Sidsel Overgaard

There may not be any ground hogs around to help New Mexicans celebrate February second.  But there are prairie dogs.  And a report out today says the state should be doing more to protect them.  KUNM's Sidsel Overgaard explains.

On Thursday UNM will host a talk by guest speaker Thomas Linzey.  Linzey, who works with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, is becoming known across the country for helping individual communities ban environmentally-damaging practices on a local level.

New Mexico’s largest electric utility is moving forward on the installation of new pollution controls at one of its coal-fired power plants…even while continuing to fight the requirement in court.  KUNM’s Sidsel Overgaard reports.

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A poll released today shows bi-partisan support for conservation throughout the West.  KUNM’s Conservation Beat reporter Sidsel Overgaard has more.

find more conservation stories at earth air waves

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited Albuquerque today to talk about the future of energy in the US.  KUNM's Conservation Beat reporter Sidsel Overgaard has more.

For more conservation news check out our blog: earth air waves

An environmental coalition is detailing its position in a case challenging the state’s rollback of energy efficient building codes.

A group of ranchers and Rio Arriba County are suing the U.S. Forest Service over its decision to limit grazing on historic land grant areas in northern New Mexico.  KUNM’S Sidsel Overgaard has more.

For more conservation stories, check out our blog: earth air waves

In a new report, the Wilderness Society describes US public lands as “under siege” by Congress.  A slew of bills would open millions of acres to new roads and development, while curtailing the President’s ability to establish new national monuments.

Wed. 01/18 8a: Looking for new solutions to meet New Mexico’s water needs. This week on the KUNM Call-in Show we’ll talk about whether the use of low-quality water—including sewage—could help decrease the burden on our over-taxed water supply.  If scientists could assure you that water reclaimed from your drains was pure enough to drink…would you grab a glass and swallow it down? 

This week on the KUNM Call-In Show, we’ll have a discussion about how the use of low-quality water - including treated sewage - could help New Mexico meet its water needs.  But residential conservation will also play a huge role in securing our water future.

During her State of the State address, Governor Susana Martinez devoted about a minute to environmental issues, saying she believes the state can support the growth of business AND protect the environment.

Not exactly the concluding words you’d expect at a gathering of New Mexico’s water masterminds.  But at this year’s statewide meeting of the New Mexico Water Dialogue, amid all the talk of acre feet, appropriative rights model water codes, pipelines, contracts and all that wata’ yada yada, the underlying message was clear: something has to be done, and fast.  The Western US is already using more water than there is, there has not been comprehensive reform of the water rights system in New Mexico since 1907, and we are far behind our neighbors in terms of getting existing rights sorted out a

A new report by the National Research Council says the US could save 12 billion gallons of water a year by recycling its wastewater.  KUNM’s Conservation Beat reporter Sidsel Overgaard reports on some efforts already underway in New Mexico.

More conservation stories on our blog: earth air waves

In the last few weeks I’ve found myself pondering the question of local vs. global in the environmental movement.  The philosopher Peter Singer often cites WEH Lecky, a 19th century historian who saw human concern as an expanding circle starting with the self and gradually growing outward to include nations, all humanity and the animal world.

Once the legislative session starts next week, hundreds of students will descend on the Roundhouse in support of a measure known as the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.

The New Mexico legislative session begins next week and KUNM’s Conservation Beat reporter, Sidsel Overgaard, has been tracking some of the environment-related measures on the table. 

Some interesting thoughts from State Senator Cisco McSorley at yesterday's meeting on environmental literacy.  Is an environmental movement the indication of a healthy democracy?

To me, the most interesting question in this story about Environmental Literacy is whether advocates will be able to frame the proposed graduation requirement as a tool to help teachers and students excel in a system focused on evaluation (in other words, improve test scores) or whether it will be seen as one more subject to be squished into an already-packed school year.  It’s a relevant debate.

Unfortunately, my suspicion is that as soon as the words “climate change” enter the story (which they do, at about 1:14), there are some people who will immediately see this as a political issue.

This just in!  A summary of the entire Sandia bird count from leader Rebecca Gracey:

Dear Sandia Mountains CBC Participants,

The snow kept many of you from the locations you usually look for birds, but it brought some species that we had not seen on the count in many years to the plowed roadsides in the east mountains. These included the  Western Meadowlark, last reported in 2006, Horned Lark in 2007, and Red-winged Blackbird in 2005.

There were some great finds and a few misses. The finds included four species that had never been seen on the count before:

When I left the mountain to produce this story (and warm my non-gaiter-protected frozen toes), Dave Mehlman and Jesse Vooz had spotted a total of 11 bird species.  By the end of the day, the list was substantially longer: 27 species, including four raptors.

The cold weather may not inspire the majority of us to go outside and stand around for hours.  But, then, the majority of us aren’t fishermen.

A coalition of elected officials, environmentalists and union members said today that passage of the American Jobs Act would be a win for both the economy and environment.  KUNM’s Sidsel Overgaard has more.

Last year, New Mexico became a national leader in air pollution control by passing a rule to limit and reduce the carbon emissions of its largest polluters.

Hearings began Wednesday on an effort to repeal a cap on greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico.  The rule was approved by the Environmental Improvement Board in the waning days of former Governor Bill Richardson’s tenure and has yet to take effect.

After almost three years of court appeals and negotiation, water officials in New Mexico have approved a settlement that aims to regulate waste from the state’s 2.6 billion dollar dairy industry.  Sidsel Overgaard reports.