Opinion: Rescuing the politics of climate change

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds in October as  moderator Kristi Noem listens.

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds in October as moderator Kristi Noem listens. Alex Brandon / AP

By DANIEL HOOBERMAN

Published: 02-04-2025 6:00 AM

Daniel Hooberman is a retired psychiatrist and a member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby and New Hampshire Network. He lives in Laconia and wants to leave the world a better place for his three grandchildren.

As I recently watched hearings for HB 106 and HB 306 in the House Science, Technology and Energy committee, I was shocked to see the reaction of the members of the Republican majority. These bills were intended simply to study the costs of climate damage and the impacts of carbon pricing in New Hampshire. Other states are studying these issues, and it is important that New Hampshire has the best information to prepare for the future and climate change’s effect on our economy, health and environment.

Throughout the hearings, it was evident from these Republicans’ words, overtly hostile behavior, dismissive tone and body language that they scoffed at science-based knowledge and that they were willing to promote talking points from the fossil fuel industry. In the executive session, these representatives said that those presenting evidence of climate change were guilty of “presentism,’” meaning that they misunderstood present weather events as new and unusual rather than part of a longer history of weather events that have always occurred. In other words, the alarm over climate change was presented as a hoax.

The bill was voted down along party lines. I assume that most people care about their own welfare as well as the well-being of their children and future generations. We rightly expect our leaders to act in our best interests once they’ve obtaining the best information from the most credible sources. We are all aware of conflicts of interests and want politicians to put their constituents’ priorities ahead of their own personal agendas.

We need political action to deal with climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels to prevent future catastrophes.

It is important, then, to look at what is incentivizing politicians to present disinformation and why they are successful in doing so. Financial gain is the gorilla in the room. The fossil fuel industry has known since the 1960s that burning fossil fuels causes climate change. They have pushed disinformation and lies since then. Bush-era Republicans accepted the science on climate change, and there was bipartisan support for a treaty limiting carbon emissions. Then, oil billionaires and their allies used their financial clout to turn climate denial into a common Republican talking point. The Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010 supercharged their influence by allowing unlimited spending — dark money — by corporations in our elections. This squashed bipartisan interest in addressing climate change. Their interests and their corruption began extending into all levels of our political system.

As part of their campaign to maximize their profits, they’ve created a cultural wedge issue. For many — not all — Republicans, climate denial has become part of their cultural identity. For those who deny its existence, there is a sense of triumph that “common sense” matters more than expert knowledge. There are also some people who feel the government has no right to interfere in their lives. These identities are emotionally powerful and difficult to confront.

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The Republican Party and President Trump received $445 million in the last election from fossil fuel interests, in addition to unaccounted-for dark money. They’re spending that money to increase their profits, not to benefit ordinary citizens. The payback has already begun with policies favoring the fossil fuel industry and hindering efforts to combat climate change.

Carbon pricing must be enacted as an incentive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A carbon fee and dividend policy would charge a fee on the cost of burning fossil fuels with the dividend sent to all U.S citizens. 28 Nobel Prize-winning economists support this policy. It is projected to lead to significant economic growth and the creation of millions of jobs while protecting our climate and reducing illnesses and deaths resulting from pollution. Lower income families would financially benefit the most. We should also be looking at recovering the costs to our health and environment caused by the malevolent actions of the fossil fuel industry.

The effects of climate change are everywhere in New Hampshire. Understanding that billionaires and their fossil fuel companies are actively sabotaging our health and well-being for their own benefit is essential. Incentives for reduced fossil fuel use are effective and beneficial for the environment and our economy. We need leaders to support bipartisan climate policies based on science, not personal greed, at local, state and federal levels of government.