An Obscure Issue Four Years Ago, Climate Emerged as a Top Concern in New Hampshire

Bernie Sanders wasn't the only victor in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
celebrates after winning the New Hampshire
first-in-the-nation primary election on Tuesday night. 

Amid the over-the-top politicking that has come to define the first-in-the-nation primary, climate change rose from obscurity to a place among the top issues for Democratic voters. That marks a win for activists and several extraordinary campaigns in New Hampshire to elevate the recognition of climate as a crisis requiring political action.

With tidal flooding increasing on the coastline, and wildlife—including the iconic moose—visibly dwindling, New Hampshire has had ample opportunity to witness first-hand the impacts of climate change. But what has moved voters most of all, say many activists, is the risk they perceive in President Donald Trump's aggressive policy that puts fossil-fueled expansion above environmental protection.

Read the story from Inside Climate News by Marianne Lavelle - “An Obscure Issue Four Years Ago, Climate Emerged as a Top Concern in New Hampshire.”

The Tech Generation Goes to Wilderness Therapy

The sun sank lower as we pushed our way up the steep slabs toward the summit of Mount Chocorua, a prominent 3,500-foot peak in the Sandwich Range of New Hampshire. We had missed our time goal, but the other two guides and I felt confident that we could safely get our team of eight teens to the summit and then back to camp after dark.

A greater understanding of how we adapt to climate
change begins with a richer grasp of nature itself. 

As we pushed on, I noticed John (his name has been changed for privacy), an out-of-shape 13-year-old whose program-issued blue T-shirt was drenched in sweat, wearing a pained expression. With each step, his breathing became heavier, and his peers pulled farther ahead. At the trail junction, less than a half-mile from the summit, he collapsed under the weight of his 50-pound pack. “I can’t do this anymore,” he said. “I can’t do this.”

The rest of the team sat nearby, waiting to be given the OK to move forward. They continued chattering about their favorite video games, the latest trending memes, and how they wished their phones had not been taken away when they arrived here.

Read the story from Outside by Josh Laskin -“The Tech Generation Goes to Wilderness Therapy.”