SB53: Banning Storage of High-Level Nuclear Waste

UPDATE: SB53 passed the House on March 17, the last full day of the session, and was signed by the governor the same night! Congratulations and thank you to everyone who called your representatives and senators to encourage passage of this important law! Sponsor: Sen. Steinborn Click here to urge your representative to pass SB53 The Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced that it will soon issue a license to Holtec International for the “interim” storage in Southeast New Mexico ...
Read More
Read More
House Tax Committee package includes climate solutions

For immediate release: March 7, 2023 In response to passage of House Taxation and Revenue’s passage of HB547 on Monday, the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter’s Camilla Feibelman issued the following statement: The Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter is grateful to Chair Lente and the House Taxation and Revenue Committee for including three critical climate-related House tax bills that will save New Mexicans money and improve our air, water and climate. HB412 helps New Mexico families purchase electric vehicles, which ...
Read More
Read More
April 2023 hike with Santa Fe Youth Shelters

The New Mexico ICO program will be hiking on Saturday, April 1, 2023 with Santa Fe Youth Shelters. We plan on hiking at Cerrillos Hill State Park. We’re meeting at 8:45 and leaving at 9:00 a.m., and we should be back no later than 3:00. Those interested should contact Raymond N. Greenwell at matrng@hofstra.edu ...
Read More
Read More
Climate Justice rally at Roundhouse moved outdoors

For immediate release: Feb. 23, 2023 Advisory: Climate Justice Day rally moved outside Roundhouse today to accommodate COVID concerns Today, New Mexico environmental and community groups will join legislators to call attention to important legislation protecting our climate and opening doors to thriving communities. Because of an apparent increase in COVID cases at the Roundhouse, the 1 p.m. rally will now be held outside, and some tables will be staged outside, but those who feel comfortable going inside will also ...
Read More
Read More

Diane has lived in New Mexico since 2007 – when she received orders to Kirtland AFB. She served 25 years as a medical service corps officer, beginning in the Navy and finishing in the Air Force. When she retired in 2010, Diane turned her attention to outdoor activities and to volunteering. She enjoys hiking, camping, skiing and long walks with her husband and dogs in the Bosque. She had her first taste of rafting with a 24 day trip on ...
Read More
Read More
Meet the ExComm – Derrick Toledo

Derrick Toledo, from the Pueblo of Jemez, is a congressional staffer for Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández currently based out of Santa Fe. He previously served as a tribal official in Jemez and now works closely alongside the tribes in natural resource protection, language immersion, and energy policy. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico where he studied Multimedia Journalism and Marketing Management and is currently in a masters program at Arizona State University studying Political Psychology ...
Read More
Read More
Industry report leaves out oil and gas health, water, climate damages

The Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter issued the following statement in response to an economic report issued by the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, which failed to include the industry’s well-documented economic costs and harms to New Mexicans’ health, water, and air quality. The Sierra Club is also supplying science-based facts to give the public a more complete understanding of oil and gas impacts in our state ...
Read More
Read More
2023 New Mexico legislative preview

By Luis Guerrero, Rio Grande Chapter legislative and political organizer This year is a “long” 60-day New Mexico legislative session starting Jan. 17, and there will be many exciting opportunities for Sierra Club members to provide input and participate (sometimes late into the night!) in the process. Below are a few of the bills we will be advocating for or against in this legislative session: CLIMATE & ENERGY Climate Solutions and Just Transition This legislation will put into law aspects ...
Read More
Read More
See a list of priority bills for the current session that the Rio Grande Chapter is for the 2023 legislative session ...
Read More
Read More
How did Sierra Club’s endorsed candidates do? (Pretty darn well!)

Thanks to all of you who voted and volunteered in the 2022 general election! Your thousands of calls and door knocks resulted in climate champions winning up and down the New Mexico ticket, and perhaps made the difference in a priority state House race our candidate won by just 30 votes. Across the country, progressive, pro-environment candidates defied the pundits and historical voting patterns, though Democrats will barely lose control of the U.S. House. And Democrats increased their paper-thin Senate majority ...
Read More
Read More