Corrales Comment

Demand was high, but expectations were low. Nearly 200 governments from around the world concluded their two-week conclave in Glasgow, Scotland without a binding treaty to stop pouring greenhouse gases into the planet’s thin atmosphere. They were not expected to do so.

In their “Glasgow Climate Pact,” they did not swear off starting new projects to burn fossil fuels to generate electricity; they did not sign agreements to ban future gasoline-guzzling automobiles from rolling off assembly lines; they did not set punishments for ongoing destruction of forests so crucial to absorbing excessive carbon dioxide from burning those fossil fuels.

Going into the last days of COP-26, negotiations had led to a pledge that the burning of coal to produce electricity would be phased out, but at the last minute India and other governments managed to change that to “phased down,” rather than out.

What they did do at COP-26, this year’s intergovernmental conference on climate change, was “increase ambition” to slow the worrying trend of global warming. The mantra from leaders of United Nations agencies, scientists and non-governmental organizations was to “keep 1.5 alive,” the global average temperature expressed in Centigrade over that of pre-industrial

If representatives of national governments could not achieve much success at the Glasgow climate talks earlier this month, young people stand ready to act. Well away from the Scottish Event Centre where COP-26 convened, a youth power rally attracted tens of thousands. “The climate and ecological crises are already here,” said Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate, a stand-in for Swedish teen Greta Thunberg at the mass demonstration Saturday, November 6. “Leaders rarely have the courage to lead. It takes

Two days before the United Nations conference in Scotland on climate change was to end, negotiators from nearly 200 governments had tentatively agreed on on a joint resolution aimed at tamping down global warming due to emissions of greenhouse gases, especially from burning fuel. If successfully concluded, the agreement would be the next step beyond the landmark Paris Accord signed by countries at the end of 2015, but like the earlier one, the pending Glasgow accord would not be binding —even in the face of rising dissatisfaction with the slow pace of decision making and lack of concrete requirements.

The draft document released by the UN secretariat for the Framework Convention on Climate Change late Tuesday night, November 9, was labeled a “framework to guide in shaping a final decision,” rather than a actual decision. Wordsmithing and insertions of caveats had occupied negotiators from most of the world’s governments for more than a week, yet the draft framework still contained many bracketed paragraphs and phrases indicating that no consensus had been achieved.

By Stephani Dingreville

In the 4 years since Ex Novo broke ground in Corrales, the village has changed dramatically. Joel Gregory, the proprietor, and his plans for the brewery, have not. Gregory has steadily moved toward his goals for the site, in spite of the normal setbacks all service industries face, and the extraordinary ones the pandemic presented. Back in 2018, the plan for Ex Novo had two phases. The first was to build the distribution center and the small taproom. This accomplished, and met with incredible success, phase two

The debate about cannabis growing in Corrales will rage on for at least the next three months. At Tuesday’s village council meeting, Resolution 2139 was passed which included a moratorium to pause the processing of all applications for new cannabis-growing permits for 90 days. Village attorney Randy Autio said, “The idea of the moratorium would be to craft the best law we could with all the data we can gather and the examples that we’ve already been identifying from other states.”

Many villagers spoke at this meeting, all expressing their fear and dislike of commercial cannabis farming in residential Corrales areas. Some mentioned odor, others mentioned crime, some talked about nighttime light pollution, and others loss of property value. Their voices seemed to call out in unison with the same basic plea: “do what you can, councillors, to protect us from this frightening development.”

Corrales Police Detective Sergeant Julie Rogers told Corrales Comment November 11 that a grand jury was set to convene November 18 in Albuquerque to consider charges against Joel Ray, arrested for the murder of Spencer Komadina in Corrales October 30. A report by Argen Marie Duncan in the Rio Rancho Observer dated November 4, stated that “According to the statement of probable cause filed in Sandoval County Magistrate Court, Corrales police were dispatched to the 300 block of Camino Corrales del Norte just after 6 p.m. Saturday, after a friend of Ray’s called, saying Ray had just shot Komadina.… Ray told his friend that when he got home, something had happened

If nothing more, the teenagers’ lawsuit against the U.S. government for failing to protect them from future ravages of global warming captured the nation’s imagination and sympathy. The 2015 Juliana v. United States suit sought to compel the federal government to take action to limit further changes to the climate that would leave young people at risk for a less habitable environment. But last year a federal appeals court dismissed the suit brought by Kelsey Juliana and other teens by the non-profit Our Children’s Trust. In a 32-page ruling, Judge Andrew Hurwitz wrote

“Reluctantly we conclude that such relief is beyond our constitutional power. Rather, the plaintiffs’ impressive case for redress must be presented to the political branches of government.”

The ruling seemed to beg the question, since it was the political system that was seen as having failed the youngsters. A dissenting judge in the case, Josephine Staton wrote that “the government accepts as fact that the United States has reached

What could you, your neighbors, your village, your nation, do to protect the earth’s ability to sustain a healthy biosphere? Readers’ suggestions, recommendations or pledges are welcome. Send them to Corrales Comment, or better yet, mobilize to implement them.

Here are a few ideas to start.

Convince Corrales’ state legislators, Brenda McKenna, Jane Powdrell-Culbert and Daymon Ely, to fund municipalities to buy electric police cars and phase out gasoline-powered patrolcars.

Plant three more low-water use trees on your property if you live east of Loma Larga.
Persuade the mayor to move ahead with stalled solar electric installations at all municipal facilities, and commission an energy audit so that the Village of Corrales is New Mexico’s first municipality to achieve net-zero energy use. An audit in 2013 demonstrated we were almost there.
Use the N.M. Community Solar Act passed earlier this year to install a photovoltaic system for Pueblo los Cerros condos.
Buy and use a bicycle to get around the village for errands, shopping —and life-sustaining physical exercise. Participate in the long-delayed planning for a bike and walking path along upper Meadowlark Lane.
Personally adopt the City of Albuquerque’s “1-2-3-2-1” landscape watering directive. At a maximum, water once a week in March, twice a week in April and May, and three times a week in the hottest months, June, July and August. Then cut back to twice a week in September and October. In November, it’s back to once a month.
Adhere to the City of Albuquerque’s “No Burn Night” rules for use of fireplaces to avoid thermal inversions that cause drastic air quality problems in the metro area.
Restrict the number of building permits for huge, energy-intensive “McMansion”-style new homes here; auction off just a few every year.

In spite of Covid’s continued bedevilments, Corrales Mainstreet is planning to host the 2021 Starlight Parade this December 4. Sandy Rasmussen, spokesperson for Corrales Mainstreet, says that the plans have to be very fluid right now because of the pandemic. Even so, the organization is determined to host some sort of celebration. Ideally, that celebration would look as much like the Starlight parade of carefree bygone days as possible. Rasmussen says the plans right now include a tree-lighting ceremony, a visit from St. Nick, and “the usual goodies for all!”

Covid accommodations will include masks for anyone congregating in groups, even when outside. “Maybe we can even have a People’s Choice award for best holiday mask!” Rasmussen speculates. “We know people do not like wearing those masks outside, but this is just a way of us continuing to have community activities and hopefully stay safer.”

The parade route is set to begin at Wagner Farm Store and continue south to the Corrales Growers’ Market parking lot.