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

In Amherst this weekend, an FOTPC told Gov. Romney that she is concerned about the future of her two sons, and the world they will grow up in if we don’t do anything about climate change.  Romney, who had just finished talking about family values, responded that energy independence is a priority for him and listed off a familiar list of alternative energy sources he would support as president.

The FOTPC then asked about capping carbon emissions, to which Romney offered a familiar response about only supporting a cap if it were done on a global basis.  Unsatisfied, the FOTPC insisted that the United States must provide leadership on climate change by capping emissions at home as well. 

In Goffstown, another FOTPC challenged Romney with a similar question about American leadership.  She asked Romney if he would “walk the walk instead of talking the walk” and emphasized that “we don’t have time to delay on this important issue.”  Again, Romney said that he favors a global cap and trade which would involve other countries, including China and India.

In Bow, another FOTPC tried to “Ask Mitt Anything” and told Romney that she hopes he doesn’t leave climate change up to her generation to deal with.  Once again, Romney offered a familiar answer about becoming more energy efficient and developing our own sources of energy.  After using his favorite phrase, “They don’t call it America Warming, they call it Global Warming,” Romney insisted that China and India must work to cut their emissions and that we must be a global leader on it.

The FOTPC told TPC that she was disappointed because “It seems like he has no plans, but instead, has these sweet sounding answers.”  If Romney thinks that we should be a global leader on climate change, it would be nice to see a plan outlining how he will take the lead.

Romney wasn’t the only GOP candidate to encounter an FOTPC this weekend.  In Hampton yesterday, Rudy Giuliani faced two questions related to global warming and renewable energy.  Giuliani stressed that there seems to be bipartisan consensus on climate change with the exception of a disagreement about nuclear.

While Giuliani is right that there is increasingly bipartisan support for climate change action, he is overlooking that there is serious disagreement on policy and response even within his own party.  It’s no secret that among the GOP field, John McCain and Mike Huckabee are the only two candidates who support capping carbon emissions and increasing fuel efficiency standards - two significant steps toward reducing global warming pollution.

During the Q&A, Giuliani contradicted himself while talking about American leadership.  In his response to a question on climate change, he stated “We don’t solve it by setting an example for the rest of the world … we need to find solutions for them and then supply them.”  In response to the next question on fiscal responsibility, however, he stated “I believe in leading by example.”

Up in Conway, Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards faced questions about the proposed Schwarzenegger/Gore bipartisan climate change summit and both Kucinich and Edwards responded positively.  Edwards even stated: “Al Gore called me and I said I will be there.”  Details about the forum are yet to be released.

Kucinich will be attending the Carbon/Nuclear Free Symposium to be held in Concord tomorrow.

Edwards was in Rochester and Meredith to unveil his proposals to take on big oil companies to fight rising home heating costs.  Naturally, when talking about “taking on big oil” there was discussion of climate change and Edwards spoke about removing the existing subsidies for ‘big oil.’  Edwards stressed that one of the main solutions to the cost of high heating prices is weatherization.  For tips on winter weatherization check out the EPA website.

Listen to Laura Knoy and Edwards chat about his climate and energy priorities on this morning’s The Exchange.  The climate change talk starts about 38 minutes into the program.

Barack Obama returned to the Granite State yesterday and FOTPC’s attended each of Obama’s three snowy town halls in Alton, Conway, and Laconia.

Obama answered a question from a high school student in Alton about wind power.  Near the end of his response, Obama outlined four actions he would take to combat climate change.

“Number one: I would cap the emission of greenhouse gasses.”

“Number two: we set up what is called a renewable energy standard where across then nation we say that everybody has to get 25% of their energy from renewable sources.”

“Number three:  we need to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars…we say to the auto makers that they have to hit a certain standard.  I am not asking them to get to 120 mpg, but at least get to 40 or 45, 50.”

“The fourth thing is that we are all going to have to change our habits.  Conservation of electricity and energy is probably the most important thing that we can do.”

In Conway, a group touting “What’s Your Plan, Stop Global Warming” signs greeted the attendees with smiles and stickers.  A Conway resident and climate enthusiast asked Obama whether he planned to participate in the proposed Arnold and Al climate change summit in New Hampshire.  Apparently Obama responded enthusiastically to the question about participating and hoped his schedule would allow it.

In Laconia later that night, an FOTPC reported that Obama spoke to a full gymnasium of an estimated 850 people.  An audience member asked Obama during the Q&A what his “vital issues” would be.  Obama responded saying that energy independence is a matter of national security and that if we invest in alternative energies we would have national security, a strong economy, and a cleaner environment. 

Finally, this morning Obama sat down with Laura Knoy on The Exchange.  The second caller, the always pesky Sam from Portsmouth, asked Obama about the funding for his proposed $150 billion R&D energy fund, specifically whether he would reallocate existing subsidies from oil and coal companies to this clean energy fund.

Obama responded:

“I do intend to scrutinize some of the subsidies to big oil and big gas.  I have already introduced amendments to try to strip out some of these subsidies that are not necessary.  Obviously oil is making money hand over fist and the last thing that they need is tax breaks from the United States government.  Part of what we would do with some of that money is to reinvest it into tax breaks for clean energy like wind and solar.  But we are going to need more money than that, and that is why it is so important for us to capture the revenue that is set up by this cap and trade system.”

In this statement Obama made it clear that he would remove some of the subsidies from the oil companies, but he did not comment on subsidies for coal.

Laura Knoy followed up on the coal issue and Obama’s support for ‘clean coal’ technology.  Obama responded:

“If we can use coal in a clean way, that would be great… but coal is dirty and if we can not figure out how we can burn it cleanly than we can’t use it because stopping climate change is one of my top priorities.”

Watch video of Obama in Alton

Listen to Obama on The Exchange

Laura Knoy was anxious to talk with Gov. Richardson about his energy policy on “The Exchange” this morning saying “you and I could talk for 5 hours about this.”  Knoy lead the conversation off by noting that his policy calls for major investments in alternative energies and huge reductions in greenhouse gasses and asking how he plans to accomplish such goals.

Richardson responded that he’ll accomplish his goals with “an energy revolution; by mandates and by the congress and the president working together, and the American people joining too.”  Richardson then detailed familiar goals of reducing consumption of fossil fuels 50% , shifting to 30% clean energy sources and increasing fuel efficiency standards to 50mpg, all by 2020.  Richardson noted that his plan calls for energy efficiency, green buildings, schools, jobs etc. and says it’s a “massive revolution that the President has to lead.”

Knoy then asked Richardson about mass transit, noting that NH wants to expand 93 instead of building a commuter rail.  Richardson explained that under his leadership, New Mexico built a commuter rail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe that is energy efficient, cheaper and very popular among his constituents.

Knoy added her doubts saying that some Americans don’t want to take the train. She said that Americans want to drive their SUV’s and even joked with Richardson about owning one himself.  Richardson noted that he does have a flex fuel, ethanol SUV and a hybrid and touted his plan to pursue more fuel efficient vehicles that run on cleaner energy sources so that people can drive the vehicles they want.  He stated:

“You can have it both ways if we invest in technology, if we mandate the auto companies that don’t want to do anything because they’re worried about profits; they’re not doing well, they’re not being competitive.  Look at the other foreign companies in Europe and Japan, they’re moving competitively with more fuel efficient vehicles and they’re doing well and we’re just sitting here debating if we should go to 30 mpg, that’s pathetic, by the year 2020 we should be at 50!”

After clarifying that he is for cap and trade vs. a carbon tax, Richardson noted that he has cut taxes as Governor of New Mexico:

“I cut taxes in my state, I brought in solar energy companies, renewable energy companies by saying – if you come to my state and you pay over the prevailing wage, you train our people, I’ll give you tax incentives.  As a result, we’ve got a balance budget, we’ve got a surplus, we’ve got a state that is economically doing well and attracting new industries that are clean … That’s what I would do as president, give companies those incentives.”

Lastly, Knoy asked Richardson to clarify his position on nuclear power.  After noting that he’s not a fan of nuclear, Richardson said that he wouldn’t discard it completely, but rather “instruct all our national laboratories, our scientists to come up with scientific way to safely dispose of nuclear waste… we need to find a solution to the waste.”

Richardson then made sure to emphasize that his priorities lie with renewable energy sources:

“If I were going to give subsidies, and let me just say that I would, and tax incentives and investment, it would be to renewables because they’re cleaner, I think they’re technologically more promising, especially wind energy, and I would make a massive shift away from fossil fuels…nuclear does not emit GHG emissions but I think if you look at this energy bill they’re considering, there are all these little special deals for nuclear, why should they get it?  Why doesn’t solar get it? And wind and bio-mass and bio-fuels and bio-diesel and hydrogen and natural gas?  Those are cleaner.  Why are we so reliant on these companies and these energy companies that control our political process?”