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

A few reports and articles have recently brought the viability of grain-based or corn ethanol as an alternative to fossil fuels into question.  Grain based ethanol is a fuel that a majority of the Presidential candidates highlight as they list off the various clean alternative energy sources they support.

There has been concern for some time about the “energy ratio” of producing fuel from corn, because so much fuel goes into the creation of the corn itself, including in fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides made from petrochemicals.  Add to that the fossil fuels used to transport the stuff “out East,” and you’ve got a product likely to create more CO2 than it will save.

Now that ethanol has gained favor and subsidies, we’re beginning to see another issue cropping up (pun intended).  In last week’s issue of the agribusiness newspaper Feedstuffs, Tom Elam lists “10 inconvenient facts” about grain-based ethanol.  Elam notes that total ethanol production in 2007 equaled 1.6 billion gallons of gas, the equivalent of only three days of Saudi Arabian oil production and only 1.1% of U.S. gasoline consumption.  Elam concludes that if this small level of production is already increasing the global costs of food production, ethanol should not be subsidized as it is today, it should be taxed.

Another critique came in a recent report in the journal Science.  The report found that to replace 10% of petroleum consumption with grain-based biofuels it would require 43% of current cropland in the U.S. and 38% in Europe.  The feasibility of replacing such large percentages of crop land for ethanol is dubious.  The authors conclude that the “up front emissions cost” caused by clearing of more forests would nullify the benefit of any long term reductions.

The Science report is not entirely bleak.  They also suggest that the “conversion of woody biomass into fuel” an industry with potential in New Hampshire, “may be ‘compatible’ with retaining forest carbon stocks.” 

There is an interesting opportunity to learn more about wood as a renewable energy source in New Hampshire this Saturday.  New England Wood Pellet is hosting a Wood Energy Day at their Jaffrey manufacturing plant to teach citizens about this cutting edge technology. Candidates interested in learning more about making renewable fuels the New Hampshire way might want to stop by.

After gorging at the Strafford GOP BBQ on Saturday, Barack Obama hosted an ice cream social in Dover last night.  More FOOD!!! Senator Obama emerged from a wooded area with his wife, his two young daughters, and a group of advisors that included Rep. Carol Shea Porter to speak to the large Dover crowd.

His stump speech included a few references to climate change.  Once again, he told the crowd that if we raised fuel efficiency standards for cars to 45mpg, we would replace the equivalent of all of the oil that we import from the Persian Gulf.  “In the process we can create green technologies that create jobs and businesses,” Senator Obama was then distracted by a fleeting Obama 08 balloon but refocused to say that “we can generate an entire new economy based on green technology that can help to provide jobs and opportunity in rural New Hampshire and all across the country.”

Obama shook what must have been 300 hands, said his goodbyes to the Dover crowd, but before he could get away I asked him if he would on implement a climate change plan before the primary.  He responded, saying that he was the co-sponsor of the strongest cap and trade bill in the Senate right now.  I then asked him if there was anything beyond to Boxer/Sanders Legislation.  He responded: “I will probably combine that with a fuel efficiency standard increase, a renewable energy standard.  There will be four or five pieces.”

A similar interaction transpired after Obama’s event in Derry this afternoon.  Again, a fellow employee asked Senator Obama if he planned on implementing a climate change plan, and again he referenced three pieces of legislation.

Legislation for economy-wide emissions reductions is an undeniably important piece of a comprehensive climate change plan, as it is the first of the carbon coalition’s seven benchmarks, but it is only one of seven benchmarks.  Senator Obama’s focus on legislation is reflective of his experience in government which is primarily as a legislator on the state and national level.

I realize that Obama was just shaking hands and trying to leave the events when he faced these questions, but a focus on legislation ignores fundamental elements of a climate change plan.  A comprehensive plan must include international cooperation, federal planning, aggressive R&D, and a shift in budget priorities.

Listen to Obama: Dover 1, Dover 2, Derry Coming Soon

GOP Candidates were out in full swing this weekend with many campaign stops and a whole lot of food!  Our FOTPC’s were definitely well fed as they asked the candidates about their plans to combat climate change.  Here’s TPC’s weekend summary:

After Ron Paul told a FOTPC at the Strafford County BBQ that he would like to make sure everybody reads both sides of the climate change argument, he noted that he believes it is still not an issue for the federal government.  Paul said “I would refer to the states –if you have a polluted city here, you gotta clean it up, but it’s up to you to do it.”

Paul then returned to the argument over climate change itself claiming that ”there’s some pretty strong evidence that global warming, which comes and goes, is not explained only by CO2 and I claim that I do not know the answer, but I claim that it is something that everybody should study.”  It seems to me that somebody running for president should study it as well and know the answer.

On CAFE Standards, Congressman Tom Tancredo told our FOTPC that “markets work better than federal standards on anything … let markets take care of it and I guarantee you they will break our dependence quicker than anything.”

Tancredo did offer his support for the use of federal funds for research and development before emphasizing again that markets work and we have to trust them. 

Lastly, the runner up in the Iowa Straw Poll, Gov Mike Huckabee got questions from a few FOTPC’s this weekend.  At a house party in Manchester, he told one FOTPC that environmental concerns are one of his four issues he will focus on.  Unfortunately, another FOTPC told us that he did not mention anything about climate change at Chowderfest in Kingston.

At the Strafford County Picnic, Huckabee said that he “is open to a number of things” and that “the key thing we have to do is remember that we are guests on the planet earth, we don’t own it, it’s not ours to do what we want.”  He said ” I would approach it as a Christian, from my own faith, if the earth is the Lord’s it’s not mine to abuse.  It’s mine to take care of, to leave in better shape than I found it.”

Huckabee in bed with the Sierra Club ?

Huckabee emphasized that we all need to take some responsibility, criticizing those who preach conservation but lead indulgent lifestyles.  “You know I believe that before I ask the federal gov’t what it’s going to do, what am I going to do?”  He criticized those who buy carbon credits in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint claiming “It’s like buying indulgences from the church years ago.  Sin all I want but just buy an indulgence – that’s not the way to be responsible.” (Hey- move over Sierra Club – didn’t they bring this up last spring?)

Huckabee did clarify that he is “open to what would be necessary” but that ”it has to start with those of us who as individuals, citizens and Americans need to realize that it’s not about a political issue … it’s about my kids.”

With such motivation from his faith and his children, we hope to see Mike Huckabee move from being ”open to what would be necessary” to outlining what is necessary in a comprehensive climate change action plan.

Audio: Rep. Paul; Rep. Tancredo; Gov. Huckabee

After his win at the Iowa Straw Poll, Mitt Romney returned to the Granite State yesterday.  We were able to catch an ‘Ask Mitt Anything’ event in Londonderry.  Unfortunately we were not able to ask Mitt - anything.  Let’s tally the score from Londonderry, Master Card Style:

# of climate change questions at the event: 0

# of climate change references at the event: 0

Romney’s shining smile: Priceless

Underneath this sophomoric digression is a discouraging fact: without a climate change question, the issue was absent from the discussion.  These candidates should not have to be prompted to talk about climate change.  I know that there are at least 164 towns in New Hampshire that would be upset about Romney’s omission.  Doesn’t Romney know that it is the 11th hour?

Leaving the NH primary now, a new film about climate change opens today in New York and Los Angeles.  “The 11th Hour: turn mankind’s darkest hour into its finest” is narrated and produced by heartthrob turned environmental advocate (for the sake of my ego, I hope these two epithets are not mutually exclusive) Leonardo DiCaprio.  The 11th Hour, ”an unnerving, surprisingly affecting documentary about our environmental calamity, is such essential viewing” wrote the New York Times movie review.

“The 11th Hour” reaffirms the severity of the climate change crisis that was brought to the attention of so many by Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.”  The latter half of “The 11th Hour” presents an optimistic review of potential climate change solutions, something that Gore’s movie did not thoroughly address.

Watch “The 11th Hour” trailer and check for local listings on “The 11th Hour” website.