Climate Crisis
Fighting for our people and our planet
On This Page:
What is the Problem?
The problem is that the climate crisis is happening now. 350 New Hampshire, along with countless organizations across the world, was founded with the intent of combatting the climate crisis. No corner of our world is immune from the devastating consequences of the climate crisis. Rising global temperatures are fueling natural disasters, extreme weather, environmental degradation, food and water insecurity, economic disruption, conflict, and terrorism. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are dying, oceans are acidifying, the Arctic is melting, and forests are burning. Pollution in our air and our water impacts human health causing everything from asthma to cancer.
What is the Solution?
While the climate crisis is a huge problem, there is some good news. As a society, we already have the technical and policy solutions to build 100% renewable energy. While we might not be ready to transition over to 100% renewable energy next week, we have what we need to enact a just transition and close down polluting fossil fuel infrastructure.
In New Hampshire, our capacity for solar power is largely under-utilized. Without the policies in our state to make it easier for public and private buildings to get solar power, the transition is not easy. We are, however, in the process of seeing offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. We are also seeing that coal is 25% more expensive to use than local renewables in New Hampshire.
So What Holds Us Back?
We know the problem and we have the solution, so what’s holding us back?
Fossil fuel executives as well as many of our politicians are holding us back. For his 2016 election, Governor Sununu took over $150,000 from fossil fuel energy corporations and front groups. Elected officials like Senator Maggie Hassan won’t support the Green New Deal.
The IPCC report says that we have less than 12 years left to transition off of fossil fuels. Governments and corporations will not take the necessary action for a just and rapid transition to renewable energy if they are left to their own devices. Individual actions and market based solutions are not enough. The fossil fuel industry’s undue influence in our society and the entrenched economic and political status quo, rooted in fossil fuel dependency, are barriers to progress.
Demand a just transition to renewable energy at the local, state and national level.
FAQ
350NH trusts the scientists who have done the work to show that human activity is directly linked to the climate crisis. We believe we need a powerful grassroots community of everyday people in order to make the meaningful change that scientists are telling us we need to make.
If you are interested in learning more about the scientific data, we recommend looking at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change website. Their reports assess the scientific data of climate change. Our allies at the Union of Concerned Scientists also have information about climate science on their website.
A just transition is about making sure justice and equity are at the root of our movement to 100% renewable energy. While we do the work to shut down fossil fuel infrastructure and increase renewable energy capacity, the workers in coal, oil, and gas industries must not be left behind. We acknowledge that the Unions and leaders in these fields know what is best for their workers and uplift the demands of labor for a just transition.
A just transition can include providing free and paid jobs training for people to change industries, early retirement and pension for workers who do not wish to retrain, and promises of being paid a living wage, provided with health care, and allowed the freedom to choose their paths.
For more information on just transition, click here for the Climate Justice Alliance framework.
The climate crisis is fueled by interconnecting systems of oppression. Our fight for climate justice is part of a larger movement to create economic, political, and social systems that work for all people. We encourage our members to show up in support of movements for racial, immigrant, gender, and economic justice and provide training opportunities for members to deepen their knowledge of these issues.
Here in New Hampshire, we recognize that the land we live on was stolen from Indigenous communities who were here long before us. Our work takes place on N’dakinna, which is the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude the land and waterways and the alnobak people who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.
In our fight for climate justice, we must also fight for racial justice. 350NH unequivocally supports the Movement for Black Lives and their demands for justice. Climate justice and racial justice are inherently linked. We cannot have justice for some until we have collective liberation.
Go to 350nhaction.org for more information.
The Green New Deal is the only plan put forward to address the interwoven crises of climate catastrophe, economic inequality, and racism at the scale that science and justice demand. The plan includes mobilizing every aspect of American society to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030, guaranteeing a living-wage job for anyone who needs one, and enacting a just transition for both workers and frontline communities. Read more about the Green New Deal on our campaign page.
