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

Well, WMUR television finally steps to the plate with a global warming story today.   It is sad, but believable that the station would waste 1-2 minuts of airtime on this tripe. 

 Too bad all the candidates are gone; I imagine this would be the only way Scott Spradling would engage a candidate on TV on the global warming issue.  What a maroon.  Sure, they’re fair and balanced because the station did FINALLY- after months of ignoring requests -  put climate change into the mix of candidate comparisons. 

He’s engaged:   NH Governor Lynch included climate change in his remarks today in his State of the State address:

Left unchecked, global climate change will dramatically change our environment in New Hampshire. That’s why I’ve created a Climate Change Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy for continuing to address this critical issue. In addition, New Hampshire has joined nine other states, stretching from Maine to Delaware, to develop the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, a leading cause of climate change.  We must work together to develop the best possible legislation for New Hampshire. But we must also make sure New Hampshire does not get left behind. The rest of the Northeast is already implementing RGGI. According to the University of New Hampshire, if we do not join RGGI, New Hampshire will see higher costs and job losses. By joining RGGI, and investing its proceeds in energy efficiency, New Hampshire ratepayers will save money and our state will add jobs. That’s why we must join together to pass the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative this year.—————–> Note that the Task Force is well-balanced, and includes no fewer than five members of the Carbon Coalition Steering Committee. The Task Force met for the first time January 18, and is charged with delivering recommendations for a comprehensive state plan to the Governor in September 2008.  Would that be before or after the state primary election?

—————–> Note that the Task Force is well-balanced, and no fewer than members of the . The Task Force met for the first time January 18, and is charged with delivering recommendations for a comprehensive state plan to the Governor in September 2008.  Would that be before or after the state primary election? 

In Myrtle Beach yesterday afternoon, many people gathered outside to show their support for their favorite candidate or issue before the Democratic debate.  Volunteers rallied and chanted with signs for Clinton, Edwards, Obama, health care, an end to aids, climate change action and … coal? 

That’s right.  TPC encountered a group of activists from Americans for Balanced Energy Choices who were passing out stickers, literature and holding signs about “clean coal.” 

According to the Washington Post, ABEC is funded by companies including Arch Coal Inc., Peabody Energy Corp., Duke Energy and Southern Co. and is waging a $35 million “astroturf” campaign to convince the public and candidates that “clean coal” is a viable alternative energy. The group is running TV and radio ads in primary and caucus states and has hired organizers to pass out its materials at candidate events and outside debates.

The Washington Post explains that the coal industry’s multi-million dollar campaign comes in response to mounting opposition to the building of new coal plants, which despite their efforts to get “clean”, still emit tons of global warming pollution.  APEC argues that coal technology is now 70% cleaner because of regulations to limit pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.  Their well-funded campaign neglects to acknowledge, however, that climate change is caused by carbon emissions, which are NOT yet regulated with existing coal-plant technologies.

The article also points out that even though new coal-plant technologies to capture and store carbon may no longer be considered a “pipe dream,”  they are still very expensive, experimental and not in commercial use. 

It’s a good thing that conservationists from all over South Carolina were present to help clarify the message that there is no such thing as “clean coal” - even though their signs were way cooler than ours.

Check out pictures and read more about the conservation community’s response to the “Clean Coal” campaign in South Carolina.

Interestingly, the last few presidential debates have been sponsored by the same Clean Coal lobby.  None of these debates have included questions about climate change, despite how often the candidates have tried to bring it up.  Coincidence?

John McCain won the GOP primary in South Carolina last night by holding off Mike Huckabee by just three percentage points.  Since John McCain and Mike Huckabee both support cap and trade, this means 66% of the votes cast in the South Carolina Republican Primary were cast for the two candidates who favor a cap on carbon emissions to combat climate change.

TPC had an exciting three days in South Carolina leading up to the the all important primary night.  Apparently the New Hampshire winter weather followed us down to South Carolina as the Clemson University campus was blanketed by a layer of wet snow for the first time in years.

The slushy roads did not scare Mike Huckabee and his traveling circus from dazzling the upcountry crowds with action superstar Chuck Norris, pro-wrestler Ric ‘the Nature Boy’ Flair, and the continual jamming of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ with local South Carolinian bands.

Huckabee mentioned energy independence at each stop stating that we need “new sources of energy that are environmentally friendly.” Even though Huckabee may not have thought that a focus on climate change and clean energy would win him South Carolina, ‘Make Climate Change a Priority’ signs outnumbered ‘I Like Mike’ signs at many of his events as seen by the media coverage.

McCain changed the tone on the stump since New Hampshire and did not mention climate change for two days unless prompted by a question. This may have been because McCain was preoccupied defending himself from a confederate flag toting man who slung accusations at McCain and Senior Senator Lindsay Graham who accompanied McCain each step of the way.

Things changed at a town hall in Sumter when McCain acknowledged and thanked all of those in the crowd wearing climate change stickers and spoke for a few minutes about the importance of taking climate action.

After taking serious heat from Romney about being outspoken on climate change, McCain seemed hesitant at first to acknowledge the ‘green Republicans’ in his crowds, but his passion for the issue overcame political calculation. One of McCain’s favorite phrases seems applicable here: “I would much rather win a war, than lose an election.”

TPC noticed an interesting blog from a leader in South Carolina who looks at the climate issue from an emerging perspective.  Rusty Pritchard, one of the growing number of evengelicals concerned with climate change, is in SC with the “Redeem The Vote” Campaign.  He wrote the following:

“I spoke this morning at a press conference in South Carolina, on the front steps of the Statehouse, about the emerging voice for creation care among evangelicals. Here is a draft of those remarks:

I’m concerned that young people and people of faith get disconnected from the political process because they often fail to see their values reflected in that process. Younger evangelicals in particular are often frustrated with what they see as partisan bickering and deadlock, and they are equally frustrated with what the media portrays as a narrow evangelical political agenda. Evangelicals dislike being pigeonholed as single-issue voters in any political party’s back pocket. They would prefer that candidates reflect their values rather than the other way around.”

The State Newspaper also picked up on this story and wrote about how climate leaders and evangelicals are changing the discourse within the primary in a piece titled “Heaven and Earth (and politics).”

The story noticed that “young evangelicals across South Carolina are changing the way presidential candidates think about climate change and other issues.”

This is just one more example of the important role faith is playing in the climate movement.