Green Fire Times
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Posts by Green Fire Times
Sustainable St. Michael’s Boulevard
Sep 1st
Albert Moore
CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The most serious constraint inhibiting Santa Fe from achieving a sustainable urban system is its insistence that our future will always be based on our history. In addition to our architectural design choices being informed by our traditions, it is openness to change, flexibility, adaptability, diversity and creativity that are the essential tools of sustainable consciousness, that when applied in the present, lead to an abundant future.
The St. Michael’s corridor between Pacheco and Cerrillos affords us an excellent opportunity to demonstrate our skill in using these tools. The increasing number of commercial vacancies, redefinition of the former More >
Preserving New Mexico’s Land Heritage through Conservation Easements
Sep 1st
Conservation easements are a valuable tool for protecting open lands such as farms and ranches, wildlife habitats, historic and cultural sites, scenic open space and recreational lands from development while keeping them in private ownership. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement between a private landowner and a qualified conservation organization – such as the New Mexico Land Conservancy (NMLC) – to limit subdivision, development and specific uses on the subject property for the purpose of conserving certain conservation values or providing some kind of public benefit. Each conservation easement is tailored to the subject property and the conservation More >
Water in a Sustainable Urban Village
Sep 1st
by Richard Jennings
It is great to dream and make plans. But then what? To make things happen, the plan has to be clear enough to create an understanding and consensus of what needs to be done. This also requires buy-in from the community. When the path is clear, people can move in collaboration and harmony. A good start is to define the most important elements. Good definitions are intuitively clear to enough people to create consensus and action.
What is Water?
Pretty much everyone knows H2O; two hydrogen atoms that hang on to an oxygen molecule. The molecular picture looks like More >
Del are llano / From the Arid Land – Developers and Landowners Should Take a Page from the Past When Dealing with Future Development
Sep 1st
Juan Estevan Arellano
If Río Arriba County can have its agricultural lands and water rights remain intact before any new developments are approved, it will not only help prevent sprawl in rural areas; ultimately, it will positively impact the more urban areas as well, such as the city of Española, making Río Arriba a more sustainable county.
But while at least one county commissioner may be on board, real estate agents and some landowners don’t endorse such a plan. One of the problems seems to be that the county has not been able to sell the idea to the public. By being More >
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area Hires New Executive Director
Sep 1st
The Board of Directors of the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area (NRGNHA) has hired Thomas “Tomás” Romero as its new Executive Director. Romero has served as Associate Vice President for the Santa Fe Community College, in several Deputy Secretary positions in NM State government, and as managing director of El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe.
Board President Katherine Mortimer said, “The NRGNHA Board of Directors looks forward to Tomás’ leadership in finalizing their Management Plan and in embarking on the implementation of the plan through expansion of the ongoing grant program that the Heritage Area manages, through development of outreach More >
Newsbites – September
Sep 1st
New Mexico’s Clean Economy is Growing
In just five years, New Mexico has gone from having few clean energy economy jobs, services or products to having almost 18,000 clean economy jobs that pay an average wage of $39,000 a year. According to a new report from the Brookings Institution, New Mexico ranks 36th in the country for the size of its clean economy. A report fact sheet is available at www.brookings.edu.
New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner Jason Marks says the state is prime real estate for taking advantage of the switch to a clean economy. “We are blessed with some of More >
A-1 Self-Storage Installs Solar PV Power at 15 NM Facilities
Sep 1st
New Mexico’s A-1 Self-Storage recently completed installation of solar power at most of its facilities across the state.
A-1 expects the conversion to pay for itself in about seven years, and estimates it will save 487,658 kilowatt-hours of energy and prevent approximately 975,316 pounds of carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere each year. The installations created four full-time jobs with Daybreak Solar, which installed the photovoltaic systems.
A-1 took advantage of federal and state tax credits to reduce the cost of installation as well as renewable energy incentives from PNM.
To celebrate the solar conversion, A1 held a green ribbon-cutting ceremony at More >
Los Alamos Co-op Launched
Sep 1st
Only a small number of people believed it would ever happen, but in March of this year the Los Alamos Cooperative Market opened in a brand new 7,000 square-foot store.
It all started when Nancy Savoia contacted La Montanita Co-op in Santa Fe in early 2006 about opening a store in Los Alamos, according to LACM Board President Karen Kendall. After La Montanita declined but offered to help start a new co-op, Nancy recruited volunteers and began the five-year journey to bring a healthy shopping alternative to town.
First recruits included Kendall herself, Kathy Campbell, Beata Vixie, Tevis Baier and Venita Durrer. More >
Santa Fe Higher Education Center Launches
Sep 1st
Students Can Work Toward Bachelor’s Degrees
In August, the Santa Fe Higher Education Center (SFHEC) officially launched on the campus of Santa Fe Community College. The SFHEC is a partnership among SFCC, New Mexico Highlands University, the Institute of American Indian Arts and the University of New Mexico to increase access to higher education. The center will provide a single location where students can pursue a bachelor’s degree directly upon earning an associate degree at SFCC.
“The Santa Fe Higher Learning Center will be a boost to our community and our local economy. By increasing access to higher education we improve the More >
What Does Healthcare in a Sustainable Urban Village Look Like?
Sep 1st
Kathleen Beneke
Recently, a group of Santa Fe residents with careers in a variety of health fields gathered to discuss and brainstorm what a sustainable community would look like, specifically in the area of healthcare. We recognized that for any community to become viable, it has to provide opportunities for citizens, while honoring and recognizing their intrinsic value throughout their Cycle of Life – from pregnant women and their infants to our senior citizens. Each neighbor has much to give. Our idea of health creates an environment where those gifts are respected, honored and nurtured. When we looked at what we More >
Eco-Park Comes to Santa Fe
Sep 1st
Innovators Find Site for Alternative Energy Production Facility
Seth Roffman
As we seek security and resiliency in times of impending climate change crises, peak oil production, rising prices, dependency on foreign oil, and long distance supply chains, some innovative individuals think we can transform our energy and food systems into decentralized, green, regional food-, water- and energy-sheds.
For 20 years Alfonz Viszolay has been studying bioremediation using algae, and he has built algae production facilities that generate a wide array of products for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. For the last two years, Viszolay and Leonard Koval have been looking for a site More >
Earthships Village Design
Sep 1st
by Michael Reynolds
This is “biotecture” designed for a city in Turkey. There is a mile-long bike lane through the Commons. Not only is the guy riding through the Commons’ greenhouse, this buffer zone contains the facility’s sewage treatment, water catchment and food production. The outside climate gets tempered twice on the way into the private homes – once in the Commons and then in the personal greenhouses. With this much locally produced food, the scale of the corner store is redefined. Provisions for vegetables, bananas, fish and chickens are part of the design.
There is often a barrier between the peoples More >
How to Finance the Sustainable Urban Village
Sep 1st
Drew Tulchin
A key foundation to building the sustainable urban village we all want (in whatever form that is for you) is to ensure there is capital – money – to finance the creation/construction efforts, as well as sustainable institutions to hold money for the urban village. This article details the financial institutions, methods, and mechanisms that already exist today that are helpful to all of us, and where to learn more about these efforts. The future can be now. [Please note that mention of any financial institution or product is not an endorsement or recommendation. One should always do their More >
St. Michael’s Boulevard Design / Redevelopment Project
Sep 1st
Sergio Yamada
The city of Santa Fe invited seven urban design firms to participate in a competition to envision a future for St. Michaels Boulevard. The extent of the proposed redevelopment goes from Cerrillos Rd. to St. Francis Dr. and includes roadway, transit and land use design.
Our project was guided by the design criteria and the city planner’s vision for the boulevard. DPS’ plan transforms St. Michael’s Drive into two one-way roads with an arts district that supports new retail and housing along both sides of the street. The area in the middle of St. Michael’s becomes the Paseo de las More >
Commons Vignettes, or 144 Reasons To Live in Community
Sep 1st
Compiled by Ken Hughes
I wish so much for the transformation of St. Michaels Drive. As a planner I often think of the physical side and how important it is to get it right. Yet all too often the social side makes or breaks a community, a neighborhood, a place. Having the great good fortune to spend the last two decades planning, building and living in the Commons on the Alameda co-housing community, I get to experience the benefits of both a quality physical and social setting. What might that mean? Here are 144 answers from many of my 81 “commoners.”
- Water More >
Envisioning a Sustainable Urban Village- a Puzzle of 1000 Pieces
Sep 1st
Brian Skeele, Guest Associate Editor
Some 35 years ago, in college, my eyes opened to the probabilities of a social, economic and ecological train wreck that lay at the end of the line of our unsustainable, car-dominated sprawl lifestyle. Ever since, I’ve been on a quest for the antidote. What else can we do besides suburbia? How do we enjoy a quality lifestyle while living lightly on the planet? Maybe Sustainable Neighborhoods are the new American Dream. How do we make sustainable real?
I’ve come to call the antidote “Sustainable Urban Villages” (SUVs) – Mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhoods with lifelong learning and open More >
A “Think and Do Tank” to Fan the Embers of the Emerging Sustainable Economy
Sep 1st
The times call for an atmosphere that is conducive to economic innovation. How can we work together to create a thriving local/regional, resilient, innovative, sustainable economy?
Several months ago, a diverse group met in Santa Fe to brainstorm a “Think and Do Tank,” an interdisciplinary, affordable, innovation/fabrication lab to support turning creative, social, economic and ecological ideas into real jobs. This will require tinkering, rapid prototyping, testing and bringing to market sustainable, beneficial tools, processes and products.
Here are some more of the ideas and functions we identified for the Think and Do Tank:
- Connects idea generators to folks looking for purposeful endeavors
- An Idea More >
2010 Edition
Aug 3rd
White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Visits SFCC Sustainable Technologies Center
Aug 1st
Santa Fe Community College President Sheila Ortego, SFCC Board Chair Linda Siegle and Dean of Economic and Workforce Development Randy Grissom last month welcomed President Obama’s principal environmental policy advisor, Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, to the SFCC’s new green, LEED-registered Trades and Advanced Technology Center.
Sutley toured the facility with representatives from Sen. Bingaman’s, Rep. Lujan’s and Sen. Udall’s offices, along with students from the New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps and local leaders to discuss the work of the Sustainable Technologies Center and how its success can be replicated across the nation.
Chair Sutley was More >
Settlement Claims Filing Period Opens for Native American Farmers and Ranchers
Aug 1st
Farmers and ranchers who believe they are entitled to funds or loan forgiveness under the Keepseagle settlement must file a claim by December 27. Keepseagle v. Vilsack was a lawsuit alleging that USDA discriminated against Native American farmers and ranchers in the way it operated its farm loan program. The lawsuit was settled late last year and has been approved by the court.
Farmers or ranchers must submit a completed claims package if they wish to participate in the claims process. Keepseagle class counsel is holding a number of meetings in the coming months throughout Indian Country to provide assistance to More >
In the Green Fire Times we spotlight initiatives that create positive social impacts on climate change, energy independence, and green job development...
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