Las Cruces, NM
The dry Rio Grande, main water source for Las Cruces, farmlands, and communities south to Mexico.
Courtesy of Kellin Acree
The Rio Grande flows about 1900 miles from its headwaters in Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. In our community in southern New Mexico, it runs dry most of the year due to diversions and dams. Additionally, an ongoing mega-drought and climate change have resulted in a stressed water supply in the desert. Uncontrolled population growth, land development, and poor leadership have resulted in a lack of equity in access to clean water.
Euro-American colonization instituted inequitable access to water. The illegal appropriation of water rights by corporate agriculture, oil/natural gas industries, combined with the rerouting of natural waterways has encouraged the capitalization of the scarcity of water. Water is now a commodity sold to the highest bidder.
An informed public can unite through dialogue to realize their power, take action and pressure public officials to enact policy changes and regulation. We can inform the public by creating, disseminating, and discerning media. Stakeholders are empowered through dialogue and action to demand equitable access to clean water.
Our Point of View
When exploring environmental justice, courses at Doña Ana Community College can inspire and support students to take agency by questioning the status quo and realizing that they can take action to transform their world. For English students, this can entail researching and examining a variety of texts, reflecting on the texts in their writing, and drawing from personal experiences. For film students, this can involve script writing, storyboarding, and capturing images to convey their intended messages. For all of the students, the primary goal is to convey emotions to connect with their community and ultimately impact public policy.
—Doña Ana Community College (DACC)
The voices of community youth and the original Indigenous population most impacted by environmental justice issues are largely absent in local, regional, and national narratives. The Learning Action Buffet believes it is essential to include these voices in defining not only the problem, but also the solutions. Community driven solutions are informed by and implemented through traditions and expressions usually given little value in our capitalist system. These solutions include art, ceremony, music, and sustainable farming.
—Learning Action Buffet (LAB)