Commentary: Can the Granite State break out of the stone ages on climate?

Matt Stein
·3 min read
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We didn’t realize it at the time, but when my family and I moved from California to New Hampshire in 2021, we also traveled back to the stone ages on climate policy. Amongst its New England neighbors, the Granite State has the worst record on climate resilience, is the only state absent in the U.S. Climate Alliance, and is the only state with no functioning climate action plan or CAP (its 2009 CAP was never implemented).

Matt Stein
Matt Stein

Yes, our prior home is an outlier. California typically leads the U.S. on climate issues like electric vehicles (100% sales by 2035), carbon markets (statewide cap-and-trade program), and renewable energy standards (carbon-free by 2045). So, comparing the two is not fair. But, I didn’t know it was possible for a state - in this day and age - to be as much of a straggler on climate as New Hampshire was. It baffled me.

Two years later, after volunteering with local climate advocacy groups, testifying on climate bills in Concord, and getting to know my representatives, I’m starting to see a clearer picture. When it comes to climate, it seems that our Governor and many of the state legislators are afraid. The are fearful of:

  • Accountability. “Acknowledging climate’s impacts makes me accountable to the state’s citizens.”

  • Reality. “If I ignore the increasingly visible signs of climate change, they will magically vanish.”

  • Complexity. “Climate is multi-layered. It’s complicated and requires too much hard work.”

  • Disapproval. “Discussing climate is a third rail in my party. I can’t afford the risk.”

Our Representatives provided a masterclass on these fears at the State House this winter, as votes for both HB372 and HB208 split down party lines and failed. HB372 was a bill to study the economic impacts of a Federal price on carbon for New Hampshire citizens and businesses. Given the traction in Washington, carbon pricing seems inevitable, so preparing for it is the prudent thing to do. HB208 was a bill to draft a climate action plan including greenhouse gas reduction targets. The longer we wait to do this, the harder the transition will be for our economy. Importantly, Federal grant money from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would have funded the CAP’s creation. Also, accessing the billions of dollars in IRA grants earmarked for states’ climate-related infrastructure requires an up-to-date CAP, so instead it looks like we’ll be giving New Hampshire’s fair share of Federal funds to other states. Talk about being fiscally irresponsible.

While native Granite Staters may be more accustomed to and weathered by these do-nothing voting patterns on climate policy, as a relative newcomer, I feel an indignant voice inside me screaming: “The Granite State is in the stone ages on climate!” My thoughts spiral, wondering if the Live Free or Die mentality is fundamentally at odds with this complicated policy issue. Then, minutes later the calmer optimist in me takes over, and I can’t help reframing the situation:

What would it take for New Hampshire to lead the pack on climate related issues in New England? 

And, then I get excited. This, I believe, requires a completely different mindset. One that replaces fears with possibilities and opportunities. One that embraces wrestling with - and not avoiding - difficult issues. And, one that considers the needs of New Hampshire’s citizens, who during the last couple of months, voted almost unanimously in favor of HB372 and HB208. In short, it requires our elected officials to do their jobs. And, if they can’t, then the growing multitude of climate-conscious voters will bring in new ones who can.

Matt Stein is a North Hampton resident and CEO of climate analytics company Salient Predictions.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Commentary: Can the Granite State break out of the stone ages on climate?