JOSH: BACK TO OUR PANELIST.
DAN: MOVING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD WENT
INTO EFFECT TODAY.
IT'S T AGREEMENT THAT SOME
200 COUNTRIES HAVE PLEDGED TO
LIMIT THE INCREASING GLOBAL
WARMING BY UP TO TWO DEGREES
CELSIUS.
BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO ENSURE
THAT IT HAPPENS.
ALL THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED
HAVEN'T RATIFIED IT.
DO YOU THINK THE U.S. SHOULD
COME UP WITH A LEGISLATIVE
FRAMEWORK TO REDUCE CARBON
EMISSIONS?
AND IF, SO HOW WOULD YOU DO
THAT?
AND IF NOT, WHY IS NOT
MR. LAWRENCE: YOU KNOW, THE
ENVIRONMENT IS DEFINITELY
SOMETHING THAT WE ABSOLUTELY
MUST PROTECT.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
HAS REGULATIONS THAT ARE
OUTDATED, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN
UPDATED, THEY DON'T PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT WELL.
BUT WHAT THEY DO DO IS PENALIZE
OUR INDUSTRY AND OUR ECONOMY
SUFFERS.
WE MUST MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE WE NOT ONLY PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE PROTECT OUR
ABILITY TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL
ECONOMY.
YES, I DO THINK THAT WE ALREADY
HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS TO
CURTAIL EMISSIONS, TO SAVE OUR
ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT.
BUT WE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY
HAVE TO UPDATE THESE
REGULATIONS.
SOME OF THEM GOING BACK TO THE
197S TO, SO THAT THEY MAKE
SENSE AND THEY PROTECT US AND
THEY PROTECT OUR ABILITY TO
COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
WE CAN LOOK AT FLINT, MICHIGAN,
WE CAN LOOK AT WASHINGTON,
D.C., WITH THE CONTAMINATION OF
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
WE CAN LOOK RIGHT HERE IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE WITH THE PFOA TAMENTS
OF OUR WATER SUPPLY.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY HAS NOT BEEN PROTECTING
OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THEY'VE
BEEN DAMAGING OUR ECONOMY.
JOSH: CONGRESSWOMAN.
FRAMEWORK.
MS. KUSTER: BACK TO THE
QUESTION ABOUT THE GLOBAL
WARMING, THE ANSWER IS YES.
DEFINITIVELY.
I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS
USE THE MODEL THAT WE HAVE HERE
IN NEW ENGLAND THAT'S WORKED
VERY, VERY WELL.
THE REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS
INITIATIVE.
AND WHAT WE CAN DO IS CREATE
JOBS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY THAT
WILL REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
AND IMPROVE THE ECONOMY RIGHT
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY CASES, I'M
THE CO-CHAIR OF THE BIOENERGY
CAW YOU CUSS THAT'S CREATED --
CAUCUS THAT'S CREATED WONDERFUL
JOBS IN THE FOREST INDUSTRY AND
TRUCKING AND BIOENERGY FUELS.
BUT WE NEED -- WE'RE WASTING
TOO MUCH MONEY ON THE
SUBSIDIZATION OF FOSSIL FUELS,
OF COAL AND OIL.
THAT'S COSTING TAXPAYERS
MILLIONS, IF NOT BILLIONS, OF
DOLLARS.
AND WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN
RENEWABLE ENERGY, REDUCE THE
EMISSIONS, GROW THE ECONOMY,
AND IT'S A WIN-WIN.
AND WE'LL SAVE THE PLANE
MR. LAWRENCE: A LOT OF THE
RENEWABLE ENERGY INITIATIVES
AND CONTRACTS WE'VE SIGNED IS
THE REASON WHY WE HAVE SOME OF
THE HIGHEST ELECTRIC RATES IN
THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU TALK TO ANY
MANUFACTURING FIRM IN THIS
STATE, WHICH I'VE SPOKEN TO
MANY OF THEM, THEY ARE ACTUALLY
EXPANDING THEIR CAPACITY,
THEY'RE BUILDING PLANTS IN
OTHER STATES, BECAUSE WE CAN'T
GIVE THEM CHEAP ENERGY HERE IN
NEW HAMPSHIR
WE'RE SHIPPING TO OTHER STATES,
WILL SWAMP AND CLEARLY
OUTNUMBER THE.
A JOBS WE CAN CREATE THROUGH A
RENEWABLE PROGRAM.
WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT BUT WE ALSO NEED TO
PROTECT OUR ECONOMY AND WE NEED
TO START CREATING NEW,
GOOD-PAYING JOBS, FOR THE
CITIZENS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I HAVE YOUNG KIDS, I WOULD LIKE
FOR THEM TO HAVE JOBS TO COME
WORK IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, INSTEAD
NED OF LEAVING THE STATE.
MS. KUSTER: WE CERTAINLY AGREE
ON THAT, ON CREATING JOCKS.
AND I VISITED DOZENS AND --
DOBBS.
AND I VISIT DOZENS -- JOBS.
AND I VISITED DOZENS AND DOZENS
OF COMPANIES.
I TALK TO THEM ABOUT ENERGY AND
ENERGY COSTS AND MESSAGE OF
THEM ARE INSTITUTING RENEWABLE
ENERGY PROJECTS AT THEIR PLANTS
TO BRING DOWN THEIR ENERGY
COSTS.
THE TOWN OF PETERBOROUGH HAS A
FANTASTIC NEW PROGRAM.
SEVEN ACRES OF SOLAR PANELS
THAT NOT ONLY ARE GOING TO
PROVIDE ENERGY FOR THE TOWN
BUILDINGS, BUT NOW FOR THE
SCHOOLS.
SO THESE ARE GREAT PROJECTS AND