I spent yesterday touring a nasty oilfield in northwestern New Mexico with a group of smart, concerned citizens. We ended our tour here, at an oil and gas pumpjack grinding away in the shadow of the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station. Only two of the plant’s four units are still operating. One of those will shut down at the end of this month, and the last is scheduled to stop operating at the end of September, marking the end of a long and smoggy era in the Four Corners.

The pictured pumpjack, which pulls the hydrocarbons from deep in the earth, is powered by an engine fueled by natural gas that emanates from the well. These engines make a crazy popping sound, earning them the monicker “poppin’ johnnies.” I tried and failed to embed a video here, but check out my Instagram post and turn up the volume to see what the name’s all about.

Stay tuned for an in-depth look at the oilfield in question and the reasons why folks are concerned about it, as well as more on the effort to keep the San Juan Generating Station open.

That’s it for today. And have a great weekend!