We have all worked for years to address global warming. Now they are all the pieces are coming together. The last few weeks have seen a historic advances on the national front with the federal government’s adoption of the California (and New Mexico!) auto emission standards. And all of the pieces necessary to ensure full use of solar energy in Northern New Mexico are either in place now (a federal tax credit of 30%, a New Mexico tax credit of 10%, net metering so that PNM will pay you for any electricity you don’t use, plus a payment of 13 cents for each kilowatt hour you produce, and coming very soon…solar districts that allow one to finance solar installations through their property tax). For more on these see the other articles on these pages. Also, as of this writing, Homewise still has energy efficiency/solar home loans available at 3.75% for residents of the City of Santa Fe.
Because of all these changes, we now have an extraordinary opportunity to make Santa Fe the Solar Capital of the country. The Sierra Club in Northern New Mexico is planning to lead a campaign to do just that. We are setting a goal of 10,000 solar installations and even are considering challenging other cities in the Southwest to compete with this aggressive goal. However, we expect to win. We will work with all our members, as well as our allies in the government, other environmental groups, and local business, to achieve it. In the process, we will draw local, state, and national attention to the crucial role of solar energy in addressing climate change.
Do you have any ideas about the best way to do this? Would you like to be part of the team that pulls it off? If you are interested, please call or write David Van Winkle, (820 1006; david@vw77.com).
Have a great summer!
P.S. Please remember….
We now have a way for you to contribute to the Northern New Mexico Group without costing you a dime. If you make purchases on Amazon.com and access their site via our website, Amazon pays us a 4% referral fee. So, just go to any page on our website, click on the Amazon icon below left navigation and you will go directly to the Amazon site. You make your purchases as you normally would and we get the 4% referral fee.
In addition to conservation activities, the Sierra Club has a very strong outings program. The Northern New Mexico group leads hikes of varying difficulties most every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. During the winter, some of these outings include snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
Check our outings page for schedule of hikes in the Santa Fe area. These outings are a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and meet new people.
Our group also publishes an excellent book about hikes in this area, Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area. It is includes very good information about the length, gain, time, routes, driving directions, etc. I highly recommend it for hikes in this area. It is available in most local book and gear stores.
If you want to pursue longer trips, I recommend the Sierra Club national outings. This organization leads trips throughout the U.S, plus international trips.
I have led national backpacking trips in the southwest to Grand Gulch, Paria Canyon, Grand Canyon, Rainbow Plateau and Pecos Wilderness. In 2008, National Geographic Adventure magazine rated the Sierra Club #1 in hiking/trekking organizations. Visit the Sierra Club national website to find your next longer adventure.