Legislators Hear From Climate Change Experts

About 200 people showed up to the statehouse to hear a bleak forecast of global warming for the Northeast.

The hearing, before the House and Senate energy and environment committees, focused on the recently-released climate study by the Union of Concerned Scientists and group of independent university scientists.

Dr. Cameron Wake, a UNH climate change research center professor says this year is a perfect example of how warming temperatures are affecting our winters.

:55 our winter temperatures have gone up much more rapidly such that we’ve seen an overall increase since 1970 of four point three degrees Fahrenheit that’s the equivalent of taking a Boston wintertime climate and shifting it south to Philadelphia

Wake says New Hampshire has also already seen fewer days with snow on the ground.
A report on winter recreation shows that during warm winters there’s 310 thousand fewer alpine skier days, 43-thousand fewer Nordic skier days, and 11-thousand fewer snow mobile licenses sold.
Wake says that’s an economic impact of more than 13.2 million dollars.
“That’s just the ticket sales, as that cascades down through the economy and the people who fix your skis or sell you snowmobiles, or serve you a meal, you can imagine that impact is two to three to four or six times that large. A significant economic impact in the north country”

If the world remains on a pathway of using fossil fuels as it does now, New Hampshire will be a much different place, with 60 summer days over 90 degrees, and 50-percent less snowfall.
Wake says New Hampshire weather will be like a very dry North Carolina.
Using another model, the study showed that if there’s a shift this decade to clean and renewable energy, only 30 days would be over 90 degrees by the middle of the century and there would be 25-percent less snowfall.
Dr. James McCarthy, President Elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says it’s not too late for state lawmakers to change the dire forecast.
“Everywhere one looks in the circles of climate scientists you see the expectation that were we to take significant actions within this decade not begin things, but actually have a plan within this decade as to how to proceed with national and international strategies to reduce carbon emissions, we could in fact avoid the outcomes that look so unwelcome.”

Legislators are already looking into ways to reduce carbon emissions.
Representative Naida Kaen of Lee is Chair of the House Science Technology and Energy Committee.
She says she’s very concerned about global warming.
“I think everyone’s persuaded now that a renewable portfolio standard is a first step, regional greenhouse gas initiative that the governor’s already signed is something that we need to work through the details on move that along as well I’m hoping we can find many other solution because it’s clearly something that needs to be addressed.”

A renewable portfolio standard would require those who sell electricity in the state to include a percentage of clean renewable power.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is an initiative by nine northeastern states to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
RGGI, as its known, is not likely to come up in this legislative session.
But legislators do plan to discuss energy alternatives such as geothermal and wind power.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.