A Breath of Not So Fresh Air

So now that the Waxman-Markey bill has passed the House, we can all breath a sigh of relief right?  Unfortunately, no.  Hopes are high as the United States ventures into breaking ground with its first piece of climate legislation. Yet many are also  disappointed with the implications of the bill. For one thing, the bill [...]

Realizing Our Potential: Clean Energy Town Hall

I was lucky to have been involved in organizing last Saturday’s Clean Energy and the Economy Town Hall.  It gave me the opportunity to work with great organizations like Sierra Club, Conservation Voters NM, Greenpeace, NM Interfaith Power and Light, National Wildlife Federation and a few others. A major goal of the town hall was [...]

Green Jobs Bills Signed: Moving to a sustainable tomorrow

Yesterday Governor Bill Richardson signed a number of great “green” bills.  By so doing, he helped New Mexico take many steps towards more sustainable economic growth in the future. New Mexico Youth Organized had the honor of working with outstanding groups like New Energy Economy, Conservation Voters New Mexico and others to help enact two [...]

Putting the Brown Back in Green

What does this statement even mean?  Mainly it’s talking of how Hispanics, Native-Americans, and African-Americans across the country are getting reacquainted with their roots in the soil. I’m sure that most people of color are aware of these roots, but they have other issues (getting a good education, finding a good job, surviving in this [...]

Session Wrap: Big Wins for Ethics Reform, Green Jobs and the Environment

The gavel has sounded, the 60-day session is over, and we’re pleased to report a number of significant victories for ethics reform, green jobs and the environment. ETHICS REFORM On the ethics reform front, three high priority measures passed and await the Governor’s signature. Campaign Contribution Limits: New Mexico was one of only five states [...]

VIDEO: Youth play vital role at the Roundhouse

It’s the last day of the 2009 Legislative Session I want to recognize the important role young people played in helping to shape public policy and educate our representatives on youth issues. During the week of March 2nd young people from across the state visited the Capitol for New Mexico Children’s Cabinet Days. I was [...]

Creating a new sector: Green Jobs Now!

Could New Mexico become a national hub for green jobs? A package of bills modeled after the film industry legislation that’s brought a slew of television and movie productions to New Mexico could do the same thing for green jobs, say the lawmakers who sponsored the bills. Three bills – one sponsored by House Speaker [...]

Van Jones Speaks Out for Green Jobs in NM

In a recorded video message, Van Jones, founding President of Green for All and acclaimed author of The Green Collar Economy (Harper One 2008), offers his support for the NM Green Jobs Collaborative and a green jobs bills package being introduced in the NM legislature this year. Van Jones has been at the forefront of [...]

An organizer’s update from Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference

Having attended both Good Jobs, Green Jobs conferences; one cannot help but to try and compare the two. I say this because the conference has grown in both size and diversity since it was held last year in Pittsburgh. Not only were there more young people and more people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, but I [...]

Green Jobs: A Fresh Opportunity

As the election craze winds down and we all start to take a breath and look at the new turn our country is taking, it can be pretty difficult to settle with complete optimism. A major issue that we still face is the growing unemployment rate our nation is facing. As of October, it was [...]