Climate Change

02/02/2012 From Michael Brune, Executive Director

Have you ever had to turn away millions of dollars? It sounds crazy, but here's why the Sierra Club chose to do exactly that.

In 2010, soon after I became the organization's executive director, I learned that beginning in 2007 the Sierra Club had received more than $26 million from individuals or subsidiaries of Chesapeake Energy, one of the country's largest natural gas companies. At the same time I learned about the donation, we at the Club were also hearing from scientists and from local Club chapters about the risks that natural gas drilling posed to our air, water, climate, and people in their communities. We cannot accept money from an industry we need to change. Very quickly, the board of directors, with my strong encouragement, cut off these donations and rewrote our gift acceptance policy. Let me tell you how it came about.

Members and supporters of the Sierra Club from throughout New Mexico are speaking out in favor of clean air and against the pollution coming from the San Juan coal-fired power plant. These comments were sent to the EPA and our New Mexico Senators in December to support the EPA ruling that this coal plant needs to reduce it's nitrogen oxide pollution by 80%.

The Sierra Club supports the existing carbon-cap law passed by the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) in 2010.

There have been a number of promising developments recently in the El Paso area which bode well for us living up to our “Sun City” nickname.

El Paso’s City Council voted December 15th to accept a $4 million grant to help low-income families weatherize their homes, thereby reducing their energy use and lowering their utility bills.

The money is from the federal government’s stimulus program and is being funneled through the state of Texas under contract with the city of El Paso. The program will help about 600 low-income households replace insulation, windows, and even energy-wasting appliances, according to Bill Lilly, the city’s Director of Community and Human Development.

On Dec. 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the first-ever federal protections against toxic mercury from power plants. Mercury is a dangerous brain poison that poses a particular threat to prenatal babies and young children. Exposure in the bloodstreams of pregnant and nursing women can result in birth defects like learning disabilities, lowered IQ, deafness, blindness and cerebral palsy.

EPA Issues First-Ever Protections against Toxic Mercury

Measure will protect New Mexico women and children from dangerous brain poison

Opposition grows to high pollution levels from PNM’s San Juan Generating Station

October 18, Santa Fe – In a push for healthier air across New Mexico and the Southwest, a coalition of environmental groups has filed a motion in federal court, approved today, to block an effort by New Mexico power company PNM to evade requirements of the Clean Air Act. In August the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the installation of adequate pollution controls at the company’s San Juan Generating Station. PNM is appealing the EPA ruling, even though the company had years of warning that changes were needed to bring the coal-fired plant into legal compliance.