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

Radio ad - “According to FBI reports, Al Qaeda may be planning to strike at shopping malls here in America later this year, and the candidates for president are talking about healthcare and energy policy!  I am Tom Tancredo and I say all issues pale in comparison to the fact that Islamic Jihadists are here and plotting our destruction.”

The statement above is an excerpt from one of Tom Tancredo’s two new radio ads currently running in New Hampshire.  Tancredo’s concern over his competition addressing “energy policy” baffles me.  Listen to Tancredo’s ad here.

Climate change can not be separated from security.  I would argue that those who ignore the issue of climate change are weak on national security and lack the foresight to recognize the grave geopolitical ramifications of sea level rise, extreme weather conditions, infectious disease, economic crisis, and lower crop yields caused by climate change.

On a similar tone, Laurie David and Gene Karpinski reprimanded NBC’s Tim Russert for ignoring the issue of global warming in their Huffington Post blog “Did Russert get the Memo?”  Tancredo must be proud of Russert for not once discussing minor issues like energy policy or global warming in either of the two Presidential debates he has moderated or during any of his sixteen interviews with presidential candidates on Meet the Press.  Even NBC’s “Green is Universal” week did not entice Russert to question guest Barack Obama on his “green” cred.

Memo:  WAKE UP NATIONAL MEDIA

We have done it!  We have succeeded!  We now have a candidate who has finally committed to a comprehensive climate change plan!  After writing this blog, I am packing up my tent and looking for a new job because our work here is done.

Yesterday in Dover I asked Fred Thompson:

“What are you going to do to combat climate change?”

Before quickly turning his back he replied: “All we can do.”

There you have it folks.  “All we can do!”  The Martians have finally landed.

In national news, the Washington Post ran an article about climate issues in the presidential race on the same day that Hillary Clinton released her new climate and energy plan.  E&E News outlined the details of Clinton’s new plan and TPC will be following Clinton for her upcoming visit to NH.  Not to be outdone, Bill Richardson will be giving a major environmental policy address on Thursday.

Gov. Romney couldn’t hide from FOTPC’s yesterday who wanted to know more about his plan to combat climate change. 

At a house party in Hooksett, Romney was first asked how he will get us off foreign oil.  Romney gave a familiar answer concerning the importance of pursuing energy independence through two ways: alternative energy sources (nuclear, liquefied coal, clean-burning coal, renewable resources and domestic oil) and increased efficiency in our cars, homes and businesses. 

Unsatisfied with his answer, an FOTPC followed up with her concern that Romney is falling behind some of his Republican contenders on the issue of climate change.  The FOTPC asked Romney if he would also support a cap on carbon emissions (as McCain and Huckabee have) and how he would focus on the renewable technologies in an effort to combat global warming. 

Romney first noted his “plan to get us energy independent has a very positive by-product and that is it dramatically reduces greenhouse gases.”  He then criticized the idea of the United States unilaterally placing limits on CO2 emissions and emphasized that we need to do it “in conjuncture with other nations” in order to protect the American economy.  Romney reminded the audience, using a favorite phrase, that “they don’t call in America Warming, they call it Global Warming.”

A couple hours later, Romney gave a very similar answer to a group of high school students in Exeter.  One Exeter student asked Romney why he opted out “one of the most ambitious efforts to fight global warming” in 2005 when he chose not to take part in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).  In response, Romney couldn’t resist adding to his favorite phrase saying that “they don’t even call it New England Warming” and stating that an effort to control emissions in New England wouldn’t have a significant effect on the world environment.

Once again, Romney voiced concern about the economic impact of a regional or national cap on carbon for energy consumers and emphasized that the way to seriously combat global warming is through energy efficiency and investment in cleaner technologies.  Romney then returned to the question of a cap stating ”that, I would pursue on a global basis with other nations” noting that he wants “something that works for the whole world.” 

With Kyoto set to expire in 2012, could Romney be the one to lead a new global initiative??

The Exeter student who asked the question, Alex Chen, did not seem so optimistic stating that Romney’s remarks “were adequate in some ways but still a little vague.”  Chen told TPC that he sees a difference between energy independence and environmental sustainability and hoped to hear more about how Romney would pursue moving toward cleaner technologies and renewable energy resources.  Overall, Chen told TPC, ”I was not the most impressed.”

Listen to the audio: Romney in Hooksett Romney in Exeter

Three of the top GOP contenders formally filed for their candidacy yesterday and scribbled a note on a poster commemorating their presidential run.  John McCain signed “He’s Ba-a-ack,” Rudy Giuliani penned “God Bless America,” and Ron Paul scribed “For Liberty.”  

Giuliani held a town hall in Lebanon later on last night, and while there wasn’t much in the way of climate change talk, Giuliani did have time to talk a little baseball.  The Union Leader reported that Giuliani will root for the Red Sox in the World Series - “it makes me feel better if the team that was ahead of the Yankees wins the World Series - then I feel we’re not that bad.”  For some reason I am reminded of the popular NE bumper sticker “I root for two teams:  the Red Sox and anybody who is playing the Yankees.” 

After announcing his candidacy in Concord, McCain warmed up a Hampton crowd with a few of his famous Mo Udall jokes before getting serious.  McCain’s first issue of discussion for the night was climate change.  McCain stated:

“I am not saying that these forest fires that your are hearing about in California are a direct result of climate change, but I will say to you that we are experiencing weather and conditions such as sever droughts all across the Southwest that are symptoms of the violent climate conditions that result from climate change.”

For ten years now scientists have warned about an increase in wild-fires caused by climate change.  In 1998 the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released a report that found that ”in most cases, climate change would lead to dramatic increases in both the annual area burned by California wildfires and the number of potentially catastrophic fires — doubling these losses in some regions.”

Back in Hampton, an audience member asked what he thought about the other GOP candidate’s climate change plans.  McCain responded “I have not seen any plans from the other candidates” and then touted his work in the senate where he tried to pass an emissions reduction bill.

When asked about what he would tackle within the first 100 days of his presidency, McCain included climate change among the top four issues.

Listen to audio of McCain in Hampton