Submitted by Susan Smith, Tijeras
Wow! What a rant by Rep. Lord in the December 5 Independent. It’s so tempting to respond in kind, but the deadly seriousness of climate change is too important for that.
Fortunately, she doesn’t deny climate change, just our ability to fix it. It’s true that we don’t know how to solve the crisis — yet. But we know a lot. We know that we’re accelerating climate change by adding greenhouse gases at unprecedented rates. We know this intensifies natural disasters, endangers hundreds of species, and destroys the property, livelihoods and lives of people everywhere. And we know that the longer we wait to act the worse the consequences.
Rep. Lord says our small population can’t make a difference. I say New Mexico is making a huge difference by being a leader in this fight! I am so proud that our state provides incentives to go solar, drive electric, heat/cool our homes efficiently and more. We New Mexicans love the land! I’m thankful that our leaders are committed to preserving this land now and for future generations.
Yes, addressing climate change creates big economic challenges for both individuals and our state. But this is not an either-or situation. We must address both climate change and economic consequences at the same time. To do this we need dedicated and creative leaders. Thankfully we have many both in and outside of government. I hope Rep. Lord will join them.
Susan Smith is a long-time East mountain resident who loves working with others to care for our beautiful lands. She has done that with the Tijeras Canyon Safe Passage Coalition, at Carlito Springs and most recently at Sunflower Meadow Park.
