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

I almost did not open a Mark Warner envelope in yesterday’s mail: who needs an end-of-the-year appeal from a PAC connected to a person who is no longer running for president?

Anyway, the Forward Together PAC letter to Granite Staters was not an appeal for money–just a reminder of recent “successes” and 2007 “challenges.”

Indeed, one of the challenges was “to work towards solutions to the dramatic challenges we face as a nation–like our failure to connect the dots between energy, global warming, national security and the possibility of creating more American jobs in renewable energy industries.”

Did EVERYONE who received Warner’s letter get the same letter, or is this simply a cut-and-paste, mail merge pandering paragraph?  Well, the same language is in Warner’s web blog. 

Great that presidential drop-outs are pandering (see what Bayh said about climate recently in Cornish).  NH is still seeking real commitment to real climate change solutions from ALL the possible surviving candidates. 

Speaking of ALL the candidates–enough about the democrats.  Regarding solutions, there is good diversity among republican wannabe candidates.  Here’s a sampling of what a few had to say last year:

“Currently actions are being taken to turn the research into new beneficial farming practices for our farmers in Kansas.  This initiative will not only help us fight off global climate change by storing a leading greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, in trees and soils–it will also preserve habitat, prevent runoff pollution in our water and create better soil fertility for our farms.”  The state gives it away but it’s not Bob Dole…

“A sound energy policy must include sensible and effective climate policies reflecting the reality that strong economic growth and abundant clean energy supplies go hand in hand.  Innovation and technology are building blocks for an effective and sustainable climate policy.  Climate change does not recognize national borders.  It is an international issue.  It is a shared responsibility for all nations.”  Got his Christmas card, too…

“The United States needs to make wise decisions about fuel choices and encourage energy efficiency.  one step in that effort is to identify  and eliminate regulatory and infrastructure barriers to use of the plentiful domestic natural gas reserves.  The billions spent on questionable research into renewable energy could be better directed to squeezing more oil and gas from our reservoirs and lowering finding costs.”  Whoa.

“For argument’s sake, let’s say…that the science that we are relying on is wrong–yet we enact legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says ___________. “What harm will that action cause?  Clean air and a more competitive industrial base.”  Isn’t building support fun?

The folks at the Carbon Coalition will send a nip of maple syrup to the first person who matches the names and faces and signs up for our newsletter.