This is a Moms Clean Air Force exclusive interview with New Hampshire Senator Dan Feltes:
What is unique about protecting New Hampshire’s resources?
The Granite State is known for it’s rugged mountains, majestic valleys, and forested lakes. New Hampshire’s unique natural resources attracts visitors from around the country and world, making tourism New Hampshire’s 3rd largest industry. We have a sacred obligation to maintain New Hampshire’s natural resources, not just for the enjoyment of future generations, but to continue to move our economy forward for everyone.
Are you worried about the impacts of climate change and air pollution on the children of New Hampshire?
Unfortunately, Granite Staters know all too well we can no longer ignore the overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity is driving climate change. Among other adverse results, warmer weather means much less activity on our ski slopes, the dulling and browning of fall foliage in key tourist areas, detrimental affects on our moose and other wildlife populations, and major negative impacts on our coast and the Great Bay. All of this means significantly less money coming into the Granite State economy. In order to build a brighter future for all our children, we need to maintain our natural resources by minimizing the impact of climate change as best as we possibly can, right here in New Hampshire.
How can the New Hampshire General Court work to protect our natural resources, meet the challenges brought about by climate change, and do so in our politically polarizing culture?
Our culture is only politically polarized to the extent we allow it to be. The reality is that no one person or one political party has a monopoly over good ideas. The same is true when dealing with climate change. Everyone has an obligation to bring their ideas to the table and work in good faith, at the federal, state and local/municipal levels. At the state level, New Hampshire’s ten year energy strategy, produced by the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, is a good starting point. There is much more work we can do to enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy investments, which not only helps combat climate change and betters the air our children breathe, but promotes a green energy economy, right here in New Hampshire.
Senator Dan Feltes is serving his first term in the NH State Senate representing Concord, Hopkinton, Henniker and Warner. Sen. Feltes currently serves on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Ways and Means Committee, Transportation Committee, as well as the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. He is the youngest State Senator since 1988.
Before being elected to the NH Senate, Sen. Feltes spent nearly a decade working as a legal assistance attorney, representing low-income families and seniors in Court, administrative agencies and at the State House, on issues ranging from poverty law and unemployment, to affordable housing and housing discrimination, to energy efficiency and utilities law, and veteran’s related issues.
Sen. Feltes received his law degree from the University of Iowa and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University, where he focused on economics and energy regulation. Sen. Feltes and his wife Erin, also an attorney, live in the South End of Concord with their dogs Franklin and Roosevelt (a.k.a Rosie).
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