Saving New Mexico residents money as they adapt to climate change is the goal behind an Earth Day event in Albuquerque Sunday.

The Rio Grande chapter of the Sierra Club has teamed up with partners to offer residents free energy savings plans.

Camilla Feibelman, director of the chapter, said the urgency of climate change is obvious in New Mexico after a decadelong drought followed by the state's largest wildfire ever in 2022. She explained the weekend event will focus on helping people develop a personal electrification plan and steps to get started.

"That might be getting credits or benefits for better insulating your home, or changing out your windows, or switching to an electric vehicle or moving to new, more energy-efficient appliances," Feibelman outlined.

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provides tax incentives to households and agencies to increase energy efficiency. The state of New Mexico has additional benefits available.

Sierra Club volunteers will serve as "energy guides" as they walk visitors through their options during Sunday's event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Balloon Fiesta Park.

Feibelman acknowledged many people feel helpless about climate change but noted there are personal choices which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And she stressed you don't have to be a homeowner to access benefits, because many are also available to renters.

"There are increasing benefits according to income, basically there's a benefit for anything you might want to do from water savings to energy savings, from transportation to the indoor air quality in your home," Feibelman emphasized.

Feibelman encouraged people interested in making a personal electrification plan to visit the state's Electrify New Mexico website for more information. She added those who cannot attend the Sunday event can still sign up for energy savings plans through the Sierra Club and receive contacts for local vendors, financing methods for upgrades and information about tax rebates.

Federal data show health care and technology-related jobs are still in high demand but a career in clean energy is now at the top of the list, too, and Wisconsin labor leaders said opportunities are unfolding in the region.

New findings from the Climate Jobs National Resource Center list 82 Wisconsin projects tied to the clean energy transition in the pipeline, which could qualify for tax incentives and key labor standards under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Emily Pritzkow, executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council, said companies behind wind, solar and similar development need to attract workers while adhering to hiring benchmarks.

"Excellent pay, flexibility," Pritzkow pointed out. "And we are rising to meet that."

Labor standards for Inflation Reduction Act projects call for apprenticeships to be offered, so new hires can learn on the job. Pritzkow stressed Wisconsin unions play a big role in carrying out the learning aspect of the hiring boom. There are challenges though, with labor groups noting not enough people are aware of job possibilities and the need for things like affordable housing if a worker has to relocate for their new career.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists wind turbine technicians and solar installers as the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. In amplifying messaging, Pritzkow emphasized they have to overcome long-held beliefs only certain other industries, such as dentistry, routinely offer stable employment.

"I think there maybe are some old ideas about what working in the trades means," Pritzkow observed. "These are not temporary jobs. These are meant to be careers."

She added clean energy projects are helping to fuel record demand for apprenticeships. Earlier this year, four major utilities operating in Wisconsin pledged to hire union workers for development spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act. The Climate Jobs National Resource Center estimates the incentives will lead to more than 42,000 union-scale jobs in Wisconsin.

A volunteer program has caught the attention of West Virginia tourism officials.

The Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards program has been recognized with a "Spirit of West Virginia Award." The program started as a collaboration in 2021 with West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Monongahela National Forest.

Dave Johnston, program coordinator, said volunteers are trained to educate visitors on 'leave no trace' principles, trail cleaning and more.

"Taking inventories of campsites and things like that," Johnston explained. "We're basically serving as eyes and ears for the Forest Service for what's going on in the backcountry."

More than 100 volunteers work to preserve and maintain the more than 17,000-acre area in the Allegheny Mountains. According to the International Journal of Wilderness, more states are turning to volunteer groups to maintain trails and collect data, as dollars for the management of federal lands have decreased.

Johnston added the work is important for sustaining protected lands for future generations, noting wilderness areas are specially designated by Congress to remain as pristine as possible.

"They're the most primitive form of public lands that are set aside for people to enjoy in this country," Johnston emphasized.

According to numbers by the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, an estimated 35,000 people hike and retreat to the Dolly Sods each year.


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One of nature's hardest workers is facing extinction from repeated exposure to a dangerous pesticide.

Scientists conducting CT scans reveal neonicotinoid pesticides or "neonics" attack baby bumblebees' brain development and cause neurological damage like paralysis, shaking or death. Use of the chemical introduced in the 1900s has grown globally.

The policy and action group Environment Illinois wants the worst uses of the products banned and removed from store shelves.

Emily Kowalski, outreach and engagement manager for the group, said the chemical is an ingredient in household products and agricultural or industrial applications.

"Neonic pesticides are used on crops but also can be found in some pesticides that are used in home gardens," Kowalski explained. "And are also increasingly being found on coated-on seeds that are being used for farming."

Kowalski added the neonic-coated seeds can contain extremely high chemical concentrations. The global environmental group Greenpeace indicated fruits, nuts, and vegetables and 70% of human food crops are pollinated by bees.

Eleven states have legislation on the books that prohibits the use of dangerous bee-killing products. Illinois is not one of them. In this year's session, lawmakers discussed the "Birds and Bees Act," which would limit the use of neonic pesticides. Kowalski hopes legislators will do more.

"This is a bill that we're supporting, and we are excited to work with legislators to move it forward," Kowalski emphasized. "From the advocacy community, I know there is a lot of appetite to take action, whether it's in this upcoming legislative session, or in looking at the next few years, making sure that Illinois is the next state to protect our pollinators."

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has cited habitat loss, mites, competition from nonnative species, and diseases as contributors to a declining bee population.


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