HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 7

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Jeannette O. Wallace

FOR THE RADIOACTIVE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO-LOS ALAMOS'S INITIATIVE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS NECESSARY FOR THAT PURPOSE.

     WHEREAS, northern New Mexico faces many challenges concerning contamination and degradation of its environment from many sources; and

     WHEREAS, the residents of northern New Mexico have increasingly become aware of the need to learn and understand more about their environment, how it becomes degraded and how such degradation can be minimized or reversed; and

     WHEREAS, understanding the science behind the environment is crucial to making wise decisions regarding environmental issues; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico-Los Alamos, the department of environment, the federal department of energy and others hold that environmental science education in northern New Mexico needs strengthening to include a strong focus on rigorous foundational science; and

     WHEREAS, the department of energy has supported curriculum development and environmental education in the state of New Mexico for many years, including the development of WERC: a consortium for environmental education and technology development; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico state university, as the administrative center of WERC, has created a strong program for environmental science education in the southern part of New Mexico and graduated many professionals through this program; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico-Los Alamos has offered an environmental science associate's degree for years and in the past collaborated with Los Alamos national laboratory; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico-extended university offers a bachelor's degree in environmental science at the Los Alamos campus; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico-Los Alamos is redesigning its associate's degree to build on rigorous, inter-disciplinary foundational science to include a community education and citizen engagement component; and

     WHEREAS, the redesign will provide a stronger pipeline into the university's environmental science degree available in Los Alamos;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico congressional delegation be urged to support the university of New Mexico-Los Alamos's initiative for environmental science education for northern New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico congressional delegation and the federal department of energy be urged to support appropriations for said initiative; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to United States Senator Jeff Bingaman, United States Senator Tom Udall, United States Representative Ben R. Lujan, United States Representative Martin T. Heinrich, United States Representative Harry Teague, Department of Energy Secretary Stephen Chu and the department of environment.

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