Photo: Illana Halperin

From Green Right Now Reports

More than 25 New Mexico art organizations and 60 artists will join together this summer to present LAND/ART, a collaboration of environmentally inspired art. This six-month project will examine relationships of land, art and community through exhibitions, site-specific art works, speakers, performances, tours, and excursions through multiple indoor and outdoor venues around the state.

Photo: Basia Irland

“Anitya” by Anne Cooper

The project, which is being coordinated by 516 Arts in Albuquerque, focuses on “environmental” or “land” art, and will address humans’ changing relationship to nature. Environmental issues are emphasized throughout LAND/ART as artists examine climate change, water shortage, endangered wildlife and other topics.

“There is a very strong interest in this type of artwork right now, as concerns about the environment are so much at the forefront of people’s minds,” Suzanne Sbarge, LAND/ART project coordinator, said in a statement. “Artists bring different perspectives to thinking about our relationships with nature and the environment.”

The LAND/ART Symposium Weekend June 27-28 in Albuquerque will kick off the six-month long collaboration. The event takes place in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition “Experimental Geography” at the Albuquerque Museum, which will run June 28-September 20. Created by 19 artist teams from six countries, including the United States, “Experimental Geography” will “explore the distinctions between geographical study and artistic experience of the earth, as well as the juncture where the two realms collide and possibly make a new field altogether,” organizers said.

Other opening weekend events include an excursion taking passengers to explore different New Mexico landscapes, poetry readings, a panel discussion about the evolution of land art, artist lectures and presentations.

Photo: Michael Berman

“Sierra El Capulin” by Michael Berman

Related links:

• See a complete listing of LAND/ART activities
• Download LAND/ART Guide to projects & programming

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

This week the Obama Administration shored up the Endangered Species Act, restoring a rule rescinded by the Bush Administration that requires federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service when their activities could harm threatened or endangered species.

Obama announced the decision on Tuesday at the Interior Department, noting that “the work of scientists and experts in my administration, including right here in the Interior Department, will be respected.”

It was a statement that many conservationists could embrace as they work to maintain habitats, preserve federal park lands and stabilize animal populations under threat such as the Rocky Mountain gray wolves, the American Pika, polar bears, Atlantic lobsters, salmon and seals, among others.

But the week began with a poignant note about the perils facing wildlife in the United States when an aged jaguar — possibly the very last jaguar living in the wild in the United States — had to be euthanized.

The wild cat, known as Macho B and believed to be 15 to 16 years old had recently been outfitted with a radio collar by Arizona state authorities. When he was later discovered to be suffering from kidney failure, the state game officials had the 118-pound cat euthanized.

It’s not known if the stress of the earlier capture contributed to the jaguar’s death; his demise though is believed to mark the probable extinction of the jaguar in the United States, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Macho B was the only jaguar known to be living in the United States; he had been photographed repeatedly since 1996 in southern Arizona. Three other jaguars, at least one of them thought to have been killed in Mexico, have also been recorded in the United States since 1996, but none are known to be living now,” the center reported in a statement.

“This is a major setback for the jaguar, particularly given that the border wall is making it much harder for jaguars to reoccupy their ancestral homes in the southern United States,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. “We are deeply saddened.”

Bleak as the situation appears, Robinson believes there is hope for a restored jaguar population because the Center for Biological Diversity has already sued to try to get a federal recovery plan in place. The non-profit is due in federal district court in Tucson on March 23 to discuss its lawsuit against a Bush-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refusal to develop a recovery plan and designate “critical habitat” for the jaguar.

Jaguars continue to populate parts of Mexico. They once ranged from the Bay Area of California to the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. Their population was decimated by decades of habitat loss, hunting for pelts and “persecution for fear of livestock losses,” including “systemic killing” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Robinson.

Because there are still wild jaguars in northern Mexico, a recovery plan for the animal in the United States remains feasible, he said.

“The border wall doesn’t extend across the entire border, as yet. The recovery plan could look at many different options, including reintroduction and removal of all or portions of the wall,” he said.

“A recovery team developing the recovery plan would identify their best remaining habitats. Potential areas include the Sky Islands in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico (where this and other jaguars recently known to be in the U.S. lived) and the Gila National Forest and Mogollon Rim in respectively western NM and eastern AZ. But the team could also look further afield, since jaguars once ranged from east to west coast,” he added.

“Macho’s legacy should be action to develop a science-based recovery plan and protection of the areas they call home to ensure their survival.”

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

President Barack Obama today ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to review its previous refusal to allow California and more than a dozen other states to raise emissions standards above and beyond the national standard. The Bush administration had denied the requests.

“Instead of serving as a partner, Washington stood in their way,” President Obama said. “The days of Washington dragging its heels are over.”

And in what he called “a down payment on a broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” President Obama directed the Department of Transportation to establish higher fuel efficiency standards for carmakers’ 2011 model year. The standard, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), was established in 1975 in the wake of the Arab Oil Embargo.

Here are states that are seeking to regulate auto emission standards, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the National Resources Defense Council:

California – On July 22, 2002, former Governor Gray Davis signed AB 1493, a pioneering measure to protect California’s health and environment by reducing global warming pollution from all new cars and trucks sold in the state, America’s largest automobile market.

New Jersey – On January 14, 2004, Governor James E. McGreevey signed legislation that adopted California’s vehicle emissions standards to automobiles sold in New Jersey.

Connecticut – On May 4, 2004, Governor John G. Rowland signed the Clean Car Act, PA 04-84, requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt regulations implementing California’s vehicle emissions standards, and to keep the Connecticut regulations current with changes California makes.

Oregon – In December 2005, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) adopted temporary rules requiring Oregon to meet California’s vehicle emissions standards. On June 22, 2006, the EQC permanently adopted rules requiring all new motor vehicles sold in Oregon to meet California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Washington – On May 6, 2005, Governor Christine Gregoire signed HB 1397, adopting California’s vehicle emissions standards for Washington, conditional on Oregon’s adoption of the standard.

Rhode Island – On October 13, 2005, Governor Don Carcieri announced Rhode Island’s intention to adopt California’s vehicle emissions standards. The standards were officially adopted on December 22, 2005 with approval of Air Pollution Control Regulation no.37, Rhode Island’s Low Emission Vehicle Program.

Vermont – On November 7, 2005, the Vermont Air Pollution Control Division adopted a rule amending its low emission vehicles regulation to be identical to that of California’s vehicle emissions standards.

New York – On November 9, 2005, the New York State Environmental Board approved State regulations that require significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles by adhering to California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Maine – In December 2005, the Board of Environmental Protection adopted amendments to Chapter 127, New Motor Vehicle Emission Standards, which incorporated California’s vehicle emissions standards for new motor vehicles sold in Maine.

Massachusetts – On January 9, 2006, Secretary of Environmental Affairs, Stephen R. Pritchard announced the state’s adoption of California’s vehicle emissions standards, designed to produce cleaner air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts. The standards take effect in Massachusetts starting with 2009 model year vehicles.

Arizona – On September 8, 2006, Governor Janet Napolitano signed Executive Order 2006-13, which directs the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to coordinate with the Arizona Department of Transportation to adopt and implement California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Pennsylvania – On September 19, 2006, Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board approved the Clean Vehicles Program, a plan to meet California’s vehicle emissions standards. On November 2, 2006, the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the implementation of the plan. Despite support from Governor Edward G. Rendell, in late 2006, the Pennsylvania General Assembly debated SB 1025, a rollback bill threatening to block the state from implementing the Clean Cars Law. On November 22, 2006, however, Pennsylvania concluded its ‘lame duck’ session without having voted on the SB 1025.

New Mexico – On December 28, 2006, Governor Bill Richardson issued executive order 2006-69, establishing goals and timetables for steps the state can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including adopting California’s vehicle emissions standards. The New Mexico Environment Department is charged with submitting a proposal to the Environmental Improvement Board no later than January 1, 2008 to implement a state clean car standard consistent with California’s. In November 2007, the Albuquerque-Bernalillio Air Quality Control Board and the Environmental Improvement Board adopted the vehicle standards

New Jersey – On January 14, 2004, Governor James E. McGreevey signed legislation that adopted California’s vehicle emissions standards to automobiles sold in New Jersey

Utah – In May 2007, Utah joined the Western Climate Initiative, a joint effort to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. Other members include Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba. By agreeing to the Initiative’s regional goal, members commit to adopt California’s GHG standards for vehicles.

Florida – On July 13, 2007, Governor Charlie Crist signed Executive Order 07-127, requiring the Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection to develop rules adopting California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Colorado – On November 7, 2007, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter released Colorado’s Climate Action Plan, under which the Governor will issue an executive order directing Colorado’s Air Quality Control Division to propose clean car standards.

Sources: Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the National Resources Defense Council

Drill, baby, drill may be what’s on the minds of gas companies, but if you’re a landowner of a potential gas site, you probably have a lot of questions.

Thanks to a new software application that’s being test marketed by MIT, landowners may now extract data to see if the gas companies’ proposals to drill are fair and safe. The software tool, called the Landman Report Card (LRC), will help landowners in any state navigate the government and corporate databases, as well as get feedback from other landowners who’ve been in similar situations. And they can do all this before agreeing to a drilling contract.

The term “land man” refers to an oil company representative who often times shows up on the doorstep of unsuspecting property owners who’ve been targeted as having prospective drill sites.

“People often will sign the day the land man shows up at the door,” says MIT professor Chris Csikszentmihalyi. “There are lots of negotiations that people can do, that they often don’t know they can.”

Csikszentmihalyi , co-director of MIT’s Center for Future Civic Media, and Sara Wylie, a grad student in the Science , Technology and Society Program, are the directors of the Landman Report Card project, which is coming to fruition as natural gas exploration in America gains traction as an energy source that doesn’t rely on foreign oil — affecting land and homeowners from New York to Texas to the Rocky Mountains states.

Wylie says that the feedback from the first tests in Ohio were “pretty positive…We will make some tweaks, but for the most part the software tool technically went great.”

Environmental consultant Lisa Sumi, who has worked with Earthwork’s Oil and Gas Accountability Project (OGAP), says the Landman Report Card is needed “because there is a huge power imbalance between the oil and gas industry and the people affected by it. When the oil company comes in, they already have the technology information and legal background. But the landowner, who may never had to deal with them before, is at disadvantage.” OGAP, founded in 1999, works with communities to prevent and reduce environmental degradation caused by oil and gas development.

“The report card,” she says, “provides landowners with a place they can go to make sure they are not being taken for a ride.” The LRC provides leasing rates and comparable deals.

Mark Scoville is one of the affected landowners who participated in the recent test marketing of the LRC. Scoville, an electrical engineer, lives with his young family in northeastern Ohio, the site of much drilling due to its location in the relatively newly discovered Marcellus Shale region. Most of Ohio’s oil and gas is located in this eastern third of the state. Scoville believes the LRC is a wonderful tool. (See Scoville’s photo, left, of an oil well near a playground.)

“I’m interested in the tactics that landmen are using. The reviews by people who have dealt with them are like a Consumer Reports for the landowner. The oil and gas industry seems to be exempt from just about everything. Drilling is going bonkers here in the northeastern Ohio suburbs. Residents moved here because it’s zoned for residential use, yet the state has taken over responsibility for all oil drilling, thanks to House Bill 278,” he said.

House Bill 278, which went into effect in 2004, states if a gas company is looking for a tract of contiguous land, and a homeowner doesn’t want to be involved, the state of Ohio can force the homeowner to accept the deal.

In the official wording by Ohio’s Division of Mineral Resources Management in the Department of Natural Resources, the state “has exclusive authority to regulate the permitting, location, and spacing of oil and gas wells in the state, and to revise the laws governing the drilling of oil and gas.”

While the world waits for Washington to act on one looming crisis – the Wall Street mortgage debacle – states in the Western U.S. acted today on another crisis, announcing a plan to reduce emissions to combat global warming.

The Western Climate Initiative, a collaborative of seven Western states and four Canadian provinces, agreed to try to reduce carbon emissions to 15 percent lower than 2005 levels by 2020.

The plan, based on a regional cap-and-trade market and efforts to support clean energy and other green technologies, would be “the most comprehensive carbon-reduction strategy to date” covering 90 percent of the region’s emissions, according to the news release on the agreement.

It would target emissions from electricity generation, industry, transportation and residential and commercial use. Under the cap-and-trade program, those emitting greenhouse gases would be capped at a certain level and would have to buy permits to cover their pollution or find the best market solutions to reduce their emissions.

The WCI is one of many regional cap-and-trade programs being developed around the world, including two others in the U.S.: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the Northeast, and the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord in the Midwest.

Cap-and-trade programs are expected to give green energy and clean-tech businesses a big push, but many who’ve lauded the regional efforts say they are a clarion call to the federal government, which failed earlier this year to pass a proposed comprehensive climate change bill.

In the absence of federal legislation, however, many climate watchdog groups believe  regional pacts such as the one announced today will help shift the nation toward a green economy and spur green job growth.

Christopher Busch, a climate economist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that analyses conclude that Western region’s economy would benefit from investments in global warming solutions. Improved energy efficiency, for instance, can reduce electric bills and save drivers money at the pump and other changes would help create new jobs, he said.

But he warned: “There’s a right way and wrong way to do cap and trade. Doing it the right way means making sure that the program speeds the transition to a clean energy economy in a way that protects consumers. “The UCS believes “the right way” involves limiting the use of carbon offsets, which allow polluters to basically pay others to “offset” or reduce their emissions. It is better to encourage real gains in pollution reduction and to that end the UCS supports auctioning of permits to polluters. That sets up a market for the permits, with pollution-reduction programs achieving real market value which in turn “allows states to spend money on projects that can further reduce pollution and benefit their residents.”

The WCI agreement does limit the use of carbon offsets and allows for states to set even tighter limits on offsets, according to the UCS analysis.

The Western Climate Initiative, launched in February 2007, is composed of the governors of the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Utah; and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

It’s not often you get a warm and fuzzy feeling about your utility provider – unless perhaps a brown out zaps your air conditioning and the summer sweat blurs your vision. But New Mexico residents can think happy thoughts about their power companies.

Four New Mexico electricity providers have partnered to bring the first large solar installation to the state in hope of providing solar-generated electricity by 2012, the companies announced Monday.

The project, to be built by the bid-winning solar contractor, will be large enough to deliver between 211,000 and 375,000 megawatt-hours per year – enough to power at least 29,000 to 52,000 typical New Mexico homes.
The facility must use state of the art “parabolic trough” technology, according to a joint request for proposals for the solar installation.

That technology uses trough-shaped mirrors that focus sunlight onto an oil-filled tube. The oil generates steam which turns a generator and produces electricity. Because steam is employed and can be stored, the installation can produce electricity at night and on cloudy days, giving it a leg up on more basic solar generators.

The four cooperating power companies serve nearly all of the states’ residents and have required that the installation be based in New Mexico, a reasonable request given the state’s sunny location. The cooperating companies include: El Paso Electric, Xcel Energy, PNM, and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association .

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media