New Mexico & El Paso
As you’re probably aware, all local Sierra Club outings are cancelled thru August 31st and we should learn more by mid-August if the moratorium on outings will be extended beyond that date. We remain optimistic and so we’ve posted outings
This poem is about the original tour that led to Daniel Tso’s well-know fracking reality tour in Greater Chaco. Daniel recently was awarded the Sierra Club Distinguished Service Award.
Join the Central NM Group on Friday, July 31 starting at 6:30pm, for our virtual Sierra Club and Beer. The featured talk is a USFWS update on the endangered silvery minnow. Bring your own beer.
On July 16, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California invalidated the Trump Administration’s rollback of the Obama-era Waste Prevention Rule. This ruling means that the Waste Prevention Rule goes back in effect in 90 days, and the oil and gas industry will have to comply with the Rule’s requirements to prevent waste of gas on federal lands.
The Albuquerque City Council is introducing legislation R-20-65 that would formally end the Albuquerque Police Department’s participation in the 1033 military equipment surplus program. The resolution is sponsored by Councilors Pat Davis and Lan Sena. A virtual public hearing will be held Thursday, July 16 starting at noon.
Moving to protect the climate, public health, and to further environmental justice, a coalition filed suit to overturn the sale of leases on nearly 41,000 acres of public land in New Mexico for oil and gas drilling. The BLM did not allow a comment period on the lease sale’s draft environmental assessment, and held only a lightning-quick, 10-day protest period. In addition, the coalition charges that for this lease sale.
You can’t have climate change without sacrifice zones, and you can’t have sacrifice zones without disposable people, and you can’t have disposable people without racism (article from the national Sierra Club magazine.)
The New Mexico State Legislature will meet on June 18th for a special session. A coalition of environmental groups drafted the following letter to legislators asking them to ensure environmental group agency budgets especially in support of their mission to protect public health.
Our hearts are heavy with the deep grief and pain that our Black and Brown families, friends, partners, and communities continue to experience in this country as a result of systemic racism and police brutality.. Sierra Club is on an ongoing journey to become better allies and accomplices in the movement toward anti-racism.