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

The Seacoast Media Group held a forum yesterday with Gov. Richardson who took the hour to talk about energy and climate change.  After identifying our energy and climate change issues as a “national crisis,” Richardson touted his new book, Leading by Example, and emphasized the need for leadership from both the president and American citizens. 
Richardson explained that our energy crisis is a danger not only to our climate and environment, but to our national security and the economy as well. 

Richardson called for an “Apollo Program” to change the way we do energy and outlined his plan to reduce energy consumption, transition to renewable energy resources and shift away from carbon-based energy in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our impact on the changing climate. 

Richardson emphasized familiar targets, time-tables and ideas such as cap and trade, 90% reductions by 2040, 50 mpg fuel efficiency standards and 20% renewable energy standards by 2020.  Richardson then answered a number of questions ranging from the debate over nuclear energy to how we can increase the use of rail transit and other public transportation.  (Check back for the full audio on Monday).

TPC also met up with Hillary Clinton again yesterday at a roundtable discussion in North Conway.  Here is what she had to say on working with international partners:

“I want to create a group of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world…and as president I have said that I will meet every three months with the leaders of theses countries that put out all of the greenhouse gas emissions.  I will try to do what I think is necessary and ask what do we have to achieve?  What more can we do?  And then keep moving until we sign a new agreement, hopefully by 2010.”

Over breakfast this morning, TPC chatted with Mitt Romney about how important energy and climate change is to NH voters.  A number of the breakfast attendees shared their concerns about energy costs and climate impacts.  Romney echoed their concerns by noting how important energy is to the economy our national security and the climate and emphasizing the need for a global effort rather than national mandates. 

After noting how important it is to transition away from foreign oil, one attendee asked Romney how he would continue to lead the transition if the price of oil were to go back down, making it economically difficult for consumers to choose cleaner choices on their own.  Romney responded by talking about the tax-incentives he created as Governor of Massachusetts for cars that got more than 35 MPG.  He emphasized that it is important to make sure that people have affordable ways to use energy more efficiently but did not say if this is something he would pursue on a federal level as President. 

Audio from Clinton.

Audio from Richardson:  Stump, Q on nuclear, Q on global, Q on wind, Q on public transportation, Q on trade, Q on payroll taxes