Pursuing a Green Amendment in New Mexico
- 2023 New Mexico Green Amendment Roundup — What Happened, What’s Next, Staying Engaged.
- Use these two overview documents as a starting place for getting educated and educating others:
- Answers to some of your pressing questions can be found on our NM Green Amendment Frequently Asked Questions & Answers 2023
- Learn more about how the New Mexico Green Amendment Strengthens Environmental Justice, Protection & Healthy Communities 2023
- Learn more about the benefits of the NM Green Amendment for addressing the climate crisis from our NM Green Amendment Guidance Document re Climate 2023
- Check out & share this video short to get inspired & inspire others.
Green Energy Benefits of the NM Green Amendment
A new memo explains the many values of the New Mexico Green Amendment for securing climate justice and advancing clean and renewable energy in New Mexico. The memo also takes on the false claims by lobbyists who have been working behind the scenes with a misinformation campaign to undermine this critical value of the NM Green Amendment.
Get on the cutting edge of knowledge by reviewing this detailed memo and discussion put together by experts in the Green Amendment arena:
Understanding the Environmental Justice Values
The NM Green Amendment will be a beneficial tool for advancing environmental justice and ending environmental racism. Learn more in these helpful resources:
- Constitutional Green Amendments: Making Environmental Justice A Reality published in the ABA Natural Resources & Environment Magazine
- ELI Dialogue: Green Amendments, a Vehicle for Environmental Justice, Panel Discussion Fall 2021
New Mexico: A Resource or Sacrifice State? Recording now available
A webinar hosted by Indivisible Nob Hill and Green Amendments For The Generations to discuss NM’s most pressing environmental issues and how a Green Amendment could help provide a solution.
- Nuclear issues in New Mexico, in particular waste storage plans in Lea County by Holtec International, presented by Leona Morgan and Eileen Shaughnessy
- Health impacts of methane pollution, presented by Mario Atencio
- A Green Amendment as a solution, presented by Green Amendments For the Generations founder Maya van Rossum.
Watch the recording of this Zoominar – use the password: 5L@Zv5=$ to access.
Support Green Amendments For the Generations!
Learn More Below
Factsheets and Materials
Understanding and Implementing a Green Amendment in New Mexico
- Explaining the Power of the NM Green Amendment in a Way Everyone Can Understand
- NM Green Amendment Key Points 2022-2023
- NM Green Amendment Frequently Asked Questions & Answers 2022-2023
- New Mexico Green Amendment Strengthens Environmental Justice, Protection & Healthy Communities 2022-2023
- NM Green Amendment For Clean Energy Memo -- Telling the Truth & Taking on the Opposition 1.23.23
- NM Green Amendment Guidance Document re Climate 2022-2023
- Constitutional Green Amendments: Making Environmental Justice A Reality | ABA Natural Resources & Environment
- How Green Amendments Protect Key Environmental Rights | Law 360
- Understanding the Importance and Value of Trustee Language in the Proposed NM Green Amendment
- Sanders v Reed, the Case That Spoke to Article XX Section 21, What Does It Say? How Does It Inform Our Efforts to Advance a NM Green Amendment?
- Amending the NM Constitution
- From 2021 Leg Session: Comparing New Mexico Proposals on Civil Rights, Public Right of Action, and Environmental Rights
The Green Amendment Concept
- The Green Amendment, The People's Fight For a Clean, Safe & Healthy Environment —The Book
- What is a Green Amendment
- Constitutional Green Amendments: Making Environmental Justice A Reality | ABA Natural Resources & Environment Magazine
- ELI Dialogue: Green Amendments, a Vehicle for Environmental Justice, Panel Discussion Fall 2021
- How Green Amendments Protect Key Environmental Rights | Law 360
- Green Amendments: Giving Constitutional Power to Environmental Justice - Fact Sheet
- Demanding and Defending Your Rights to Clean Air, Clean Water, & a Healthy Environment
- How To Implement & Apply a Green Amendment
- Protections Offered with Trust Language in a Green Amendment
- Using Green Amendments to Strengthen Environmental Justice
- Green Amendment Checklist: Essential Elements of an Effective Environmental Rights Amendment
- Benefits of a Constitutional Provision Protecting Environmental Rights
- Green Amendments, Properly Placed and Written, Are A Restraint On Governmental Authority - Article By Team of Attorneys that Successfully Argued PA Case
- The Green Amendment: An Idea Whose Time It Has Always Been, by Gerald J. Williams, Esq.
Webinars & Video Content
- The Green Amendment: New Mexico
- Radio Show: Maya K. Van Rossum on the Richard Eeds Show, KTRC Santa Fe
- New Mexico: A Resource or Sacrifice State - use the password: 5L@Zv5=$ to access.
- Facebook Live with Senator Sedillo Lopez
- Free the Bills Press Conference
- Legislative Briefing: 50th Anniversary of PA's Green Amendment
- The Impact of Pennsylvania Green Amendments on Decisionmaking in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania's Environmental Rights Amendment in Practice
- More video content available on Youtube
- Watch & Listen: press, podcast, & media content
Resources for Teachers/Educators
- Green Amendment Teacher Guide (Print | Screen)
- Student Guide and more available
- Virtual Canoe Race - Online educational adventure game that teaches Geography, History, and Science in a trivia contest format
- Article: How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change — & Why You Have To
Se puede explorar nuestras materiales aqui
Necesitamos una Enmienda Verde por Nuevo Mexico para mejorar nuestra ambiente
- ¿Que es un Enmienda Verde?
- Exigiendo y defendiendo tu derecho a agua limpia, aire limpio, y un ambiente saludable
- Enmienda Verde lista de control
- Protecciones ofrecidas incorporando el lenguaje de un fideicomiso en la Enmienda Verde de un Estado
- Haciendo que la justicia ambiental sea una obligación real del gobierno
- ¿Por que necesitamos una Enmienda Verde de Nuevo Mexico?
- Petición Imprimible de la Enmienda Verde de Neuvo Mexico
How Green Amendments Are Helping In PA, MT & NY (the 3 states that have them)
Pennsylvania:
- Robinson Twp, Delaware Riverkeeper Network et.al. v. Commonwealth: pro-fracking law defeated as unconstitutional
- PEDF v. Commonwealth: misappropriation of environmental funds secured through fracking leases on public lands a constitutional concern
- Delaware Riverkeeper Network v. PADEP re Bishop Tube: failure of state to act to address decades of high level site contamination is a constitutional concern
- Marple Township Commissioners Rely on Art 1 Section 27: reject damaging development that would have devastated treasured woodland, the Don Guanella Woods
- PEDF IV: Supreme Court speaks to the constitutional environmental rights of future generations.
- PFAS Protections: Pennsylvania Government Advances PFAS Standards to Protect Environmental Rights & Fulfill Constitutional Green Amendment Obligation
- Center Coalfield Justice v. PADEP: longwall coal mining permit revision unlawful as constitutional violation
- Friends of Lackawanna v. PADEP: landfill renewal permit ordered modified to address historic groundwater contamination
- PA Attorney General Empanels Grand Jury to investigate systemic failures of government regards to the environmental and community impacts fracking
- PA Attorney General is routinely using the PA Green Amendment to support environmental protection efforts
- Gov Wolf Vetoes lawthat prohibited communities from instituting plastic ban protections
- PA Public Utilities Commission re Transource Powerline: PUC Administrative Law Judge recommends denial of powerline approval that later adopted by the PUC Commissioners.
- Marple Township v Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission: affirming obligation of all government to conduct a constitutionally-based environmental assessment of proposed action as part of decision making.
Montana:
- MEIC v. Montana DEQ: industrial gold mining permit rescinded for failure to consider and protect natural resources
- Cape France Enterprises v. Estate of Peed: court rejected ordering specific performance of a drilling contract that could have contaminated groundwater supply
- Park Cty Envtl Council & Greater Yellowstone Coalition v. MT DEA & Lucky Minerals: gold mining exploration license vacated and state law deemed unconstitutional for exempting activities from essential environmental reviews.
- Held v. State of Montana: Youth Climate Legal Action withstands motion to dismiss largely because of environmental rights (in other states without a Green Amendment similar cases have been dismissed).
New York:
- Fresh Air For The East Site v. New York: first decision utilizing NY Green Amendment in context of a landfill.
Legal Opinions
- Robinson Township, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, et al v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania., Dec. 19, 2013 – PA Sup Ct Plurality Opinion
- Montana Environmental Info Ctr V. Dept of Envtl Quality, 1999 -- MT Sup Ct. Opinion
- PEDF v. Commonwealth, June 20, 2017 -- PA Sup Ct Opinion
- Robinson Township, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, et al v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania., Sept 28, 2016 -- PA Sup Ct Opinion
- Park County Envtl Comm'n & Yellowstone Coalition v. MT DEQ & Lucky Minerals, Dec. 8, 2020 -- MT Sup Ct Opinion
- Fresh Air for the Eastside, Inc. v. State of New York, Supreme Court State of New York County of Monroe, Dec 7. 2022
- Fresh Air For The East Side v. Town of Perinton, Supreme Court State of New York County of Monroe, Dec. 8, 2022