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

Yesterday a scientific panel at the request of the United Nations met to talk about “drastic reductions in fossil-fuel emissions around the world.”  The panel presented a 166-page report based on research by 18 scientists in 11 countries.  The report warns of significant warming that will contribute to ”a turbulent century of rising seas, spreading drought and disease, weather extremes and damage to farming, forests, fisheries, and other economic areas.”  The report states that if nothing is done, global temperatures could rise by 11 degrees by 2100.  Based on these current findings the panel provided the United Nations with recommendations on how to combat these threats:  discourage new building on land less than one meter above sea level, reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly, immediately ban the construction of coal-fired power plants unless they use a carbon capturing system, and triple or quadruple worldwide spending in efforts to fight global warming.  Basically, it’s time to get serious.  (Read the entire story from the New York Times here.)

This piece by Bill McKibben, “Warning on Warming,” helps explain why this new report might seem so drastic.  McKibben, a long-time climate change activist, outlines the history of warnings that have come consistently  from the scientific community, and have consistently been ignored.  He warns (again) “climate change is a problem with a very high “procrastination penalty”: a penalty that just grows and grows with each passing year of inaction…The [most recent] IPCC assessment offers a modest account of just how far out of whack it is—and just how hard we’re going to have to work to have even a chance at limiting the damage.”  McKibben is organizing the nation-wide movement Step It Up on April 14th to help draw attention to the issue.

Yesterday Sen. Hillary Clinton revealed her plan for a “Strategic Energy Fund” that would “jumpstart research and investment in clean energy technologies to promote job growth, energy independence, and a cleaner environment.”  Read the press release on Sen. Clinton’s plan here.

Yesterday the governors of Oregon, California, Washington, New Mexico, and Arizona made an agreement (but without coming to any sort of agreement) to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.  The five states developed the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative–similar to the East Coast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)–with the goal of establishing a carbon-trading system that will allow polluters the opportunity to buy and sell greenhouse gas pollution credits.  Set reduction targets have yet to be determined, but the hope is that within six months the five states will reach an agreement.  Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona said “In the absence of meaningful federal action, it is up to the states to take action to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the country.”  Great, but when are we going to see all of this so-called action take place?  (Read the entire article from the Washington Post here.)

Mitt Romney is also talking about action.  While in the Granite State last week he visited GT Solar in Merrimack to talk about his plan to make the US energy independent in 20-30 years.  “It doesn’t make sense to send hundreds of billions a year to countries that don’t like us,” he said.  Instead he will soon lay out his plan that will include promoting renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, and biofuels, as well as plans to drill off-shore and in the Alaska wildlife reserve.  (Read more from here and here.)  Here’s what he said when unveiling the Massachusetts Climate Change Action Plan:  If climate change is happening, the actions we take will help.  If climate change is largely caused by human actions, this will really help.  If we learn decades from now that climate change isn’t happening, these actions will still help our economy, our quality of life, and the quality of our environment.”

Last night Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio made it official–the red carpet Oscars is now “green.”  Gore donned the color and stood in the center of Hollywood’s limelight.  He was awarded an Oscar for his documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth,” and used his acceptance speech to continue sending his message: “My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis, it’s not a political issue, it’s a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act, that’s a renewable resource, let’s renew it.”  (Read more from the blog “The Caucus.”)   Gore’s not alone in the celebrity fight against global warming.  This article from Reuters gives a list of eco-conscious celebs who’ve ditched their limos for hybrids and are speaking out about the issue of global warming.  How about getting some members of congress to do this?

On Thursday scientists, policy experts, and members of the forest industry will gather in Concord to hold a conference on climate change and northern norests.  Laurie Wayburn, president of the Pacific Forest Trust, says “To date, we have focused our efforts only on fossil fuels.  For us to be successful in addressing climate change, we also absolutely need to focus on forests.”  Scientists project that within a century the forests of New England could be more like that of North Carolina.  Thursdays conference will address this issue and will discuss opportunities for taking action.  (Read the entire story here.)

Later today Tom Vilsack is expected to announce that he will no longer be a contender in the presidential race.  Vilsack has continuously ranked low in the polls and with a goal of raising $20 million for campaigning he just couldn’t compete with other candidates who plan to raise over $100 million.  For more information read this article from Reuters.