Clear Horizons Act (Senate Bill 4)

As an emergency medicine physician in Gallup, I have witnessed the increasing and alarming health impacts of climate change on my patients. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are no longer distant threats—they are affecting everyday New Mexicans in devastating ways. I have treated a young Navajo cowboy who collapsed from heat stroke while tending his ranch, a third grader who became sick and lightheaded from playing outside in extreme heat, and seen hospitals forced to shut down operating rooms because they couldn’t cool their facilities during heat waves. The disruption extends beyond patient care—our national medical supply chain has been critically impacted, with a three-month IV fluid shortage caused by hurricane-driven flooding in North Carolina. Fires, floods, and extreme heat events are growing more frequent and severe, placing enormous stress on our health system and endangering lives. Without bold action, these crises will only worsen. While adaptation efforts help, they are not enough—we must take bold action to curb emissions and protect our communities. SB4 is a necessary step toward safeguarding our health, environment, and future, and I urge the legislature to pass it without delay.

When the Camp Fire tore through Paradise, California in 2018, my family lost everything—our home, our belongings, and the life and community we had built. My husband barely made it out alive, trapped in gridlock as flames consumed the town. We were displaced, forced to start over with nothing but what we could carry. But through the pain and struggle, we found a path forward. With community support, determination, and hard work, we rebuilt our lives in New Mexico. Today, my husband is a professor, I advocate for workers’ rights, and our children thrive in a place we now call home. Recovery is long and painful, and too many families—especially the most vulnerable—never fully recover. Climate change is making these disasters more common, and communities need real solutions, not just empty promises. We survived, but no one should have to go through what we did.

Taos has been surrounded by forest fires in Los Alamos, Mora, Taos Pueblo, El Rito. Now with less snow, this means more issues with well waters. The snow pack this season is very lean at the Taos Ski Valley and if it continues we can expect even more devastating fires. The experts on fire risk have given several talks in Taos regarding the danger of more fires near Taos in the Carson National Forest and beyond.  All of these events are global and relate to some of the reasons for the mass migration of immigrants globally. 

As the CEO and co-founder of B.Public Prefab, I have seen firsthand the devastating impacts of climate change on communities and the built environment. Working with survivors of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire in California, I witnessed how homes constructed with petroleum-based insulation burned into toxic smoke, compounding the disaster.  The construction industry is a major driver of climate change, responsible for 37% of global emissions. The urgency to change how we build is undeniable—our choices today will shape the future of New Mexico for generations. Climate action isn’t just necessary; it’s an opportunity to create a more resilient, sustainable, and healthier environment for homeowners, workers, and communities alike.

My family moved to the South Valley 15 years ago because of the many beautiful small farms. I’ve gotten to know many of these dedicated folks.Each year I have witnessed their increasing struggle to water their crops. Will there be enough to get the food to harvest?  We depend on our local farmers and need to support them – the drought, the demand for water along the Rio Grande and the increased heat have endangered their livelihood and our healthy, local vegetables and fruits. We cannot ignore the Climate Crisis!