Forum focuses on environmental issues
SANDPOINT - In a relatively brief time, sustainability, land use and global climate change have become integral parts of any conversation about public policy.
With that premise in mind, a group of Bonner and Boundary County politicians met Tuesday for a public forum on how best to handle the prickly environmental issues facing today's elected officials.
On hand were state Reps. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, and George Eskridge, R-Dover, along with their Democrat challengers, Sandpoint's Steve Elgar and Tom Hollingsworth of Bonner Ferry. Also in attendance were Democrat Bonner County Commissioner Todd Crossett and Democrat commission candidates Brian Orr and Jerry Pavia from Bonner and Boundary Counties, respectively.
The forum was presented by the Climate Change Action Network and featured an informal meet-and-greet with candidates and an introduction to the issues by the University of Idaho's Sue Traver and the Model Forest Policy Program's Dr. Nancy Gilliam.
After a primer on the issues, the candidates delved into a substantial question-and-answer segment that covered a host of topics concerning the environment.
While each had differing viewpoints on the best way to handle individual problems, every candidate acknowledged there was work to be done to reduce greenhouse gasses, adjust to an influx of new residents and conserve the natural resources that Idaho is so known for.
On a macro level, Eskridge talked about using tax incentives for industries and individuals who use alternative energies, such as biofuels, solar and wind power and woody biomass.
"These are things we're already doing in Idaho to jump ahead of the climate issue, and we're just getting started," Eskridge said.
The idea of enticing industry into using alternative energy was covered by nearly every candidate, but Elgar went further by arguing that he would support regulations requiring a certain percentage of energy used for state-operated functions be from alternative sources.
"As a legislator, I'd want to do some things that have more teeth than just making recommendations," Elgar said.
For his part, Anderson stressed the importance of educating the public on issues of climate change and sustainability.
"I will continue to look at efficiency and conservation efforts and get that information to the public to show them what that means for them," Anderson said.
Perhaps more than any of his counterparts, Hollingsworth suggested that our state and nation have gone far off track in areas of the environment and climate change.
"What would our planet be like if Vice President Al Gore had been elected? What would our planet be like if we would have signed on to the Kyoto Protocol," Hollingsworth asked, and later said, "We've been getting lip service on issue after issue after issue and study after study. Meanwhile, our water and air continue to deteriorate."
The questions - many of which were submitted by audience members - were direct and left little room for interpretation. Each candidate was asked what credence they give to the science that puts forth that climate change is a manmade phenomenon.
"The climate is changing, it's getting warmer right now," Elgar said. "Is it caused by man? I don't think that's been 100 percent proven, but I think it's been 97 percent proven."
The idea that human activity is at least tangentially tied to climate change was agreed upon by most of the candidates, but Eskridge said that should not be the focus of the issue.
"I don't want to get into the debate about who causes what," Eskridge said. "We just need to find a way to minimize it."