Climate policy advisor and researcher June Sekera, presented her findings regarding carbon capture recently in a video we will promote once the push for New Mexico Hydrogen Hub becomes a topic in the 2023 legislative session. Her findings? Of the 12 massive carbon capture plants in the U.S. (paid for by tax dollars) - all have failed or in the process of failing and remove virtually NO carbon from the atmosphere (data to come). All support "mechanical" removal of carbon and help support the oil and gas industry. The only viable solutions, research shows, are clearly biological - the supporting and restoration of waterways, wetlands and regenerative agriculture whose methods have shown to actually absorb and remove carbon from the atmosphere. It makes sense that the planet can self heal, if we would simply allow it. (The 350 New Mexico talk was yesterday - we can connect with them for future events).
Water as Part of the Climate Solution - Inside Climate News
insideclimatenews.org
The intersection of freshwater and climate is a frequently ignored but critical element of the climate problem, according to a new study from Sweden that explores the link and offers solutions that wi... Chaco has been declared a "sacrifice zone" thereby justifying oil and gas and mineral extraction. We all know U.S. historical monuments or places nationally revered would not even remotely be considered areas for oil and gas exploration, yet alone exploitation. Ten mile protections is not nearly enough. Let's keep raising our voices.
" Nov. 17th - Counselor, NM—Today, U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan introduced the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, a move recognized by the Greater Chaco Coalition as a step in the right direction. Though the Coalition supports this legislation, more needs to be done to address the cumulative impact of extractive industries on the Greater Chaco Landscape and its communities.
This bill would withdraw federal minerals from new oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, while recognizing that the Greater Chaco Landscape extends well beyond this ten-mile buffer. The bill affirms the need for health studies on the impacts of fracking in the region.
Though there is widespread support for protecting cultural resources and public health beyond the proposed 10-mile buffer, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to rubber stamp industrialized fracking across the region, with more than 90% of the landscape already leased for oil and gas. By the Bureau’s own analysis, the proposed mineral withdrawal will have minimal impact on oil and gas extraction – reducing gas production only 0.5 percent, and oil production a mere 2.5 percent.
Secretary Haaland has committed the landmark Honoring Chaco Initiative to address landscape-level management, which the Greater Chaco Coalition hopes will finally address the cumulative impacts of oil and gas extraction across the Greater Chaco Landscape and chart a path towards a more just future. "Coalition declares bill introduction as positive first step, but calls for more to address legacies of sacrifice zones and environmental justice for communities and the Greater Chaco Landscape.
#FrackOffChaco #EnvironmentalJustice
wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/greater-chaco-coalition-statement-on-chaco-cultural-heritag...
More info from WildEarth Guardians - to support the rally for forest protections in Albuquerque this Wednesday (scroll down 2 posts). If you can't attend, WEG has a petition to sign below. Sustainability, climate change, healthy forests, land and water are all interrelated and need our attention.
"...Six months ago Biden issued an executive order directing an inventory of mature and old-growth federal forests and policies to protect them. Agencies can establish needed protections for these trees and forests while carrying forward the critical work of protecting communities from wildfire."
"America’s Vanishing Climate Forests (www.climate-forests.org/worth-more-standing) profiles 12 projects on federal public lands that will log thousands of acres of mature and old-growth stands, from Oregon to West Virginia, harming habitat for endangered species and releasing centuries of carbon being stored by the trees. Advocates had identified 10 similar projects in a previous report, and all projects combined put 370,000 acres on the chopping block."
“Instead of heeding Biden’s pledge to set an example for the world, federal agencies are moving full steam ahead with massive logging of mature and old-growth forests,” said Randi Spivak, Public Lands Program director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “These are some of the world’s most magnificent trees and it’ll take centuries to recover their loss. We’re running out of time. The U.S. needs to immediately change course and protect these carbon workhorses.”
Report: U.S. agencies undermine Biden’s pledge to protect climate-saving forests
wildearthguardians.org
Logging continues to be a primary threat to mature forests, undermining their role as part of a broader climate crisis solution.Sustainable Good News Sunday begins with Community Solar. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) voted Wed. November 4th to approve solar bill credit rates for the community solar program, which will apply to participants’ monthly electric. Next, as part of a push toward renewable energy, France recently voted require all large parking lots to be covered by solar panels. Then, a story of how two college students came up with the idea to recycle glass and created the company Glass Half Full. This is a heartwarming story helping with a sand shortage. Finally, all new build residences will have to install energy-efficient heat pumps starting in July 2023 as part of Washington states ambitious efforts to curb carbon emissions. Enjoy! (links in comments section).
sourcenm.com
New Mexico homeowners, renters and businesses could save more than half of their normal electric bill under newly approved credit rates. From WildEarth Guardians. A rally in Albuquerque November 16th to stand together for NM forest protections. The wildfires in 2022 have hit our forests hard - we can rally and speak up for our public forested lands!
From WEG - "Calling all Guardians of mature and old-growth forests! There are three rallies planned across the West over the next week, all gathering outside regional forest service offices — making our message loud and clear that federal mature and old-growth forests on #publiclands are #WorthMoreStanding! "
November 16th in Albuquerque, NM
333 Broadway Blvd. SE, 87102
gathering at 12:00 pmCalling all Guardians of mature and old-growth forests!
There are three rallies planned across the West over the next week, all gathering outside regional forest service offices — making our message loud and clear that federal mature and old-growth forests on #publiclands are #WorthMoreStanding!
November 14th in Missoula, MT
26 Fort Missoula Rd, 59804
gathering at 12:30 pm
November 16th in Albuquerque, NM
333 Broadway Blvd. SE, 87102
gathering at 12:00 pm
November 17th in Portland, OR
Terry Schrunk Plaza* in downtown Portland
gathering at 11:30 am
For more details on these rallies and more, check out Guardians events page at:
WildEarthGuardians.org/about-us/events/
* a prior version of this post had the wrong address for the Portland rally
See today's post (Mon. the 14th) for more info from WildEarth - plans federal agencies have made which oppose Biden's pledge to protect mature forests (!). And a petition to sign if you cannot attend the rally.
Thanks for spreading the word! We look forward to seeing everyone at these rallies. Even if you can't attend the rallies in person, you can raise your voice by taking action here. guardiansaction.org/SaveForests
How do policies and laws get supported when government entities must provide data to back them up? Often by citing studies from high level academic research. Research released from credible universities can drastically sway not only public opinion, but how laws are created and put into place. But who is often funding university research? We'll give you one guess. Read on.
www.nature.com
University-based energy centres play an important role in climate discourse but many are funded by fossil fuel businesses. This study shows that fossil-fuel-funded centres express more positive sentim...