Does reducing pollution make you feel cold, alone, and poor?

An out-of-state organization is spending thousands trying to convince you that it should.

The group, American Action Network, is running television ads targeting Congressmen who voted for a bill that would have – get ready – put a cap on carbon pollution.  Oh the horror!

The group claims that a cap is nothing more than a tax. And of course, that tax means elderly women will be up all night, cowering under blankets in a blue-colored world, wondering how they will pay their utility bills.

For the record, both Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter voted for a bill that would have regulated carbon pollution through a cap and trade mechanism.  The idea hit a brick wall in the Senate last month, in part thanks to Senator Judd Gregg, who would not support the concept.  Many observers believe that we will not see another climate bill until after the next presidential election.

We wonder what NH voters think about all this?

Polling done by Conservation New Hampshire shows that a vast majority of people in both parties support limiting carbon pollution, even if it costs them more.  Those same polls show that voters – Republicans, Independents, and Democrats – would rather vote for a candidate who makes the environment a priority.

It is also interesting to note that New Hampshire is already part of a regional cap and trade program called RGGI (regional greenhouse gas initiative).  As far as we know, this program hasn’t caused many sleepless nights.

All that aside, our thinking is that these ads will not amount to much unless Congressman Hodes and others try to run away from their forward-thinking position on limiting carbon pollution.  We hope they continue to tell voters that they support limiting pollution and providing incentives to help industry clean up their act.  Less pollution makes for a healthier New Hampshire.  Who would be against that?

Many call election time the silly season, and we are certain this won’t the last ad that will attempt to distort issues and records.  We just hope that candidates of both parties do not get sidetracked pandering to a small group of out of state activists; activists who do not believe in climate change and would rather do nothing than work to solve the problem.

The American Action Network may not have noticed, but New Hampshire voters are savvy enough to see through attempts to frighten them – scary voice and all.