Maxwell Saal
DemocraticQ1 What policies, if any, do you support or envision in managing land-based resources in New Hampshire (i.e. water, open-space preserves, parks)?
“New Hampshire got conservation right: voluntary easements keep land private but productive and open to the public. That said, we have been enabling sprawl because development where development should be easiest (eg. where infrastructure exists) is currently often too difficult, meaning subdivisions of forested land for housing progress a little more. I would support fully funding the Land and Water conservation fund, protecting sources of drinking water, and simplifying program paperwork so conservation programs can be participated in by more small landowners. Keep New Hampshire wild and beautiful.”
KEYWORDS: housing, water conservation, density
Q2 What policies and programs, if any, do you plan to implement regarding vaccines in the state of New Hampshire or throughout the US? What role, if any, does collaboration between scientists and policymakers have in this process?
“Vaccines are one of the most demonstrably effective public health tools of the last century. I don’t support mandates- you do what you like- but we have a century of demonstrated effectiveness and we need to be educating our friends and neighbors on the importance of vaccination. Scientists are terrible public communicators generally, and we need to collaborate with more effective messengers to get this point across. I also think it’s perfectly acceptable for businesses or public services to decline to serve those who don’t want to participate in community health via vaccination; freedom cuts both ways. And of course we should support wide availability at no or low cost.”
KEYWORDS: education, funding
Q3 New Hampshire is facing growing flood risk, reduced snowpack, and rising sea levels. What policies, if any, do you support in mitigating how natural disasters are affecting industries and life in New Hampshire?
“Climate change is here and accelerating, and we will no doubt see increasing natural disasters both in New Hampshire and across America. We should be investing heavily in preventative programs to support homeowners, businesses, and infrastructure to ensure they are protected against increasing flooding and rising sea levels. Climate change is also impacting our tourism and fisheries via reduced snow and changing fish populations. In sum, I support aggressive federal action to ensure our economy and country is as climate-change hardened as we can hope for.”
KEYWORDS: mitigation, investment
Q4 Advances in artificial intelligence and expansion of data centers are expected to affect industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, education, and transportation across the country. What policies, if any, do you plan to implement to address these potential impacts in New Hampshire?
“AI and its resultant infrastructure are here and accelerating. What we absolutely need to be doing is ensuring at the federal level that we are passing well informed policy that protects Americans from AI, both economically and in potentially more dire ways. I also think that data centers are being built to unacceptable environmental standards for no reason other than expediency; we should be demanding that data center construction be done to reasonably green standards and also build their own alternative energy infrastructure, predominantly solar, and not permitting the use of evaporative water cooling. I don’t support building data centers in New Hampshire.”
KEYWORDS: responsible, green
Q5 Electricity demand is increasing due to manufacturing, electrification, and data infrastructure. What role, if any, do you believe developing alternative energy sources should contribute to the country’s future energy mix? What plans, if any, do you have to develop these alternative energy sources in New Hampshire, and how might they affect job opportunities in the state (if at all)?
“It’s mind-boggling how poorly we have done in investing in green energy. Given the advancements of the technology and its modern efficiency, we should have solar and heat pumps on every home that wants them. We should be trying to phase out carbon-fueled electricity altogether. I support aggressive federal financing programs for businesses and homeowners that want to upgrade or build solar infrastructure. I also support the continued operation of the Seabrook nuclear plant and investments in research around small nuclear reactors- nuclear energy is demonstrably safe and considerably less damaging to the environment than fossil fuels, while also producing enormous quantities of energy. There is no reason in the modern world for electricity to be anything but abundant and cheap.”
KEYWORDS: abundance, federal financing