Resilient New Mexico Podcast

We speak with Alice Main from the City of Albuquerque about the Central NM Comprehensive Climate Action Plan. Helpful links discussed during the conversation:

• Resilient Futures NM - The Central NM Comprehensive Climate Action Plan campaign website.
• Project Drawdown's SHIFT - Guide for individual action.
• City of Albuquerque Sustainability Office - The Office's main webpage
• City of Albuquerque Sustainability Office's Regional Planning Webpage
• City of Albuquerque Justice 40 Oversight Coordinating Committee - The guiding community committee that helped shape the community engagement strategy.
• City of Albuquerque Office of Equity and Inclusion - Houses the Tribal Liaisons and many other important programs.
• Questions about the Plan? Email [email protected].

Join us for an indepth discusion about the current and future of renewable electricity generation in New Mexico. Jim DesJardins is from Renewable Energy Industries Association of New Mexico (REIA-NM), which represents the renewable enegery industry by working with lawmakers to shape forward-looking energy initiatives for New Mexico and coordinating with regulators and utilities to ensure that stakeholders across our state are moving forward together. See more at the REIA-NM website.

AT Cole joins us to share his efforts working with his wife to restore their ranch in souther New Mexico after it had suffered from decades of over grazing and poor land management practices. We discuss cienegas, land restoration methods and hear about their successes and leasons learned. You can learn more at their wonderful website for the ranch:

https://pitchforkranchnm.com/

One of our best interviews for it's thought provoking ideas! Dr. Andreas Hernandez teaches in the Sustainability Studies Program at UNM. With a broad background and breadth of experiences, Andreas challenges us to think creatively about what sustrainability means, and what it will take for us to get there.

Neal Denton, who was the Sustainability Officer for the city of Santa Fe, gives us a peek behind the curtain in to what Santa Fe is doing to promote sustainability. We get in to details of what sustainablity means, some of the city's programs, and what are some of the challenges we face.

Christian Casillas from the Coalition of Sustainable Communities walks us through the current status of community solar in New Mexico, describes the progress that has been made, and the amazing potential the future holds! A few links from the show:

https://www.coalitionscnm.org

https://www.coalitionscnm.org/community-solar

https://csnewmexico.com

https://www.prc.nm.gov/utilities/community-solar/

Carol Ann and Mike Fugagli join us to discuss their impressive project of using Johnson-Su composting method to Engage Youth, Improve Soil Health and Sequester Carbon. They share about the educational components of the project, working with the local school system, how the Johnson-Su composter works. Some useful links:

Johnson-Su composting overview

Upper Gila Watershed Alliance

Mia Mottley at the Opening of the #COP26 World Leaders Summit

The wonderful and thought provoking Naomi Ortiz joins us to educate Sandra and myself about a very important topic that isn't discussed very much, specifically the intersection of disability justice and climate justice, and how inclusion in climate activism could look.

Keep reading to learn more about Naomi's work and content Naomi mentioned in the podcast.

Naomi's books:

• Reimagining our relationship with land and challenging who is an environmentalist in the Arizona U.S./Mexico borderlands, is investigated in "Rituals for Climate Change: A Crip Struggle for Ecojustice" (punctum books).
• "Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice" provides informative tools and insightful strategies for diverse communities on addressing burnout.

Resources Naomi mentioned in this episode:

1. Disability and Climate Change: A Public Archive Project bears witness to the harms disabled people face amidst climate disruption—and it documents the wisdom disabled people bring to navigating this crisis. The stories in the archive are fresh conversations with disability-identified activists, advocates, artists, first responders, policymakers, and other communal leaders.
2. The Disabled Hiker's Guide to Western Washington and Oregon: Outdoor Adventures Accessible by Car, Wheelchair, and Foot, published by FalconGuides

Dr.Atcitty is a senior scientist at Sandia National Labs where he works on renewable energy systems. He is also a member of the Navajo Nation, and is deeply engaged with bringing renewable energy and energy sovernty to Navajo communities and indigenous communities across the country. He shares with us many great stories of his work, and of life in these communities.

Tom Solomon from 350newmexico.org joins us to discuss the climate related bills that did, or didn't make it during the 2023 legislative session. We also discuss how NM compares to other states, some of our greatest successes and some areas that could really use improvement. Plus the lightening round!