It’s Getting Hot In Here

To see if the town will go on record in support of effective actions by the President and the Congress to address the issue of climate change which is increasingly harmful to the environment and economy of New Hampshire and to the future well being of the people of ______________.

These actions include:

1) Establishment of a national program requiring reductions of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while protecting the U.S. economy.

2) Creation of a major national research initiative to foster rapid development of sustainable energy technologies thereby stimulating new jobs and investment.

In addition, the town of ____________ encourages New Hampshire citizens to work for emission reductions within their communities, and we ask our Selectmen to consider the appointment of a voluntary energy committee to recommend local steps to save energy and reduce emissions.

Many NH towns have already started reducing their emissions and have not only contributed to curbing warming, but have also saved money!

Somersworth installed energy-saving lighting and other energy improvements in 169 housing authority units, resulting in $45,000 of savings per year.

The Richmond Middle School in Hanover uses a heating system that burns wood chips from local lumberyards. This system is expected to save the community $60,000/year on energy bills, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1,000 tons/year.

The Lempster Wind Project is a planned 24 MW wind power project near the town. The project consists of twelve turbines that will have the capacity to provide the annual electricity needs of approximately 10,000 New Hampshire homes.

Claremont converted 1,016 streetlights to energy efficient models, currently saving $27,000/year - and saving $118,000/year once improvement loan is repaid.

Residents of Keene saw no reason to wait for a Climate Resolution, and have already declared to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% below 1995 levels by 2015. Actions include the upgrade to energy-efficient traffic lights, use of bio-diesel for municipal, and the installation of a geothermal heat-pump system in a municipal building. Keene has also enacted an “anti-idling” campaign for city workers, which has already cut fuel use by 6%.

These are just a few examples of how much NH residents have saved by taking climate action. But what might NH residents lose by not taking action? Winter recreation is a critical economic driver for NH. During December-March almost 40% of NH’s total visitor spending goes to the North Country. Almost 80% of that is spent on snow and cold dependent outdoor recreation like skiing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. During warm, slushier Winters, however, total ski ticket, fishing license and snowmobile registration fees decline by 14%, a loss of over $13 million. In addition (or subtraction!), 33% fewer skiers visit NH in low versus high snow years and consequently Alpine ski ticket sales drop by almost 30% ($650,000). Warm, slushy winters mean 6,000 fewer jobs, a loss of 4% of North Country Winter employment.

New Hampshire economic losses that result from warm winters is obviously a very acute ramification to the current climate crisis. The Carbon CO2alition realizes this but also understands that these figures speak to many NH natives. There are also daunting predictions of what warming trends will do, and has indeed already done, to NH’s Maple Syrup industry. Exposing these facts will help build support for the Climate Change Resolution that will be voted on next month.

The Carbon CO2alition is often asked, “How much can one town realistically effect global warming anyway?” And the answer is that realistically, one town probably won’t have much of an influence on overall warming trends– but over 150 might! People who pose this question are asked to remember the grassroots effort in 1983 that resulted in 197 NH towns passing a resolution calling for national action on acid rain. Many people said solving acid rain could not be done—that the science was still uncertain, the problem too complex for ordinary citizens to understand, or too remote, or not of local concern. Others complained that the costs of compliance were too high. Nevertheless, that grassroots campaign produced results and now 20 years later sulfur emissions are down by one-third from what they were in the1980s.

So once again NH will lead the way in implementing local solutions to a global problem. If you are from New Hampshire, please check the Carbon CO2alition website to see if your town will be voting on the Resolution in March. If so, consider writing a letter to the editor in your local newspaper or attending the upcoming Town Deliberative Sessions to support the Climate Change Resolution.

Given the mounting scientific evidence concerning climate change, maybe it’s time we modified our state motto from “Live Free or Die,” to “Live Free (from Global Warming) or Die.”