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More than 90% of available land in the Greater Chaco region, former home of Ancestral Puebloan civilizations, is dotted with oil and gas wells, according to WildEarth Guardians. (WildEarthGuardians.org)

Orphaned wells: Environmental, visual pollution for SW Indian Country

Tribal communities, including those in New Mexico, can now apply for grant funding and direct assistance to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells …

Tourism and outdoor recreational are top drivers of New Mexico's economy. (Pew Charitable Trusts)

NM ambassadors travel east to advocate for West's Gila River

New Mexico has one of the nation's last "wild" rivers, free of human-made structures and community representatives will be back in the nation's …

The U.S. military opens the Trinity bomb site, 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the public twice a year. (Nina/Adobe Stock)

NM activist seeking atomic bomb reparations invited to State of the Union

A New Mexico resident will attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address tonight as legislation is pending to expand the Radiation Exposure …

The population of New Mexico's red-headed woodpecker has declined more than 70% in the past 50 years.(RGLPhotography/AdobeStock)

NM wildlife advocates work to accelerate human, wildlife coexistence

Wildlife advocates say there's been a shift in public opinion about the value of wildlife over the past few decades, with people supporting …

In New Mexico, three-quarters of new survey respondents said they do not want protections rolled back on national monuments. (National Park Service)

Poll: Voters in NM, other Western states consistently support conservation

A new poll showed New Mexico voters expressed a deep affection for lands, water and wildlife and want policies offering greater protections. The 14…

A bill before the New Mexico Legislature would halt approval of new drilling permits within a mile of school facilities starting in July. (Photo courtesy of Consumer Watchdog)

A trio of NM bills could rein in lucrative oil, gas industry

A trio of bills to curb oil and gas pollution is under consideration by New Mexico lawmakers. New Mexico is the country's second-largest oil …

New Mexico is projected to face a glaring

NM Youth Protest Over Climate-Change Accountability

Today's young people will struggle most with the affects of climate change, and a New Mexico youth group brings its concerns to the streets of …

Oil and gas wells, roads, pipelines and other infrastructure near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park have destroyed some cultural sites and transformed others into industrial parks. (MarkKaletka/Flicker/Creative Commons)

Protection of NM's Greater Chaco Region Faces New Threats

A previous agreement to protect New Mexico's Greater Chaco Canyon region from oil and gas development is back on the table, forcing supporters to…

The National Weather Service says a heat index at or above 90 degrees poses a significant health risk. (nmsd.k12.nm.us)

Study: NM Needs New Policies to Protect Children from Extreme Heat

New Mexico must do more to protect children and other vulnerable residents from extreme heat, according to a new report from the advocacy …

In New Mexico, 'Oppenheimer' Film Revives Painful Memories

This summer's "Oppenheimer" movie will shine a light on development of the first nuclear weapons, but for many in southern New Mexico it is another …

Federal data show nearly 4,000 of the oil and gas drilling permits issued by the Biden administration are on public lands overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's New Mexico office. (Photo courtesy WildEarthGuardians)

NM Advocates: Climate Crisis Demands End to Feds' Fossil-Fuel Leasing

The Bureau of Land Management has auctioned off another 10,000 acres of New Mexico public lands to the oil and gas industry, despite a local rally …

It's estimated a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday could remove federal protection from 80% of streams in the southwestern states. (USGS)

SCOTUS Narrows 50-Year-Old Clean Water Act, Affecting NM Rivers

Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling making it harder for the federal government to enforce clean-water rules has New Mexico environmental groups …

It is estimated about one-third of New Mexico's more than 120 threatened and endangered species occur in the Gila region, including the Mexican grey wolf, Gila trout and Mexican spotted owl. (Photo courtesy of Raquel Madrigal)

New Mexico Mural Art Features Endangered Species, Migration Themes

The Village of Doña Ana is New Mexico's oldest federally designated settlement, and about to be the newest destination for public art. The …

In the last week of July 2022, a five-mile stretch of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M., ran dry for the first time in 40 years. (GregMeland/AdobeStock)

Rio Grande River Water Usage Accountability Heats Up

A conservation group which has fought to know how water from the Rio Grande is being used by a regional irrigation district in New Mexico will continu…

Visitors to New Mexico's Gila Wilderness have reported that stray or feral cattle, grazing there since the 1970s, have become aggressive, with no fear of people and also protective of their young and food sources. (Robin Silver/Center for Biological Diversity)

Aerial Shooting of Feral Cattle Closes NM's Gila Wilderness Area

A helicopter will be used starting tomorrow to fly over a portion of the Gila Wilderness in southwestern New Mexico, searching for feral cattle to …

The Colorado River, which once flowed to the sea in Mexico, has been chronically overused, and combined with climate change, the river system now is in crisis as reservoirs dry up. (John/AdobeStock)

Poll: Westerners Remain Strongly Supportive of Conservation Issues

Climate change, pollution, effects from oil and gas drilling and a strong concern for protecting drinking water are just some of the issues New …

Exposure to methane from oil and gas wells is known to cause health problems, including asthma, along with higher rates of leukemia, lymphoma and cancer. (Cavan/Adobe Stock)

Stronger Federal Methane Rules Would Benefit NM Residents, But When?

New Mexico residents have two weeks to submit written comments to the Environmental Protection Agency about its proposal to implement stronger standar…

The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire burned through a number of rural, isolated Hispanic communities, settlements, and family homesteads dating back centuries. (nmfwri.org)

Northern NM Communities Get Boost in 2022 Wildfire Financial Relief

More money is on the way to help New Mexico's communities recover from the largest wildfire in state history. The 2022 Hermit's Peak-Calf Canyon …

Starting next year, the federal government will end noncompetitive oil and gas leasing on federal lands and require lessees to pay higher rents and royalties. (EUDPic/Adobe Stock)

Oil and Gas Leasing Reform to Continue in 2023

New Mexico residents are expected to testify next month in virtual hearings on a draft rule to curb methane pollution from the oil and gas sector…

Exposure to methane gas can displace oxygen supply, resulting in headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and even heart problems. (sammywilliams/Pixabay)

Study: Methane Worse for Climate, Health Than Earlier Estimated

Environmental advocates anticipating new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency to cut methane pollution caused by the oil and gas industry ho…

A January leak and subsequent shutdown of the federally operated Cliffside Helium Plant in Texas has contributed to a shortage of helium in the United States. (blm.gov)

Environmental Concerns Slow Helium Mining Proposal on Navajo Nation

People on the Navajo Nation have lived through decades of oil, gas, uranium and coal extraction, and helium could be next. The Navajo Nation Oil and …

Three-quarters of Americans have experienced extreme weather events in the past five years, but the Biden administration's efforts to tackle climate change are limited after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in West Virginia v. EPA. (WildEarthGuardians/Flickr)

U.S. Supreme Court Strips EPA's Power to Curb Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency now has fewer tools to fight climate change, after the U.S. Supreme Court stripped the agency of its authority to …

Black, Hispanic and Native American people are up to two times more likely than white people to suffer from chronic disease, according to the health publication WebMD. (Myrriah G�mez/news.unm.edu)

Environmental Advocates: Empowerment Doesn't End With Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrations this month commemorated freedom, but Black and Brown people are still disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices …

The Kit Carson Electric Cooperative creates revenue for the Picuris Pueblo in northern New Mexico, meeting 100% of daytime energy demand with solar power and reducing energy costs for tribal members. (Photo courtesy Kit Carson Electric Cooperative.)

Equity, Environmental Justice Critical to NM Infrastructure Spending

A new report outlined how state officials can use money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address environmental justice, an …

Miners' Colfax Medical Center opened in 1906 in Raton to provide acute and long-term care for treatment of miners with lung disease. (members.nmhca.org)

NM-Based Telementoring Supports Sick Miners in Rural America

By Kristi Eaton for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaborat…

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has launched the

NM's Chaco Supporters Rally for Protections from Drilling

At a rally today in Santa Fe, thousands of comments about a proposed withdrawal of new oil and gas drilling leases near New Mexico's Chaco Culture …

The Pecos River Basin will likely face major water shortages for irrigated agriculture as temperatures rise over the next century due to climate change, according to a new study by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission. (nfwf.org)

Protections Sought for NM's Pecos Watershed Amidst Mining Proposal

Conservationists, farmers and residents are seeking protection of a section of New Mexico's Pecos River even as a mining company has proposed an …

Some 67% of New Mexicans think oil and gas development on national public lands should be stopped or strictly limited rather than expanded, according to the 2022 Conservation in the West poll. (BLM/Flickr)

Public Lands Face New Threats from Climate Change, Drilling

The use of public lands is back in the spotlight as the war in Ukraine enters its second month and gas prices remain high. The American Petroleum …

Immigrants now account for about one in 10 Black persons in the United States, up from three in 10 in 1980, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. (dimitrisvetsikas1969/Pixabay)

Black History Month Includes Focus on Health, Environmental Justice

Communities of color are using this year's Black History Month to advocate for health and wellness, including calling attention to environmental …

In recent months, 20 gray wolves roamed from Yellowstone National Park and were shot by hunters; the most killed by hunting in a single season since the animals were reintroduced to the region more than 25 years ago, according to park officials.<br />(photo courtesy Don Burkett)

Pressure Mounts to Protect Mexican Gray Wolves

Last year, advocates for the Mexican gray wolf cheered when a judge ruled the problem of poaching was not adequately addressed in a management plan …

For more than 2,000 years, Pueblo peoples occupied the Chaco region of the southwestern United States. (NewMexico.org)

Advocates Want Better Protection From Drilling at Greater Chaco

Conservationists are calling on President Joe Biden to make permanent recent steps to protect Chaco Culture National Historical Park from further dest…

New Mexico and Colorado are considered leaders among states trying to curb air pollution from oil fields. (blogs.edf.org)

EPA Concludes Public Hearings on New Methane Rules

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- People who live on the Navajo Nation near the San Juan Basin are closely following work by the Environmental Protection Agency (…

Climate activists say market-based solutions to climate change are no panacea for the disproportionate harm being done to mostly Black, Brown and Indigenous communities. (Yes! Magazine)

People of Color Want "Real" Solutions for Climate Change

By Sonali Kolhatkar for YES! Media.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

Currently, New Mexico averages 20 days a year classified as dangerous - a number expected to climb to almost 40 days per year by 2050, according to Climate Central. (orange31/Pixabay)

COP26: Readying Children for Their Climate Change Role

SANTA FE, N.M. -- The acceleration of global warming from fossil-fuel production, along with drought and wildfires, have been top-of-mind for New …

An international conference this week featuring linguists, educators, and practitioners will address ways to preserve indigenous languages. (marxelocinema/Pixabay)

Protecting the Future by Restoring Indigenous Languages

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- In anticipation of a new, decade-long focus on preserving indigenous languages, the first-ever conference on "Restoring and …

Nuevo M�xico ha sido un importante productor de petr�leo y gas natural desde que los hidrocarburos se descubrieron por primera vez en el estado a principios de la d�cada de 1920. (Alianza Ciudadana de San Juan)

NM se compromete con secretaria de Energía de Biden sobre reglas al metano

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A medida que Nuevo México se inclina hacia los objetivos de energía renovable, los defensores de un aire limpio …

T�tulo gr�fico: Los cient�ficos clim�ticos predicen un aumento significativo en los eventos clim�ticos extremos durante los pr�ximos 20 o 30 a�os, seg�n un nuevo informe del Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Clim�tico. (Hermann / Pixabay)

Científicos climáticos: Se agota el tiempo para estabilizar temperaturas globales

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Nunca antes había sido más importante reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, según un nuevo …

Monthly oil and gas royalties from New Mexico lands hit an all-time high at $110 million in April. (news.unm.edu)

NM Youth Activists Deliver Signatures to Governor on Fracking Permits

SANTA FE, N.M. - A group of youth activists in New Mexico heads to the Roundhouse today to deliver more than 1,000 signatures. They're calling on Gov…

El gas desperdiciado por las empresas de extracci�n en tierras Navajo es m�s del doble del promedio nacional y podr�a satisfacer las necesidades de cada hogar en la Naci�n Navajo durante cinco meses, seg�n el Fondo de Defensa Ambiental. (bobbymagill / weathercentral.org)

Estudio: La Nación Navajo lleva la peor parte de la Contaminación por Quema de Aceite y Gas

Albuquerque, N.M. - La práctica del desfogue de metano y la quema de aceite y gas por parte de las empresas gaseras en el Suroeste, no sólo …

Gas wasted by extraction companies on Navajo lands is more than double the national average and could meet the usage needs of every home on the Navajo Nation for five months, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. (bobbymagill/climatecentral.org)

Study: Navajo Nation Bears Brunt of Oil, Gas Methane Pollution

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency is considering adopting an air-permitting program to address methane emissions -…

New Mexico's Eddy County is one of two rural counties in the United States that are ranked among the top 25 counties for high ozone pollution in the 22nd annual report from the American Lung Association. (sierrclub.org)

Air Quality Report Shows Ozone Increases in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- This year's State of the Air report from the American Lung Association found mixed air-quality results in New Mexico for the …

In 2017, only 21% of Native American children younger than 18 lived in a household with a parent who completed a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 52% of white households. (stgo.org)

Native Americans Anticipate Educational Impact with Haaland at Helm

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Native American educators say tribal representation at the highest levels of government will likely encourage more civic engagement …

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has committed to developing regulations aimed at strengthening environmental regulations governing the fossil-fuel industry. (Lujan Grisham/Twitter)

NM “Produced Water” Explosion Leads to Proposed Legislation

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- New Mexico lawmakers will be asked to amend the state's 2019 Oil and Gas Act when the Legislature convenes Jan. 19. The …

Opponents of new oil and gas leases presented 33,000 public protests to New Mexico lawmakers at the Roundhouse in 2019. (wildearthguardians.org)

Supporters of Methane Limits Celebrate, Brace for More Litigation

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A federal judge is requiring the Bureau of Land Management to reinstate a rule that limits methane emissions from oil and gas …

A climate action plan unveiled by congressional Democrats this week aims to create a 100% clean-energy economy and help prevent the hotter, drier summers New Mexico has had to cope with. (americanprogress.org)

Action Plan Unveiled as Climate-Change Clock Ticks Down

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Scientists say only a decade remains to reverse course on the worst impacts of climate change - and to address the looming crisis…

The Bureau of Land Management is proceeding with plans to lease more New Mexico public lands to the oil and gas industry, despite the recent energy market collapse. (sej.org)

BLM Barrels Ahead with NM Oil and Gas Leases

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Despite a global pandemic, it's down to the wire for New Mexico residents who want to comment on the May sale of oil and gas leases …

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether to review lower court rulings that allow the Trump administration to waive environmental laws for border-wall construction, including a 180-mile stretch in New Mexico. (ArtueoM/Adobe Stock)

Groups Challenge Trump Waivers to Build Border Wall

SANTA FE -- Conservation groups have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review lower court rulings that waive environmental laws to build the …

Only 29% of Americans attending a Thanksgiving dinner expected politics to be discussed, according to a 2017 Huffington Post survey. (MaggiePoo/Pixabay)

Need Talking Points for Thanksgiving? The Sierra Club Has You Covered

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It's that time of year when the abundance of news stories can either prompt or discourage difficult discussions over the …

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PNS Daily Newscast - April 16, 2024

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NM: Environmental Justice