Press Statement: Indigenous, youth, frontline grassroots organizations call on the New Mexico legislature to not undermine the people’s democracy and say NO to all hydrogen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 7, 2022
Contact:
Julia Bernal, Executive Director, Pueblo Action Alliance: 505.220.0051
Seneca Johnson, Co-Founder, Youth United for Climate Crisis Action: 505.930.6204
Alejandria Lyons, Environmental Justice Organizer, SouthWest Organizing Project: 505.903.3383
Krystal Curley, Executive Director, Indigenous Lifeways: 505.469.7647
Indigenous, youth, frontline grassroots organizations call on the New Mexico legislature to not undermine the people’s democracy say NO to all hydrogen
Ogaa Po’ogeh (Santa Fe, NM) - Today Indigenous, youth, frontline grassroots organizations and dozens of accomplice organizations are gathering to show staunch opposition to the reintroduction of “hydrogen” in dummy legislation without the public’s awareness and call for an end to false solutions, most prominently any bills to support “clean hydrogen” or funding for hydrogen development in the state of New Mexico. The Public Peace, Health, Safety and Welfare (HB 227) was introduced in the stead of Hydrogen Hub Development Act (HB4). Further, efforts to redefine renewable energy, as we see in SB194, to include hydrogen are dangerous and deceitful. Hydrogen is not a “clean” energy nor is it renewable. Hydrogen production is resource intensive and would impact our water resources.
Many issues have arisen with the debate over hydrogen but it is clear that tribes and frontline communities have not been consulted with the crafting of HB4, HB227, or SB194. This speaks to the hidden agenda of the Lujan-Grisham administration. It betrays the stated goals of the administration to reduce carbon emissions and prioritizes investments in a fossil-fuel based technology to secure fossil fuel interests. Bold climate action to reduce all fossil fuel emissions needs to happen and must take place with the full participation of frontline communities.
Hydrogen production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Oil and gas companies produce almost all of the United States’ hydrogen supply from gas. Globally, less than 1 percent of hydrogen is produced through electrolysis and less than 0.02% is powered by renewable electricity. Blue hydrogen emissions are 20% greater than directly burning natural gas or coal for heat, and 60% greater than burning diesel oil for heat. Green hydrogen production requires an enormous amount of freshwater and would not be sustainable practice in the arid Southwest. It is a continuum of the fossil fuel economy.
Council Delegate Daniel Tso, Chair, HEHSC 24th Navajo Nation Council.
Education efforts by YUCCA (Youth United for Climate Crisis Action) to unveil the facade of blue, green and gray hydrogen has gone unrecognized by the legislature but has pulled together communities to oppose HB4 with a 78% opposition on January 27th 2022 during the House Energy Natural Resources Committee hearing. “The only way we are going to mitigate this crisis is by treating the problem at the source and ending fossil fuel extraction once and for all - there’s no way around this. False solutions like Hydrogen are NOT being pushed by the environmental justice or frontline communities - they are being pushed by allies of the fossil fuel industry to extend the duration of our State’s abusive relationship with the same industry that seems to hold our budget hostage year after year,” said Seneca Johnson, YUCCA co-founder, “Hydrogen distracts from real solutions, like the renewables Wind, Solar, and storage which do not release greenhouse gas emissions or pollute communities, are cheaper to make, create jobs without sacrificing our communities, already have existing infrastructure globally, and for which New Mexico is uniquely positioned to lead. We’d like to see this kind of wholesale support for renewables – incentives, subsidies, urgent action – why are we seeing no equivalent?” states Jonathan Juarez-Alonzo, YUCCA Policy Lead.
Pueblo Action Alliance’s Environmental Justice Organizer, Corn, shared a public comment during the hearing noting that, “Hydrogen is being touted as ‘clean’ energy but actually requires the burning of more fossil fuels to produce it. A recent study from Cornell University concluded that hydrogen facilities produce 20% more Greenhouse Gas emissions than the burning of more traditional fossil fuels for heat, such as coal and natural gas. This means that ‘clean hydrogen’ cannot be realistically achieved through hydrogen hubs and is just another false solution for climate mitigation and adaptation.”
We will not tolerate the legislation stealing our democratic participation in “climate policies” nor continue to be ignored in our analysis of how harmful hydrogen production can be in New Mexico. We demand that the legislature recognize hydrogen is a False Solution developed by the Oil and Gas Industry and detracts from Real & Needed Action on Climate, is a continue of the Oil and Gas industry, that Indigenous and frontline communities be at the table, and we invest rapidly in 100% solar and wind for the benefit of our communities. Real climate mitigation respects Free, Prior and Informed Consent and community participation.
“After all McKinley County has gone through: nuclear, coal, fracking; we are yet again a fossil fuel target for hydrogen. Each time these industries ambush our communities we are told lies, and the horrific impacts on our health and environment are hidden. These industries of extraction are greedy, polluting and most of all deceitful, much like the hydrogen legislation proposed this session. False solutions to climate change are not the answer.” - Krystal Curley, Indigenous Lifeways
“We urge the legislators not to support any form of hydrogen exploration or development in New Mexico and will not have underrepresented or indigenous peoples communities continue to be targeted and sacrificed for a few dollars.” - Anna Rondon, McKinley Collaborative for Health Equity
“It must be understood that the science is non-negotiable. If we use Hydrogen, it must be made from water and add no upstream or downstream greenhouse emissions. Enactment of anything else, as all these bills promote, is a crime against humanity.” - Athena Christodoulou, Adelante Progressive Caucus
“The production of so-called blue hydrogen produced from natural gas will contribute to global warming. It would add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere when we need to be reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Authoritative studies have shown that the production of hydrogen from natural gas generates even more greenhouse gases than are produced by simply burning the natural gas to generate heat or electricity. Moreover, from an economic perspective, blue hydrogen is likely to become obsolete compared to green hydrogen, so any economic benefits will be fleeting.” - Paul Stokes, Progressive Democrats of America, Central New Mexico Chapter
“We must pause on Hydrogen development until we fully understand the complete impact on our land, air and sacred water. As laws and regulations are developed, Transparency is key in any Democracy. Free, Prior and Informed Consent is also key for voter education and key to obtaining voter support for any proposed legislation that will affect their lives. Meaningful consultation and collaboration are also key as it implies caring, moral and ethical intent for the Good of the People. I Love our New Mexico mountains, deserts, rivers and lakes and the fresh air we breathe. Keep our New Mexico Democracy strong by informing us of all legislation, including amendments in a timely and respectful manner and allow for meaningful constituent consultation and collaboration and remember, New Mexico is a Sacred Site on Mother Earth.” -Terry Sloan, Southwest Native Cultures
“Renewable Taos stands resolutely against using natural gas (methane) as a means to produce hydrogen as envisioned in the various bills currently being contemplated in the NM Legislature. This is the wrong path to renewable energy and a wrong-headed approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, we call out these tricks used to intentionally thwart the democratic process: adding definitions to statutes that define hydrogen as renewable, declaring to be “clean” the dirty production of hydrogen by the use of methane, and the disturbing cut-and-paste attempt to resurrect “Hydrogen Hub” legislation. These are dishonest actions against the clear will of the people.” - Daniel Pritchard and Jay Levine, Renewable Taos
“We call on New Mexico’s legislators to give up on the idea of providing a backdoor to the fossil fuel industry with taxpayer money to fund the Hydrogen Hub scam. We need to be investing in clean renewables, not the dirty distraction that is hydrogen production.” - Jorge Aguilar, Food & Water Watch
“New Mexico is always seen as a sacrifice zone for energy extraction, and other economies that seek to destroy our cultural resources. We have to denounce the use of Hydrogen to ‘curb emissions’, especially since all the science tells us this is just not viable. Our Representatives need to vote down any and ALL Hydrogen bills during this legislative session.” - Alejandria Lyons, SouthWest Organizing Project
“Governor Lujan Grisham's Hydrogen Hub bill is propping up the old, expensive, and dirty technology of the fossil fuel based “blue” hydrogen. The process for producing “blue” hydrogen, coupled with carbon capture and storage, emits more greenhouse gases than coal. With the new clean technologies, blue hydrogen will soon be more expensive to produce than green hydrogen, leaving us with stranded assets, dirty air, and depleted water tables.” - Gary Coffin, Indivisible Albuquerque
“The new German government unveiled plans last week to massively increase the ambition of its climate strategy. There is just one caveat: fossil gas-based hydrogen likely won’t be included in subsidy schemes, despite demands from the oil and gas industry. But NM only has 3 oil and gas inspectors for the whole state so the industry is completely unregulated—worse than Texas, actually. And our state is run by Democrats who say they want to act on climate, but actions speak louder than words.” - Elaine Cimino, Common Ground Rising
"Clean Hydrogen" is an oxymoron – because it is an electric generation facility that permits the emission of carbon dioxide! 99.8% of hydrogen causes more pollution than burning gas. Carbon sequestration is an empty promise; It hasn’t worked anywhere, a boondoggle with a cherry on top, and has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars foisted onto taxpayers – just look at the evidence of hydrogen project failures. This is another fossil fuel subsidy - the Lujan Grisham administration is acting like they’re doing something on climate, while propping up the next chapter of O&G pollution, contamination and public health harms.” - Mariel Nanasi, New Energy Economy
“Hydrogen is a bad investment for our economy and our environment. Research shows that even “clean” hydrogen emits megatons of greenhouse gases. We need to invest our resources in authentically renewable energy, not initiatives that are clearly intended to support fossil fuel production - especially when described as promoting achievement of our climate goals. We strongly oppose hydrogen production in NM.” - Paul Gibson and Roxanne Barber, Retake Our Democracy
“Make no mistake: Hydrogen = fracking. New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s plan to “kick start the hydrogen fuel industry” is nothing short of a scheme to subsidize oil and gas companies and keep the state dangerously reliant on fossil fuels.” https://wildearthguardians.org/op-eds/make-no-mistake-hydrogen-fracking/ - Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians
“The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment is opposed to the proposed Hydrogen Hub bills in New Mexico. This technology is not yet developed enough to effectively impact Climate Change. New Mexico has already been sacrificed to the nuclear and fossil fuel industries. The Legislature should support economic development and create jobs through uranium mine cleanup and environmental remediation.” - Susan Gordon, Coordinator, Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment
“We stand in solidarity with Indigenous, youth, frontline grassroots organizations in opposition to fossil fossil gas hydrogen hubs in New Mexico. Fossil gas hydrogen would lock-in ever more carbon-intensive fossil fuel infrastructure at precisely the moment we need to stabilize and diversify our revenue base and economy away from boom-and-bust oil and gas cycles.” - Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Western Environmental Law Center
"Now is the time to open new doors to an economy where all communities thrive and New Mexico’s air, land, water, and wildlife are protected. Fossil gas hydrogen doesn't fit the bill and we stand in solidarity with the frontline grassroots organizations, Indigenous and youth in opposition to hydrogen hubs in New Mexico. In the final weeks of the legislative session, we urge the New Mexico legislature to focus on meaningful climate action." - Kurt Gutjahr, CAVU Executive Director.