"Going Green" is a phrase that has become common over the last couple of years. People are becoming more aware of what's going on with the environment, and that movement has prompted an increasing focus on finding new sources of energy.

A New Mexico internship program with New Energy Economy is providing local college and high-school students the opportunity to explore green sources of energy.

There are 13 interns in the program, which started June 8 and will continue until Aug. 29, and is hosted in conjunction with YouthWorks and Earth Care International. The interns are focusing on issues such as green energy alternatives, oil and gas drilling, and uranium mining.

"I am thrilled to be able to work with New Energy Economy and YouthWorks to provide this amazing opportunity for local youth who have been trained through our leadership and organizing programs," said Bianca Sopoci-Belknap, program manager at Earth Care International, in a news release. "These interns are looking to deepen and utilize their skills to address climate change and other critical environmental issues on a statewide level."

"Global warming continues to impact New Mexicans, and we are going to be asking these interns to help us address this and lead the way to a cleaner, healthier future," John Fogarty, executive director for New Energy Economy, said in a news release. "We are structuring the internship program to lead us to a greener future."

The New Energy Economy interns take their responsibility seriously. They will be working all summer on various projects that revolve around green energy. They will get practice in everything from online advocacy to media communications to public speaking.

"NEE started because we wanted to create a network of businesses in support of New Mexico being a leader in renewable energy," said Ryan Shaening Pokrasso, who is the director of the internship program for New Energy Economy. "The Santa Fe interns are learning various aspects of organizing what NEE does."

Intern and 2007 Santa Fe High School graduate Sydney Weydemeyer said she's found the program has been exceptional so far.

"I love how NEE incorporates so many different medias into their campaign," Weydemeyer said. "From canvassing local neighborhoods about a free weathering service provided by Santa Fe YouthWorks to writing editorials in the newspaper — this internship really lets us run wild and take it where we want."

The interns will be visiting the sites of renewable energy projects throughout the state. They will also be planting trees and working on cleanup projects.

During their internship, they are all encouraged to ride the buses, bike or walk. The NEE interns know that even those little things have an impact.

"This internship works at a state level, not only giving me skills at grass-roots organizing, but also connecting me to other New Mexicans working towards the same goal of a new energy economy," Weydemeyer said.

"It's really exciting providing young people with the opportunity to position New Mexico as a leader in renewable energy and create economic prosperity through clean technology," Pokrasso said.

"This internship is really about bringing people from all over the state together to figure out solutions to our global climate change crisis. Even though this crisis has been years in the making, it is only very recently that people have begun to act, and still the movements towards solving this crisis have been fairly weak," Weydemeyer said. "NEE is a group that is taking innovative action now, making New Mexico a leader in finding solutions to the energy crisis."



Victoria Velarde is going to be a junior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach her at tori@velardenm.com.