The above reference is just jealousy on my part for not being able to afford a $400 haircut like a certain former Senator can afford.

Former Senator John Edwards is from North Carolina and has, essentially, been running for President since the presidential election of 2004 ended. Edwards has visited New Hampshire more than any other Democrat, having made 24 separate trips, totaling 40 days. Obviously, that is one benefit of not currently holding public office.

Edwards was a one-term US Senator from North Carolina. His term ended in 2004, when he was the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and he decided not to run for re-election to the Senate. Edwards is married to his wildly popular (and outspoken!) wife, Elizabeth, and they have three children.

Back in February, Edwards came to my hometown and at a neighbor’s house party made the following statement to me in response to my question about making America energy independent, "Along with the war in Iraq and affordable healthcare, renewable energy and global warming are the three main issues of this campaign. We need to start making some real sacrifices to deal with that problem. We must end our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels. We need to greatly expand our use of clean energy."

Edwards was the first candidate in this race to have put a comprehensive energy and environmental plan on paper. While on the stump in New Hampshire, his energy mantra has been, "Our generation must be the one that says, we must halt global warming. Our generation must be the one that says "Yes" to renewable fuels and ends forever our dependence on foreign oil. And our generation must be the one that builds the new energy economy. It won’t be easy, but it is time to ask the American people to be patriotic about something other than war."

All of what he has been saying since Day One about energy independence and protecting our environment has been resonating with Democratic voters in the Granite State, who are focusing on these issues. Lets look deeper at what Edwards is proposing:

• Halt global warming by instituting a cap-and -trade system to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
• Create a new energy economy by investing in clean, renewable energy.
• Meet the demand for new electricity during the next decade by increasing energy efficiency methods, instead of producing more power.
• Cap greenhouse gases at levels that the latest climate science has determined to be necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. Edwards wants to reduce greenhouse pollution by 20 percent by 2020, and reduce it by 80 percent by 2050.
• Create a new Global Climate Change Treaty.
• Expand renewable energy. While it is socially desirable to use clean energy, it is also costly. Wind is already competitive with conventional sources in many markets. Solar could be competitive within three to eight years.
• Power companies should be required to generate 25 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.
• Coal is an important source of U.S. and global electricity, but it is responsible for more than 30 percent of America’s carbon dioxide emissions. America needs to invest $1 billion a year to research ways to burn coal cleanly and recycle its carbon underground permanently.
• We must reduce oil imports by 7.5 million barrels a day by 2025 to get us on the path toward energy independence.
• We must open up the electric grid to innovation, so Edwards proposes a $5,000 tax credit for homes and small businesses that invest in onsite generation of renewable energy like solar, wind, and geothermal power.
• Electricity use is projected to increase by 1.5 percent a year between 2008 and 2018, on average. He calls for a national goal of meeting this demand by getting more power out of the electricity we use now, instead of producing more electricity.
• He wants to reduce the U.S. government’s use of energy by 20 percent, and expand the government’s use of renewable sources.
• Edwards will create a Green Corps within AmeriCorps to create opportunities for them to help Americans with saving energy.

Edwards has an energy plan that has some good positions but there are some glaring omissions. Edwards’ new coal plants do not have to sequester greenhouse gas emissions, they just have to be compatible with plants that do. This means that the reality is a "new" Edwards’ coal plant could still emit 80% as much CO2 as one of the present coal plants, so where is the benefit?

While at Dartmouth in August, Edwards stated that when he is president, "we will avoid mistakes like liquid coal and nuclear power." But does that mean he would forbid new nuclear plants from being built? Does that mean he would relicense existing plants? What, exactly, does that mean?

The most recent American Research Group (ARG) New Hampshire poll showed Clinton at 41%; Obama is 2nd with 22%; Edwards is a distant 3rd at 10% with Richardson right on his heels at 8%. It seems like his campaign isn’t really gaining traction in New Hampshire.

Perhaps it’s just a bad hair day for John!

Next week…. Former Republican Governor Mitt Romney

SmartPower

Edwards for President

Image Credit: John Edwards in Nashua, NH - Flickr

American Research Group NH Presidential Poll

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Mike Garofalo’s Previous "Power to the People" Columns