Albuquerque City Council Unanimously Passes Resolution to Leave No Child Inside

January 20, 2010 - The Albuquerque City Council unanimously passed a resolution to Leave No Child Inside. Spearheaded by Councilor Rey Garduño, this resolution shows the City’s commitment to getting active in the children and nature movement by joining the Leave No New Mexico Child Inside coalition.

The City of Albuquerque joins the City and County of Santa Fe and Bernalillo County as municipal governments that have joined the Leave No New Mexico Child Inside Coalition.

The Leave No Child Inside resolution is in response to an increasing epidemic – fewer and fewer children spend time outdoors connecting with nature. Studies show that American youth spend 50 percent less time outside than kids did 20 years ago. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study indicated that the typical American child spends more than 7 hours per day “plugged in” — the equivalent of a full-time job. At the same time, one by Kristina Ortez de Jones, Southwest Representative, Building Bridges to the Outdoors third of America’s children are overweight and at risk for developing chronic illnesses like diabetes.

The statistics in New Mexico are even more alarming. The rate of diabetes among children increased 40 percent in New Mexico from 1990 to 2000. Twenty-three percent of New Mexico high school students are overweight or at risk. Twenty two percent of New Mexico children between the ages of 2 and 5 who are in federal nutrition programs are overweight or at risk.

In fact, today’s children may be the first generation to lead shorter and less healthy lives than those of their parents.

Councilor Garduño saw this deep connection between more time in front of a screen and a rise in some of the health issues that plague New Mexico children. He played an active role in ensuring unanimous passage of this resolution by not only working with the Sierra Club and the Leave No New Mexico Child Inside Coalition to craft this resolution, but gave eloquent testimony in favor of passage.

The Sierra Club was on hand to provide testimony to the City Council. Kimi Scheerer of the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program also gave a rousing testimony which brought smiles to the faces of the City Council. The coalition members also delivered dozens of letters and phone calls to the city council in support of the resolution.

The support of the Albuquerque City Council does much to embolden the Leave No New Mexico Child Inside coalition, which is made up of nearly 150 organizations and individuals all around the state. To join the coalition, please email kristina.ortez@sierraclub.org.

The BBTO program operates in California,Washington State, Puerto Rico, Washington DC,Chicago, New York City, New Mexico andColorado. The Sierra Club believes that every childhas a right to have a special place in nature. For more information visit: www.sierraclub.org/youth.