| Deborah McDermott Nov. 19, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Editor's note: This is Part 1 of a three-part look at the conference, "Sustainable Future: How Can our Nation Turn the Corner on the Economy and the Environment, and can N.H. Lead the Way?" MANCHESTER -- Economists and political strategists attending an economic summit Thursday said it is critical for New Hampshire, New England and the country to understand that climate change has to be part of the equation in forging a solution to the current fiscal and monetary crisis. The speakers were among a number of national and state analysts attending a conference on the economy at the University of New Hampshire-Manchester and sponsored by the Concord Coalition and the UNH Whittemore School of Business. "This intersection of environment and the economy in the state and the country is of critical importance," said UNH economics professor Ross Gittell. "They are a package for both environmental and fiscal sustainability." Speaking with Gittell were Charles Colgan, economics professor from the University of Southern Maine; Ken Colburn, environmental policy director at Stonyfield Farms; and Richard Ober, president of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. All said climate change is a reality, and if Granite-Staters and Americans continue to deny that, the problem will get much more expensive to address, and quickly. "If you think reducing emissions is expensive, try adapting to a world in which climate change" is the norm, Colburn said. A good way to deal with the problem is by carbon taxing, said Colgan and Colburn. "If you want less of something, tax it," Colburn said. "Taxes are a disincentive. Let's tax things we don't want rather than desirable activities." Colburn conducted a study analyzing the amount of revenue the state of New Hampshire could generate if it instituted a carbon tax. According to his calculations, if the state priced carbon at $10 per ton, paid for through a gas tax hike of 9 cents, the state could raise between $300,000 and $500,000 a year. He said the money could be used to reduce the state's budget shortfall or to invest in businesses. He admitted that, over time, as carbon dioxide was reduced, the revenue stream would shrink, but that's the whole idea. Colburn said a number of countries have adopted carbon taxes, and China, which he just visited, is considering them. He said of his visit, "We here in America pride ourselves on our 'can-do attitude,' but I see a lot more of it there. They're playing a really good game of chess, and we're, at best, checkers players." Colgan said he believes it's important to come at the current fiscal challeges with more of a scalpel approach. "Reductions in public spending can't be about just dealing with less," he said. "We're faced with some things we have to do more of, even as we do less with others. If we don't, our chances of getting through the next couple of decades is greatly diminished. The basic idea is how do we set up incentives between fiscal capital and natural capital?" He said northern New England and the country as a whole need to deal with sprawl -- "low density, single family residences, reliance on automobiles, allowing the private housing market to provide affordable housing. We have created a very expensive way to live, and it's distributed among local, state and federal governments. How much more of this are we going to continue to do?" Another important factor for New England, he said, is "this huge problem that is going to be imposed upon us by nature." Colgan said, even if global warming were to stop tomorrow, the sea level is still expected to rise five to eight inches in the next 30 years. This is going to translate into costs for storm damage, road deterioration and stormwater problems. "Whether we're borrowing money to repair storm damage or roads, we're going to have to deal with these things," he said. Ober said New Hampshire, in particular, has to put its efforts into "tightening up" the estimated 500,000 buildings in the state, to put people to work and to reduce dependence on foreign oil. He said the effort should start with public buildings, which would save taxpayer money over the long run. "If we can't get it right with public buildings, can we have a chance of getting it right in the broader free market?" Gittell asked why more people in the state and nation haven't been convinced of the reality of climate change. "The stresses of the last couple of years has gone a great distance in undermining confidence in authoritative comments by anyone," Colgan said. "That makes it very difficult to get to the discussions we need to have." "Another piece of this is, 'Will we allow this to happen to us?' If oil continues to climb and heating oil is $4, $4.50 a gallon and stays there, what will that do to us and are we really going to allow that to happen?" Ober said. "There's a pretty concerted effort to keep climate change from raising its head in Washington," said Colburn. "We wonder why businesses don't go to Washington and say, 'It's OK to do this (a carbon tax).' But it's not their job. Winners go to market. Losers go to Washington." Newstex ID: KRTB-1543-50922891 |
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