Risk and Resilience: Governors Ritter and Whitman

July 15, 2013

Hurricane Sandy and the devastating Colorado fires of 2012 underscore the idea that climate disruption is amplifying natural disasters, if not causing them. Forest fires in Colorado have been “economically devastating for communities,” says former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. In the East, Superstorm Sandy and other extreme weather events have caused massive destruction and large bills for coastal communities. “Different states and different countries are going to adapt in different ways,” says Christine Todd Whitman, former Governor of New Jersey. Both former governors emphasized the importance of clean energy sources. There is an “economic development opportunity” in the green energy economy says Ritter. Nuclear energy, says Whitman, is an option that creates lots of jobs and no greenhouse gasses. A conversation with two former state chief executives on bridging the partisan divide and adapting to climate change.

Bill Ritter Jr., Former Governor of Colorado
Christine Todd Whitman, Former Governor of New Jersey; Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Greg Dalton, Host and Founder, Climate One

Recorded June 19, 2013

Tags: climate change, Energy Policy, Politics, resilience