Past 350 New Mexico Speakers Series 2025-2026
Rethinking Housing for a Fossil Fuel-Free Future
Speaker: Joaquin Karcher, Zero Energy Designer and founder of zeroedesigns, Taos, NM
March. 23, 2026 This talk explored practical, cost-effective pathways to decarbonized housing, focusing on fossil fuels free construction and a new building-science–based approach capable of reducing heating and cooling energy use by up to 90%. Joaquin introduced an emerging route to simplify high performance while dramatically cutting energy demand—offering a realistic path toward climate-aligned housing that remains attainable and cost-effective for everyday communities.
Joaquin Karcher‘s work over the last 35 years has been driven by a commitment to sustainable design, from earth architecture to passive solar/adobe construction to Passive House standards and beyond. He designed the first certified passive house in New Mexico, co-authored the New Mexico Earthen Materials Building code which was adopted internationally and has designed homes in Germany, New Mexico, Arizona and the Navajo Nation. His focus now is on affordable, zero-carbon, ultra-efficient residences powered entirely by solar energy. Karcher Biography zeroedesign website
Presented by 350NM and the New Mexico Solar Energy Association
The Walking School Bus
Speakers: Kelly Davis Ami, Wilson Middle School Community School Coordinator and Leah Garcia, Whittier Elementary School Community School Coordinator
Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 350NM welcomed two leaders of the APS Walking School Bus Program. This is a great example of climate actions with Multiple benefits. A WIN-WIN-WIN for APS students safety and attendance, the larger community and the climate.
The organizers shared their experience of adapting the National Walking School Bus Program to Albuquerque’s International District middle and elementary schools. Forty years ago, over 60 percent of elementary school students in America walked to school. Now, less than 15 percent of elementary kids walk to school. Research shows that children who walk to school are more alert and ready to learn.
YouTube video of Walking School Bus presentation.
Link to the slide deck.
Resources shared in the chat:
-Chicago IL, walking route for immigrant students https://www.youtube.com/shorts/92hm_wV3Zlc
-Video Update on APS expanding program https://www.krqe.com/video/walking-school-bus-program-at-aps-to-expand-in-the-fall-to-include-40-schools/11436036/
-Health impacts of walking to school https://www.bluezones.com/2017/09/walking-school-buses-get-kids-moving-alert-and-ready-to-learn/
-The Principles of Environmental Justice (EJ) https://ejnet.org/files/ej/principles.pdf
-To Volunteer: Kelly.davis@aps.edu or https://www.oneabqvolunteers.com/need/detail/?need_id=1013385
-A similar initiative, the Bike Bus, has been growing quickly in Europe https://citylabbcn.org/the-global-bike-bus-movement/
2026 New Mexico Legislature Kickoff & Training
Speaker: Tom Solomon and 350NM team
Sun. Jan. 18, 2026. Tom discussed some of the exciting bills that were introduced in the 2026 short New Mexico Legislative session beginning Jan. 20, 2026. The foundationally-important Clear Horizons Act, a possible increase in the state solar tax credit, and more money for geothermal tax credits are among the proposals we were watching.
Video recording
350NM Leg training 2026 slide deck
350NM Climate and Energy bills 2026 webpage
Find the Governor’s legislative messages
Blowing Smoke: NM’s Permian Basin Methane Emissions Problem
Speaker: Tom Singer, PhD, 350 New Mexico
Nov 24, 2025. On September 22, 2025, Governor Lujan-Grisham announced that New Mexico had “slashed emissions by half compared to Texas” thanks to state methane rules. But what’s really going on? How much methane does the oil and gas industry actually emit, and is the state meeting the reduction goals in Executive Order 2019-003?
Tom Singer, 350 New Mexico senior policy advisor, unpacks how the Governor’s announcement shifted the focus from absolute emissions cuts to relative reductions (methane intensity), reviews state and federal systems for measuring and reporting methane, and explains the role of New Mexico’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
He also discussed what’s next for methane policy, including the 2025 Climate Action Plan and possible new rules to achieve deeper cuts.
YouTube video: Blowing Smoke-Permian Methane Nov 2025
Slide deck: Blowing Smoke slides Nov 2025
Oil, a Managed Decline in New Mexico
October 27, 2025. 350 New Mexico Co-coordinator Tom Solomon examines what a managed decline of oil production in NM would require; why it’s needed, how it would benefit us and how we’d fund state government and move to a sustainable economy.
Slides: Oil: A Managed Decline in New Mexico
The Legislative Process
May 27, 2025.
Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-50) How did we fare in the 2025 Session in natural resources and legislative reform?
What’s on the agenda for the 2025 Interim Committee? How does the interim work and why is it important.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-fAwUFK8Y
Exciting Developments in New Mexico’s Geothermal Potential
April 29, 2025.
Presenter: Tom Solomon, NM Geothermal Working Group.
The NM Geothermal Working Group presents the latest developments in developing New Mexico’s nation-leading geothermal energy potential: the geothermal companies looking at the state, potential first projects (data center? USAF base?), the new graduate training program, state incentives and the NM Geothermal Report coming in May and more. Join us
2025 Legislative Wrap-Up
March 24, 2025.
The 60-day 2025 Session of the NM Legislature will soon be history. The crowded and busy session included an ambitious environmental agenda. The environment community fielded a full stable of professional and citizen lobbyists to get it done..
Join us for a report from some of them on the successes and failures of the just completed legislative session. Important new climate change law was enacted in the face of backtracking by the feds. The oil & gas industry continued its outsized sway over the direction of new laws. Where do we go from here?
Presenters: Tammy Fiebelkorn, Western Resources Advocate and Albuquerque City Councilor,
Lucas Herndon, Energy Policy Director, ProgressNow New Mexico
Charles Goodmacher, lobbyist.
2025 Leg Climate summary slides
MethaneSAT: A Game Changer for Methane
February 24, 2025.
With Matthew Garrington, Environmental Defense Fund – Senior Director, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs.
MSAT, the remote sensing satellite technology, the back story of how it came to be and most of all, the implications for regulating methane in NM and world wide. How the Environmental Defense Fund environmental group came to launch their own satellite.
Youtube video MethaneSat 2-24-25
Website: MethaneSat
Concern to Action
January 27, 2025.
When Jane and Don Schreiber moved from Farmington to their retirement home & ranch in northwest NM south of Dulce in the San Juan Basin things looked good. Then the oil drilling rigs started showing up. Because they did not own the mineral rights under their ranch, there didn’t seem like there was much they could do.
Don had a lot of trouble putting his concerns about methane and emissions into action and was kind of a one-man-band for a long time. Don will share with us his journey moving from concern to activism. He hopes what folks might see is the possibility of action being started by an individual, and hopes his transition would inspire/reinforce others to hang in there and move their concern to action.
Today, Don is widely known as “Methane” Don and respected by the state oil and gas regulators and advocates in the environmental community. When Hilcorp, the well owners on their ranch, break the pollution rules, there are now consequences. In October 2024, Hilcorp was fined $9.4M for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations in NM. At last, state and federal regulation of the oil and gas industry is beginning to improve. (https://shorturl.at/nC88P)
Join us to hear the Schreiber’s story of resistance against seemingly impossible odds.
| Slides | Concern to Action slides |
| YouTube video | YouTube video |