November 2021 E-News
Photo: Julie Dermansky/Earthworks
DIRTY MINING AND THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION

Last week New Mexico In Depth and The Guardian covered the "dark side" of the clean energy transition -- the environmental impacts of increased mining of copper and other minerals needed for renewable energy. The story featured the new Emma Pit project, an expansion of Freeport-McMoRan's Tyrone Mine, and the Copper Flat Mine in Hillsboro and included interviews with GRIP's Executive Director and local residents.

As scientists have been telling us for years, it is critical that we move as quickly as possible to a renewable energy future and cut dramatically our carbon emissions to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

But "we can't mine our way out of the climate crisis," Indigenous peoples said at the People's Summit for Climate Justice, held concurrently with COP26. Increased global extraction of minerals for renewable energy must not come at the expense of indigenous peoples, frontline communities, mine workers and the planet.

The Ecologist wrote earlier this year that "the climate impacts of biodiversity loss and destruction caused by mining could effectively cancel out any benefits in terms of the climate mitigation enabled by increased renewable capacity delivered through an unplanned, business-as-usual scenario of transition mineral mining expansion."

In order to achieve a just transition, we must say no to dirty mining by requiring mine operators follow socially and environmentally responsible standards, such as the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, and find alternatives like recycling to meet increased demand for minerals.
WATER RESOURCES PROTECTION
Freeport-McMoRan Tyrone Mine
Emma Project Update Meeting
Tuesday, November 16, 6pm
Freeport-McMoRan will hold an online update meeting about the Emma Project, a new open pit to be constructed on the south side of the Tyrone mine along Highway 90. The meeting will cover the permit applications recently submitted to the Mining and Minerals Division and the NM Environment Department.

Link to join meeting HERE
New Mexico's 50-Year Water Plan
Fill Out the Resiliency Survey
The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) is leading a collaborative effort to develop a 50-Year Water Plan that will describe New Mexico's readiness to prepare for changing water resource conditions in response to climate change. 

The "Leap Ahead Analysis" assesses the current state of knowledge on how climate change and water resources may vary in New Mexico over the next 50 years. 

NMISC is soliciting public input on how prepared communities are to expected future variabilities in water supply due to climate change. Take the Resiliency Survey by November 30.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PICK IT UP - TOSS NO MAS COMMUNITY CLEAN UP
THIS WEEKEND!

Join us for the next Pick It Up - Toss No Mas Community Trash Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, November 20th from 9am - 1pm at the parking lot at Gough Park.

Through a partnership between the Town of Silver City and GRIP's Silver City Watershed Keepers, the Pick It Up - Toss No Mas program brings volunteers together to help make Silver City a clean and beautiful place to live by keeping our roadways and waterways litter free.

Grab a free t-shirt while supplies last, trash bags, gloves, trash pickers and snacks starting at 9:00 am in the parking lot on West 12th Street on the south side of Gough Park. Volunteers will spend the morning cleaning up litter at a location of their choice and then return to the parking lot between 12 pm and 1pm to drop off trash and recyclables and record their cleanup results.

Pre-register at silvercitywatershedkeepers.org or register on-site at the event.
OPEN HOUSE
Grant County Outdoor Recreation and Trails Master Plan
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Grant County has launched a Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation and Trails Master Plan process to develop a roadmap for the future of outdoor recreation and trails in Grant County that complements the area’s assets and economic development goals.

Stakeholders and members of the public are invited to participate in an Open House on Wednesday, November 17 from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Grant County Business and Conference Center (3031 US-180, Silver City, NM 88061). At this event, attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions of the consultant team, and share their vision for outdoor recreation and trails in Grant County.

If you can't make it, be sure to fill out the survey HERE.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Big Ditch Park Beautification Saturday, Nov. 20th, 10am - 1pm
Funded by NM Clean and Beautiful and the 30Something grant program, Silver City Watershed Keepers, Aldo Leopold Charter School Youth Conservation Corps, and others are partnering on a Big Ditch Park Revitalization Project to re-establish plantings and create new pollinator gardens throughout the park.

Join us this Saturday, November 20th from 10am - 1pm to help plant a couple of the new planting areas. Meet Aldo Leopold Charter School YCC faculty Tricia Hurley in Big Ditch Park behind the Silver City Food Co-op to get plugged in!
Gila Resources Information Project
305A North Cooper St. Silver City, NM 88061