A human being should be able to change

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

Robert A. Heinlein

Is New Mexico ready for the 21st Century?

I mentioned in my last post. I was looking for more information that might help me, my neighbors and my community concerning the flooding some land owners are experiencing on the Rio Ojo Claiente. Our Community and the Rio Ojo Caliente and far worse off than I realized.

We have all heard recently that Global Warming is becoming a "HOT TOPIC". No pun intended. Just how hot.

What are the impacts of CLIMATE CHANGE in New Mexico.
What Gov. Richardson has to say. LINK:
AGENCY TECHNICAL WORK GROUP
STATE OF NEW MEXICO
December 30, 2005

NOTE: This report was published 2005.
Natural Systems

Climate change is likely to have significant impacts on the ecosystems of New Mexico’s forests, grasslands, deserts, lakes and streams. Predicting the specific impacts is difficult because of the complexity of natural systems, with each species responding in its own way to the physical environment and with multiple interactions among species.

As each species responds individually to its changed environment, existing plant or animal communities will likely change as new assemblages of species form. Changes in ecosystem structure and functioning will often be abrupt rather than continuous and gradual.

Aquatic systems are particularly vulnerable to climate change because they will be impacted not only by warmer temperatures but also by changes in the timing and amount of water. Climate change is expected to result in a significant loss of aquatic habitat.

Habitat suitable for coldwater fish (e.g., trout) is expected to shrink, with replacement by warmwater fish species. Extinction rates of many endemic species of the eastern plains is expected to increase. Riparian ecosystems are expected to experience losses and decline, with a reduction in species diversity.

Change in terrestrial ecosystems will include shifts in the timing of seasonal life history events such as breeding of birds, insects or amphibians, and flowering of plants. Geographic ranges are expected to shift to the north and to higher elevations. Some species trapped on isolated mountain ranges could become locally extinct if the mountain is not high enough to provide suitable alternative habitat and the species cannot disperse across intervening deserts to other mountaintops.

Invasions of non-native species are likely, but species diversity may be reduced.
Shrubs such as mesquite and creosotebush are likely to further invade grasslands. Forests are likely to experience more catastrophic wildfires, and more massive dieback due to drought stress and insect outbreaks. Alpine meadows may largely disappear from New Mexico.

This is one paragraph of a 52 page document. Please read the entire 52 pages. It is critical information to you, your families and to our community to New Mexico, and really it is a Global concern.

I mentioned 2010. my next post will discuss 2010 and 2030. What's next? What can be done? What is being done. What we can do.

This BLOG is still about the Community and the Rio Ojo Caliente we just have to look at it harder. We must do this for our children and we must act now.

Somos vecinos, nosotros debemos tomar el cuidado del comunidad