What are you doing with your summer? Jorge Martinez has that answered.

"Being part of New Energy Economy, I feel like I am actually doing something purposeful rather than just sitting around doing nothing during the summer," said Martinez, a rising senior at Santa Fe Preparatory School.

This summer he is interning with New Energy Economy, a local nonprofit organization working on environmental advocacy issues. According to its website, New Energy Economy advocates solving global warming and incorporating clean energy. The organization was founded in 2004.

Martinez is working with the organization on advocating for the Clear Act — a bipartisan cap and trade alternative that he says will "cap carbon emissions, and the money collected from polluters paying for permits will go back to the people." The act is based off the lessons learned from cap and trade laws in Europe and will return 75 percent of the money collected to the people with the other 25 percent going to clean energy initiatives.

Martinez has been writing letters to the
editor and working to collect signatures to petition New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman to take up the issue and include it in the national energy reform legislation.

Statewide, Martinez and the New Energy Economy are working to petition against PNM's proposed rate hike.

"Opposing PNM rate hikes is important because we cannot have more money coming from our parents' pockets going to these companies who will use it to give out CEO bonuses," Martinez said. "That money could be going to education, saving schools from shutting down, funding for (physical education) and the arts, and that is why it is really important to oppose these things."

For Martinez, the New Energy Economy is a way for him to get involved in his community and address the issue of global warming.

"I have always been around the global warming issue and grown up with it, and I really want to be part of something new and New Energy Economy has provided that," Martinez said.

He has an overarching goal for the summer that his work with the New Energy Economy is helping to support.

"Throughout the summer I hope to feel more informed on what is going on," Martinez said. "Maybe I can come back to my community and school and talk about what is going on."

Alex Wirth is enjoying summer. You can reach him at alxwirth@gmail.com.