Over 20% of New Hampshire is now in extreme drought, with the whole of the state seeing trends toward disturbing climate developments, according to New Hampshire Bulletin.
This drought has potentially drastic implications for water supplies and crop health. Even besides that, it is an observable fact that our seasons have been getting warmer for years. I am only 22 and I remember when October, which is approaching rapidly, was a bitter and cold month with the potential to see the first snowfall. Now, the idea of snow in autumn is laughable and October is projected to feel like a continuation of summer weather.
At the root of this is, of course, climate change, an ongoing, ever-growing catastrophe that has defined several generations before ours and will continue to define countless after. It is also an issue that is constantly denied by the likes of President Donald Trump and his administration.
Such willful ignorance cannot stand to continue.
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire’s current governor, has often positioned herself as more moderate on climate issues than many of her fellow Republicans. Even so, it is impossible to ignore the fact that she has articulated no plan to deal with the drought nor its causes. She will fail all of N.H. for as long as she fails to take action.
In our relatively cold New England climate, it is easy to think climate change will not impact us as deeply as other areas of the nation that are more prone to extreme heat, storms or flooding. However, this drought illustrates all too clearly that we cannot afford to be lenient in our demands for a greener, safer state.
As in many cases, so-called “fiscal conservatism” is the excuse given for Republicans’ appalling inaction on climate issues. For policy-makers supposedly so concerned about costs, one would think they could see renewable energy as a long-term investment that will return a great profit in the future. Upon looking a little closer, one could see how this would disrupt the cronyism of a government that is inextricably linked with lobbyists for fossil fuels.
Another alarming development is that Ayotte recently chose not to re-nominate former N.H. Public Utilities Commission Chair Daniel Goldner, according to reporting from New Hampshire Public Radio. The commission deals with utility regulations and, under Goldner, saw a push to transition away from fossil fuels. If ever there was a time we needed someone experienced at the helm of the commission’s work, it is during this terrible drought.
I fear the possibility that the selected replacement for the commission will be much more in line with Ayotte’s do-nothing policy that has carried us into this mess, and I do not expect Ayotte to have any kind of backup plan to get us out of it. All we can do for now is continue to push for renewable energy of our own accord, support the individuals and industries most directly affected by the drought and keep our summer clothes at the top of our dresser drawers.
Charlotte King can be contacted at
cking@kscequinox.com
