To those of you who have not seen it yet, an article on the front page of the Santa Fe New Mexican on Monday notes that "New Mexico’s oil production jumped to 658 million barrels in fiscal year 2023 from 531 million barrels the previous year, helping to nudge state tax revenue to a record $12.7 billion," and makes a clear connection between the free flow of that dirty money - money earned at the expense of the health, life and wellbeing of millions of people, plants and animals suffering increasing climate extremes - and the failure to pass or enforce any meaningful climate action at the NM legislature.
Not only did the legislature fail to pass any meaningful regulation or curbs on oil and gas, but Governor Lujan Grisham vetoed even the small victories that were won - proposed tax incentives on electric vehicles, geothermal energy, heat pumps and energy storage. Our legislature and Governor appear to be swayed by the aims of oil executives, who, as the Washington Post reported yesterday, join nearly every nation and country across the world in vying to be among the last producers standing.
The article makes clear that Republican and Democratic lawmakers, both, give deference to oil and gas industry lobbyists and their dishonest objections against even the smallest curbs on their greed and exploitation.
We argue that instead of wasting our energies pursuing false solutions promoted by fossil fuel lobbyists - hydrogen, carbon storage and now a taxpayer funded bailout ($500 million) to "recycle" their radioactive toxic wastewater for green hydrogen (a scientifically and technologically unproven experiment), it is time for the Governor and our Democratic legislature to give consideration to our future instead, and to take advantage of the unprecedented flow of money into our state to plan for a future without fossil fuels.
In this coming legislative session we will:
1) once again oppose the false solutions already being announced as funding priorities,
2) advocate for the Local Solar Access Fund, and
3) push for meaningful regulation of the oil and gas industry.
And beyond the legislature we will continue to represent you against corporate fossil fuel arsonists (looking at you PNM and New Mexico Gas Company!).
Tara Trudell’s powerful poetic voice sang out and continues to echo in our mind and heart as a guide. Trudell’s refrain "Resist dance" seems apropos to the times we are facing! We vow to take on the fossil fuel polluters and the officials that propagate their lies AND create local solutions that make a difference in people’s lives!
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