Dear John,
When it comes to energy and the environment, ideas on paper only go so far. To design policies that last, lawmakers need to see the challenges — and the solutions — up close.
That’s why our Energy & Environment Innovation Fellows traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico: to step outside of chambers and into the real-world frontlines of energy and environment policy. |
In Santa Fe, lawmakers kicked off their experience with a local dinner, welcoming Rep. Reena Szczepanski, Majority Leader of the New Mexico House of Representatives, and Claudia Borchert, Climate Change Bureau Chief at the New Mexico Environment Department, as guests to ground the experiential learning trip in a high-level conversation about energy & environment priorities in the state of New Mexico.
On day two, Fellows walked the trails of Bicentennial / Alto Park with Mori Hensley, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Watershed Association, which is working to strengthen community ties to its vital water sources and build resilience against drought and wildfires. After the field visit, Claudia Borchert rejoined fellows, alongside Sunalei Stewart, Deputy Commissioner of Operations at the New Mexico State Land Office, for a discussion around pressing issues like climate action planning, PFAS contamination, and strategies to responsibly manage millions of acres of public lands.
|
At the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), lawmakers were briefed on LANL’s use of artificial intelligence to remain at the cutting edge of scientific research, then took a sunny tour of historic Manhattan Project sites, bridging the laboratory’s paradigm-shifting past with a dynamic and uncertain present. Later, in the surreal, imaginative world of Meow Wolf — an immersive museum that blends narrative mystery, multimedia art, and science fiction — they were reminded that problem-solving requires not just information, but imagination.
|
The trip underscored a simple but powerful lesson: evidence-based learning can transform how lawmakers lead, ensuring governance is a proactive and creative endeavor, rather than just reactive. By seeing climate resilience and energy innovation in action, fellows returned home with sharper insights, stronger connections, and a deeper commitment to building policies that protect communities today and safeguard the planet for tomorrow. Onwards, Future Caucus |
| |
Contact Us
[email protected] Future Caucus
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States |
|
|
|
