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

The Clinton campaign has taken some criticism in the blogosphere over the past week for organizing a planned questioner aka ’a plant’ at a bio-diesel plant in Iowa to ask a question about how Clinton’s new energy policy would combat global warming.  I was not really aware that the Clinton campaign was still taking questions from voters, but that is beside the point. 

If Clinton feels that she needed to plant a climate change question at a bio-fuels plant, something is wrong.  Concerned citizens must keep asking questions and make sure that this issue does not fade from the discourse.

There was no lack of global warming questions in the Granite State this weekend with FOTPCs following Mitt Romney.  In Atkinson, Romney faced a question about raising CAFE standards.  He responded not by directly answering the question but stressing that “we need to bring the auto manufacturers together and come up with a solution we can all agree with.”  Romney faced questions at stops in Hudson, Hopkinton and Holderness as well, offering familiar rhetoric about the need for global action.

Mike Huckabee swung through the seacoast to shake a few hands and enjoy some chowdah in Seabrook.  Unfortunately there was no mention of climate or energy concerns at the Seabrook stop, but I heard the chowder made up for it.

Huckabee did face a question in Exeter about international climate agreements.  An FOTPC in the field shared her notes detailing Huckabee’s response: “I was surprised by his answer as he said  that he didn’t want to give up US sovereignty and that he was against international agreements. He wanted to stay true to the constitution and said that he was opposed to international agreements etc such as the international year of the child.”

This is an interesting twist within Huckabee’s climate platform.  Huckabee is almost entirely opposite of Mitt Romney.  Huckabee is in favor of a domestic cap but not in favor of international agreements and Romney justifies not supporting a domestic cap by stating that we need international agreements.

When is the Romney vs. Huckabee climate change debate?

Yesterday on The Chris Matthews Show, Matthews asked his panel of pundits his “Big Question” for the week: Will the government pass any meaningful global warming legislation?  The panel all agreed - NO. 

What does this mean?

The ball will be in the hands of the next president and congress to act.

Vote on the question of the week on the Chris Matthews Show website.

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

Hillary Clinton unveiled the second half of her plan to address America’s energy and climate crisis this week in both Iowa and NH.  A FOTPC caught up with her in Peterborough yesterday where Clinton was campaigning with Bob Vila to talk about energy efficiency and conservation. Clinton outlined how she would get everyone to participate, including government, business, oil companies, auto manufacturers and individuals.  Here is a report from our FOTPC:

“What stood out today was a personal touch that she and our old friend from “This Old House”, Bob Vila, lent to the issue.  They talked about about wrapping our hot water heaters with insulation, replacing drafty windows, insulating attics, changing our light bulbs to CF’s, looking into retrofitting our cars to be able to use alternative fuels, and about her plans to re-route fuel subsidy monies to support an array of programs that would help make it possible for all Americans to participate in the effort.  Clinton also shared stories about her and husband Bill’s efforts in their home to reduce their own carbon footprint. 

In response to a question about her position on Nuclear Power, Clinton shared personal comments about the nuclear power plant near her home - and issues around Nuclear Power that give her reservations about Nuclear as a viable part of the solution.

Clinton criticized current administration talk that all these plans to combat climate change will just make America go broke.  Hillary’s response was that if we don’t begin to implement these plans right away, then America will go broke.  She talked of her plan to create thousands of “green collar jobs” that would open up new job opportunities for America’s middle class and that would boost our economy. 

Hillary also presented a novel idea, similar to the War Bonds of our parent’s or grandparent’s generation; Energy Bonds that would become available to Americans who wanted to invest in energy independence and global warming solutions.”

TPC caught up with Clinton later in the day in Nashua where she continued to tout her new energy plan.  Listen to audio from Hillary in Nashua.

Senator Hillary Clinton spoke to students at UNH yesterday and teased the crowd by saying that next week in New Hampshire and Iowa she will unveil her “comprehensive agenda energy agenda on how to combat global warming as president.”  Have no fear, TPC will be there.

On global warming, Clinton stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation:

“This is not an issue that should be Democratic or Republican.  This is an American issue.  This is an international issue.  I intend to get back into international negotiations including China and India, creating a ‘climate’ in the world where we start addressing this.”

Hopefully she will elaborate in New Hampshire next week about what this global ‘climate’ for negotiations would look like.

TPC also came across an interesting piece that deals with international climate negotiations.  ”One Answer to Global Warming: A New Tax” ran in the business section of the New York Times in September.  The article has Primary ramifications because of its author, Gregory Mankiw, who a Harvard economics professor and advisor to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

Mankiw, who supports a carbon tax over a cap and trade system to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale, wrote:

“Among policy wonks like me, there is a broad consensus. The scientists tell us that world temperatures are rising because humans are emitting carbon into the atmosphere. Basic economics tells us that when you tax something, you normally get less of it. So if we want to reduce global emissions of carbon, we need a global carbon tax.” 

Mankiw’s support for a carbon tax is at odds with what Romney has said in New Hampshire, but his opinion of a cap and trade system may provide insight as to why Romney is reluctant to commit to capping carbon.  Mankiw writes that “allocating carbon allowances based on population alone would create a system in which the United States, with its higher standard of living, would buy allowances from China. American voters are not going to embrace a system of higher energy prices, coupled with a large transfer of national income to the Chinese.”

Maybe Chris Dodd has been tapping Mankiw’s phone because Dodd is the only candidate in either party advocating for a tax on carbon.