As the Presidential primary draws closer, New Hampshire voters are asking both Republican and Democratic candidates to address global warming.
Both political parties talk about the need for America to gain energy independence in order to reduce our reliance on carbon-based fuels.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Amy Quinton reports on what Republican candidates mean when they say energy independence, and whether Republican voters are buying it.
(Nat Sound) 1230
(1225 this is August so we have about 5,000 tons of excess wood pellets right now but these will evaporate in about 30 days)
Inside New England Wood Pellet, former New Hampshire Congressman Charlie Bass watches a giant machine spit 40 pounds of wood pellets into a bag.
The Republican sits on the board of the company which is growing about 30-percent a year.
1223 (I’m involved here because I think wood pellets are one of the many answers to New Hampshire’s energy needs, we’re 86-percent dependent on heating oil and propane, the second most dependent state in the nation, every ton of these wood pellets replaces many barrels of oil)
Bass, who used to be on the House Energy Committee, says developing alternative energies like these should be a high priority for any candidate running for President.
But he says the Republican candidates have been remarkably silent on specific energy policies, focusing instead on the war in Iraq.
1236 if I were a candidate I wouldn’t want to be talking about the war in Iraq right now, you don’t win on that issue, you don’t win on the social issues around here or abortion, what you win on are the environmental issues, energy issues and the economy.
Bass adds that so far he thinks John McCain is the only Republican who’s come up with any specific plan to address climate change.
McCain was one of the first Senators to propose legislation reducing carbon dioxide emissions 65-percent by the year 2050.
(McCain)
When asked about global warming, most GOP candidates speak instead about the need for America to become energy independent.
And energy independence for Republicans - like former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney - means drilling for more oil in the U-S, and increasing the number of nuclear plants.
(bite Romney) there are a whole series of sources of power that we can get, one is drilling for oil here in Anwar and the outer continental shelf, but there are cleaner sources like nuclear power which we ought to be doing in a more aggressive way and learning how to reprocess nuclear fuel like the French are doing and we can take to a second level.
Both Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani often talk about energy use, but shift the focus away from global warming to national security.
That suits Fred Ward, a Republican from Stoddard, just fine.
He’s leaning toward one of those two candidates because they want to rely less on oil from the Middle East.
But he thinks Republican candidates are afraid to speak their minds.
6:17 (Most of them are dancing around the issue, let’s just call it for what it is, they know what needs to be done, they’re trying to get people to understand, but they’re afraid)
Most Republican candidates have talked in generalities about using renewable sources of energy like biomass, solar, and wind power.
But like Ward, first-time voter and future registered Republican Paul Sanders of Keene wants to hear more details.
1239 I haven’t heard more than general platitudes like we need better energy policy we need a greater stance toward the middle east and I haven’t heard any real specific things yet, that’s what I’m looking for specifics.
Sanders says he’s keeping an open mind about which candidate he’ll choose.
Republican Ted Leach, a former state representative and co-founder of the Carbon Coalition, says Republican candidates need to articulate clear goals to combat global warming, if they want to win in New Hampshire.
“Leach: It will become more and more important because Republican candidates, Democratic candidates are very cognizant of the fact that 162 towns in this state passed resolutions directly addressing the subject of global warming, and if you want New Hampshire’s votes, you need to pay attention to what those towns are saying because that’s the voice of NH right now.â€
Leach says how a Republican candidate addresses the issue will sway who he ends up voting for.
It may be true for other Republicans as well.
A New York Times poll in April shows a majority of Republicans want immediate action on global warming.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.
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