Mainstream media will offer many tributes to our Vets. Retake offers tribute to those who fought in war and then came home and fought for peace. Plus we offer our weekly review at last week’s posts, including our piece on local resilience.
Retake Our Democracy on KSFR 101.1 FM, Saturday, November 9, 8:30am– 9 am. On Nov. 9, I interviewed Rebecca Sobel, Senior Climate and Energy Campaigner for Wild Earth Guardians, one of Retake’s closest allies. We discussed a wide variety of topics related to NM’s contribution to global warming, the Governor’s energy policies and the produced water issue.
In relation to the later, Rebecca offered new insights into what may be in play with NM’s plan to treat and reuse highly toxic fracking bi-products that industry wants you to accept as “water,” produced or otherwise. Great, great show that went well over the 30 minutes, so be sure to check out the podcast when it is posted on Monday, likely by mid morning. The Nov 2 show was with Tso and Mario Atencio. They are the two activists who led our fracking tour of the greater Chaco Canyon area. To listen by podcast click here.
2020 Legislative Preview, Preparation & Training: What will be introduced, what might not, and what you can do.
Tuesday, Nov 19, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Center for Progress & Justice, 1420 Cerrillos, Santa Fe. Join us in person in Santa Fe or via live stream at the Retake Facebook page. Learn which bills are likely to be “on the Governor’s call” in 2020: Abortion Decriminalization? Red Flag? Community Solar? A Just Transition Plan? Find out how to advocate now to get bills on the call, and learn about effective advocacy strategies to use during the Session.
We’ll guide you through resources Retake has developed to help you advocate effectively from home or at the Roundhouse. And you’ll hear first-hand tips from some of Retake’s most active volunteers in the 2019 Session. Finally, Sydney Tellez, Associate Director of Common Cause, will tell you how you can help pass a bill calling for a constitutional amendment to create salaries for legislators and legislative staff, the only way we will ever have a Legislature that truly represents all the people and communities of our state.
Please RSVP by clicking here (Facebook) or writing to us at RetakeResponse@gmail.com
Three Produced Water Hearings Remaining in November: Carlsbad, Farmington & Las Cruces: Click here for details and scroll down the Events Page.
A Tribute to Those Fought in War & Then Have Fought for Peace
Today’s mainstream print, online, and broadcast media will be full of tributes to veterans and Retake salutes all of them for their courage and sacrifice. But a significant segment of that population fought in war and then returned home to continue to fight….but they then fought for peace.
Click here for a moving perspective–both historical and deeply personal— on the veterans for peace movement from The Nation magazine. Immediately below, is an 8 minute clip from 2018 Remembrance Day marking the 100th anniversary of WW I.
A Look Back at Last Week:
Fracking Banned in UK, An Array of Local Resilience Strategies & Produced Water & My View on the YUCCA Arrests
On Sunday, the Santa Fe New Mexican published a My View written by me (Paul) on the arrest of 21 YUCCA supporters at a sit-in in the Governor’s office. Click here to review it. I loved the irony of the arrest My View being placed directly under the Governor’s My View describing her deep concern for the environment. She left out her pledge to continue fracking the Permian Basin and her support for produced water.
I do want to acknowledge that the same Governor we are pressing to be courageous on climate change is the one who fought hard and with great courage to get gun violence prevention passed in the last session, despite furious opposition from gun rights advocates, including the Sheriff’s Association. She also advanced a legislative agenda that was full of progressive bills, signed into law. I was reminded of this when interviewing Miranda Viscoli, co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence for our Nov 16 Retake radio show, when Miranda emphasized this point.
I mention this for two reasons: to be fair to the Governor; she has led us well in relation to most issues and is an immense improvement upon who preceded her…immense. But the second reason I mention it is that her vision in relation to other issues suggests that she is approachable on climate and so Retake will be asking you over and over again, to press the Governor to move on climate.
Part VI: What Can We Do? Building Local Resilience & Prepare for Climate Consequences
Tuesday, November 5. The short answer to the question What Can We Do locally is: lots. And all we might do not only helps mitigate and reduce the scale of the climate catastrophe, but also helps prepare us for the increasingly inevitable societal crises or even societal collapse to come.
The post referenced numerous resources for building local resilience and capacity to adapt to what is becoming increasingly inevitable. The theme of the post is empowering: there are things you can do and your local community can do and the process of doing those things will contribute to building a stronger community based upon personal trust borne from working together. The post includes a summary from the Rockefeller Foundations initiative 100 Resilient Cities and several other resources.
In the post, I asked if there might be folks interested in collaborating together to review the vast amount of valuable information available and to create a toolkit for building local resilience that is relevant to NM. And a handful stepped up. We will begin to activate that group this week, so if after reviewing this post, you are interested, just let us know by writing to RetakeResponse@gmail.com. Thanks. Click here to read the full post.
The UK Bans Fracking. It Can Be Done
Thursday, November 7. The UK banned fracking nationwide and it looks like it may be permanent–a lesson to NM and the Nation. Where there is a will (and some semblance of sanity), there is a way. Another short, focused post, a trend to be repeated.
The post also included reference to the Trinity Test site and New Mexico’s Down Winders and provided a link to a CDC study on the disastrous consequences resulting from the unbelievably arrogant and thoughtless testing of the A bomb in 1945. Click here to read the full post.
Good News, Local Action & More On Produced Water
Saturday, November 9. A hodgepodge post with an International Summary of Very Good News (a needed boost to the spirit) followed by information on Tierra Contenta, a massive “affordable” housing development in Santa Fe and some very compelling observations on the produced water hearings from Rebecca Sobel, Wild Earth Guardian. The produced water bill may have much more at stake than we thought. Click here to read the full post.
In solidarity,
Paul & Roxanne
Categories: Uncategorized
As far as the Governor’s different stands on climate and gun violence, I think it comes down to the fact that revenues from sales of guns and hunting permits can’t compete with oil and gas revenues. She’s willing to spend political capital, but not to sacrifice MONEY.
She’ll sell us. Has sold us. And will continue to unless we can force her to change course.
It’s more important to recognize the difference between allies and enemies—even when both are embodied in one person, and that person in charge. That’s as fair as I’m willing to be.
Furthermore, enacting better social programs while maintaining “the fairy tale of endless growth” leaves the social programs not only at the mercy of neoliberals of both parties, but will be obliterated soon enough as climate catastrophe swings into high gear.
Very well put, Sandra. Please share those thoughts with the Governor.
Will do.
Thank you for highlighting Veterans For Peace. Some of those people have more courage and conviction in their little finger than I have had in my entire life! It takes guts to stand up against war and militarism when the whole country has been pushed in that direction for decades. Anyone who stands up for human life and against militarism in the USA today is likely to be harshly vilified.
Santa Fe has a very good chapter of Veterans For Peace. One of our leaders, Ken Mayers, is still in Ireland waiting for court proceedings after he and another VFP member staged a protest at Shannon Airport over the violation by the USA of Irish neutrality. He’s certainly put his money where his values are.