CLIMATE ACTION NOW NEW MEXICO
BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER
THE COMMUNITY TOLL OF CLIMATE CHANGE
AS A WATER SCARCE AND DIVERSE STATE, NEW MEXICO'S COMMUNITIES ARE ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS. READ BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WAYS THAT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE IMPACTED.
EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS
New Mexico’s warming climate has led to hotter classrooms, with summer and early fall temperatures hovering in unsafe ranges. In 2023, Albuquerque schools reported classroom temperatures over 80°F, well above the state code. Parents in Las Cruces also expressed serious concerns when students were routinely exposed to 100+ degree heat while traveling on school buses with inadequate ventilation or no air conditioning. High temperatures also overstress already aging school HVAC systems that struggle to keep temperatures in the comfort zone. Schools without air conditioning, which includes 70% of Albuquerque public schools, rely on evaporative coolers, which are less effective at higher temperatures.
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Research has found that increased temperatures negatively impact student performance on tests and disproportionately impact students of color and low-income families. Additionally, repeated exposure to heat increases stress levels, which can exacerbate mental health conditions, lower student attention spans and shorten tempers. Exposure to wildfire particulate pollution may also increase children’s risk for autism and ADHD and result in poorer school performance. All of these factors will also lead to an increase in student and classroom disruptions, which ultimately lower students’ academic performance.
FIRST RESPONDERS & PUBLIC HEALTH
Climate change, and the resulting heat waves and temperature extremes, are already leading to increases in heat-related incidents requiring emergency and hospital intervention. Heat illnesses can include dehydration, heat rash, sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Populations most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses include Indigenous and other communities of color, low-income families, pregnant people, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ+ people, youth, the elderly and outdoor workers, who all frequently lack access to treatment, cooling facilities and other resources.
Extreme temperatures also increase the likelihood of death and illness due to heart issues, diabetes and respiratory issues. Of those impacted, communities that experience disproportionate discrimination and racism are often less likely to be able to afford or seek medical treatment for health problems, even acute issues, resulting in conditions increasing in severity or going untreated. Asthma and respiratory illnesses also increase in communities with high levels of air pollution or particulates, including car emissions and other climate pollutants.
RURAL COMMUNITIES
Rural communities and low-income communities bear a disproportionate burden from the climate crisis. They frequently have fewer resources and less infrastructure than urban areas and are at the epicenter of the “wildland-urban interface,” where structures and other human development meet wild, undeveloped vegetation. Furthermore, rural communities’ economies are often connected to tourism and rely on the health of the land for quality of life and revenue. All of these factors make them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
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​New Mexico is recognized as one of the best states in the nation for pecan, chile pepper, milk, cheese and onion production. In 2022, agricultural production contributed over $3.7 billion to the state’s economy. New Mexico’s signature crop, the chile pepper, is also particularly vulnerable to high temperatures and heatwaves. Chile and pecans are also water-heavy crops, and increased drought further stresses irrigation resources. As crops become stressed, the likelihood of pest and disease outbreaks increases, threatening entire farms, local economies and community food security.
OIL & GAS COMMUNITIES
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2023), New Mexico is the second-largest oil-producing state in the nation. Most of the state’s oil and gas production originates from two regions: the San Juan Basin in northwestern New Mexico and the Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico. The San Juan Basin also overlaps with the Navajo Nation, the largest Native nation in the United States.
As a fenceline and frontline community, Navajo citizens contend with all the burdens that arise from an oil and gas basin. The Western Environmental Law Center reports that more than 91% of the land in the San Juan Basin has been leased to the oil and gas industry by the Bureau of Land Management, with approximately 40,000 wells drilled to date. Citizens of the Navajo Nation are twice as likely as New Mexico residents to live within one-half mile of an oil and gas facility, and communities near active oil and gas wells experience acute health impacts due to air and water pollution. In fact, the American Lung Association (2024) gave San Juan County an “F” grade for poor air quality (smog) in their 2024 State of the Air report.
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WILDLIFE
The cumulative impact of decades of extractive industry and climate change effects in the southwest have placed our wildlife species and ecosystems at grave risk. The planet is now experiencing a global extinction crisis. The 2022 Living Planet Report from the World Wildlife Fund found an average decline of 69% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970, placing the future of our global ecosystem in jeopardy. This crisis is being driven by a combination of unchecked human development, poor habitat and forest governing practices, extractive industry, habitat destruction and the impacts of climate change. In New Mexico alone, the Department of Game and Fish State Wildlife Action Plan has 274 species in greatest conservation need.
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Changing landscapes due to drought, pests, disease, food scarcity and wildfire have also forced wildlife, including game species and birds, to migrate northward. Wildlife migration paths and habitats are often fragmented due to development, making it difficult for some species to adapt. Furthermore, many species cannot move or move fast enough to adapt.
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OUTDOOR RECREATION
Climate change will directly and indirectly impact all outdoor enthusiasts, including hunters, anglers, hikers and birdwatchers, through impacts on wildlife, ecosystems, public health and public access to the outdoors. The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (2023) reports that outdoor recreation accounts for $2.4 billion in added value and revenue for the state and provides 28,000 jobs. However, heat, drought and the resulting impacts on wildlife and natural resources will decrease the window through which tourists and New Mexicans can enjoy the outdoor economy, impact revenues and directly harm the health of recreationists and the economic contribution of the outdoor recreation industry.
Elevated temperatures and heat waves will bring an increased risk for outdoor recreation heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke, and a higher risk for injuries due to heat-induced fatigue and disorientation. The New Mexico Department of Health reported nearly 1,000 hospital visits in 2023 due to heat-related illnesses, with a majority occurring during the summer’s hottest month, July (New Mexico Department of Health, n.d.). An article published by New Mexico Epidemiology estimates that heat-related illnesses are likely to double by 2030 (Woods et al., 2020).
GET IN THE FIGHT TO PROTECT NEW MEXICO'S ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT, AND PEOPLE.
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