Oil and Gas

Since its inception, New Mexico’s fortunes have been tied closely to the boom and bust cycle of oil and natural gas production. Even before the COVID-19 public health crisis, New Mexico struggled to balance its budget and pay for critical services like hospitals and education. The boom and bust cycle of oil and gas drives the state’s widely fluctuating revenues. Meanwhile, energy production and distribution is also contributing to the release of health-damaging air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds and carcinogenic gases. 

Unregulated pollution also endangers the health of nearby communities, compromises our cultural resources, and contributes to climate change. Unlike other neighboring extractive states, Colorado and Texas, New Mexico hasn’t been able to leverage oil and gas development into a diversity of revenue sources and industries by reinvesting the revenue into infrastructure projects and education. 

Explore these pages to learn more about CAVU’s work to mitigate the impacts of the oil and gas industry on our health, climate, and economy.

A Four-Part Virtual Conversation SeriesJoin a coalition of climate, equity and justice, and environmental organizations as we discuss how oil and gas pollution and the resulting climate change is already impacting New Mexicans and what we can do about it.

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Unearthed – Exploring Oil and Gas Issues in New Mexico. Hear from New Mexicans about the impacts that the current oil bust has had on their lives and our state.

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Methane Matters to CAVU. Reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to slow climate change in the short term.

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