Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!
0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff91460001

Keene, Portsmouth Climate Rallies Foresee Flooded Future Without Renewable Energy Transition

Hundreds of people rallied for action on climate change in Keene and Portsmouth this weekend.

They were part of demonstrations nationwide, ahead of a global climate summit in San Francisco this week.

Seacoast families and students filled Portsmouth's Market Square with electric vehicles and signs denouncing fossil fuels and President Trump’s climate policies.

They listened as mock-time travelers told stories from two potential futures. One came after inaction on climate in the present day:

"My mother would tell me stories of how it was before the floods, back when we still thought we had a chance to solve things,” said storyteller Will Hopkins.

The other followed a swift transition to renewable energy, where wind turbines dotted the ocean horizon and solar panels covered every south-facing roof:

“It’s not like we don’t have problems in the future,” said storyteller Andy Davis. “But we’re all working on solving these difficulties together.”

Attendees said they hope this fall to elect politicians who will push for offshore wind development and other progressive policies.

Annie has covered the environment, energy, climate change and the Seacoast region for NHPR since 2017. She leads the newsroom's climate reporting project, By Degrees.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.