October 2015 Green Fire Times

News & Views

from the

S u s t ai n ab l e S o u t h w e s t

E nergy

B uilding R esilience

E fficiency

to a

and

C hanging C limate

R enewable E nergy

October 2015

Northern New Mexico’s Largest Distribution Newspaper

Vol. 7 No. 10

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Come see fall on display!

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Vol. 7, No. 10 • October 2015 Issue No. 78 Publisher Green Fire Publishing, LLC

Skip Whitson

Associate Publisher

Barbara E. Brown

Editor-in-chief

Seth Roffman

Art Director

Anna C. Hansen, Dakini Design Copy Editor Stephen Klinger Webmaster: Karen Shepherd Contributing Writers

John Alejandro, Beth Beloff, David Breecker, Tejinder Ciano, Morgan Day, Kristina G. Fisher, Mayor Javier Gonzales, Caryn Grosse, Amantha Hatherly, Ken Hughes, Melissa A. McDonald, Jack McGowan, Andy Otto, Lisa Randall, Seth Roffman, Glenn Schiffbauer, Adam Schlachter, Ashley-Veronika Zappe

Contributing Photographers Lars Anderson, Anna C. Hansen, Seth Roffman

PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANTs Cisco Whitson-Brown

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Skip Whitson 505.471.5177 skip@greenfiretimes.com Anna C. Hansen 505.982.0155 dakinidesign@newmexico.com Robyn Montoya 505.692.4477 robyn.greenfiretimes@gmail.com Lisa Powers, 505.629.2655 Lisa@greenfiretimes.com

News & Views

from the

Sustainable Southwest

Winner of the Sustainable Santa Fe Award for Outstanding Educational Project

Contents

Sustainable Santa Fe: Building Resilience to a Changing Climate . . .. . .. . .. . .. 7 The Santa Fe Climate Action Task Force. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 7 A Sustainable Santa Fe Vision . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 9 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 10 The Microgrid Systems Laboratory . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .13 Renewable Energy on City Facilities and Energy Performance Contracting . . .. . 15 Energy Efficiency Training at Santa Fe Community College . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .16 Spotlight on Santa Fe’s Sustainable Business Roundtable . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 19 Santa Fe Water Conservation Accomplishments . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 20 A River Runs through Us . . .. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 21 Restoring Santa Fe’s Arroyos to Improve Climate Resiliency . . .. . .. . .. . .. . 22 Santa Fe Public Schools Initiatives Support Resilience to Climate Change . . .. . 23 Santa Fe’s Expanded Recycling Program Bears Fruit . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 25 Reunity Resources: Zero Waste Solutions . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 27 Food and Farming Are Central to Climate Change Solutions. . .. . .. . .. . .. 29 Earth Care Programs Teach the Value of Local Food . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .33 Newsbites . . .. . .. . .. . .. . ... . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 9, 14, 25, 37 What’s Going On. . .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 38

Niki Nicholson 505.490.6265 Niki@GreenFireTimes.com Albuquerque: Shelley Shilvock 505-492-5869, ShelleyShilvock@gmail.com

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Green Fire Times

c/o The Sun Companies P.O. Box 5588, SF, NM 87502-5588 505.471.5177 • info@greenfiretimes.com

Green Fire Times provides useful information for community members, business people, students and visitors—anyone interested in discovering the wealth of opportunities and resources in the Southwest.

In support of a more sustainable planet, topics covered range from green businesses, jobs, products, services, entrepreneurship, investing, design, building and energy—to native perspectives on history, arts & culture, ecotourism, education, sustainable agriculture, regional cuisine, water issues and the healing arts. To our publisher, a more sustainable planet also means maximizing environmental as well as personal health by minimizing consumption of meat and alcohol.

Green Fire Times is widely distributed throughout north-central New Mexico. Feedback, announcements, event listings, advertising and article submissions to be considered for publication are welcome.

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© Seth Roffman

© 2015 Green Fire Publishing, LLC

Sister Joan Brown, of Interfaith Power & Light, speaks at a “Climate Vigil” in front of the St. Francis Basilica on Sept. 22

COVER:

ustainable Santa Fe Turtle Logo • Design by Valerie Chelonis S Bottom: Amy Biehl Community School • Photo by Seth Roffman Green Fire Times • October 2015

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Sustainable Santa Fe Building Resilience to a Changing Climate

The city has made tremendous progress in energy efficiency, and I’m proud to say that 25 percent of the electricity our city facilities use is generated by renewable-energy sources, but we can do more. That’s why last November, Santa Fe’s governing body passed a resolution establishing the goal of Santa Fe being carbon-neutral by 2040.

It’s an ambitious goal, but by working together, I believe it can be achieved.

I created a Climate Action Task Force to identify new and innovative ways to tackle the challenges of climate change faced by our community. Over 70 environmental, energy, water, landmanagement and renewable-energy experts from across Santa Fe have been working together on committees

to develop recommendations on how we can improve our efforts in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency; water, land management and food security; transportation; recycling and waste management; and to identify sources of financing that can help make those efforts a reality. It truly is a comprehensive public effort.

roadmap in our pursuit of achieving carbon neutrality. The plan will identify specific programs, projects and policies by which Santa Fe can reduce its carbon emissions; establish and implement community-wide energy-efficiency programs; increase the use of renewable energy; continue to conserve water and natural resources; improve our economy by creating green jobs; increase environmental protection; and educate our children about the environment, all while measuring our progress year after year, in order to hold us accountable to future generations.

The city’s goal is to become carbon-neutral by 2040.

But, creating long-term, impactful change is an issue that spans generations.

That’s why the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission will be working with the task force to draft a 25-year Sustainable Santa Fe Plan that will serve as a

Mayor Javier Gonzales

Now and in the future,the effects of climate change will have an impact on virtually every decision our community makes.Throughout this edition of Green Fire Times, you will see examples of how hard our community is working to make Santa Fe a better place by developing and implementing a host of sustainability programs; they are but a small sampling of what is taking place here. I am excited and confident that the path we are creating will lead to success and will help ensure Santa Fe’s and our region’s long-term health and well-being. i

© Seth Roffman (2)

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aking Santa Fe a leader in renewable-energy and sustainability programs can contribute to our economic development while at the same time securing our energy future. What’s more, it will help us answer the global imperative of climate change, making our city more resilient in the face of the single most important challenge we will ever face.

© Anna C. Hansen (2)

Mayor Javier Gonzales

L-R: City Councilors Dimas, Maestas, Bushee, Ives, Mayor Gonzales, Domínguez, Lindell, Trujillo and Rivera

The Santa Fe Climate Action Task Force

Task Force Co-chairs: City Councilor Peter Ives and Former City of Santa Fe Mayor David Coss

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s the co-chairs of Santa Fe’s Climate Action Task Force, we have had the distinct pleasure to work with numerous sustainability experts to achieve the task force’s mission of counseling and advising the city of Santa Fe’s governing body on the types of strategies and programs the city should undertake to create a healthier, more resilient, adaptable and vital community. Such a broad undertaking required the task force to create a set of working groups, or committees, focused on identifying and prioritizing what could be achieved in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, finance, water, land management and food security within six, 12 and 18 months.

city’s leaders, as you will see in the articles in this issue of Green Fire Times. Some are being pursued via resolutions, ordinances and administrative efforts, while others are being pursued by nonprofits, the Santa Fe Public Schools, private-sector companies and other environmentally focused organizations.

Cities can, and must, be leaders in lowering carbon footprints and changing the way we consume resources such as energy, water, food and land. When programs are developed at local levels to address local problems, they are more likely to succeed in making communities more resilient and more sustainable. Santa Fe is no different. It has the vision, expertise and desire to overcome the challenges of climate change. The work of the task force is just the first step toward achieving that goal. Our community’s work has just begun, and together, we City Councilor-Mayor Pro Tem Peter Ives will succeed. i

Cities can, and must, be leaders in lowering carbon footprints and changing the way we consume resources.

Former Mayor David Coss

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The ability to tap such knowledge within our community is an innovative, inclusive and collaborative way to help overcome the challenges of climate change, the biggest threat to our way of life that we have faced in generations. The task force has made many recommendations to the

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A Sustainable Santa Fe Vision

Ken Hughes

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Photo-realistic vision of a walkable, socially interactive St. Michaels “Boulevard”

t’s 2040 in Santa Fe. Temperatures typically top 90 degrees half the year.

Rainstorms are infrequent, warm and ferocious. Other areas around New Mexico have been hit hard, with many communities dried up. Yet, because of actions taken 25 years ago, Santa Fe avoids a setting for a Cormac McCarthy novel and remains a livable city that offers sustainable levels of food, water, energy, mobility and sociability.

Inspired by no-carbon cities such as Colonia, Uruguay, Santa Fe sports hundreds of pocket gardens and thousands of street trees watered from batch wastewater plants that process water from nearby homes and businesses, along with storm retention features and permeable paving. Walking through the city, even on hot days, remains comfortable due to our towering rows of trees, having reached maturity since their 2018 planting.

St. Michaels Drive today

Because of actions taken 25 years ago (2015), Santa Fe remains a livable city.

Starting with St. Michaels Drive (right, 2012 and 2042), each neighborhood has fashioned plazas from road reductions that open up space for people. The plazas offer social interactions prized by Santa Feans for centuries as well as mobility choices of electric powered bikes, cars and chauffeured vehicles known as the bus, all charged at a solar-powered shade structure that stores three days’ worth of electricity underground in reservoirs of air or salt.

The neighborhood microgrid ensures delivery of locally generated power to and from the regional grid, a ballet of 300MW worth of carbon-free electrons serving 150,000 Santa Feans and two million tourists. i Ken Hughes is a member of the Finance Working Group of Santa Fe’s Climate Action Task Force.

Climate Change News While New Mexico is no longer in the grips of a severe 10-year drought (thanks to an unusually rainy spring and early summer, with a strong El Niño weather pattern predicted through the winter), UNM climatologist David Guzler says that it’s important to think of this rainy spell as a short-term abatement of a long-term water resource challenge. Like the rest of the West, New Mexico’s largest snow-fed reservoirs are still not in great shape.

Four independent studies in 2014 found the highest annual global surface temperatures in at least 135 years. 2015 is expected to break that record. July was the warmest month ever recorded on Earth, and the world’s oceans, which have risen an average of 3 inches since 1992, were the warmest they’ve ever been in July.

Analysis of tree-ring data recently released revealed that it has been 500 years since California has been so dry.

The average New Mexico summer is 3.4 degrees warmer now than in 1984. NASA scientists say the Southwest is facing a mega-drought that could last up to 30 years if greenhouse gas emissions are not dramatically curtailed by 2050.

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New elements culminate with...

© Steven Price, Urban Advantage

© Anna C. Hansen

Santa Fe’s building code was amended to emplace Ed Mazria’s Architecture 2030 challenge, resulting in homes, offices and schools putting more power into the grid than they take. Cooling chimneys induce passive ventilation, shower towers cool air evaporatively, solar panels offer shade and electricity, and geothermal provides space conditioning. Heat emitted from computers is stored in phasechange salt canisters, used as needed for heating. Optical tubes bring natural light into interior rooms.

... a pedestrian-oriented sidewalk, off-road bike lane separated from walkers by a tree-lined, landscaped area.

EPA Methane Rules Would Impact Oil & Gas Operations Methane is about 80 times more powerful over the first 20 years in trapping heat on the Earth’s surface than carbon dioxide. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the oil and gas industry emits more than 7 million metric tons of methane annually and, without controls, emissions will rise by about 25 percent over the next decade.

A satellite image from NASA last year showed a huge methane “hot spot” over the Four Corners region. Methane extracted from coal seams and produced during coal mining are likely sources. According to scientists, including some from Los Alamos National Laboratory, the hot spot also accounted for 10 percent of all oil and gasrelated methane emissions from the United States. A recent independent study showed that, in New Mexico, about $100 million worth of gas extracted on federal and tribal land is lost annually to flaring, venting and leaking.

The EPA’s proposed rules to control methane emissions from oil and gas operations would have a major impact in New Mexico. The rules, to be finalized in 2016, would lower the emissions by between 40 and 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025 by limiting flaring and venting and controlling leaks from extraction, processing and transmission equipment. The rules are part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan.

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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Keys to a Climate-Neutral Future Jack McGowan and Beth Beloff

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© Seth Roffman

anta Fe and the United States must fully leverage energy efficiency and renewables for many reasons, including climate change. Doing just that is the charge of an exciting collaboration between the city and private citizens serving on Santa Fe’s Climate Action Task Force (CATF).

Mariel Nanasi, executive director of the advocacy group New Energy Economy, which has been challenging Public Service Company of New Mexico’s (PNM) power replacement plan for the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station in northwest New Mexico

The CATF Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy (EE/RE) and finance groups include 30 industry professionals. These working groups were formed to make recommendations that will drive positive action. The Finance Group advises all of the working groups on innovative financing options.

Timing for renewable energy couldn’t be better since solar photovoltaic (PV) systems cost 60 percent less than five years ago. Costs and other factors have resulted in nearly 20 states being at or near, grid parity; meaning the cost of electricity from home solar systems is at or below that of local utilities. Owners of net-zero-energy homes know this is true.

Efficiency is the single greatest untapped source of energy on Earth. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) purports that the United States could cut energy consumption 60 percent by 2050, preserving natural resources and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. Amazingly, ACEEE estimates this could save up to $400 million per year, or about $2,600 per household. These were motivators for Mayor Javier Gonzales to ask CATF EE/RE and finance working groups for fast-track recommendations.

To truly grasp EE/RE’s importance, it helps to understand the larger energy picture, beginning with consumption. This Energy Information Administration (EIA) chart, published annually, provides valuable perspective on U.S. energy consumption.

The f ocus here is on residential and commercial, large end-use sectors in Santa Fe and New Mexico that make up 41 percent of national consumption.

Industrial use is limited here, and CATF Transportation Working Group efforts are covered elsewhere.

EIA charts below answer the next question: What is energ y used f or in residential and commercial buildings? It may not be clear at first glance, but we also know that different types of energy, electricity or natural gas, are consumed for different end uses. For example, heating is a major residential end use that consumes mostly natural gas, but energy cost is also critical when analyzing EE/ RE projects. Environmental impact is key too. Electricity is the highest-cost fuel with the most environmental impact.

Even though electricity accounts for ~40 percent of home energy consumption annually, it represents ~70 percent of total energy cost.

Efficiency is the single greatest untapped source of energy on Earth.

It is common knowledge that energy can be managed to reduce consumption, which in turn offers major environmental and economic benefits. Most people wonder, “Where do I start, and what investments should I make?” Energy management provides these answers by starting with an energy history, or “baseline” of consumption that is collected from utility bills. The next step is to compare, or “benchmark” city buildings, homes, etc. to other similar buildings to see how well they are performing. This is like comparing the mpg between two cars. EnergyStar® has published consumption data for buildings nationally. Next, this information and the building itself are analyzed to break down how energy is used, like in the EIA chart, and to prioritize ways (projects) to save energy and money. The best practice is to complete efficiency projects first and then look at renewables. Efficiency can involve changing use behaviors, but the most value is created by projects that install new efficient appliances and equipment, which save energy and money. These savings make it possible for efficiency projects to pay for themselves. Financing is important because it can provide cash to pay for the project—and savings, in the early years, are used for repayment. To help with all continued on page 12

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energy & analytics:

Big Data & Building Technology Integration

By Jack McGowan fairmont press

Wearable technology devices that measure the number of steps walked, steps climbed and other personal metrics are, among some, the rage for fitness. But why would you want this for a building? Quite simply, because we commonly manage energy through a rearview mirror. Until the monthly electricity or natural gas bill comes, we don’t know how we are doing. This applies to consumption, efficiency and solar systems. Without specialized gear, most people don’t know if their panels have been generating electricity until the bill comes.

The Internet of Things and Smart Energy technology can tell us how building systems are performing in real time, just the way a wristband tracker can help a fitness buff manage health, diet and exercise, so that performance can be corrected on the fly.

Energy & Analytics: Big Data & Building Technology Integration (Fairmont Press www.fairmontpress.com, order code 0709), by Jack McGowan, is a new textbook, written to help educate the next generation of energy professionals. It includes stories about what is happening in cities and at buildings such as Microsoft’s world headquarters. McGowan explains how big data and smart energy are the next frontier for builidngs and homes and says that these trends will create highwage, clean-technology jobs.

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Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy this work, cities and commercial building owners can start with energy consultants or energy service companies (ESCOs). The NM Efficient Use of Energy Act also requires utilities to assist with commercial and residential efficiency.

Efficiency and renewables are “disruptive technologies.”

After efficiency projects are complete, it is important to make sure that savings materialize. Big Data for Energy is the next frontier in this effort, which will host all of this information in the cloud to track savings over time and notify owners if savings falter. Think of this like a fitbit™ fitness tracker for energy.

There is one last important thing to understand about electricity: Renewables can be installed on the utility (supply) side of the meter, or the customer (demand) side of the meter.

This graph shows the path of energy from coal power plant to the plug. The customer meter separates supply and demand sides.

Clearly today’s electric system is inefficient, making renewables at the home even better, an idea utilities don’t like. Utilities want to build solar on the supply side so they can keep selling electricity.

Efficiency and renewables take money away from utilities, and they don’t like that. No business would. Wanting customers to keep

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continued from page

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buying electricity doesn’t make utilities bad, but the world is changing. Efficiency and renewables are “disruptive technologies.” Disruption occurs whenever there is a better way to do something, causing customers to change buying choices. We still need an electric system, but it cannot continue as it is today. In New Mexico, electricity and natural gas are regulated monopolies, so these businesses don’t react to market forces like others do, and that makes it harder to get “better ways” (efficiency and solar products) to market. Monopoly status also stifles innovation and cause utilities to protect the status quo. There are no bad guys here; rather, there is a system that needs to change so that we can encourage innovation, including efficiency and renewables throughout the electric system.

Toward the goal of encouraging energy innovation around efficiency and renewables, and in support of city goals to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the CATF presented the following recommendations to City Council in May. These are short-term actionable objectives, some leveraging and enhancing ongoing city efforts, and all are practical within the city’s economic framework.

1. Establish goals and benchmarks to reduce citywide energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Pursue energy savings performance contracting for city facilities with an Energy Service Company (ESCO).

3. S cale up solar-distributed generation projects on city facilities.

4. Strengthen and expand energy-efficiency programs and solar-energy projects in commercial and residential sectors.

5. Educate and inform the public about available programs. continued on page 31

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The Microgrid Systems Laboratory

David Breecker

he Microgrid Systems Laboratory (MSL), headquartered in Santa Fe, is a fully integrated innovation center for decentralized energy architectures.

With a mission to “accelerate the commercial deployment of microgrid systems worldwide,” MSL represents a collaborative effort to speed the transition to a more resilient, sustainable and accessible electricity system.

Microgrids are community-scaled smart-energy networks and are enabling infrastructure for smart-grid and other advanced energy technologies. This includes deployments in the developing world, to help alleviate “energy poverty”; in the emerging economies, to reinforce and extend infrastructure; and in the industrial world, to modernize the existing grid for improved performance and to meet economic, security and environmental goals.

Many experts believe microgrids are the future of the electric power system because of their many advantages. But much work still needs to be done to make those benefits real, including ways to address large technical, structural, financial and regulatory gaps. And this is where MSL is delivering value to Santa Fe, northern New Mexico, and beyond.

MSL is a joint venture between the Santa Fe Innovation Park and Santa Fe Community College.The lab works with a broad range of collaborators, including national laboratories, utilities and microgrid experts, in order to perform sponsored research; support prototype, pilot and demonstration projects; advance its own applied research-

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and-development and innovation agenda; train a qualified technical and professional workforce; and provide systems-level testing and certification.

Microgrids are community-scaled smart-energy networks.

Through these activities and its core programs, partners and facilities, MSL develops practical solutions to the challenges that inhibit rapid, reliable microgrid deployments.

The Opportunity

The market for decentralized energy solutions is growing rapidly worldwide, driving large commercial and social opportunities for organizations prepared to participate. Microgrid capacity is projected to quadruple in size by 2020. Globally, 2.4 billion people lack adequate access to electricity (of which 1.3 billion have no electricity at all). In the industrialized world, most centralized grids are at or near replacement age for much of their asset stock and are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events and sabotage. A badly needed upgrade will occur within a context of flat or declining consumer demand, mandated renewable portfolio standards, increasingly affordable distributed generation and carbon policy and legislation. The need for creative innovation and cross-sector problem solving is acute.

Recent Activities

MSL has completed work with a U.S. Department of Energy-funded

Jeremy Mier/Santa Fe Community College

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team developing approaches for microgrids in India, for which it contributed a toolkit for “Human, Social, and Cultural Factors.” MSL is currently developing a research project with its member institutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, along with the city of Santa Fe, to optimize the city’s net municipal energy demand and timing; and recently led the microgrid panel at the 2015 Santa Fe Energy Summit,

convened by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Mayor Javier Gonzalez, with the participation of DOE Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. With funding from Santa Fe County, MSL partner Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) is designing smart/microgrid curriculum and workforce training programs; concurrently, microgrid infrastructure on the college campus is being designed with funding provided by the state of New Mexico. Several potential microgrid demonstration projects are also in development. continued on page 32

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Clean Energy Investments—A Report from CitiBank

New Mexico Falls Out of Top 10 SolarProducing States

Though the report says that renewable-energy investment costs more than conventional alternatives, the benefits of wind and solar power take hold over time in the form of fuel savings and avoided future costs. “Inaction,” the report notes, “would lead to a reduction in global GDP, which could reach $72 trillion by 2060 depending on temperature increase, scenario and discount rate used.”

New Mexico fell in a national ranking of total installed solar power generating c apacit y in 2014, according to a new report by Environment New Mexico Research & Policy Center (ENMRPC). Of the top 10 states listed—including some that receive significantly less sunlight than New Mexico such as New Jersey, Vermont and Massachusetts—all have renewable-energy requirements, and nine have strong laws to allow solar customers to connect to the electricity grid and receive credit for the excess power their homes generate.

An August 2015 report released by Citibank researchers says that global clean-energy investments would cost only marginally more than “business as usual.” “In the context of potential implications of climate-change inaction on society and global gross domestic product (GDP), and with the additional benefit of cleaner air, the, ‘why-would-you-not’ argument comes to the fore, an argument that becomes progressively harder to ignore over time,” the researchers said.

The report’s authors, who are not climate scientists but researchers looking objectively at the economics surrounding the global, warming debate, say adopting low-carbon solutions would not be without losers. “A study has shown that if we are serious about meeting the ‘carbon budget’ and have a chance of limiting temperature increase to 2ºC, then globally one-third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves and 80 percent of coal reserves would have to remain in the ground.”

Meanwhile, countries worldwide are preparing for UN climate talks in December, something the researchers see as the first real opportunity to reach a global, legally binding agreement for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. “Paris offers a generational opportunity; one we believe should be firmly grasped with both hands,” they said.

New Mexico was in 11th place.

California was No. 1, followed by Arizona. The figures include both utility-scale installations and rooftop systems. The report says that every state in the country receives enough sunlight each year to meet its energy needs several times over. “Our analysis shows that policy choices are a key driver of solar-energ y growth,” said Gideon Weissman of Frontier Group, report co-author. “As solar technologies improve and good federal policy makes solar energy more accessible, we must also commit to policies here in New Mexico that take full advantage of our abundance of sunshine,” said Carly Poremba, organizer with ENMRPC. ENMRPC would like to see New Mexico utilize solar energy wherever possible on public buildings and properties and expand its renewable portfolio standard. The organization is also urging the state to establish programs to help finance renewableenergy upgrades to buildings and businesses, and to establish strong net-metering standards, community solar and virtual net metering (which can deliver the benefits of solar power to low-income communities.) Active Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs can finance energy efficiency and renewable-energy upgrades.

Nationwide, solar generation has tripled in the last three years alone.

The industry is adding jobs much faster than the overall economy; last year the solar industry in New Mexico provided jobs for 1,600 people.

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Renewable Energy on City Facilities and Energy Performance Contracting John Alejandro

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n an effort to reduce the use of fossil-fuel-based electricity and save money on its electric bills, the city of Santa Fe began installing renewable-energy and energy-efficiency technologies in many of its facilities. Since 2007, 13 renewableenergy and energy-efficiency projects have been completed, largely funded by $1.3 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (federal stimulus funds). Currently, 10 renewable-energy systems generate 4.8 MW of electricity, meeting approximately 25 percent of all city facility power needs: • Buckman Direct Diversion Project: 1.0 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) system, and an additional 1.5 MW PV system located at Booster 2A

• Transit Division: 165 kilowatt (kW) PV system;

• Community Convention Center: 91 kW PV system;

• Fire Station #3: 24 kW photovoltaic (PV) system, along with a solar thermal system for heating water;

• Canyon Road Water Treatment Plant: 100 kW hydroelectric plant;

• Wastewater Treatment Facility: 1.1 MW PV system and a 100 kW PV system located at the Compost Facility (above);

• Water Division Administration Building: 81 kW PV system that also powers two electric-vehicle charging stations; and,

• Genoveva Chávez Community Center: 600 kW PV system.

Solar array at Buckman Direct Diversion Project

Currently, 10 RE systems meet approximately 25 percent of all city facility power needs.

government to identify and evaluate a host of potential energy savings throughout its facilities, and then installs a combination of energy-efficiency and water-saving equipment, renewable-energy technologies and smart-energy controls to make the savings a reality. The resulting savings from the reduction of energy used by the facilities is then used to pay for the costs of the projects.

The city will be participating in the New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources’ Local Energy Efficiency Performance program, which

© Seth Roffman

Courtesy City of Santa Fe (2)

Energy efficiency retrofits include:

• Lighting retrofits at 26 city buildings; • HVAC upgrade and building controls installed at the Municipal Court Building; and, • Boiler and building envelope upgrades at various facilities.

Stimulus funds were also leveraged to assist in the purchase of 11 compressednatural-gas solid-waste vehicles.

A goal of the city is to further reduce energy used by its facilities, and in an effort to achieve that, it will be assessing energy equipment such as HVAC systems, boilers, chillers and other technologies to identify items that can be upgraded to help its buildings be more energy efficient and use less electricity.

To help pay for these upgrades, the city will be developing an energy performance contract program. Energy performance contracting has been used by federal, state and local governments for nearly 30 years to improve energy use in government buildings. In a nutshell, an Energy Service Company (ESCO), comprised of energy experts with extensive experience in energy systems, works closely with a local

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Parking lot solar array at the Genoveva Chávez Community Center

will help guide the city through the energy performance contract process, along with access to a certified third-party reviewer who will help assess energy audits performed on city facilities.

The city will be participating in EMNR’s Local Energy Efficiency Performance program.

Successful implementation of this program could save Santa Fe taxpayers approximately $300,000 in natural gas and electricity bills from the energyefficient and renewable-energy investments made. Not only will such investments save money; they will also help reduce carbon emissions by lowering the amount of fossil-fuel-based electricity used and improve the indoor environments of the city’s public buildings that are used by the public and city employees every day. i John Alejandro is the Renewable Energy planner at the city of Santa Fe.

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© Anna C. Hansen

Solar array at Santa Fe’s Wastewater Treatment Facility

Energy Efficiency Training at Santa Fe Community College Amanda Hatherly

n January 2011, the stunning new Trades and Advanced Technologies Center (recently awarded LEED P l a t i n u m b y t h e U. S. G r e e n Building Council) opened at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC).

Serendipitously, at the same time, a $1-million grant to fund a state training center for the Department of Energy Weatherization program was awarded to New Mexico, and SFCC was chosen as its home. The New Mexico EnergySmart Academy (NMESA) was created and housed in a new building. With that funding and an additional $500,000 from the Department of Labor a year later, NMESA could purchase state-ofthe-art equipment and develop a quality curriculum to meet the needs of a workforce that requires highlevel technological training as energy efficiency becomes more and more important to our climate goals.

The academy developed a field guide for over 250 specifications in retrofit energyefficiency work.

Over the almost five years since its beginning, NMESA has trained hundreds of people for technically demanding careers in energy efficiency; from the Home Energy Raters whose services are used by every builder in

Five Energy Efficiency Tips for Homeowners • S witch from incandescent lightbulbs to LEDs. • Buy EnergyStar® appliances, but read the label, as some are much more efficient than others.

• Install storm windows rather than paying a lot of money for new windows.

• U se your thermostat or buy a programmable one (not for radiant floor heating, though).

• Wash clothes with cold water— most newer washing soaps are formulated for cold water.

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the city of Santa Fe, to energy auditors, crew leaders, inspectors and hands-on installers working in the federal lowincome weatherization program, to the people who manage and operate state buildings and other large commercial enterprises.

Not only has NMESA become the go-to location for energy-efficiency training in the state, but students from Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and elsewhere come to Santa Fe for specific training they cannot get in their home states. NMESA has been accredited by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) for its four core energy-efficiency programs, one of only a handful of training centers nationwide.

As more and more students come from out of state, much of the lectureoriented curriculum is now delivered in an innovative, online format so that students have an engaging, highly interactive, hands-on experience that is time- and cost-effective.

© Seth Roffman

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NMESA has acquired a national reputation for excellence. In 2014, the academy developed a step-by-step, photo-illustrated field guide for over 250 different specifications in retrofit energy-efficiency work that is now being used by 26 states. Staff is regularly invited to speak at conferences across the country about the work being done here.

Back in Santa Fe, NMESA staff work on the mayor’s Climate Action Task Force working group for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, help as the city revises green building codes, and collaborate on many energyefficiency initiatives around the state.

In September, NMESA was awarded the 2015 New Mexico Association of Energy Engineers’“Energy Professional Development” award.

For homeowners, a series of short videos on many different aspects of energy efficiency has been developed in both English and Spanish and can be found at the following links: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis t=PLiNc34F5mnBV9NgPW5AcaNv nWqFeUAd3O

Green Fire Times • October 2015

Top: Solar Fiesta exhibition at Santa Fe Community College; SFCC Energy Efficiency students

h t t p s : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / playlist?list=PLiNc34F5mnBWTSI3Bbb8ETT0Xv2olDdP For more information about the NMESA, go to: www.sfcc.edu/ n m _ e n e r g y s m a r t _ a c a d e m y.

For more information about the programs in the Trades and Advanced Technologies Center at SFCC, go to: www.sfcc.edu i

Amanda Hatherly is the director of the New Mexico EnergySmart Academy at SFCC, a m e m be r o f t h e Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group for the Climate Change Task Force, and a Sustainable Santa Fe Commissioner.

Amanda.hatherly@ sfcc.edu

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To advertise, please call: Anna Hansen: 505.982.0155 Skip Whitson: 505.471.5177

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Spotlight on Santa Fe’s Sustainable Business Roundtable

Glenn Schiffbauer

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© Seth Roffman (2)

he Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce hosted an educational pilot program this year called the Sustainable Business Roundtable.

Local participants included The Good Water Company, Reynolds Insurance,

and Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis de Assisi.To add further insights, participants were also given a copy of the The Top 50 Sustainability Books by Wayne Visser.

The first three months of the program focused on what sustainability means; the next three looked at what we as local businesses can do to evolve business practices to align with environmental stewardship; and the last three months focused on how a consortium of green businesses can— by example and by applying the so-called Five Capitals (Financial, Natural, Social, Human and Built)—help engender a thrivEllen Kemper and Ken Hughes, at the Santa Fe Green i n g s u s t a i n a b l e Chamber of Commerce’s annual Green Festival, consider the economy in Santa Fe. merits of a car that has been converted into an electric vehicle

by Envirokarma (www.envirokarma.biz).

Mayor Javier Gonzales and the city of Santa Fe’s renewable-energy specialist, John Alejandro, attended the final session of the Sustainable Business Roundtable Pilot Program in which we discussed ways the city and the business community could collaborate on public-private partnerships to reduce emissions, improve recycling and develop a framework for import replacement.

Bettering local business, the community and the protection of our environment Participants contributed to and gained from worthwhile interactions, ideas and relationships growing out of this year’s pilot program. There was a feeling, however, that this first program may have been too heavy on the philosophical underpinnings of sustainability and

not grounded enough in deliverables.

Now, as the Green Chamber plans to host a second year of the Sustainable Business Roundtable in 2016, there is a clear intention—in addition to fostering inspiring sustainable business education interaction—to implement a community service project and bring about tangible results in partnership with the city. We welcome a new round of local business owners to participate in next year’s evolving program. The requirements are that you 1) have integrity, 2) bring initiative and 3) join the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce. If you are interested in participating, please contact Glenn Schiffbauer at glennschiffbauer@ gmail.com i Glenn Schiffbauer is executive director o f t h e S a n ta Fe Green Chamber of Commerce.

Positive Energy, Joe’s Diner, Palo Santo Designs, Inn of the Governors and Tomasita’s restaurant. Facilitators were Chris Putnam of Nubu Design, Robb Hirsch of EDL Consulting and Bob Mang of Regenesis.

The purpose of this program was to engage these local businesses and facilitators in the mutual pursuit of sustainability, with the aim of bettering local business, the community and the protection of our environment.

The pilot program started in the fall of 2014 and concluded in May 2015.

During the meetings, participants delved into core sustainability principles— including the ecological values of responsibility, interrelatedness, evolution and authenticity—and explored reallife examples of local and national businesses carrying out these principles.

To deepen the monthly discussions, select readings were chosen, including chapters from Confessions of a Radical Industrialist by Ray Anderson of Interface; The Responsible Business by Carol Sanford; Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia,

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

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Santa Fe Water Conservation Accomplishments

Caryn Grosse

n unprecedented drought in 2002 provided a unique opportunity to change Santa Fe’s cultural values about water, and the drought of the past few years has reinforced the importance of conservation to maintaining a diverse and sustainable water supply in an arid region. Climate change, anticipated in the city’s Long Range Water Supply Plans, may adversely affect the water supply, so water conservation and reuse will be crucial elements of our water resource management in the future.

Behavioral changes and technology can help save water and money.

Since 1997, the city of Santa Fe has built a water-conservation program that is among the best in the Southwest with respect to both comprehensiveness and effectiveness.

Despite record-breaking heat and drought during the past four years and increasing population, Santa Fe’s dedication to saving water has enabled total water consumption to drop and stay below 10,000 acre-feet a year for the past few years.

After several years hovering above 100 gallons per capita per day (GPCD), Santa Fe achieved 95 GPCD in 2014. GPCD is considered to be a key metric for the performance of any municipal water conservation program. Getting down to 95 gpcd was, and is, a remarkable accomplishment for the City Different, and puts our community well below the national average of 150 gallons per person per day.

This is a 56 percent reduction in use since 1995.

Audits and Leak Detections—Water Conservation staff offer assistance with finding sources of water waste and provide recommendations for repairs and upgrades to save water and money, including applicable rebates.

Rebates—residential and commercial, for replacement of high-use appliances and fixtures with water-efficient models. Devices inc lude high-efficiency toilets, clothes washers, rainwater harvesting, water-f ree urinals, and irrigation equipment such as soil-moisture sensors and weather-based controllers.

A new commercial process efficiency rebate is in the works.

The rebate program alone has resulted in 41,969,600 gallons (128.8 acre-feet) of water saved over the last 10 years.

© Seth Roffman

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• Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) certification training—landscape professionals learn about water-efficient irrigation techniques and technologies.

• Green Lodging Initiative—information on rebate programs and other ways to improve water efficiency for hotels, motels and restaurants.

• Demonstration Garden—a colorful garden showcasing many different types of xeriscape in front of the Water Division.

• Radio Show—a weekly half-hour show on water topics, including upcoming events, rebates, seasonal water use, finding and fixing leaks and other topics.

Chart: comparison of GPCD by city

Over the years, the city has enacted a number of ordinances: prohibiting water waste, restricting water usage during drought conditions, requiring conservation for landscape and site design, creating water budgets for new construction, and providing rebates to encourage water customers to maximize efficiency. Tiered water rates have also played a significant role in reducing consumption, by allowing people to use a reasonable amount of water at a reasonable price, but charging a premium for excessive use.

The Water Conservation Office has developed a number of strategies to reach out to the community about the conservation requirements and incentives that the city has enacted. The office works to educate many different audiences within the community about the benefits of using water efficiently, as well as providing information about technology and behavioral changes that can help save water and money. Currently, some of the most successful strategies include: Children’s Water Fiesta—a fun, interactive day of learning for fourth-grade students. Each year approximately 600 students from Santa Fe Public Schools participate.

Children’s Poster Contest—a themed competition open to all first- through sixth-grade students, whether in public, private or home school.

Water Conservation Calendar—featuring the winning artwork from the poster contest, as well as tips on saving water indoors and out. Calendar distribution has increased to 5,000 units.

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

• Event participation—the Water Conservation Office provides community outreach through events such as the Homebuilders Show, CommUNITY Day, classes at the Railyard, the Xeriscape Council Land & Water Summit, Project WET: Water Education for Teachers workshops, and themed events such as the Spooky Showerhead Swap and Fix-A-Leak Week Flapper Friday.

• Ensuring compliance with applicable water conservation codes, ordinances and regulations.

• A formal and comprehensive strategic marketing and public outreach plan approved by City Council.

These programs, as well as previous ones, have contributed to Santa Fe’s recent drop below 100 GPCD, but ultimately it is the good water-conservation practices of Santa Fe’s citizens that have allowed the city to become a water conservation leader. By following the requirements and participating in rebate programs, Santa Feans have had a tremendous impact on the sustainability of water supplies, as well as saving money on their monthly utility bills.

This year, the drought conditions that Santa Fe has experienced for the last several years have eased, and a relatively wet winter is in the forecast; however, hot, dry weather is expected to resume next year. By continuing to be water conscious, Santa Feans will contribute to the sustainability of our community well into the future.

The Water Conservation Office has created a website with many interactive tools and resources. Water conservation requirements and rebate application forms can also be found there: www.savewatersantafe.com i Caryn Grosse, a water-conservation specialist with the city of Santa Fe Water Conservation Office, is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional with experience in the design and construction of sustainable buildings. clgrosse@santafenm.gov

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A River Runs through Us

Melissa A. McDonald

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efore construction of Santa Fe’s reservoir system in 1947, the Santa Fe River ran as a continuous flow. From its snow-fed branches in the upper watershed to the Río Grande, fish would swim, birds would fly and wildlife would come to splash and drink. Before Santa Fe was given its Spanish name, it was called “Po’e Gae,” meaning “watering place.”

© Anna C. Hansen

We were blessed over the last two years with a substantial amount of water in the river due to necessary improvements of the Nichols and McClure reservoirs. With these projects almost complete, you may hear that “we’ll never again see that much water on a regular basis in the river.”This remains to be seen, but our city can and should continue to recreate a living river. This would improve the quality of our lives, provide a healthy boost to our economy, reconnect us with our past, recharge our aquifers, improve water quality to our downstream neighbors and restore our reason for being here.

Santa Fe River west of Frenchy’s Field, flowing toward Siler Road

be directed quickly away from the built environment. But today, the city is assessing the use of green infrastructure projects, low-impact developments, and passive and active water-harvesting systems to capture and redirect water to the river by means of its greater watershed.

The Santa Fe River in the upper watershed

Thanks to the hard work of former Mayor David Coss and the City Council, the river has responded well to the induced meandering, vegetative management and other erosion control projects. Pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, bird watchers and children of all ages are now enjoying the corridor—almost as if it were the good old days.

Fortunately, Mayor Javier Gonzales and the current City Council are building upon this work by taking a holistic view of the river and its contributing watershed. Serious efforts to bring back the river have been underway for decades, but part of bringing back the river involves a revolution in the way our culture approaches stormwater.

To better understand the basis of this revolution, let’s consider the words of Luna Leopold, the native New Mexican son of Aldo Leopold (whose “green fire” in the eyes of a dying wolf suggests the name of this newspaper). In his 1960 essay, “Water and the Conservation Movement,” Luna asks, “Did you ever wonder how rivers and streams may continue to flow during long periods without rainfall? The flow in rivers during times of fair weather is water draining slowly out of the ground into surface streams.”

In an average year the roofs and roads of the City Different shed over one billion gallons of water.Throughout the urban portion, impervious surfaces reduce infiltration into the ground, while they simultaneously divert runoff at alarming rates. It is this excessive speed and increased volume of runoff that is one of the main reasons why the Santa Fe River became less and less dependable over time. Instead of being supported by a steady flow of water from the kind of infiltration that Leopold describes, stormwater now flies off of our city in fits and starts—with long, dry spells in between. Meanwhile, the water crashes through the arroyos and the river brings sediment and other pollutants with it, and this makes it ever harder for our “river” to be one.

A major initiative that the city of Santa Fe will focus on is the infiltration of more stormwater into the river. Up until recently, conventional standards required that runoff

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To do this effectively, Mayor Gonzales, the council, the Santa Fe River Commission and city staff will be working with Luna Leopold’s idea and look at every arroyo as a potential stream that might one day feed the river with both surface and groundwater.

To this end, a citywide arroyo assessment program ranks arroyos based on drainage problems, erosion issues and danger to infrastructure. Private/public arroyo projects that work with homeowners and/or neighborhood associations may soon be commonplace.

Rain gardens, depressions that collect stormwater and clean it before it enters an arroyo or river, will become key features of these projects, as will native seeds and plants that stabilize slopes, absorb water, build soil and beautify our city. continued on page 32

Happy 100th Birthday, Luna Bergere Leopold!

Born in Albuquerque on October 8, 1915, Luna Leopold was the second son of Aldo and Estella (Bergere) Leopold. In 1948, Aldo died, soon after hearing that Oxford University Press planned to publish A Sand County Almanac. Fortunately, Luna saw to it that the manuscript became a book, and now we have one of the most important books of the ecological movement. Like his father, Luna was a brilliant scientist with successful careers in both government and academia. Awarded his doctorate in geology from Harvard in 1950, he spent 22 years with the U.S. Geological Survey and then joined the faculty at U.C. Berkeley. In Luna’s obituary, the New York Times called his 1964 book, Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology, seminal. Other important works include Water: A Primer (1974) and A View of the River (1994). He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1991. In 1996, David Rosgen dedicated his book Applied River Morphology to “Luna B. Leopold, whose wise counsel and teaching have benefitted many, and whose exemplary contributions have advanced science and promoted the river ethic.” He died in Berkeley on February 23, 2006. Much of his published work can be accessed for free at The Virtual Luna Leopold Project For more information, visit www.aldoleopold.org.

Courtesy U. C. Berkeley

© Seth Roffman

Before it was Santa Fe, it was called “Po’e Gae,” meaning “watering place.”

Luna Leopold (in his 50s, ca. 1974) on the bank of the East Fork River near Boulder, Wyoming, attired in his typical Stetson S i l v e r b e l l y R a n c h e r, Filson cruiser coat and gloves. Leopold and colleague William Emmett conducted bedload research along the river from 1967 through 1980.

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Restoring Santa Fe’s Arroyos to Improve Climate Resiliency

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s we work to secure Santa Fe’s future in a changing climate, one crucial element will involve adapting to a new water reality.

Arroyos are important resources.

Among the many expected effects of climate change is a shift in precipitation patterns. In the coming years, Santa Fe will likely receive more rain than snow, and this rain will likely fall in fewer, heavier storms. Rainstorms like the ones we have seen the past couple of years, during which several inches of rain fall on the city in an hour or two, will become increasingly common.

This change brings two major challenges. First, heavy rainstorms can cause serious damage to public and private property, flooding roads and homes, undermining bridges, eroding and washing away pipes and utility cables. Repairing and replacing this damaged infrastructure is a growing expense for both the city and individual Santa Feans.

The second challenge is storing enough water to meet our needs in the coming years. When our water arrives as snow, or in small rainstorms, it has time to gradually soak into the ground and recharge the aquifers that still supply a good portion of our drinking water.

When several inches of rain fall all at once, the water flows rapidly out of the city, out of the watershed and out of our hands.

To help us meet both of these challenges, we have an often-overlooked ally: our arroyos.

© Seth Roffman

Hundreds of miles of arroyos wind their way through the Santa Fe Watershed.

When rain falls on the city, it runs swiftly off paved, impermeable surfaces and ends up in the arroyos, which eventually empty into the river.

A normally dry arroyo flows through a residential area off Bishop’s Lodge Road.

For many years, arroyos were viewed simply as stormwater channels to move water

quic kl y off the landscape and prevent flooding.

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, this strategy led to significant erosion of arroyo banks and beds, because the faster water moves, the more force it has to carry away soil and rocks— and to wash out roads and bridges. Water rushing through a Santa Fe County arroyo A 2012 assessment commissioned by the city and performed by the Santa Fe Watershed Association (Arroyo Assessment Surveys of 10 Major Arroyos in the Santa Fe Watershed, November 2012) found that in many areas, arroyo erosion threatens critical infrastructure, including trails, roads, bridges and even homes. Erosion has also exposed pipes and electric cables in a number of arroyo reaches, creating threats to public safety.

aquifer. In addition, as the water slows, its destructive power diminishes.

While flash-flooding arroyos are serious hazards, arroyos are also important resources: They are the low places in the watershed where water can most easily infiltrate into underground aquifers.

Restoring Santa Fe’s arroyos therefore provides us with our best opportunity, not only to prevent damage from major storms, but also to capture and store water so that it will be available for us during dry years.

Santa Fe’s arroyos are ever yone’s backyards. They are pathways for kids walking home from school, wildlife traversing the urban landscape, and our utility pipes, cables and lines. How many times have you heard someone tell a story that begins “out in our arroyo last week…”? We all own them, we all know them, and now it is time to come together to protect and restore them so that they will help us secure our water future in a changing climate. i

The Climate Action Task Force has recommended that the city of Santa Fe develop a comprehensive plan for restoring our arroyos with an eye toward achieving both of these goals.

We envision restoration strategies that would focus on “green infrastructure,” such as the induced meandering techniques used in the Santa Fe River (e.g., one-rock dams, boulder cross vanes and Zuni bowls). These sorts of structures, developed by restoration experts like Bill Zeedyk, slow water down and spread it out. As the water slows, the sediment it is carrying drops out, raising the streambed. As the bed rises, it creates more space to store water and allow it to sink gradually into the

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

The city and the Santa Fe Watershed Association are currently preparing to update the 2012 arroyo assessment with an eye toward prioritizing the areas where restoration projects are most feasible and most urgently needed. The plan would pinpoint where infrastructure is currently at risk and begin to analyze where aquifer recharge would be most effective, based on the underlying geology.

Kristina G. Fisher serves on the Climate Action Task Force and is president of the board of the Santa Fe Watershed Association.

Andy Otto is executive director of the Santa Fe Watershed Association, which uses education, restoration, stewardship and advocacy to protect and restore the health and vibrancy of the Santa Fe River and its watershed for the benefit of people and the environment. www. santafewatershed.org

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© Lars Anderson

Kristina G. Fisher and Andy Otto

Santa Fe Public Schools Initiatives Support Resilience to Climate Change

Lisa Randall

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h e t h e r i t ’s s t o r m w a t e r catchment, cafeteria foodwaste composting, solar photovoltaics (PV ), energy and water-monitoring dashboards, or the ongoing energy and water conservation efforts at our 33 properties, Santa Fe Public Schools is proud to be a part of the mayor’s Climate Action Task Force efforts.

Building community resiliency to current and future climate challenges is everyone’s responsibility, and as one of the area’s largest employers and resource consumers, SFPS is committed to becoming a strong partner in efforts to increase awareness and action.

© Seth Roffman (2)

Since beginning our conservation work in 2010, we’ve been able to consistently decrease usage of water, natural gas and electricity, even when increasing our building footprint. With 28 schools and five support facilities within the city and county, we have countless opportunities to focus on conservation and more sustainable behavior. Choosing what is right instead of what is easy should be our governing principle as a school district and as a collection of individuals.

My constant challenge is moving us beyond ideas into the realm of practical application, while attempting to evaluate what’s the most effective and efficient use of limited capital dollars for the highest good.

season for its landscaping. Paid for with Capital Outlay dollars from the 2014 Legislature, and installed during the recent remodel, this project is an excellent model of collaboration that benefits the whole community.

Using 2009 and 2013 General Obligation Bond funding specifically designated for energy- and water -conservation, SFPS has installed a halfmegawatt of solar PV on eight schools in the district. Approximately $35 million would allow us to generate 100 percent of what we currently use, but storage for nonproduction times and needed ground space for installations requires serious consideration. Along with solar PV should come a deeper commitment to sustainable building design informing all future SFPS construction projects, as energy generation without evaluating the efficiency of a structure is irresponsible no matter how that energy is being produced.

A needed area of focus we have yet to respond to as a district relates to environmental education, and building capacity within our students, staff and families to meet the climate challenges ahead. The impact is and will be felt in everything from the economy to food security, to scientific research and innovation, to building technologies, just to name a few. Climate change and A great example of this is our 25,000-gallon environmental crisis will impact every underground water-catchment tank sector of our lives, and our families and at Atalaya Elementary—a system communities with the least resources collecting stormwater from the rooftop, to respond will be hit the hardest. As programmed to feed the landscape with an organization, it is our responsibility captured water first, and using potable to facilitate critical initiatives, many of only when necessary. I’m excited to say which are already underway. We’ve now that with this system and our aboveeliminated 1,800 pounds of daily food average rains, Atalaya has not used a waste from the landfill, composting drop of potable water this irrigation it with the help of Reunity Resources and Payne’s Nurseries.

But we have an equal number of schools not yet participating, simply because of lack of trained staff to continue the effort.

We have a vibrant recycling program, diverting 26 percent of our daily solid waste into the recycling stream. We partner with Solar panels and a rooftop water harvesting system at Albuquerque Recycling Amy Biehl Community School

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School board members Susan Duncan, Steven Carrillo, SFPS Superintendent Joel Boyd, teachers and students at the Amy Biehl School solar-system ribbon-cutting.

to recycle technology and electronics so that our Digital Learning Plan efforts don’t result in precious and rare earth metals going to the highest bidder, with plastics and other waste filling the landfills. We’ve eliminated approximately 5,000 plastic sporks and wrappers being thrown away daily in our elementary and K-8 schools by reinstating metal cutlery that can be reused for years to come. The majority of our disposable trays in cafeterias are compostable and made from 100 percent recycled materials, and although we cannot seem to win the Styrofoam battle completely, we’ve made tremendous progress.

Building community resiliency to current and future climate challenges

This list of actions is by no means exhaustive, and I’d love to claim we have 100 percent buy-in. Where we don’t have full participation, it’s vital to ask why. Are we not supporting the initiative with needed equipment, staff training, or infrastructure to meet the goal?

Sometimes this is true, and the easiest problem to solve. Do we have a lack of support at the decision-making or policy-setting level to create the network and accountability systems needed to truly shift thinking and culture? This is a current challenge, but luckily within our grasp to address if it is a priority at the board and superintendent levels. Do we struggle with the same disengagement around climate crisis that plagues many organizations and communities

across the nation and planet? This is unfortunately our greatest challenge.

If you’ve been closely connected with public education and the increasing demands on everyone involved, then you understand the inherent difficulty in asking stakeholders to entertain more tasks and training. This is why we are working on funding a new sustainability programs position, through grants, to facilitate and develop curriculum, programming and professional development. If we don’t start responding now in every way we can, 10, 20, or 30 years from now, a beautiful building, a winning sports team, an effective teacher evaluation program, or the latest technology will pale in comparison to water scarcity, extreme weather events, forest fires, climate refugees and food insecurity.

Intentionally and strategically addressing environmental/economic/social crisis now will be much cheaper, much less painful, and much more impactful than waiting until we have little choice or resources to respond effectively. This isn’t about panic; it’s about intelligent, honest, prioritized planning and resource allocation at every level. We have the potential, we have the talent, and the will is growing. The Climate Action Task Force members, working groups and volunteers are demonstrating both individual and collective commitment to move us all into much-needed action around environmental resiliency and responsibility. The time is now. i Lisa Randall is the Energy and Water Conservation Program coordinator for the Santa Fe Public Schools. She can be reached at lrandall@sfps.k12.nm.us

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Š Anna C. Hansen

James H. Auerbach, MD and Staff support Green Fire Times in its efforts to bring about a better world by focusing on the people, enterprises and initiatives that are transforming New Mexico into a diverse and sustainable economy.

Some of the topics Green fire times showcases: GREEN Building, Products, Services, Entrepreneurship, Investing and Jobs; Renewable Energy, Sustainable Agriculture, Regional Cuisine, Ecotourism, Climate Adaptation, Natural Resource Stewardship, Arts & Culture, Health & Wellness, Regional History, Community Development, Educational Opportunities James H. Auerbach, MD provides dermatology services in Santa Fe, NM (Sorry, we are no longer accepting new clients.)

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

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Santa Fe’s Expanded Recycling Program Bears Fruit

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here has been much discussion about the local recycling program, both in the city of Santa Fe and in Santa Fe County. Three entities—the city’s Environmental Services Division, the Santa Fe County Solid Waste Department and the Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency—play different roles in the system, but work

City and county residents are now able to recycle more items.

very closely together to support recycling efforts. As of July 2015, the agency, which manages the materials handling sections of the system, signed a contract with Friedman Recycling of Albuquerque to process and market all recyclable materials collected in Santa Fe. Due to this new contract, city and county residents are now able to recycle more items, and we are seeing more diversion every day.

City of Santa Fe

Expanded recycling at the curb now includes: all plastic (no number restrictions) containers, junk mail, colored papers, white paper and hardback books, brown bags, magazines, telephone books, newspapers, tissue boxes, towel/tissue rolls, paper egg cartons, beverage containers, cereal boxes, milk and soup containers, juice boxes, aluminum cans and foil, steel cans and cardboard (bundled, next to the bin). Shredded paper should be placed in clear plastic bags on top of

the blue bin. NO glass, Styrofoam, food-contaminated materials, green waste or plastic bags.

In the event your recycling bin fills up with the expanded mix of materials, all city residents are able to go to the Environmental Services Division on Siler Road and get additional bins.

The city Environmental Services Division, with assistance from the Solid Waste Management Division, will be working to increase commercial recycling efforts throughout Santa Fe. The city is still considering automated recycling collection, although no decision has been made at this point.

The city is researching alternative means for disposal of solid waste, with an emphasis on reuse and utilizing waste as a resource.

Santa Fe County

Based on a decision by the County Commission at the Aug. 25, 2015, meeting, the commission is considering creating three collection districts for solid waste collection. Within these districts, any household that signs up for trash will automatically get recycling as well, bundled as one service. It will not be mandatory for customers to subscribe to curbside service, and customers will be able to choose from several haulers. All trash and recycling will still be collected at the eight county convenience centers for residents inside and outside of the collection districts.

All eight county convenience centers now take the same materials that the city curbside program collects. Since the convenience Crushed cans at the Buckman Recycling facility centers utilize larger containers for the During the month of August 2015, collection of items, toys and large plastic the agency collected and transferred items are the additional items that approximately 868 tons of mixed county residents can recycle. Recycling recycling. For the month of August is free at all convenience centers.

2014, the agency collected 560 tons.

Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency

The agency, having recently signed a contract with Friedman Recycling to process and market all of the recyclable materials dropped off at the Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station (BuRRT) by city and county residents and self-haulers, has shut down our internal recovery operations and now loads tractor trailers that transfer recycling to Albuquerque.

The agency will continue to work very closely with Friedman Recycling to ensure the viability of the materials collected in our program and how they impact the markets that drive recycling.

Currently, due to market constrictions, we don’t anticipate any further expansion to our recycling program. However, the agency is dedicated to diversion from the Caja del Río landfill and will identify and add materials to the program as it becomes practical.

Based on these numbers we have seen an increase of 308 tons, or a 55 percent increase in the amount of materials that BuRRT processes. We anticipate these numbers to continue to increase as more residents participate.

We welcome feedback from all residents.

Please contact each agency directly with questions, concerns or information.

City of Santa Fe Environmental Services Division: 955.2200, www. santafenm.gov/trash_and_recycling Santa Fe County Solid Waste Division: 992.3010, www.santafecountynm.gov/ public_works/solidwaste Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency: 424.1850, ext. 420, www.

SantaFeRecycling. org Adam Schlachter is with the Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency.

Hunter Arts and Agriculture Center Receives $1.4 Million EDA Grant The U.S. Economic Development Administration has announced that it is awarding more than $1.4 million to Siete del Norte Community Development Corporation for the first phase of development of the Hunter Arts & Agricultural Center in Española, New Mexico.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said, “The Obama administration is committed to helping communities bolster their local industries to further their economic development plans. The EDA investment will enable the Española community to develop its agricultural and arts industries.”

The funding will make possible complete renovation and redevelopment of the two-building complex that will house the center. It is intended to become a resource for small and mid-size farms in the region by lowering farmers’ costs of processing, packaging and distribution of locally grown produce and products. Besides providing greater access to healthy foods for northern New Mexico families, the center could create up to 150 new, full-time jobs, according to Siete del Norte.

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© Seth Roffman

Adam Schlachter

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Reunity Resources: Zero-Waste Solutions Tejinder Ciano hen I arrived in Santa Fe, a transient/transplant from Los Angeles with a vision of creating sustainable community in my heart, I had many a Santa Fean tell me that this place would either pull me in or spit me out. Six years, two businesses and two children later, I am proud to be a part of the City Different and to participate in the long-term planning and work needed for a truly Sustainable Santa Fe. I lived in Española for a time and worked on the Seeds of Change farm, then relocated to Santa Fe and began taking courses in sustainability at Santa Fe Community College. In the parking lot on the first day of class, I felt a tug toward biodiesel. I subsequently enrolled in the first biodiesel course, not knowing what a role biodiesel would play in my life henceforth.

Simultaneously, a new job opportunity opened up and I began coordinating the inaugural year of the Santa Fe Alliance’s Farm to Restaurant program, uniting local farmers with local chefs.

The parallels were too strong to not begin offering to collect used cooking oil from the restaurants for biodiesel feedstock.

Shortly after that, I saw the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life, casually shopping at the co-op.

When she, without any manipulation on my part, ended up in the same line

Tejinder Ciano and son with compost container

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as I, I seized the moment to ask for her phone number. For some bizarre reason, considering my 8-10 inch beard, she gave it to me. One point for taking decisive action! But, as it turned out, she would be traveling for two months... patience and perseverance.

Two months later we were discussing our dreams for the planet over some locally sourced tapas at La Boca.

What kind of decisive action could we take now that would bring us all closer to our dreams? What about an organization that focused on fullcircle, closed-loop recycling? What if we could really turn our interests into businesses; what if we could have an impact instead of just a conversation and a dream?

Putting our “waste” into a place that adds value to our lives

Compost display by the Santa Fe Master Gardeners at Santa Fe Community College

advocate for closed-loop recycling systems and the use of alternative fuels.

O ur next big step, the compost program, was another journey of decisive action followed by patience and perseverance. Beginning in January 2013, we approached city solid waste officials to implement a commercial composting program. After 14 months of advocacy, the way opened up. We launched food scraps collections in

Recycling Coalition Public-Private Partnership of the Year Award for our work with city government. I am delighted to serve on the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, the Climate Action Task Force and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, advocating for large-scale policy and practice changes, and then bridge the gap to implement them for a long-term sustainable Santa Fe. After all, I am raising my family here.

Re-unite. (Unity: to bring together; Re: again) Reunity Resources, the Santa Fe-based social enterprise we founded in 2011 focuses on zerowaste solutions here in northern New Mexico. There is a mass mindset that we can throw things “away,” but… where is that? Where does it go? It must go somewhere. Reunity Resources looks at ways to put our “waste” into a place that adds value to our lives.

One of our programs is a restaurantgrease collection program: We collect used oil from over 120 area restaurants, use a low-energy process to convert it into biodiesel and then redistribute this clean fuel to BioFuel Collective members. The impact of the BioFuel Collective reaches our whole community population: Everyone in our community benefits f rom improved air quality, a water supply that does not get oil contamination, and a secure, localized biodiesel fuel source. The BioFuel Collective reduces our community’s waste stream by 700 tons of CO 2 annually, reduces our dependence on foreign oil and creates local jobs. We also educate about and

© Seth Roffman (2)

W

Farmers check out a compost pile in Chimayó, NM, during a farm tour.

April 2014, and it is now a smooth, tested operation; we are diverting food waste from the landfill at a rate of approximately one million pounds per year. We have trained over 6,000 students, faculty and staff in 13 public elementary schools in daily cafeteria composting practices. And so it goes, ever forward, one step at a time.

Our work was recognized with 2015 Sustainable Santa Fe Award, a Climate Change Leadership Institute Direct Action Award and a New Mexico

We provide education, training and collection service to all our partners.

If you work with a restaurant, hotel or institution, and you’d like Reunity Resources to consult with you, recycle your grease, compost your food scraps or create a zero-waste event for you, please call 505.629.0836, email juliana@reunityresources.com or visit www.reunityresources.com i

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

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Food and Farming Are Central to Climate Change Solutions Morgan Day

T

he mayor’s Climate Action Task Force Subcommittee on Water, Land Use and Food Security was tasked with making recommendations about how to mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security in the city of Santa Fe. Food security exists when all people have access to safe, nutritious food by being able to physically get it by going to the store or by growing it—and by being able to afford it.

Food and Farming Are Central to Climate Change Solutions

Our food system—the way we grow, process and ship it—contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which exacerbate climate change. The trucks that take food to market, and the cars we use to drive to the nearest grocery store emit greenhouse gases. It became apparent that we needed to come up with a list of recommendations that focused on cutting greenhouse gases

© Seth Roffman (2)

As c limate change increasingly continues to impact our region and other regions, including California, we will see its effects on the availability of natural resources such as water, soil and farmland. Natural disasters like

drought, wildfires and floods are likely to increase. This means that food will become more expensive for those of us who purchase it.

Santa Fe Food Policy Council members and partners at the October 2014 Food Plan release. L-R: Former member Robert Griego, Patricia Boies, County Commissioner Kathy Holian, Susan Perry, Tony McCarty, Erin Ortigoza, Susan Odisseos, Pamela Roy and Lynn Walters

in our food system in the interest of building a stronger local food system for our community that protects those most vulnerable to hunger and food insecurity.

The subcommittee, chaired by County Commissioner Kathleen Holian, based its recommendations on the Santa Fe City & County Advisory Council’s 2014 “Planning for S anta Fe Food Future: Querencia, A Story of Food, Farming and Friends.” The food plan lays out a list of actionable Vigil’s Chimayó Produce stand, goals to make it easier for folks Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, Sept. 26, 2015 to learn about food, get access to • Create a Sustainable Zoning Task healthy food and grow food. With a Force to examine and update existing group of city, county and nonprofit building codes and zoning partners, we looked at how the goals • U pdate the city ’s General Plan could help alleviate our impact on with recommendations f rom the climate change. The subcommittee then Sustainable Zoning Task Force produced six recommendations, which range from short- to long-term goals: These recommendations are the product of cooperation and collaboration • S upport creation of a permanent among city officials, county officials and Southside Farmers’ Market regional nonprofits who recognize that • Create a joint-use agreement between we all must work together to curb the the city of Santa Fe and Santa Fe impacts of climate change at the local, Public Schools regional and statewide levels. These recommendations can be found in full, • R e m a p a n d / o r c r e a t e n e w along with explanations, on the Santa transportation routes to increase Fe Food Policy Council’s website: www. ease of access to fresh, healthy and/ santafefoodpolicy.org/initiatives/ or local food outlets • Create capacity to coordinate food, agriculture, nutrition and other foodrelated initiatives

Morgan Day is coordinator of the Santa Fe City & County Food Policy Council. morgan.g.day@gmail.com

World Food Day in Santa Fe Oct. 16, 12-8:30 pm at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds The Santa Fe Food Policy Council and its community partners have invited city and county officials, nonprofits and community members to World Food Day in Santa Fe. This celebration of food and farming will be focused on the area’s unique cultural and agricultural traditions. The event will recognize those who work to produce food, those who work to help others gain access to food and those who work to end hunger in the community.

From 12-3 pm, participants will create a Community Health Asset Map. A light lunch will be served. From 3-4 pm, speakers will discuss plans for integrating urban gardening and farming into Santa Fe. From 4-5 pm, there will be a panel discussion about what the Santa Fe Public Schools are doing to bring local, fresh, healthy food into cafeterias. From 5-6:30 pm, the County Cooperative Extension Service and other community partners will provide family- and kid-friendly activities for people to learn more about food, farming, gardening and cooking. From 6:30-8:30 pm, a dinner of local foods, prepared by Santa Fe chefs and restaurants, will be provided.

For more information, call 812.340.1917 or visit www.santafefoodpolicy.org/foodday

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The Zanjeras continued from page 25

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Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy 6. Utilize creative financing options to pay for programs and projects.

Some recommendations are already gaining traction with city programs for: green lodging, community solar, increased efficiency and renewable funding for homeowners through Homewise and others, streamlining solar permitting, and a resolution to pursue low-interest financing for city efficiency and renewable projects. These programs have both environmental and economic benefits, including creating jobs.

Another CATF recommendation was that the city oppose PNM’s rate increase, including the solar access fee, which were felt to produce inequitable impacts on our community and starkly reduce the cost-effectiveness of residential solar projects.

Innovative financing options to fund city programs and projects

The working groups studied innovative financing options to fund city programs and projects leading to development of this matrix. Further discussion on some funding options is provided below the matrix.

Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECB)

The city of Santa Fe can use interest-rate buy-downs on bonds to provide low-cost financing to pay for projects that reduce energy consumption in public buildings by at least 20 percent, or to implement green community programs. QECBs can be used for wide-ranging purposes, including EE/RE projects and community energy-conservation programs. A maximum of 30 percent of QECB allocations may be used for private activity purposes. There is no expiration date for QECBs, and currently there is $20 million allocated for New Mexico.

Property Assisted Clean Energy (PACE)

In New Mexico, PACE programs help building owners pay for the upfront costs of renewable-energy technologies, which the property owner pays back through an increase in property taxes by a set rate over 20 years. This allows property owners to begin saving on energy costs while they are paying for their energy improvements. Property owners usually have net gains even with increased

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property tax. A challenge with PACE funding in Residential is lien priority. PACE loans are subordinate to the primary mortgage; however, the loans can be taken over at the time of sale. Therefore, PACE in Santa Fe is focused on commercial owner-occupied projects, and the county has already created a Special Assessment District for PACE. On-bill financing refers to a loan made to a utility customer—such as a homeowner or a commercial building owner—to pay for energy-efficiency improvements to houses or buildings. Regular monthly loan payments are collected by the utility on the utility bill until the loan is repaid. On-bill financing programs are a great way for utilities to help customers invest in energy-efficiency improvements and create local jobs. Unfortunately, no New Mexico utilities are offering on-bill financing.

The fact that Santa Fe has a CATF is a testament to our mayor. It is nearly unprecedented to have 70-plus local professionals in diverse fields working with a city on such efforts. Around the country cities have energy and sustainability councils, but not multi-disciplinary efforts addressing those issues, plus transportation, land management, food and water security and waste management as well. Tasking such a group to drive action is also unique. It is both exciting and rewarding to see such an effort formed and driving results so quickly. Thanks to all the city staff for making this possible, and to the citizen experts for giving selflessly of their time. i Jack McGowan, CEM. chairs Santa Fe’s Climate Action Task Force EE/RE Working Group. He is a Certified Energy Manager and served as director of the Energy Conservation and Management Division in New Mexico.

Beth Beloff co-chairs Santa Fe’s Climate Action Task Force Finance Working Group and is on the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission.

She has been in the sustainable development world as a founder of nonprofit think tanks and as a consultant since 1990.

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Microgrids continued from page 13 Impact on Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico

MSL benefits Santa Fe and the surrounding region in many ways. It supports local energy-modernization efforts with world-class technical expertise from its members and affiliates.

By partnering with the city on research projects, it helps demonstrate that Santa Fe can be a “living laboratory” for smart energy systems design, positioning New Mexico as an innovator in the field.

MSL will also foster entrepreneurial and economic development activity in the smart/microgrid space, and with SFCC, will create workforce training and employment opportunities for interested Santa Feans and New Mexicans.

In the future, microgrids could become an important part of the region’s energy system. This will begin with the SFCC campus grid described above, and with appropriate regulatory support, could extend to the adjacent residential communities. Tribal communities also are well suited to microgrid architectures, and the energy independence and sovereignty they offer. As resiliency becomes a more

Santa Fe River

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

David Breecker, managing director of the Microgrid Systems Laboratory, serves on the Energy Eff iciency/Renewable Energy and Finance working groups of the Santa Fe Climate Action Task Force.

continued from page

In some of the wetter areas, often along acequia routes, locations for urban agriculture will also be identified and developed. In other areas, shade, windbreaks and biodiversity will become obvious additional benefits to the watershed-wide effort. Even plant material that provides noise abatement and view screening will be considered as projects are developed.

An eclectic mix of informative and entertaining programs await you on KUNM – your passport to the worlds of news, music, community and culture. Publicly supported. Publicly responsive. KUNM is an essential part of New Mexico’s day.

pressing factor for cities like Santa Fe, microgrids’ ability to disconnect f rom the main grid and continue autonomous operation could help ensure essential services. Finally, by creating an “energy innovation zone” (such as the Pecan Street project in Austin and the recently proposed innovation district in Washington, D.C.) with special regulatory factors favoring advanced and emerging technologies, Santa Fe can be at the forefront of developing the electric grid’s future, with the attendant economic and public benefits. i

There are many ways that the public can contribute to the revitalization of the river. For some, the easiest would be to contribute to the Santa Fe River Conservation Fund. The fund is designed to provide monies for projects that will have a positive effect on our urban riparian areas. The city will match each donation dollar for dollar. Currently, you can check off a box on your water bill and, with the city’s forthcoming billing system, you will be able to sign up for recurring donations.

Another way to support a living river is to look into the work of the Santa Fe River Commission. The commission

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meets from 6 pm to 8 pm on the second Thursday of every month in the city’s offices in the Railyard. The commission has been key to getting improvements in the river to actually occur, and it is eagerly looking at new ways to bring our river back to life.

We can recreate a living river. It will take time for us to regularly see the flows that we have enjoyed over the last two years, but, with our cooperative and concerted efforts, this goal can be achieved. It’s a worthwhile goal, too. As climate change challenges the resiliency of cities everywhere, it’s exciting to be part of this city’s efforts—this watering place’s efforts—to bounce back better. It’s up to us to make it happen though. Can you hear the happy splashes of future generations? i Melissa McDonald is the city of Santa Fe’s River & Watershed coor dinator. She can be reached at mamcdonald@ santafenm.gov

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Earth Care Programs Teach the Value of Local Food

Ashley-Veronika Zappe

“I

s it mint?” one boy guessed. “No! That’s strawberries!” another boy shouted. “Onions? Tomatoes? Celery?”

I held a paper bag with wispy thin green leaves sticking out the top for the group of 11-year-olds to see. They had no idea what food it could be. Slowly I pulled up the leaves, revealing a bright, orange carrot. Within minutes, they were all taking enthusiastic bites of this fresh garden veggie. Once they had guessed the plant, they wanted to taste it—including raw onions!

This was the first day of Earth Care’s Garden Program at the Boys and Girls’ Club this summer. I had picked up the group from the computer room, where they had been seated, playing online games for most of the morning.

They were skeptical about going into the garden, or growing and tasting vegetables. One boy told me he didn’t like gardens because you couldn’t grow Flamin’ Hot Cheetos there. But, by the end of the summer, they all were proud of the tomatoes and sunflowers they had planted, and fought over the extra scraps of harvested vegetables. They even cheerfully turned the compost pile and sang out our class motto “Fresh is best!”

Knowledge of how to grow your own food makes good food more accessible and more appealing to eat.

Research shows that those who know the trials and rewards of g ro w i n g t h e i r o w n food are more likely to value the food supplied by local farmers and understand that the additional cost of local, organic food reflects the added health and environmental value it brings. In this way, small-scale local agriculture can be a significant boost to the local economy. This is why America encouraged home “victory gardens” during World War II. Given the great programs in our community like Double Up Food Bucks, which allow EBT users to double their purchasing

Engaging youth in practical servicelearning opportunities

power at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, even those with modest incomes can increase their access to fresh local food.

For others, vegetables grown at home or by neighbors are the most costeffective way to integrate fresh produce into our families’ diets.

Strategies like these, which increase reliable local food production, will be particularly important in the changing

© Seth Roffman (2)

Garden programs like this offer multiple benefits to the communities they serve. Engaging students in hands-on, life-science education in fresh air with living soil and plants and bugs has proven to be an effective tool to increase students’ engagement in learning as well as their overall sense of well-being. Garden education is also an important facet in addressing the larger issue of food security— making sure everyone in our region has access to healthy food. Large areas of Santa Fe city are considered “food

deserts” where there are no grocery stores or else limited transportation to grocery stores, making it difficult for the residents, especially those without cars, to obtain nutritious food,.

Ashley Zappe teaches kids from the Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club.

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Children from the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club learned about gardening from Earth Care instructors at the beginning of the 2015 season.

climate. As global climate change creates more chaotic and unpredictable weather patterns, we will not be able to rely on food imports from places like California or South America.

Currently, 97 percent of our food in New Mexico is imported, and it would only take a major drought or natural disaster to cut off that supply chain. Garden education not only can serve the current 15 percent of Santa Fe’s population that does not receive adequate nutrition; it will also set us up to be more resilient in the face of climate-change-related natural disasters.

education through practical servicelearning opportunities. Earth Care’s youth and AmeriCor ps ser vice members participated actively in the implementation of the Santa Fe Food Assessment and subsequent Santa Fe Food Plan. Besides learning to enjoy fresh vegetables from their own gardens, the students are also practicing social justice by distributing the excess to the Food Depot and serving hot, healthy meals every week in partnership with Los Amigos del Parque. Because, as one of my summer students told me, “Everyone should be able to eat tomatoes this good.”

Schools and youth organizations have played an important role in establishing knowledge of sustainable food systems and other environmental issues in the generation that will be most affected by it. The Santa Fe Public Schools district has partnered with organizations like Earth Care to provide professional development training to teachers to support the integration of sustainability and climate-change education into classroom courses. Earth Care has taken the lead in developing and serving garden-based environmental education that reaches over 3,500 students per year. This nonprofit provides zero- or low-cost educators to schools, resources and curriculum for teachers, and consultation about maintaining parent and community volunteer programs.

And, the organization engages youth in relevant applications of sustainability

Schools that are currently participating in garden-based sustainabilit y education include: Acequia Madre Elementary, Amy Biehl Community School, Aspen Community Magnet School, Carlos Gilbert Elementary, E l d o r ad o C om mu n i t y S c h o o l , Gonzales Community School, Kearney Elementary, Nava Elementary, Salazar Elementary, Santa Fe High School, Sweeney Elementary and Tesuque Elementary.

For more information about Earth Care and our other sustainability education programs, as well as sustainability resources for teachers, youth and community members, visit www. earthcarenm.org or contact Ashley Zappe, Sustainability Education Program manager at ashley@ earthcarenm.org i

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For the location nearest you, call Nick García at 505.203.4613 www.GreenFireTimes.com

NEWSBITEs A Parallel World resources for your sustainable transition Santa Fe–based “AParallelWorld.com” is a new website providing information, resources and vendors offering discounts and bonuses on products and services to help people transition to a sustainable life. The initiative is the brainchild of local green developer Alan Hoffman, who designs and markets energy-efficient homes.

“APW is a one-stop site for helping folks save money, lower their carbon footprint and join a like-minded community of people making a transition to a sustainable, healthy life,” Hoffman says.

Hoffman contends that, ironically, because the mass market has been so disastrous for the environment, realworld solutions are hidden in plain sight. Although it has been obscured by a distorted corporate filter, Hoffman points to a renewable economy A group of parallel homeowners with checks from that has been humming along PNM for adding electricity into the grid. for decades, side by side with the old, polluting, carbon-based-economy. “Those participating in the renewable economy,” Hoffman says, “are living a healthier life.”

To read the report, visit http://go.usgbc.org/2015-Green-Building-EconomicImpact-Study.html

Clean Buildings and Climate Change

Working with the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) and Ceres, an organization dedicated to sustainability leadership, the U.S. Green Building Council has announced a new campaign leading up to the COP21 Climate Negotiations in Paris starting Nov. 30, calling on USGBC member businesses to sign on to the Building and Real Estate Climate Declaration to support a clear statement for governmental climate action.

The declaration provides an opportunity for the entire sector—architects and engineers, building product manufacturers, contractors, developers and real estate investors—to demonstrate strong business support and spotlight the critical role that companies in the sector play in advancing energy efficiency, distributing renewable energy, reducing embodied carbon in materials and other innovations that reduce carbon emissions throughout the lifecycles of buildings.

More than 40 percent of the total U.S. energy consumption is used in residential and commercial buildings alone, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that buildings have the greatest potential and lowest cost as a means for curbing climate change. Reducing buildings’ carbon footprints saves money as well as energy, water and other resources.

The APW team includes writers, designers, environmental activists and social media aficionados already living a “parallel lifestyle.” “Santa Fe will lead the way,” Hoffman says. “The progressive community chooses more organic, locally grown food, is replacing coal-fired electricity with rooftop solar, and many are switching to plug-in cars.”

To read the declaration, visit www.ceres.org/declaration/sign/built-climatedeclaration

On Oct. 3, from 3 to 7 pm, APW is having a launch party at the Center for Peace and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Rd. Attendees can sample food from Farm-to-Table restaurants, test drive electric bikes and cars and learn about “a parallel world.”

A new overnight community festival in southern New Mexico will bring together artists, scientists and people engaged in efforts to reduce our world’s huge carbon footprint. The free event is billed as an opportunity for people to explore their visions for changes necessary to create an exciting, more livable and sustainable world, and to encourage Las Cruces to become the Southwest’s first “eco-city.” The organizers define an eco-city as one that relies on carbon-free energy, alternative transportation, green construction, old buildings retrofitted with alternative energy, recycled water systems, creative, local food production and human ingenuity and cooperation.

The “Santa Fe Climate Impact Fee & Community Dividend”

Enacting an environmental impact fee and community dividend in Santa Fe will “help us both combat global warming at the local level and grow a vibrant economy,” says Rob Hirsch of the Climate Change Leadership Institute. Hirsch and a growing grassroots alliance are advocating for a citywide, socially just, sliding-scale fee of approximately $25 per year for a typical household and $100 per year for the averagesized business. Administered by the city, the fee would raise about $1 million each year (more if the county participated) to be reinvested in community projects to phase out greenhouse gas emissions and support local economic development. Investment priorities would be driven by the community for initiatives such as weatherization for low-income households, solar installations, community gardens, bike paths and zero- or low-interest loans for residential and commercial renewable-energy and energy-efficiency upgrades.

About 1,500 residents, businesses and organizations have signed a petition calling on local officials to enact the climate fee. Hirsch says the fee’s supporters recognize the need to internalize the environmental costs of consumptive lifestyles rather than treating pollution as something for future generations to deal with. To learn more and sign the petition, visit www.takeresponsibility.us

Green Construction: 2.3 Million Jobs in the U.S.

The green building sector of the United States construction industry will account for 2.3 million jobs in this year, according to a new study prepared by Booz Allen Hamilton for the U.S. Green Building Council. The 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study found that the sector is outpacing overall construction growth in the U.S. and will continue to rise, accounting for more than one-third of the entire U.S. construction sector by 2018. “Demand for green building will only continue to grow as individuals, businesses and institutions continue to prioritize sustainable approaches to the design, construction and operations of our built environment,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. The new analysis also quantifies the economic impact of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It found that LEED-certified building accounts for about 40 percent of green construction’s overall contribution to GDP in 2015.

Green building also contributes to significant savings across energy, trash, water and maintenance costs.

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Eco-Fiesta Celebrates Visions for the Future october 10-11, main street, las cruces, new mexico

¡OYE! Celebrating Visions for the Future will take place on seven blocks of Main Street starting at 1 pm on Saturday, continuing until 8 pm on Sunday. There will be installations, exhibits and performances, as well as panel and group discussions. It also includes the “Pachamama Awakening the Dreamer Symposium.” The festival is sponsored by the Southern New Mexico Community Foundation. For more information, visit http://oyecruces.weebly.com

10th Annual Traditional Agriculture & Sustainable Living Conference october

23-24, tesuque pueblo intergenerational center

The theme of the 10th annual Traditional Agriculture & Sustainable Living Conference is “The Ice Is Melting: Discussions on Global Warming and Other Issues Threatening Mother Earth.” The keynote speakers will be Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq (known as “Uncle”), a renowned elder/healer/shaman from a remote village in Greenland; and herbalist/author/teacher Daniel Gagnon, founder of the Santa Fe– based company, Herbs, Etc. The conference will feature panel discussions, workshops and community forums, as well as performances from Pueblo buffalo dancers, information booths of various organizations, vendors and hands-on activities.

Sponsors include the Pueblo of Tesuque, Northern New Mexico College, Four Bridges Traveling Permaculture Institute and Green Fire Times. Tesuque Pueblo, as part of an effort to protect Mother Earth, has, in concert with resolutions from the All Indian Pueblo Governors Council, supported Native Seeds Protection legislation. Four Bridges Traveling Permaculture Institute is a diverse group of farmers, educators, healers, youth, elders and spiritual leaders dedicated to preserving and sharing cultures and committed to helping inspire people to adopt a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. This includes educating people about what the group sees as the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and the environment.

The conference begins early each morning, breaks for lunch on-site, and runs through the afternoon. There are admission fees. For information about “Uncle,” visit www. icewisdom.com. For conference information and registration, call 518.332.3156, email fourbridges@live.com or visit 4bridges.org

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What's Going On! Events / Announcements Oct. 22, 7-9 pm Methane and Climate Change ABQ Jewish Community Center 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE

ALBUQUERQUE

Oct. 3, 10 am opening Maize Maze-Celebrating Pollinators Los Poblanos Fields Ag Open Space (north of Montaño)

8-acre corn-maze activities, public art installments, scavenger hunts to educate and inspire visitors about pollinators. Presented by the city of ABQ and the Río Grande Community Farm. Saturdays and Sundays in Oct. $7/$5.

505.977.3355, info@riograndefarm.org, www. riograndefarm.org

Oct. 7, 5:30-7 pm Green Drinks Hotel Andaluz, 125 Second St. NW

Network with people interested in doing business locally, clean energy alternatives and creating sustainable opportunities in our communities. Presented the first Wednesday of each month by the ABQ and Río Rancho Green Chamber. info@ nmgreenchamber.com, www.greendrinks.org

Oct. 10-Nov. 10 Master Composter Training

25-hour train-the-trainer program presented

by Bernalillo County Master Composters.

505.929.0414. Applications: nmcomposters.org

Oct. 14, 10-11:30 pm Improving Desert Garden Soil Bear Canyon Senior Center, 4645 Pitt NE

Learn the science, materials and methods of drought-proofing your garden. Free. 505767-5959, register@nmcomposters.org

Oct. 14, 4:30-9 pm Frontera! People’s Climate Movement Day of Action Juntos, 900 Park Ave. SW, 2nd Floor

Short films on struggles for justice in NM. Juntos is a program of Conservation Voters NM. 575.219.9619, Liliana@cvnm.org, face book.com/JuntosNM

Oct. 14-Nov. 10, evenings Master Composter Training

A film and discussion about climate. “Disruption,” a film by Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott; The Four Corners Methane Hot Spot.

Speaker: Dr. Bernard Zak, Sandia (retired) and UNM climate scientist; New regulatory initiatives: Dr. Tom Singer, Western Environmental Law Center. Q&A. Free. Sponsored by 350.org and the ABQ Climate Coalition. 505.274.6324, 350.org/NM

Oct. 23, 12-1 pm Rainwater Harvesting Basics ReStore, 4900 Menaul NE

Learn about rainwater, harvesting strategies and ecological processes in your landscape.

Presented by Joanne McEntire of Querencia Green. Free. Registration: 505.359.2423, beth@habitatabq.org

Oct. 25, 11:30 am-6 pm ABQ Equestrian Cup Expo NM – NM State Fairgrounds Dairy Barn

25th annual. Horse competitions, artists, food, music. $25/12 & under free. www.abqec.org

Oct. 29, 6 pm Public Art and Activism between Climate, Culture and Informational Space 516 Arts, 516 Central Ave. SW

Artist/technologist Andrea Polli, PhD, will discuss her journey towards activist art related to the environment and climate change.

Free. 505.242.1445, www.516arts.org

Oct. 29-31 New Mexico Film & Media Industry Conference Isleta Resort/Casino

Includes biennial education summit and state liaison network program. http:www. nmfilm.com/schedule-2015.aspx

Through Oct. 31 Habitat: Exploring Climate Change through the Arts 516 Central SW

Exhibitions, speakers, screenings, workshops. 505.242.1445, www.516arts.org

Nov. 11, 7 pm An Evening with Paul Hawken Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Pl.

Master composters are volunteers educated in the science, art, materials and methods of home composting techniques. They share this information in the community. nmcomposters.org

Internationally renowned author/sustainable agriculture advocate Hawken will discuss Project Drawdown, solutions that can forge a path toward carbon decline in the atmosphere. $30. http://quiviracoalition.org

Oct. 15, 10 am-12 pm; 1-3 pm UNM Health Sciences Center Open House

Nov. 11-13 Quivira Conference Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Pl.

Tours, exhibits and program representatives showcasing health programs and career opportunities. Free. Pre-registration recommended: 505.272.8085, LPeterkin@salud.unm.edu

Oct. 21, 12-1:30 pm Pollinator Gardening ReStore, 4900 Menaul NE

Using native plants to attract birds, bees and butterflies to your garden. Taught by landscape designer Wes Brittenham. Free. Registration: 505.359.2423, beth@habitatabq.org

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“The Next Wave: Cultivating Abundance” Hear from ranchers, farmers, scientists, activists and others. Speakers include Paul Hawken, Christine Jones and many more.

505.820.2544, cbaca@quiviracoalition.org.

Tickets: http://quiviracoalition.org/2015_ Quivira_Conference

Nov. 12 NM Energy Outlook Summit Sandia Resort

Energy insights for business leaders. Pre-

Green Fire Times • October 2015

sented by ABQ Business First. 505.348.8326, tfenstermaker@bizjournals.com

by actor and constitutional activist Mike Farrell. Free. 1-800.875.3707

First Sundays NM Museum of Natural History 1801 Mountain Road

Oct. 3-4, 10 am-4 pm Harvest Festival El Rancho de las Golandrinas La Ciénega

Museum admission is free to NM residents on the first Sunday of every month.

505.841.2800

Daily Our Land, Our Culture, Our Story Indian Pueblo Cultural Center 2401 12th St. NW

Historical overview of the Pueblo world and contemporary artwork and craftsmanship of each of the 19 pueblos; Through Oct. 16: Visionary Concepts: Genres of Pueblo Art, spotlighting artists who depict pride in culture and tell a story of cultural perseverance.

866.855.7902, www.indianpueblo.org

“ABQ 2030 District”

A voluntary collaboration of commercial property tenants, building managers, property owners and developers; real estate, energy, and building sector professionals, lenders, utility companies; and public stakeholders such as government agencies, nonprofits, community groups and grassroots organizers. Property partners share anonymous utility data and best practices. Professional partners provide expertise and services. Public partners support the initiative as it overlaps with their own missions. Info: albuquerque@2030districts.org

SANTA FE Oct. 2-4 Earth USA 2015 NM Museum of Art

8th Intl. Earthbuilding Conference. Presentations, workshops, tours. Earthusa.org

Oct. 3, 3-7 pm A Parallel World Launch Party Center for Peace & Justice 1420 Cerrillos Road

Join the fun and get the info & resources you need to live a parallel life today. Save money while saving the planet! Test drive electric cars from BMW, Ford and Nissan.

Ride electric bikes by Eco Motion. Sample organic food, music, prizes and a lot of fun.

Info: 505.316.0449 www.aparallelworld.com

Oct. 3, 4-8 pm Corazón de la Tierra Country Fair 5430 S. Richards Ave.

A celebration of land conservation. Music, dinner, award presentation. $75.

505.986.3801, etemple@nmlandconservancy. org, www.nmlandconservancy

Oct. 3, 6-9 pm Fall Fiesta SF Farmers’ Market Pavillion

SF Farmers’ Market Institute annual fundraising event celebrates local food, culture and community. Locally sourced feast created by SF chefs. Honoring of farmer all-stars. $135 alexis@farmersmarketinstitute.org

Oct. 3, 7:30 pm Separation of Church and State James A. Little Theater 1060 Cerrillos Rd.

Panel discussion and Q&A moderated

Community celebration. $8/$6/12 & under free. 505.471.2261, www.golondrinas.org

Oct. 6, 5 pm Piñón Awards Ceremony La Fonda Hotel

SF Community Foundation awards recognize outstanding nonprofit organizations and philanthropists. Ceremony at 6 pm followed by dinner. $50. 505.988.9715, www. santafecf.org/pinon-awards

Oct. 11, 11am-12 pm Brilliant Chickens, Einstein Squid Collected Works Bookstore 202 Galisteo

Journey SF presentation on animal intelligence by Rae Sikora. Free. Amanda.hatherly@ gmail.com

Oct. 11, 2-4 pm Harvest High Tea Scottish Rite Center

Sponsored by the SF Order of the Eastern Star. 505.983.9508

Oct. 13-15, 11:30 am-4:30 pm NM Rivers & Streams Hearings NM State Capitol Bldg., 490 Old SF Tr.

Hearings re: water-quality standards for Pajarito Plateau streams around LANL. SF and ABQ divert drinking water from the Río Grande downstream from tributaries. Public comments accepted. www.amigosbravos.org

Oct. 13, 6:30 pm New Mexico School for the Arts Open House 275 E. Alameda St.

Students and parents can learn about the tuition-free charter high school offering programs in music, dance, theater and visual arts.

505.310.4194, www.nmschoolforthearts.org

Oct. 14-18 SF Independent Film Festival

7th annual. 505.349.1414, info@santafeinde pendent.com, www.santafeindependent.com

Oct. 16, 10 am NM Acequia Commission Special Meeting Nambé Community Senior Center (next to Sacred Heart Church NM Hwy. 503)

Info: 505.603.2879, molinodelaisla@gmail. com; Agendas: 505.827.4983, www.nmace quiacommission.state.nm.us

Oct. 16, 12-8:30 pm Santa Fe Food Day SF County Fairgrounds

SF Food Policy Council celebration of food and farming. 12-3 pm: Community Health Asset Mapping; 3-3:55 pm: Speakers discuss urban farming & gardening; 4-5 pm: Panel discussion on getting local, healthy foods into school cafeterias; 5-6:30 pm: Family- and kid-friendly activities to learn about food, farming, gardening and cooking; 6:30-8:30 pm: Local foods dinner.

505.473.1004, ext. 12, morgan.g.day@gmail. com, www.santafefoodpolicy.org/contact-us-2/

www.GreenFireTimes.com

Oct. 17, 1-5 pm SF Area Homebuilders’ Fall Fest Ashbaugh Park, 1703 Cerrillos Rd

Music, kids activities, food, networking, Mexican Consulate presentation and more.

Free. 505.982.1774, Lourdes@sfahba.com

Oct. 17 The Art of Natural Building Collected Works Bookstore 202 Galisteo

Presentations and book signings from 10 authors in the field of ecological and healthy construction. 3 pm: Carol Venolia, Joseph Kennedy, Paula Baker and Robert Laporte will discuss healthy, affordable and ecofriendly housing. 4 pm: The Case for Clay in Every Home with Carole Crews, Sukita Reay Crimmel, Kaki Hunter and Doni Kiffmeyer; 5 pm: The Future of Green Building with Jacub Racusin, Ace McArleton and Chriss Magwood. Presented by Builders without Borders.

Oct. 18, 11am-12 pm 2% Solutions for the Planet Collected Works Bookstore 202 Galisteo

Journey SF presentation by author Courtney White, former Quivira Coalition executive director. Free. Amanda.hatherly@gmail.com

Oct. 18, 5 pm Getting There from Here Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie

Black Earth Institute poetry readings on ecology and the Southwest. Lauren Camp, Alysse Kathleen McCanna, Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, Juan Morales. By donation.

Lauren@laurencamp.com

Oct. 20, 8:30-10:30 am Making Your Database Your Best Friend Solace Trauma Treatment Center 6601 Valentine Way

A panel discussion for nonprofit organizations with the SF Community Foundation.

Free. Registration: www.santafecf.org

Oct. 20, 5:30-7 pm Pitch 180 SF Business Incubator 3900 Paseo del Sol

Pitch program (this time, Intel), where large companies pitch their needs for innovation to an audience of startups, small businesses, entrepreneurs, scientists, inventors and interested community members. Free but space limited. Reservations: www.sfbi.net/servic es/Events_and_Workshops, 505.424.1140, wsoshea@sfbi.net.

Oct. 21, 5:30-7:30 pm Our Schools: What Does It Take?

SF Higher Education Center 1950 Siringo Rd.

Community forum: What does it take to evaluate student progress? Is there too much testing? Panel and small group discussions. Ideas will be integrated into work of the Interfaith Coalition for Public Education. 505.670.7079, nstafford@q.com, www. tinyurl.com/interfaithcoalition

Oct. 24, 10 am-12 pm Green Writers Circle

Writers engaged in sustainability, ecology, health and environmental issues meet for training, information and publication resources and discussion. Free. RSVP: sguyette@nets.com

Oct. 25, 10:30 am-1:15 pm Environmental Education & Lunch

Children, parents and families are invited.

Starts at Ft. Marcy Park. Bike to the SF

www.GreenFireTimes.com

Mountain Center and then Tesuque Village Market. www.takeresponsibility.us/climate_leadership_challenge/climate_leade rship_challenge_2015.html

Oct. 25, 11am-12 pm Fred Nathan Talk Collected Works Bookstore 202 Galisteo

Through Oct. 4 Taos Fall Arts Festival

Los Alamos

HERE & THERE

Oct. 12, 10 am-2 pm Indigenous Peoples Day Northern NM College Eagle Café

Night sky photography with Peter LaDelfe. www.losalamosnature.org

Six locations. www.taosfallarts.com

Oct. 3, 10 am-4 pm Ancient Way Fall Harvest Festival El Morro, NM

Journey SF presentation by the executive director of Think NM on his organization’s new policy initiative. Free. Amanda.hatherly@ gmail.com

Local produce, artists market, music, food. You can also visit El Morro Natl. Park, Zuni Pueblo, Ice Caves and Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary.

505.783.4612, www.elmorro-nm.com

Nov. 13, 7-9 pm; Nov. 14, 9 am-5 pm First Legal Harvest: Bringing Hemp Back to NM SF Community College

Oct. 3, 10 am-12 pm Seed Saving Class Esther Bone Library 950 Pine Tree Rd., Río Rancho, NM

Carbon Economy Series lecture/workshop

by Doug Fine. Talk: $10, Workshop: $99.

505.819.3828, www.carboneconomyseries. com (See ad on page 17)

Nov. 18, 8 am-2 pm Opportunity Santa Fe SF Convention Center

A community summit for collective impact.

Expanding opportunities for SF’s children and youth. Free. www.santafecf.org

Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8 am-1 pm Santa Fe Farmers’ Market 1607 Paseo de Peralta (& Guadalupe)

Northern NM farmers & ranchers offer fresh greenhouse tomatoes, greens, root veggies, cheese, teas, herbs, spices, honey, baked goods, body care products and much more. www.santafefarmersmarket.com

Tuesdays, 4:15-5:45 pm Design Lab for Sustainable Neighborhoods Higher Education Center 1950 Siringo Rd., Rm. 139

Bring your ideas, passion and perseverance and join in to design and build mixed-use Santa Fe infill. To RSVP, google Meetup Santa Fe and find the Design Lab.

Santa Fe Recycling

Make 2015 the year to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can. City residential curbside customers can recycle at no additional cost and drop by 1142 Siler Road, Building A, to pick up free recycling bins. At least 50 percent of curbside residential customers recycle now.

Let’s take that number to 100 percent. For more information, visit http://www.santafenm.gov/ trash_and_recycling or call 505.955.2200 (city); 505.992.3010 (county); 505.424.1850 (SF Solid Waste Management Agency).

Sustainable Growth Management Plan for SF County

Hard copies $20, CDs $2. Contact Melissa Holmes, 505.995.2717 or msholmes@santafe county.org. The SGMP is also available on the county website: www.santafecounty.org/ growth_management/sgmp and can be reviewed at SF Public libraries and the County Administrative Building, 102 Grant Ave.

TAOS

Oct. 2-3, 8 am-9 pm Rural Coalition Assembly and National Rural Gathering 10/2: Taos County Economic Dev. Center; 10/3: Hotel Don Fernando

Traditional Food Systems: Building a future for our children. An alliance of farmers, farmworkers, indigenous, migrant and working people from the U.S., Mexico, Canada and beyond. Workshops, dialogue. Info/ registration: 575.758.8731, www.ruralco.org

Select and preserve seeds from garden plants. Free. No registration. 505.867.2582, SandovalMasterGardeners.org

Oct. 3-4 Madrid & Cerrillos Studio Tour 24 miles south of Santa Fe www.MadridCerillosStudioTour.com

Oct. 3-4, 10 am-5 pm El Rito Studio Tour Between Abiquiú and Ojo Caliente on Hwy. 554 575.581.4679, www.elritostudiotour.org

Oct. 6, 6:30-8:30 pm On the Threshold Los Luceros, Alcalde, NM

Lecture by UNM assistant professor Emily Lena Jones on New Mexican landscapes and Spanish colonization. $5. 505.852.1351, mesaprieta@cybermesa.com, mesaprieta petroglyphs.org

Oct. 7, 7 pm Crosses & Crossroads: Histories of Yumgeh P’oe Tsawa Community Library 232 Popay Ave., Ohkay Owingeh, NM

A presentation by Dr. Matthew Martínez.

Refreshments will be served. Made possible by the McCune Foundation. 505.852.2814, elena.arellano@ohkay.org

Oct. 9-Nov. 1 Transform Site Works Exhibition Mountainair, NM

Exhibition by environmental artists exploring energy, the body, the land and transformations. Figurative and architectural sculpture, large-scale installation, performance, sound works. 10/9, 5-7 pm: artists talk.

505.615.4275, theland@comcast.net, http:// landartsite.org

Oct. 9 Crownpoint Rug Auction Crownpoint Elementary School Crownpoint, NM

Hundreds of handmade rugs are auctioned off, as well as jewelry, pottery and beadwork.

Crownpointrugauction.com

Oct. 10-12 Abiquiú Studio Tour Various locations, Abiquiú, NM

More than 70 local artists open their studios for public tours. 505.257.0866, abiquiustudiotour.org

Oct. 10 Seed Harvesting Hike Frijoles Creek, Los Alamos

Oct. 17-18 Jemez Mountain Trail Sale From San Ysidro to La Cueva

A dozen “cluster locations” for the longest (26-mile) yard sale in the state. Tables set up by schools, churches and other organizations. Fall colors, new & used treasures, hand-crafted items. 505.259.2202, Erica@ griffinassoc.com

Oct. 23-24 Land Restoration Workshop DeHaven Ranch, Yates, NM

Learn low-tech methods for restoring hydrologic and one-rock dams and Zuni bowls.

Led by Craig Sponholtz of Watershed Artisans and Mollie Walton. Free. http://qui viracoalition.org/Land_Water_Program/ Restoration_Workshops/index.html

Oct. 23-24 Traditional Agriculture & Sustainable Living Conference Tesuque Pueblo Intergenerational Center

10th annual. This year’s theme: Global Warming and Other Issues Threatening Mother Earth. International keynote speaker renowned elder/healer/shaman Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq (“Uncle”) from Greenland and Daniel Gagnon, founder of Herbs, Etc. Panels, workshops, hands-on activities, vendors, info booths, heritage seed exchange. 518.332.3156, fourbridges@live. com, http://4bridges.org (See newsbite, page 37)

Oct. 25-28 Transforming Sustainability Education Minneapolis, Minn.

Assoc. for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education 2015 conference and expo. www.cvent.com/events/aashe2015-conference-and-expo/event-summaryfc440cae5a7d4c2c89480f782d320300.aspx

Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-1 pm and Saturday Pajarito Environmental Education Center 3540 Orange St., Los Alamos, NM

Nature center and outdoor education programs. Exhibits of flora and fauna of the Pajarito Plateau; herbarium, live amphibians, butterfly and xeric gardens. Tuesday-Saturday. Free. 505.662.0460, Programs@Pajarito EEC.org, www.pajaritoeec.org

Thursdays, 7 am–12:30 pm Los Alamos Farmers’ Market Library parking lot

talacook@windstream.net, lamainstreet. com/farmers-market.htm Library parking lot, Los Alamos, NM talacook@windstream. net, lamainstreet.com/farmers-market.htm

Río Grande Return Gifts from the River

Help collect seeds for a post-fire restoration project. www.losalamosnature.org

Oct. 10, 7 pm Milky Way Photography

An educational, musical presentation by Michael Heralda. Native dance group performances. Free. www.nnmc.edu

Locally produced salsas, jams, honey, chocolates, soaps, lotions, incense and more. Supports local farmers, producers and the conservation of the Río Grande. 505.466.1767, toll free: 866.466.1767, www.riogrande return.com

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Green Fire Times • October 2015

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