New Mexico News Connection - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Washington, D.C. - Native American leaders from New Mexico and across the country have been in Washington, D.C. this week for the White House Tribal Nations Conference, and climate change is one of the big topics of conversation between the Obama administration and tribes. John Antonio is the Governor of Laguna Pueblo - he says New Mexico's Pueblos and other Tribes have a lot to lose in a rapidly changing climate, "Wildlife populations, you know watersheds, we have springs, and things like that, and of course with any change in the climate we start to lose a lot of the water resources."
According to Antonio it just makes sense that tribes have a seat at the table when it comes to climate change, because tribal lands are often the most affected. He says he and other tribal leaders are also looking to the White House and Congress for support for clean energy projects on Indian lands. Antonio says nuclear power is often floated as one way to reduce carbon emissions, but he says it's a bad deal for tribes, "It's a direct threat to the water resources." Antonio added that many uranium mining and milling operations are located near reservations where there are plenty of renewable power sources, too, "....in terms of the renewable energy, we have the potential - great potential - to provide solar energy."
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