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 Hello/Intro |
Web Promo |
| Earth Day Sots |
Key: Environment / Nature/ Geography |
| Earth Day Bills Discussion |
Key: Community Politics/ Government |
| Thanks/Goodbye |
Key: Energy |
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| Hello/Intro |
Web Promo |
| Earth Day Sots |
Key: Environment / Nature/ Geography |
| Earth Day Bills Discussion |
Key: Community Politics/ Government |
| Thanks/Goodbye |
Key: Energy |
| Hello/Intro Return to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Richard Ager. Welcome to NH Outlook. Hello. I'm Richard Ager. Welcome to NH Outlook. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 as an occasion to highlight environmental protection and unite those concerned about the future of the planet. 41 years later, there is still little consensus on how to conserve our earth, water and air. Case in point: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - or RGGI. The concept is known as cap and trade: Utilities that emit greenhouse gases above a limit would pay a premium to the state - and that money would go to increasing energy efficiency. TAKE VO: RGGI was passed two years ago by a Democratic-dominated legislature. On Thursday, a Republican-dominated committee held a hearing into repealing RGGI. Here's some of the debate. TAKE SOTS: Bite: RGGI disk 9:19:23 Chair - House Science, Technology & Energy Cmte. RGGI should be repealed now because it rests on shaky economic science. Namely, that the govt. should collect some money from all of our citizens and redistribute that wealth to a select few. We believe that our constituents' money should remain in their pockets to be spent or saved or invested as they see fit. After all, it is their money, not the government's. We believe that RGGI was a stealth tax, hidden in our electric bills. We believe that RGGI created the illusion of free money to those who benefitted from its funds, and you and I all know that there is no such thing as free money. 9:20:03 Bite: RGGI disk 10:09:02 We've heard from a lot of people here this morning telling you that RGGI isn't working. Well I'm here to tell you it is working very well in our community. Bite: RGGI disk 10:10:20 Our energy committee participated with the RGGI-funded "Stay Warm NH" project where we volunteered our time to install weatherization and insulation kits in people's homes. We have encountered dozens of desperate homeowners in our community who cannot afford their increasing fuel bills and also cannot afford to do weatherization and energy upgrades necessary to lower those bills. The "Stay Warm NH" kits will save those homeowners a great deal more than the estimated 36 cents a month that the RGGI program adds to their utility bill. 10:10:50 |
| Earth Day Sots Return to index of stories... |
On Thursday, a Republican-dominated committee held a hearing into repealing RGGI. Here's some of the debate. TAKE SOTS: 9:19:23 Chair - House Science, Technology & Energy Cmte. RGGI should be repealed now because it rests on shaky economic science. Namely, that the govt. should collect some money from all of our citizens and redistribute that wealth to a select few. We believe that our constituents' money should remain in their pockets to be spent or saved or invested as they see fit. After all, it is their money, not the government's. We believe that RGGI was a stealth tax, hidden in our electric bills. We believe that RGGI created the illusion of free money to those who benefitted from its funds, and you and I all know that there is no such thing as free money. 9:20:03 10:09:02 We've heard from a lot of people here this morning telling you that RGGI isn't working. Well I'm here to tell you it is working very well in our community. 10:10:20 Our energy committee participated with the RGGI-funded "Stay Warm NH" project where we volunteered our time to install weatherization and insulation kits in people's homes. We have encountered dozens of desperate homeowners in our community who cannot afford their increasing fuel bills and also cannot afford to do weatherization and energy upgrades necessary to lower those bills. The "Stay Warm NH" kits will save those homeowners a great deal more than the estimated 36 cents a month that the RGGI program adds to their utility bill. 10:10:50 |
| Earth Day Bills Discussion Return to index of stories... |
Joining me at the State House here in Concord are, Rep. Warren Groen, Vice-Chair of the House Environment Committee, Rep. Tara Sad, Ranking Minority member of House Environment Committee, Amy Quinton, NHPR environment reporter, and Rene Pelletier, Assistant Director at DES. Welcome. 1: AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BILLS HEARD THIS SESSION BUT FIRST -LET'S GO ROUND THE TABLE: EARTH DAY TURNS 41 YEARS OLD THIS WEEK. FOR NH, IS IT A HAPPY BIRTHDAY OR A MID-LIFE CRISIS? 2: RENE - YOU'VE SPENT 38 YEARS WITH THE DES. WHAT WAS THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT - AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS WHEN YOU STARTED? WHEN I STARTED, YOU COULD TELL THE COLOR OF THE SWEATERS THEY WERE DYING THAT DAY - 3: DOWN TO SPECIFICS. AS WE SAW, THE REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE COULD BE FACING MAJOR CHANGES OR EVEN ELIMINATION. REP. SAD - GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT IT WAS MEANT TO ACCOMPLISH. 4: REP. GROEN - YOU ARE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE THAT RECOMMENDED KILLING RGGI. WERE YOUR REASONS PHILOSOPHICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL? WHO GOT THE MONEY: IN THE FIRST ROUND: Business Finance Authority of NH - $2 million Retail Merchants Association of NH - $1.4 million Dartmouth college - $330,000 STonyfield Yogurt - $150,000. These are private organizations that are doing okay - why do they deserve this money? 5: AMY - THIS HAS CAUSED GREAT CONSTERNATION AMONG ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS. 6: RENE - DES TESTIFIED THAT NH WAS VERY CAREFUL IN ENTERING THE RGGI COMPACT - WAS ONE OF THE LAST STATES TO DO SO AFTER MUCH STUDY. THIS WAS MEANT TO FIRST STABILIZE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS - AND THEN WORK ON REDUCTION. 7: REP. GROEN - A BIT OF HISTORY. CAP AND TRADE WAS A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN IDEA. IT WAS PUT IN PLACE BY THE FIRST PRESIDENT BUSH AND LED TO MAJOR REDUCTIONS IN ACID RAIN EMISSIONS. REMEMBER ACID RAIN? THERE'S A LONG LIST OF PROMINENT REPUBLICANS WHO DID SUPPORT IT - SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, LINDSEY GRAHAM, SCOTT BROWN - AND DON'T NOW. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO - AND MANY SAY IT DID - HARNESS MARKET FORCES TO BRING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. SO WHAT - OR WHO - BROUGHT ABOUT THIS CHANGE? THE OFFICIAL MCCAIN'PALIN CAMPAIGN WEBSITE IN 2008 TOLD AMERICANS THAT JOHN MCCAIN AND SARAH PALIN "WILL ESTABLISH. A CAP-AND-TRADE SYSTEM THAT WOULD REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS." MCCAIN/PALIN'S OFFICIAL POSITION ADDED, "A CAP-AND-TRADE SYSTEM HARNESSES HUMAN INGENUITY IN THE PURSUIT OF ALTERNATIVES TO CARBON-BASED FUELS." 8: CAMERON WAKE, A CLIMATE SCIENTIST AT THE INSTITUTE OF EARTH, OCEANS AND SPACE DID AN EVALUATION OF RGGI - AND USED AN INTERESTING METAPHOR. THE FIRST YEAR, JULY 2009 - TO JUNE, 2010, THE REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GASES WAS THE SAME AS TAKING 900 CARS OFF THE ROAD FOR THE YEAR. THE PERIOD ENDING THIS JUNE - IT'S EXPECTED TO BE THE SAME AS TAKING 2500 CARS OFF THE ROAD FOR THE YEAR. LIFETIME EFFECT OF THE GRANTS SO FAR - TAKING 38,000 CARS OFF THE ROAD FOR A YEAR. Wake said the reduction fund has been effective at promoting energy efficiency. Every dollar results in $3.43 savings over lifetime of projects. 30 different projects - funded across NH - this brought a lot of intellectual investment - 80% in bricks and mortar - 20% in audits or energy analysis - education First year has provided a development of foundation of infrastructure of energy efficiency 2nd piece - PUC changed the program for second year of funding - it was narrowed to entities that could work with towns to improve There's going to be a lot of pain with $4 - $5 - or more gas. If not this, then What they plan to deal with rising energy prices - if we're not actively pursuing energy efficiency.? Not transportation but home heating 9: ON TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL BILL: THE BUDGET. AMY - THERE ARE A RANGE OF CUTS PROPOSED FOR DES. YOU DID A STORY ABOUT A FELLOW NAMED ANDY LANG WHO RAISES OCEAN MUSSELS - IN THE OCEAN. HOW WOULD HE BE AFFECTED? REP GROEN: ISN'T THIS AN EXAMPLE OF THE NEED FOR GOVT. PROGRAMS TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE BUSINESSES CAN THRIVE? COULD LOSE MONITORING OF POOLS, LAKES AND RIVERS - AND THERE ARE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE THEIR TIME AND LABOR TO CLEAN UP BEACHES, MONITOR WATER QUALITY… 10: THE NORTHERN PASS - HAVE TO MENTION THIS AS AN ISSUE THAT CROSSES MANY BOUNDARIES. IT APPEARED BEFORE THE ENERGY COMMITTEE, BUT IT HAS MANY ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS - AND UNIFIED A LOT OF OPPOSITION IN THE NORTH COUNTRY. MOST OF THE ALTERNATE ROUTES HAVE NOW BEEN DROPPED. 11: SB154 - THE BILL ANALYSIS STATES: THIS BILL MAKES EXTENSIVE CHANGES TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SHORELAND PROTECTION ACT. IT CHANGES ITS NAME TO THE SHORELAND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION ACT. EXISTING LAW PASSED IN 1994 TO PROTECT AGAINST EROSION AND POLLUTION BY SETTING MINIMUM STANDARDS AND SETBACKS. WHAT CHANGES ARE CONTAINED IN THE BILL? 12: NOW TO A ISSUE THAT GOT A HEARING - AND GOT KILLED 237-121. HB84 TITLE: ESTABLISHING A STATUTORY COMMISSION ON MOTOR VEHICLE RECYCLING ISSUES.ITL 260-101 WHAT ISSUES? I have been noticing the prices going up - used to be $50 along route 4 - now it's $250 paid for junk cars. 13: FINALLY - IN CASE ANYONE WONDERS WHAT A DIFFERENCE LEGISLATION CAN MAKE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT - THIS IS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WEEKS ACT, WHICH ESTABLISHED THE WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE LEGACY OF THAT ACT, IN THE LIGHT OF CURRENT LEGISLATIVE DISPUTES OVER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES? THAT IS THE LAST WORD - THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR TAKING PART. I'M RICHARD AGER - JOIN US AGAIN FOR THE NEXT NH OUTLOOK. |
| Thanks/Goodbye Return to index of stories... |
That's all the time we have today on NH Outlook. I'm Richard Ager, I'll see you next time. |
| Web Promo Return to index of stories... |
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| Key: Environment / Nature/ Geography Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/22/2011 HOST: Richard Ager Length: 25:00 Hello. I'm Richard Ager. Welcome to NH Outlook. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 as an occasion to highlight environmental protection and unite those concerned about the future of the planet. 41 years later, there is still little consensus on how to conserve our earth, water and air. Case in point: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - or RGGI. The concept is known as cap and trade: Utilities that emit greenhouse gases above a limit would pay a premium to the state - and that money would go to increasing energy efficiency. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. James Garrity\ Chair, House Science, Technology & Energy Cmte., Ian Raymond\Energy Committee of Sanbornton, Rep. Warren Groen\ Vice-Chair, House Environment and Agriculture Committee, Rep. Tara Sad\ Ranking Minority Mem., House Environment and Agriculture Committee, Amy Quinton\NHPR, Environment Reporter, Rene Pelletier\Assistant Director, DES |
| Key: Community Politics/ Government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/22/2011 HOST: Richard Ager Length: 25:00 Hello. I'm Richard Ager. Welcome to NH Outlook. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 as an occasion to highlight environmental protection and unite those concerned about the future of the planet. 41 years later, there is still little consensus on how to conserve our earth, water and air. Case in point: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - or RGGI. The concept is known as cap and trade: Utilities that emit greenhouse gases above a limit would pay a premium to the state - and that money would go to increasing energy efficiency. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. James Garrity\ Chair, House Science, Technology & Energy Cmte., Ian Raymond\Energy Committee of Sanbornton, Rep. Warren Groen\ Vice-Chair, House Environment and Agriculture Committee, Rep. Tara Sad\ Ranking Minority Mem., House Environment and Agriculture Committee, Amy Quinton\NHPR, Environment Reporter, Rene Pelletier\Assistant Director, DES |
| Key: Energy Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/22/2011 HOST: Richard Ager Length: 25:00 Hello. I'm Richard Ager. Welcome to NH Outlook. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 as an occasion to highlight environmental protection and unite those concerned about the future of the planet. 41 years later, there is still little consensus on how to conserve our earth, water and air. Case in point: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - or RGGI. The concept is known as cap and trade: Utilities that emit greenhouse gases above a limit would pay a premium to the state - and that money would go to increasing energy efficiency. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. James Garrity\ Chair, House Science, Technology & Energy Cmte., Ian Raymond\Energy Committee of Sanbornton, Rep. Warren Groen\ Vice-Chair, House Environment and Agriculture Committee, Rep. Tara Sad\ Ranking Minority Mem., House Environment and Agriculture Committee, Amy Quinton\NHPR, Environment Reporter, Rene Pelletier\Assistant Director, DES |