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

A new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press shows that 77% of Americans believe there is solid evidence that global warming is occurring today.  Interestingly this number has risen by 7% since a poll taken in June, a rise researchers believe can be attributed to this unusually warm winter season.  Despite the overall public consensus that the earth is warming, only 47% believe it is caused by human induced activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.  The February 2nd release of UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report will report that scientists agree that there is a 90% chance that anthropogenic actions are influencing global warming (read the report in USA Today here).  This new information could again influence polls six months from now, but if past findings on climate change are any indicator, we’re not holding our breaths.

Barbara Boxer, the new head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is hoping to lead by example and is asking her colleagues to do the same.  She is installing energy efficient lights in her Capitol Hill office as part of a pilot program aimed at cutting electricity consumption on Capitol Hill by as much as 50%.  “Don’t you think it’s time the federal government were a model of energy efficiency?” she asked at the US Conference of Mayors last night.  She’s trying the “practice what you preach” approach, but I wonder if owning three Toyota Prius’ is helping her cause.  Someone might want to fill her in that moderating consumption is one of the many steps to reducing your environmental footprint.  (Read the entire story from the New York Times here.)