New Mexico Independent: Stories by Denise Tessier

Blueprint for a green future

Denise Tessier — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Edward Mazria has a solution for greenhouse gas emissions and a stagnant U.S. economy: buildings that are energy efficient, reducing the need for electricity from power plants while putting cash savings into consumers’ pockets. Mazria is a Santa Fe architect and solar pioneer at the forefront of the burgeoning green-build movement. This month, he released The 2030 Blueprint, a document that makes the case for turning off coal-fired power plants and eliminating the need for much of the energy those plants produce by properly designing and retrofitting buildings.

Red or green? How 'bout blue?

Denise Tessier — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Tuesday is Earth Day, so you'd expect to hear that green is the preferred color of choice. But some prominent New Mexicans will be wearing red while one Santa Fe architect hopes to see people wearing blue. Why? Read the blog.

Edward Mazria: Solar Pioneer

Denise Tessier — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:02:13 GMT

It’s no surprise Edward Mazria would be at the forefront of the green-build effort. He helped put New Mexico on the solar energy map in 1979 with "The Passive Solar Energy Book," a pioneering guide to passive solar construction.

KNME New Mexico InFocus interview with Santa Fe architect Edward Mazria

Pay equity stalled in state

Denise Tessier — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

New Mexico women may have made progress in the wage gap over the years, but it still persists, a new study shows. In fact, more than half of the women working full time in 29 of 33 New Mexico counties earn so little they are eligible for food stamps and child care assistance, the Southwest Women's Law Center found. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and others are calling for immediate action to close the gap.

UNM's greenest program saved

Denise Tessier — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT

The University of New Mexico (UNM), which has adopted “leadership in sustainability” as one of its core values, has corrected what the director of the Sustainability Studies Program described to New Mexico Independent as an “awkward situation.” The Sustainability Studies Program, officially recognized in the UNM course catalog in May 2007, was funded by the Legislature for 2006, 2007 and 2008. But during the last session, the program wasn’t authorized to request funding for next fall or 2009.

Lt. Gov. blasts Senate on fair pay

Denise Tessier — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:51:14 GMT

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish Friday criticized the U.S. Senate—and specifically U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici—for voting to kill action on a federal Fair Pay Act this week. The tally was four votes shy of the 60 needed for the Senate to act on the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," which would have loosened restrictive time restraints the U.S. Supreme Court imposed on workers who sue for pay discrimination.

Domenici says fair wage vote 'political'

Denise Tessier — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:30:00 GMT

Sen. Pete Domenici said he voted last week against the U.S. Senate taking up a fair pay bill because Democrats brought it up for political purposes. Domenici was responding to criticism by Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. The bill would have given workers more leeway in bringing suit for pay discrimination by modifying the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision last year.

A Mother's Story

Denise Tessier — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:31:55 GMT

In reading the journals he left behind, Desiree Woodland learned that her young adult son, Ryan, felt he might have fared better had he been born 100 years earlier, living on a farm. In the two years since Ryan’s suicide, the Albuquerque schoolteacher has dedicated countless hours helping create a therapeutic residential farm in New Mexico where those who suffer mental illness, as Ryan did, might find respite and learn the skills needed to cope.

Elizabeth Edwards takes press to task

Denise Tessier — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:59:04 GMT

In case you missed it, Elizabeth Edwards’ recent column in The New York Times is worth a look. In it, the wife of former Democratic presidential contender John Edwards pleads with the press to do its job: Write about the issues in covering campaigns, not the candidates’ polling numbers or bowling scores.

Going green

Denise Tessier — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:00:00 GMT

A week of events kicks off Saturday that will teach homeowners and builders how to build energy-efficient buildings. Tours also will available to show firsthand what it means for a building to be environmentally friendly. While there's a growing awareness that New Mexico is in the forefront of this movement, the Greenbuilt Tour and Sustainability Week events will provide opportunities for the public to "find green home inspiration," says Tom Apgar, events committee co-chair for the New Mexico Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

ABQ to Chihuahua City direct

Denise Tessier — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Move over, Denver. Out of the way, Phoenix. Starting sometime this year, people will be able to fly direct from Albuquerque to Chihuahua City.

Hola, Mexico

Denise Tessier — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:36:41 GMT

You want more direct flights between Albuquerque and parts of Mexico. You may get your wish soon. A day after securing daily flights between the Duke City and Chihuahua City, Gov. Bill Richardson is saying he's trying to get direct flights to more Mexican destinations.

Newest open space celebrated

Denise Tessier — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:30:00 GMT

The recent purchase of 420 acres adds to the Gutierrez Canyon Open Space, a preserve that is easily accessible from north state Highway 14 in Cedar Crest, known to area residents and tourists alike as the Turquoise Trail. The acquisition burnishes Albuquerque's reputation as a leader in land preservation.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES

Denise Tessier — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:07:58 GMT

Here's a round up of news stories from around New Mexico.

Good news for journos

Denise Tessier — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:30:00 GMT

Amid a sea of bad news about the journalism industry, journos in New Mexico found a reason to smile this week. UNM's journalism school has been accredited, five years after department heads voluntarily withdrew an accreditation application after reviewers expressed concerns about the program.