Commentary: Pence, Sununu and the climate crisis: No leadership, no solutions

Former Vice President Mike Pence will return to New Hampshire on Dec. 8 to speak at a fundraiser for Republican New Hampshire state Senate candidates, and to an audience that will likely include people connected to electric utilities and fossil fuel interests. Will Mike Pence highlight clean energy and the climate crisis during his visit? Not likely. Mike Pence continues to deny the scientific reality of climate change, opposes clean energy solutions, and supports the isolationist position of leaving the Paris climate agreement—something he and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu have in common. Both also remain out of step with the majority of people in Indiana, New Hampshire, and the rest of the country who understand global warming is caused primarily by human activities and will harm current and future generations.

On numerous fronts, Pence and Gov. Sununu have blocked actions necessary to confront the challenges posed by climate change. While serving as governor of Indiana, Pence threw out an energy efficiency program even though the Indiana Public Utility Commission (PUC) stated the program would create more than 18,600 jobs. As an executive councilor, Chris Sununu voted against every solar project presented to him. Likewise, Gov. Sununu vetoed expansion of the state’s Renewable Portfolio standard and his PUC appointees cut energy-efficiency funding off at the knees, forcing utilities to cancel programs that would’ve benefited New Hampshire residents and businesses.

To date, neither man has acknowledged the scientific consensus on both human-induced climate change and the extent to which the burning of fossil fuels is responsible. In 2000, Pence called climate change a myth and a decade later falsely stated the “science is very mixed on the subject.” Now Pence says the “climate is changing” still without acknowledging the overwhelming consensus that emissions from the burning of fossil fuels is the main culprit. In 2016, Gov. Sununu denied human-induced climate change and a year later continued to cast doubt on the scientific consensus.

Pence and Gov. Sununu also push a false narrative that climate action is bad for business. Pence claims, without offering supporting data, that the Paris climate agreement puts a crushing weight on business. Similarly, Gov. Sununu stood by President Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement and remains the only New England governor who has not joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, which includes 24 governor signatories committed to reducing heat-trapping emissions. However hundreds of businesses — including General Mills, Levi’s and Salesforce — have already committed to taking actions to reduce their emissions to keep alive the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to as close to 1.5 degrees Celsius as possible.

Despite hearing from expert constituents, neither Pence nor Gov. Sununu will acknowledge the degree to which climate change poses significant risks for our natural resources, our economy, and our public health. It is the very definition of an existential threat. Twenty-two Hoosier scientists asked in a letter to Pence while serving as Indiana governor to “actively engage in planning and action required to mitigate and adapt to that change.” Since then, Pence called for more oil, more coal and more gas extraction. In New Hampshire, over 550 healthcare professionals and 18 healthcare associations (and growing) are calling on Gov. Sununu to lead a rapid transition away from the use of coal, oil, and natural gas towards solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, and hydroelectric energy, and urging him to engage with scientists on climate and energy related policies.

Without leadership on climate there can be no progress, no forward momentum. Indiana is among a minority of states with no climate action plan. New Hampshire’s current climate plan is more than 10 years old, is not enforceable and none of its recommendations can be found in Governor Sununu’s 2018 10-year energy strategy.

The temperature has risen in both Indiana and New Hampshire over the last century. People in both states, around the country, and across the globe are at risk of more frequent and intense extreme weather events including flooding and heat that will threaten lives, homes, infrastructure and crops. Despite clarion calls from scientists in the U.S and around the world for humanity to rapidly reduce emissions that cause climate change within the next decade, neither Mike Pence nor Gov. Sununu choose to act. We are running out of time, and we need current politicians and those running for office to do what the people want and need — address the climate crisis with the urgency it demands.

Cameron Wake, PhD, of Durham, is a research professor and climatologist.

Roger Stephenson, M.S. of Stratham is an active land trust volunteer and he works for the Union of Concerned Scientists, where he connects people with science to promote good government policies and improve corporate practices and consumer choices.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Commentary: Pence, Sununu show no leadership on climate crisis