The 2019-2020 year marks the 7th year of The Global Warming Express and it is shaping up to be one of the busiest. Below is a portion of what the Global Warming Expressers have been up to:
January 9, 2019: GWEers from Mountain Mahogany School in ABQ were invited to attend the ABQ City Council’s Press Conference, yesterday, on the plastic limit bill now under consideration. The GWE kids spoke about this just a few weeks ago and, immediately, the bill became sponsored!
January 26, 2019: Wow! The GWEers from Mountain Mahogany School in ABQ and from Emily’s GWE Home school group (that she created, btw) just knocked it out of the park for 4 days! On Sat., Jan 26, GWEers were interviewed on KUNM’s Children’s Hour, and they did an amazing job of fielding unrehearsed questions on Live Radio. Here’s the link to the podcast. Below, see the rock-stars celebrating after the show.
January 28,2019. Immediately after their success on live radio, the GWEers went on to two big events on Monday – testifying at the Finance Committee Meeting of the ABQ City Council on the necessity of the proposed Single Use Plastic Ban (bags, straws & styrofoam take-out containers). The kids did a terrific job of speaking and the measure was passed.
On the same night, GWEers attended the Clean Energy Conference in Santa Fe. They spoke and GWEer Emily introduced Destiny Watson, the 2016 Goldman Prize Recipient for her Environmental Activism. She was the Conference Keynote Speaker and Emily stayed up super late to hear all that Destiny had to say, and to get a photo with her hero. Here they are, together.
January 29, 2019: The Global Warming Express takes over the Roundhouse.
At Clean Energy Day at the Roundhouse, over 60 GWEers from many schools in Albuquerque and Santa Fe descended on the Roundhouse, to mark the 7th year of the GWE attending, and speaking, on this day. The day included being officially recognized on the House Floor by Speaker Brian Egolf, being trained in the Legislative process by Sierra Club Director, Camilla Feibelman, and finally, speaking in the most raucous, moving and amazing Press Conference ever.
During the morning of Clean Energy Day, six GWE students were surprised to be invited to join Governor Lujan-Grisham for signing an executive order. What a difference a new governor makes!
February 4, 2019: Today, in the Rotunda of the Roundhouse, House Bill SB459 was introduced by Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, which calls for a temporary, 4-year moratorium on fracking, in order for the effects of fracking in NM to be studied. Following the Senator’s explanation of the Bill, GWEers Emily, Elizabeth and Sierra gave speeches. Once again, the GWE speakers spoke passionately and professionally, with Native speaker Eileen Shendo commenting that (the kids) spoke with more moral force than many NM Legislators.
Below, are pics of the girls: Sierra from New Mexico School for the Deaf and Emily and Beth, long-time GWEers from ABQ, as well as pics of them with Native Speakers Eileen Shendo and Sam Sage. This was a powerful Press Conference, with no one, especially the girls, mincing words about fracking and climate change!
February 18, 2019: 350.org and Sierra Club co-sponsored yesterday’s amazing Town Hall with Representative Deb Haaland. GWEers were excellent, as usual, with Sierra, from New Mexico School for the Deaf, signing the final speech of the day. Congresswoman Deb Haaland is seen here, sitting with the GWE kids to listen to her. Congresswoman Haaland was kind enough to give the Global Warming Express a Congressional Award for Outstanding Service in honor of dedication to Climate Change Advocacy for NM and the Planet Earth.
April 15, 2019. Breaking news! Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance passes the Albuquerque City Council.
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April 20, 2019: GWE Kids speak at ABQ plastic bag ban signing with Mayor Keller.
April, 2019: GWE Kids speak at Santa Fe Green New Deal Town Hall. With many city, state and national elected officials present, as part of the 400 + overflow crowd, CongressmanBen Ray Lujan pledges to support the Green New Deal.
May 8, 2019: GWE Kids present at the Albuquerque Sierra Club & Root Beer about the plastic ban.
April-May 2019: The GWEers initiate a “No Idling” movement at Mountain Mahogany school, which becomes successful in halting the idling of cars at pick up and drop off times and even halts the school bus idling at their curbs! Next year, they want to work with the Mayor of ABQ and the City Council to create a No Idling law in the entire city.
May, 2019: A tree initiative starts in Santa Fe with the students at the New Mexico School for the Deaf planting the first tree of the “Santa Fe Urban Forest” at their school, naming it Alan, after the Mayor of Santa Fe, Alan Weber, who helped them to initiate the plan.
May 24, 2019: The GWE Kids join the ABQ Student Climate Strike and March, ABQ Civic Plaza.
May, 2019: Kids from GWE meet at Representative Deb Haaland’s office with staff and phone into Washington to speak with staffers there.
June 3, 2019: Some GWE kids tour with Earthworks in the Permian Basin to view methane flaring.
June 17, 2019: GWE Kids are invited to speak about Climate Change at the ABQ BioPark concert.
June 25, 2019: GWE Kids speak at the Bernallilo County Commission meeting about the need for single-use plastic ban. Bernalillo County passes a plastics bag and styrofoam ban.
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