La Fonda Hotel, 100 E. San Francisco St. Industry experts in the sustainable food movement gather to explore communi- FEB. 22, 8:30 AM–3 PM; MARCH 28, APRIL 25 ty-based solutions. Presentations, workshops. $75–$150. www.eventbrite.com/e/ TEACHER RENEWAL WORKSHOP SERIES edible-institute-tickets-77312318225 Academy for the Love of Learning, 133 Seton Village Rd. Educators cam explore artistic expression, reflection and peer-to-peer conversa- JAN. 27, 6 PM tion. 505.995.1860, https://aloveoflearning.org/events-workshops JACK LOEFFLER Hotel Santa Fe FEB. 22 The bioregional aural historian will discuss his latest book, Headed into the Wind: FARM TO TABLE TO STAGE A Memoir. $15. 505.466.2775, SouthwestSeminars.org SF Farmers’ Market Pavilion Farm-based dinner with dance entertainment by students and raffle to benefit JAN. 28 Camino de Paz School. Special guest: author/chef Deborah Madison. $80/$300 for ENVIRONMENT DAY AT THE ROUNDHOUSE four. [email protected], www.caminodepaz.net State Capitol [email protected] FEBRUARY STAGE SANTA FE JAN. 28, 6 PM 3209 Mercantile Court, Unit B SMART GIRLS, BOLD QUESTIONS New non-profit theater arts facility will offer improv, acting and theater classes. James A. Little Theater, 1060 Cerrillos Rd. www.stagesantafe.com Third Congressional District Forum. Girls Inc. teens will lead a discussion with candidates. Free. RSVP: 505.982.2042, [email protected] SUNDAYS, 11 AM JOURNEY SANTA FE CONVERSATIONS JAN. 29, 10:30 AM–2 PM Collected Works Bookstore, 202 Galisteo St. ACEQUIA DAY AT THE ROUNDHOUSE 1/12: State Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth on legislative issues; 1/19: New State Capitol Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence with Miranda Viscoli; 1/26: Vecinos de Santa Acequias from around the state rally to protect water. 10:30 am: Workshop; Fe, Neighbors Helping Neighbors; 2/2: Mariel Nanasi, exec. dir., New Energy 12:30 pm: March around the Roundhouse; 1 pm: Presentations from acequia Economy, on legislative issues and solar energy; 2/9: Joni Arends of Concerned leaders and state legislators. 505.995.9644, www.lasacequias.org Citizens for Nuclear Safety; 2/16: State Rep. Andrea Romero and guests from the NM Legislative session; 2/23: Political blogger Joe Monahan will review the Legis- FEB. 1, 12–2:30 PM lative session. By donation. www.journeysantafe.com SOUPER BOWL 2020 SF Convention Center, W. Marcy St. SUNDAYS, 10 AM–4 PM Sample and vote for soups from 25 local chefs. Benefits the Food Depot. RAILYARD ARTISAN MARKET $30/$10 adv. $45/$10 day of event. Children under 6 free. 505.471.1633, SF Farmers’ Market, 1607 Paseo de Peralta thefooddepot.org Art & gift galeria by local artists and crafters. 505.983.4098, https://santafefarmers- market.com/railyard-artisan-market/ FEB. 6, 9–10 AM Local Food and Farm to School Awards MON.–SAT. Rotunda, State Capitol POEH CULTURAL CENTER & MUSEUM Awards, ceremony and presentations, organization tables. 78 Cities of Gold Rd., Pueblo of Pojoaque [email protected] Di Wae Powa: They Came Back, historical Tewa Pueblo pottery returned by the Smithsonian Institution. Core installation highlights works of Pueblo artists and FEB. 6, 7–10 PM history. 505.455.3037, Poehcenter.org. WINONA LADUKE & INDIGO GIRLS Scottish Rite Theater, 463 Paseo de Peralta MON.–SAT., 8 AM–4 PM With Lyla June Johnston. Fundraiser for Honor the Earth and Traditional Na- RANDALL DAVEY AUDUBON CENTER tive American Farmers Assoc. 5:30–6:30 pm: Patron ticket reception. 1800 Upper Canyon Rd. Tickets: $30–$125. www.universe.com/ittakesaville-santafe, Trails lead through several habitats and plant zones ranging from meadows to www.honorearth.org, www.tnafa.org Ponderosa Pine forests. Bird walks and hikes. No dogs allowed. 505.983.4609, nm.audubon.org/randall-davey-audubon-center-sanctuary FEB. 8, 2–4 PM KINDRED SPIRITS VALENTINE PARTY TUES., SAT., 8 AM–1 PM Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary, 3749-A Hwy. 14 SANTA FE FARMERS’ MARKET Wellness care and hospice for abandoned senior animals. Take a tour. 1607 Paseo de Peralta 505.471.5366, www.facebook.com/KindredSpiritsAnimalSanctuary Northern NM farmers & ranchers offer fresh tomatoes, greens, root veggies, cheese, teas, herbs, spices, honey, baked goods, body-care products and much FEB. 9, 5:30–7:00 PM more. 505.983.7726, santafefarmersmarket.com HISTORIAN TIMOTHY E. NELSON, PH.D. Jean Cocteau Cinema, 418 Montezuma Ave. TUES.–SAT. Dr. Nelson will share research on Blackdom, NM, the “lost decade,” centennial EL MUSEO CULTURAL DE SANTA FE of the Blackdom Oil Co. and screen trailer of Blackdom: The Mittie Moore Chroni- 555 Cam. de la Familia cles. Info: https://blackdomthesis.com/events-1, Tickets: jeancocteaucinema.com Rotating exhibits, community programs and performances designed to preserve Hispanic culture. Elmuseocultural.org 30 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JAN/FEB 2020 TUES.–SUN., 10 AM–5 PM JAN. 13 APPLICATION DEADLINE Museum of Spanish Colonial Art COLLABORATIVE FOREST RESTORATION 750 Cam. Lejo PROGRAM GRANTS Trails, Rails and Highways: How Trade Transformed the Art of Spanish NM. Projects on public and tribal lands. Small-business owners, conservation $10/16 & under free/First Sun. each month free to NM residents. 505.982.2226, and environmental organizations, community groups, tribes, colleges and spanishcolonial.org other organizations may apply. Visit the CFRP grant webpage on the U.S. Forest Service website. WEDS.–SUN., 9 AM–5 PM SANTA FE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM JAN. 15, 6–8 PM; JAN. 22, 29 1050 Old Pecos Tr. SOLAR ENERGY MEETINGS AND PRESENTATIONS Interactive exhibits and activities. 505.989.8359, Santafechildrensmuseum.org 113 E. Logan Ave., Gallup, NM Presentations every Weds. Everyone welcome. 505.728.9246, FRIDAYS, 2 PM Gallupsolar.org INDIAN ARTS RESEARCH CENTER DOCENT-LED TOURS School for Advanced Research, 660 García St. JAN. 15 APPLICATION DEADLINE Collection of nearly 12,000 pieces of Native American art. $15/free to members. HEALTHY SOIL PROGRAM FUNDING 505.954.7272, www.sarweb.org Funds to advance education projects that support soil health stewardship. Governmental and NGOs can apply. 575.646.2642, www.nmda.nmsu.edu DAILY, THROUGH OCT. 4 LAUGHTER AND RESILIENCE: HUMOR JAN. 17–19, 2020 IN NATIVE AMERICAN ART UCCS GRAIN SCHOOL Wheelwright Museum, 704 Cam. Lejo, Museum Hill University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo. Multidisciplinary works from the 1880s to the present. 505.982.4636, Brings together experts in the science and practical applications of heritage Wheelwright.org and ancient grains—from farming to baking and cooking, fermenting, malting and milling. www.uccs.edu/swell/grainschool ONGOING, 10 AM–5 PM TELLING NM: STORIES FROM THEN AND NOW JAN. 20 New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave. SUSTAINABILITY SYMPOSIUM 500 years of stories—from early Native inhabitants to today’s residents—told UNLV Campus, Las Vegas, NV. through artifacts, films, photographs, computer interactives, oral histories and Conference focused on the nexus of sustainability and social equity. more. 505.982.6466, www.museumfoundation.org/exhibitions www.greenbuildermedia.com/sustainability-symposium-2020-improv- ing-the-human-condition TAOS JAN. 31 APPLICATION DEADLINE NEW MEXICO WRITERS GRANT THROUGH APRIL 26 Competition for funding of new works or works in progress from writers Long Environmentalism: Subhankar Banerjee of fiction, nonfiction, journalism, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting. The Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St. www.nmwriters.org/grant-application Photos by the Lannan Chair and professor of art and ecology at UNM. 575.758.9826, www.harwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/234 FEB. 3–4 NEW MEXICO CHILE CONFERENCE THIRD TUES. MONTHLY, 5:30 PM Las Cruces Convention Center TAOS ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORK Hosted by NM State University Chile Pepper Institute. $135; after 1/18: KTAOS, 9 State Rd. 150 $150. Info/Registration: 575.646.3028, https://chile.nmsu.edu/conference Networking, presentations, discussion and professional services. Free or by dona- tion. 505.776.7903, www.taosten.org FEB. 21 APPLICATION DEADLINE 2020 ALDO LEOPOLD WRITING CONTEST TUES.–SAT. Open to NM students in grades 6–12. $500 awards. The theme: “How HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART might reuniting our understanding of ecology and economy help solve to- 238 Ledoux St. day’s environmental problems?” Entry form: LeopoldWritingProgram.org Works by Taos Society of Artists and Taos Pueblo artists. Harwoodmuseum.org THROUGH FEB. 28 OPEN DAILY AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LA HACIENDA DE LOS MARTÍNEZ PILOT PROGRAM 708 Hacienda Way The NM Dept. of Agriculture offers up to $5,000 incentives to agri-busi- Northern NM-style Spanish colonial “great house” built in 1804 by Severino nesses to hire interns. The program provides hands-on educational oppor- Martínez. 575.758.1000, Taoshistoricmuseum.org tunities for students aspiring to careers in agriculture, as well as young or beginning farmers and ranchers. www.nmda.nmsu.edu/awd-applications/ HERE & THERE FEB. 29, 8 AM–5 PM 5TH ANNUAL RÍO CHAMA CONGRESO JAN. 11, 10 AM–4 PM ALDO LEOPOLD COMMEMORATION Ghost Ranch Conference Center, Abiquiú, NM Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument The theme: Fishing, Boating and Recreation. Keynote by Axie Nevas, National Park Service and the Forest Service’s Gila National Forest host a celebra- director, NM Office of Outdoor Recreation. Presented by the tion of the life and achievements of the conservationist. Booths, activities, read- San Juan-Chama Watershed Partnership. https://sjcwp-congreso2020. ings. www.fs.usda.gov/gila eventbrite.com GREENFIRETIMES.COM 31 If you love it, keep it flowing. New Mexico’s only newspaper dedicated We’ve created a page on Fundly, a site to the Sustainable Southwest needs your dedicated to helping non-profits raise help. funds for their continued operation. Support independent journalism. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution. https://fundly.com/sustain-green-fire-times# Green Fire Times serves a diverse readership in central and northern New Mexico. Green Fire Times and GreenFireTimes.com are now part of Southwest Learning Centers, Inc., a non-profit, educational organization (est. 1973).2 www.GreenFireTimes.com • [email protected] Green Earth Publishing • P.O. Box 8627, Santa Fe, NM 87504 Phone: 505-310-4970 Green Fire Times More than a Monthly Magazine Advertise in the Green Fire Times today! FOR AD RATES AND SPECIFICATIONS, CONTACT [email protected], 505-989-8898 OR: [email protected], 505-226-3382 COMMUNITY • CULTURE • ENVIRONMENT • ECONOMY Green Jobs • Businesses • Products • Services • Building • Energy • Entrepreneurship Food & Agriculture • Natural Resource Stewardship • Education • Health & Wellness Regional History • Arts & Culture • Native Perspectives • Local Heroes