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

A FOTPC had the opportunity to see Sen. Obama in Conway last Sunday.  Here’s what he wrote:

“Barack Obama’s Memorial Day weekend Town Hall in Conway was the largest political event anyone here can remember.  The curiosity of voters in the greater Mt. Washington Valley brought a mixed crowd of over a thousand Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.  The line to get in extended over a hundred yards to the back parking lot behind the school and many of those in the media saw that as part of the story.  The event was of a non-partisan “let’s get to know one another” nature so there were no campaign signs or rally cards.

Typical of town meetings, any particular question prompts a standard response to the category of the question, with a sentence or two tailored to the actual question.  The climate change/clean energy question began with stating the number of towns that had passed the NH Climate Change Resolution, during which Obama nodded as if has heard this before, or perhaps in affirmation of our effort.  The questioner went on with his personal agenda which was to point out that the nuclear energy industry and its supporters may be using our energy crisis as a means to jumpstart their cause.

‘There is no silver bullet to meeting our energy needs,’ Obama responded, ‘but we know we can’t drill our way out of this problem.  I love solar and I love wind but they have limits and so we need a range of strategies.’  He went on to praise the alternative energy work being done at UNH and declared that we need an Apollo-like national energy goal that will inspire a whole generation of engineers and scientists.  Obama referred to speeches he has given in Detroit urging higher fuel economy and being met with long stretches of stony silence. 

Obama proposes a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard with progressive carbon reduction limits.  With this standard in place as well as a cap and trade system for power  producers, you can then ‘leave it to the marketplace’ to find the most effective solutions.  The solution to the climate change problem will be a result of a market-driven response to carbon emissions limits which will require the actual passage of legislation.