Drilling Mora County meeting/Ocate, with Anna Real Delay/Senator Tom Udall's office and Pamela Garcia/Representative Ben Lujan's office

Dear Pam and Anna,
It was so nice to have met you both at the Ocate meeting this past Thursday, April 23, 2009.

I wish to thank you both for having taking the time and effort to attend and make the presence of Representative Lujan and Senator Udall felt, not only for the Mora and San Miguel County residents who were present, but also for Johnny Micou and myself, residents of Santa Fe County -- all of us your constituents.

It is wonderful that our national elected public officials are becoming aware of the extreme danger to Northern New Mexico should oil and gas drilling take place in our watersheds and remaining rural areas that are a national treasure AND the natural resource treasure of fresh air and pure drinking water for all of Life and future generations of New Mexicans to whom we all owe a debt of accountability.

Over this past year, my community efforts have been focused in Santa Fe County and protecting the Galisteo Basin, and by extension, the Rio Grande Rift Valley from the Federally unregulated, highly toxic and destructive
methods and materials currently employed by the og industry. As a part of this effort, I was asked to produce and participate in the benefit exhibition: The Galisteo Basin Photography Project (www.GalisteoBasinPhotoProject.com), a celebration of the Galisteo Basin. Governor Richardson endorsed our effort by signing the Title Page and one special boxed set edition of 27 photographs was purchased and donated to the Palace of the Governors, Photographic Archives by the McCune Foundation and John Scanlon and Verve Gallery in Santa Fe. I attach here our Press Release and postcard and invite you to have a look at the online gallery. The Project's photography sales totaled $20,425. $7,056.24 was raised and, in equal proportions, given to three grassroots organizations working to protect New Mexicans: Drilling Santa Fe, Oil & Gas Accountability Project, and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center.

I am now turning my attention to the effort to protect our Northern New Mexico watersheds, water, and traditional ways of life -- from our acequias to the famous weavers of Chimayo and Los Ojos, and all the other unique cultural and traditional lifestyles and sustainable resources found in our communities -- everything that would be destroyed should full-scale og fields be allowed to be developed in our northern counties.

I would ask Representative Lujan and Senator Udall to please work to make the og industry again subject to our national environmental laws and regulations, including: Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Surface Water Run-off Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Community Right-to-Know Act; amongst others that the og industry was exempted from by the Bush-Cheney administration. Also, I would urge them to permanently ban the use of hydraulic fracturing hazardous chemicals and materials (including biocides, silica, and corrosive chemical dust suppressants). These (including identified chemicals on the superfund list) poisonous, carcinogenic, endocrine-disruptive materials do not belong in the water and bodies of Earth nor Man. It is impossible to remediate aquifers. It is irresponsible and reprehensible to squander the God-given gifts of clean air and water.We need leadership to move into a sustainable, non-fossil-fuel energy future.

Again, my thanks to you both, Pam and Anna, serving as the eyes and ears of
our Congressman and Senator respectively; and to let them hear what the People need and want.

Most sincerely yours,

Linda Spier

OPTIC Letter to the Editor--Oil and Gas Drilling in Mora County

As we all know by now, the climate crisis is real. And
as we all know, only immediate measures to cap carbon pollution
can turn the ship of destruction around, and protect a planet
worth living on.
In the face of these facts it is astounding to me that the oil
and gas industry is still pushing into areas like Mora county,
trying to get the last pockets of fossil fuels out of the
earth, with no regards for the future of those living here.
Hopefully our county government officials, elected and paid by
the people, have enough far sight to withstand the short lived
lures and promises of a predatory industry promising false
wealth to a county that already has a different kind of wealth:
clean air, clean water, agriculture, wildlife, community, a
quality of life people are longing for in most other places of
this country.
With some long term consideration the county government could
leave its mark by igniting a transition into clean and
renewable energy, creating local jobs and supporting an
economic recovery for the whole country, all the while
protecting the beauty and values of our community and the
health and welfare of its people.

by Claudia Stromberg, Ocate resident
published April 17th 2009

The Mosquito and the Dalai Lama

Somebody asked the Dalai Lama how to approach a mosquito that is biting his arm...he said...first I wave and let him know is not OK to bite...if he comes back I slap my arm near as second warning...if he insists in coming back...I have to slap the mosquito for good.