The need to act now to prevent disastrous climate change is now.

Read this article from the Guardian.

Environmental Legislation: NM 2021 Legislative Session

Principle #7: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are apart.

As part of our dedication to Principle #7, our Social Justice Committee has a strong interest in the proposed environmental legislation in New Mexico this year. It has been a year of many crises, not the least of which is the global pandemic Covid 19, and much of our attention has naturally been focused on this during the past year. However, it is essential to be conscious of the larger threat looming behind pandemics and economic upheaval, which is the existential threat of Climate Change. Pandemics are one of the results of a warming world. Scientists have long forewarned of the possibility of these outbreaks and continue to warn us that pandemics may very likely be more frequent in the future.

As we look at our State and the role it plays in Global Climate Change as well as its impacts right here, we can feel fortunate that currently, we have Michelle Lujan Grisham as our Governor and that in the 2021 State Legislature, we have many progressive members of both the House and the Senate. But there is much to do. Did you know that New Mexico is the 6th fastest-warming State in the country? Did you know that fossil fuel extraction in the Permian Basin emits more methane than any other oil field in the country, severely impacting the air quality in the southeastern part of the State? Or that the extractive industry in the Permian Basin is larger than that in Saudi Arabia and has an enormous impact on global warming? Or that New Mexico’s economy is heavily reliant on the fossil fuel industry? That our children’s education funded in significant part by oil revenues? For this reason, we are already hearing the expected objections from some New Mexicans to President Biden’s moratorium on new leases for drilling on public lands.

The challenges are enormous. However, Governor Lujan Grisham’s goal is to have 100% carbon-free energy generation by 2045 and is enacting policies to help achieve that goal. And there is legislation being brought forward this year to help move us in that direction and mitigate the effects of global warming here in our State. This may include a Green Amendment, which would declare that New Mexico residents have a right to clean air, clean water, a healthy environment, and legislation to create a more diverse and sustainable economy to replace fossil fuels as our primary source of income. Bills are moving through the legislative process for tax credits for electric vehicles and sustainable building and Bills to protect our waters from toxic waste, including radiation. There is a Forest Restoration bill that would include prescribed burns and other methods to keep our forests healthy and safer from drought-related fires. Please keep your eyes and ears on the local news to hear about legislation and how it progresses throughout the session. Go to the New Mexico Legislature website or sources like 350 New Mexico and New Mexico Political Reports to find out about proposed legislation and updates.

You can do your part in helping to promote this environmental legislation by contacting your legislators by phone, letter, or email- asking them to support efforts to help protect our State, country, and ultimately our planet from the worst effects of Climate Change, while building an economy of the future based on renewable energy and better ways of caring for our air, water and land. Remind them that New Mexico is uniquely positioned to be a renewable energy leader because we are the land of sunshine, winds, and ample space for solar and wind power installations. By doing good for the world, we will reap enormous benefits for our State.

To verify who your Legislators are and their contact information, you can go to https://nmlegis.gov.