EcoNewMexico.com

On July 31, 2008 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a PSD (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) permit for the Desert Rock Energy Facility in New Mexico's Four Corner's region. In response, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Attorney General Gary King announced their intention to immediately file an appeal of the U.S.

Governor Richardson has extended a state ban on new crude oil and gas drilling in Santa Fe County and the Galisteo Basin through January 24, 2009. The moratorium will allow more time for government agencies to gather information and begin rulemakings to protect water aquifers, archaeological and cultural resources, and wildlife in this ecologically fragile area.

The Fourth of July is a holiday famous for parades, back-yard barbecue and fireworks. What could be more wholesome, festive and fun? Well, maybe a little less pollution from the fireworks would be nice.

UPDATE - July 2, 2008
The BLM has reversed its earlier decision and will continue to receive and review applications for utility scale solar power projects while it develops a unified PEIS. Click for the Press Release. It looks like the public comments had a direct influence on the BLM!

In 1988 James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Space Institute for Space Studies, told the U.S. Senate "It's time to stop waffling ... and say that the greenhouse effect is here and is affecting our climate now." Unfortunately, very little has been done by the U.S. goverment in the past 20 years to address the causes of global warming. Congress and the U.S. have been given a second warning.

In a New York Times Earth Day column, Michael Pollan asks
 "Why Bother? That really is the big question facing us as individuals hoping to do something about climate change, and it’s not an easy one to answer."

While the real estate market is currently in a flat spin, housing is still a basic need. Choosing a home may be the biggest way you can affect your personal CO2 footprint. If a yurt doesn't meet your housing needs there are other low CO2 options. If you are choosing between a new and a used home, which is the better option? The answer, of course, is that "it depends".

Global Warming is causing temperatures to rise and is disrupting weather patterns world-wide. The Snow Sports industry (skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice climbing, etc.) depends on cold winter weather and reliable snowfalls. Given that Global Warming threatens the very existence of snow what is the Snow Sports Industry doing now and what could it be doing to operate more sustainably?

Ski Areas and Resorts

What: Public Meeting to Review Sustainable Santa Fe Plan
Where: Southside Library Community Room, 6599 Jaguar Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505
When: Saturday, February 16th, 2008, 12 Noon to 4 p.m.

F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent

Carbon Offsets are one of the newest inventions in the search for ways to reduce ones carbon footprint. The idea is that you purchase a number of offsets to compensate for the amount of carbon you are responsible for generating by traveling, building a new house or just day to day consumer purchases. The question is - are they for real?