Francisco Apodaca says people in Northern New Mexico have been protecting their way of life long before anyone realized it.
"We have been conservationists and quasi-environmentalists for many years," Apodaca said. "If we wouldn't have protected our way of life and conserved what we have, we would have been gone long ago."
Apodaca is the executive director of the New Mexico Conservation Voters. He will be the moderator at today's panel discussion focused on Hispanics, politics and the environment. Hispanics are the fastest growing minority population in the United States and make up the largest portion of minorities at UNM.
Apodaca said as one of the oldest forms of local government, Northern New Mexico communities have been proficient in distributing clean water through acecias, or ditches. He said there is a perception that Hispanos, Chicanos and Latinos have not been directly involved in the environmental movement.
"We've been good stewards of the land and we fall into the environmental protection by practice, not activism," Apodaca said.
Though environmental issues affect everyone, expert panelists will concentrate on local and national views held by Hispanics.
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"Environmental consequences are felt by all groups, but there are some changes in environmental policies that fall particular in poorer populations, and there are more people that are more vulnerable to the environment," said Denise Fort, panelist and professor at UNM's School of Law.
Fort will speak specifically about Southwest environmental policies. She said changes in some of the environmental policies by the Bush administration have negatively affected Hispanics in the United States.
"It is very important for all of us to be looking at a broad range of issues as we look at the upcoming elections," she said.
Because the Hispanic population has been more widely targeted for votes in presidential elections, small states like New Mexico have an increased role in deciding the outcome, according to a news release.
Using the panel as a venue to elevate Hispanic environmental issues, Apodaca said the issues should be addressed at a national level because local communities are being affected.
"Hopefully, the politicians can pick these up and see that they are growing issues for theses communities," he said.
The panel discussion will be in UNM's Kiva Hall today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is free.
Apodaca said as a community, members need to take part in all environmental issues. He said he hopes the discussion will aid in seeing where the community stands, and having good representation from panelists will help.
He said he eventually hopes to delve into other issues, including the maquiladora industry and the United States-Mexico border.
"There's a lot of environmental concerns that aren't being addressed, but at least it's a good start," Apodaca said.
