Albuquerque Area Residents Gather to ‘Kick Coal’

More than a dozen Albuquerque-area residents and the local Sierra Club gathered in Washington Middle School Park for a fun game of kickball on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate the need to “kick” New Mexico’s addiction to dirty and dangerous coal-fired power. Before the game commenced, kickball players signed a “Clean Air Promise” to protect America’s children and families from costly air pollution. 

“Burning coal makes people sick and is costing New Mexicans hundreds of millions of dollars a year in health care expenses,” said Shrayas Jatkar of the Sierra Club. “Asthma attacks, heart attacks, premature deaths, and hospital visits caused by pollution from San Juan Generating Station –- partly owned by PNM -– add up to an estimated $255 million per year in health care expenses.”

At the same time, the cost of clean energy resources –- including conservation, efficiency, and renewables like solar and wind -– is coming down daily, according to the Sierra Club.  Clean energy is a win-win when it comes to public health and economic development, especially in New Mexico which boasts some of the nation’s strongest renewable energy potential.

“Clean energy jobs like retrofitting offices and homes and installing solar panels are a solution to the high unemployment rate in New Mexico,” explained Amber Harris, leader of the CoolBiz Albuquerque program. CoolBiz ABQ is a free program for small, local businesses that assists owners and managers in saving money via energy conservation and waste reduction strategies.

It's just common sense: New Mexico can and must take immediate action to stop adding to the irreversible consequences that accompany dirty energy production. “If we don’t kick coal we’ll never beat the climate disruption that creates devastating heat waves, droughts and wildfires,” Harris added.  “If we want to create jobs and protect public health, the solution is simple.  We need to kick coal.”

For more information about the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, please visit www.beyondcoal.com.