The Political Climate: an ongoing commentary on the NH Primary and Climate Change

The Nairobi, Kenya U.N. conference on climate change ended last Friday “achieving modest results” according to this article in the New York Times.  The two week conference engaged over 6,000 climate leaders from around the world, but the lengthy time span really only resulted in agreement that next year’s conference would include discussion of a plan to move beyond the Kyoto Protocol emission standards–a goal that was supposed to be accomplished at the conclusion of Nairobi sessions.  The main obstacle inhibiting forward movement at the conference was American, Indian, and Chinese opposition to mandatory regulations.

Our federal government is hesitating to take mandatory action, but not everyone around the country agrees with voluntary pleas.  Beginning April 1, 2007, voters in Boulder, Colorado agreed to the nation’s first “carbon tax” aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions (reported in this article from the New York Times).  The tax is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours used annually by a house or a business in Boulder.  It is estimated that an average house will pay $16 a year, while a typical business will be taxed approximately $46.  Jonathan Koehn, the city’s environmental affairs manager says “the climate action plan serves as a roadmap to meet our reduction goals.”  Boulder hopes to reduce their carbon levels to 7% less than 1990’s.

Local action is also takin gplace in New England states.  Five ski areas in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont recently announced plans to offset 100% of their emissions by buying renewable energy (mostly wind) credits.  The ski areas–Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Okemo, Shawnee Peak, and Mt. Sunapee–are responding to the poor winter conditions that have lead to fewer skier days (read the entire article in Foster’s Daily Democrat).