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Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
On a warm Saturday afternoon about 100 conservationists, government officials and concerned citizens gathered at Central New Mexico Community College’s Smith-Brasher Hall for a town hall meeting on clean energy and the economy.
The meeting, sponsored by local environmental organizations, was hosted by KNME’s Gene Grant, and streamed live on KUNM.
Congressman Martin Heinrich listening to a speaker at the Green Energy and the Economy Town Hall
State Sen. Eric Griego, an Albuquerque Democrat, gave the keynote address. Prior to his speech a distinguished panel gathered to speak and answer questions from the crowd.
On the central topic of the day, U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich said in his opening remarks that “the first thing we should all be doing is efficiency.”
Heinrich, also an Albuquerque Democrat, said that by being more energy efficient, people would not only save money but help all clean energy systems.
Co-founder of Sacred Power Corporation and President of the Renewable Energy industries Association of New Mexico Odes Armijo-Caster told the crowd how he lived off the grid, with all of his power coming from photovoltaic panels and wind turbines.
“Everybody in New Mexico should be able to live off the grid,” he told the crowd. The sentiment was greeted by applause from the crowd.
Griego, in his address, declared that “we are an oil and gas state,” and was “astounded” that “we have been able to make as much progress [on clean energy legislation] as we have.”
The freshman senator said that New Mexico has “been as aggressive as almost any other state” when it comes to clean energy despite the financial and political power that the oil and grass industry has in New Mexico.
Much of Griego’s speach had to do with putting clean energy “at the center” and “not just a part” of the present and future economic development of New Mexico.
“Green jobs should not only be environmentally friendly jobs, but also high-paying and living-wage jobs,” Griego said. He added that many who advocate so-called green jobs are often just intent on getting the jobs created and do not concentrate on whether or not they are jobs that pay a livable wage.
Heinrich also said that the United States, and New Mexico in particular, must be a leader on green energy “or cede the leadership to Europe.”
Associate Director of the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department Mary Lou Leonard informed the crowd on clean energy efforts by the city, including explaining how some of the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the federal stimulus bill, would be spent in the state’s largest city.
“The roofs are in hideous condition and need a lot of rehab,” Leonard explained.
U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, both Democrats, did not attend the town hall, but sent statements to be read at the event.
“New Mexico’s delegation is sending one very loud and clear message: The time is now to promote clean energy and commit our country to the renewable technologies of the future,” Udall said in his statement.
Bingaman advocated a renewable energy standard and outlined his efforts on crafting an energy bill in the Senate:
Currently, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which I chair has been working toward producing a bipartisan, comprehensive energy bill. In developing a new energy bill, we plan to tackle several key challenges: deploying clean energy technology; improving energy efficiency, maintaining adequate supplies of conventional fuels as we make the transition to newer forms of energy; increasing energy innovation; making energy markets more transparent; and maintaining the proper balance between energy and environment policies, especially as it relates to global warming.
Heinrich was the most prominent name on the panel, but Armijo-Caster, Leonard, Green Economy Manger of the New Mexico Department of Economic Development Brendan Miller, and the Nature Conservancy’s Laura McCarthy all attended.
The sponsors of the event included the New Mexico Conservation Voters, Greenpeace, Interfaith Power and Light, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Youth Organized, the Sierra Club, Environment New Mexico, the Audobon Society, the Pew Environment Group and the National Wildlife Federation.
Other politicians who weren’t on the panel were in attendance. They included state Sen. Tim Keller, D-Albuquerque, Albuquerque City Councilor Isaac Benton and Albuquerque mayoral candidate Richard Romero.
