2008 Priorities
About Environment New Hampshire
Environment New Hampshire is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. Our mission is to combine independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for New Hampshire’s environment.
Reduce Global Warming
Global warming poses a serious threat to New Hampshire. More severe storms, increased flooding,
higher sea levels, accelerated beach erosion, and a warming winter climate are
all serious risks to the environment, economy and public health.
Curbing global warming pollution from our power plants and setting concrete
goals to limit future emissions
are solutions that prioritize our environment, economy and public health over
the agendas of powerful interests. Environment New Hampshire
supports:
- Implementing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to reduce global warming pollution from power plants 10 percent by 2018 through a regional market-based cap and trade system.
- Establishing a comprehensive New Hampshire Climate Change Action Plan that provides concrete steps to address and limit the effects of global warming.
Ensure Clean Water
Every waterway in New Hampshire should be fishable and swimmable, and everyone should have access to a clean source of drinking water. We need to protect our coastal waters, rivers, lakes, estuaries and wetlands both for ourselves and for future generations. Environment New Hampshire supports legislation that:
- Preserves and protects New Hampshire’s wetlands, such as the Great Bay Estuary, by tightening restrictions on harmful development adjacent to the state’s wetland areas; and protects our state’s wetlands by establishing an increased setback of 75 feet from wetlands for structures and sewage disposal systems.
Promote Clean Energy
How we use and produce our energy affects our environment, our health, our economy and our pocketbooks. Shifting to clean, renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency are energy solutions that put consumers ahead of big energy companies, cut our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, and improve public health. Environment New Hampshire supports legislation that:
- Sets energy-savings standards for common appliances and equipment like residential furnaces and boilers, to reduce energy waste and to save consumers money.
- Establishes an energy conservation and efficiency board to study and expand on New Hampshire’s current energy efficiency and conservation programs.
Protect Our Land and Environment
As the fastest growing state in New England, New Hampshire The state should take measures now to protect our most valuable open spaces, farmlands and forests for generations to come. Environment New Hampshire supports legislative action that: risks seeing intense development pressure swallowing up our farmlands and forests.
- Maintains funding for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program established in 2007.
- Establishes an environmental protection policy for New Hampshire.
Curb Solid Waste
Waste is a social, environmental, and public health issue. We consume products and discard more trash every single year. Much of this waste gets burned, buried, or shipped to other states. To reduce our demand for natural resources, landfill space, and incinerators, Environment New Hampshire supports legislation that:
- Increases funding for solid waste management and recycling, and establishes a recycling steering committee to promote recycling in New Hampshire.
- Establishes a fund to cover the costs of recycling electronic waste and a program to encourage manufacturers to safely dispose of or recycle electronic waste such as computers, televisions, and monitors.