Global Tipping Points: Re-Establishing United States Global Climate Diplomacy

The World Affairs Council of NH and the

League of Conservation Voters present...

Global Tipping Points: Climate Wars

Re-Establishing United States Global Climate Diplomacy

Join the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire and the League of Conservation Voters for the final installment in our virtual Global Tipping Points speaker series this Fall! Our December edition will feature United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen, President Obama's chief climate negotiator and current Brookings nonresident senior fellow, Todd Stern, as well as President of the American Security Project, Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, as they discuss what they believe a strategy to combat climate change will look like under a new Biden administration and what the election's results mean for the world's climate future.

This discussion will be moderated by Rob Werner of LCV and WACNH Board Member Maura Sullivan.

Following the opening remarks, a moderated Question and Answer session will be held. All questions can be emailed to council@wacnh.org, posted in either of the YouTube or Facebook Live chats, or the messenger app on our website, so tune in here at wacnh.org and we hope to see you there!

When: Tuesday, December 8th at 5:30PM - 7:00 pm

Where: wacnh.org

This event was made possible by the generous support of:

About Jeanne Shaheen

The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator, New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen, has served in the Senate since 2009 and is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Select Committee on Ethics.

As top ranking woman of the Armed Services committee and the only woman on the Foreign Relations committee, Senator Shaheen advocates for a strong foreign policy that confronts our enemies, strengthens key alliances, and bolsters New Hampshire’s role in our national defense. Shaheen’s strong stance against Vladimir Putin’s aggression, led to her being sanctioned by the Kremlin and denied a visa to travel to Russia. Shaheen is a leader on protecting our democratic institutions from foreign intrusion, enhancing our cyber defenses, and working with our allies to improve trade and security cooperation. She has been a consistent advocate for the critical role the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Pease Air National Guard Base and New Hampshire's defense-related companies, serve in protecting our nation.

Shaheen recognizes the severity of the environmental and economic threat that climate change poses to New Hampshire and the world. She supports smart energy policies that will curb carbon pollution and preserve New Hampshire’s way of life. As a champion for energy efficiency, Shaheen created programs while Governor that saved New Hampshire families and businesses over $1 billion. In the Senate, Shaheen has worked across the aisle in Congress to pass national energy efficiency legislation which was signed into law by President Obama. Further, Shaheen has established a goal of more than 50 percent clean and carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Shaheen served as Governor of New Hampshire from 1997 to 2003. During her time in the statehouse, she helped create nearly 67,000 new jobs while keeping New Hampshire's tax burden the lowest in the country. With bipartisan support, she expanded public kindergarten to thousands of families and made higher education more affordable with a tax free college savings program.

Between her time as Governor and election to the U.S. Senate, Shaheen served as the Director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.

Shaheen was born in Saint Charles, Missouri. Her father worked his way up to a management position in a shoe factory and her mother worked as a secretary in their local church. After attending public schools, Shaheen received a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and a master's degree from the University of Mississippi. She and her husband, Bill, live in Madbury and have three daughters, Stefany, Stacey and Molly, and seven grandchildren.

About Todd Stern

Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution concentrating on climate change. Stern served from January 2009 until April 2016, as the special envoy for climate change at the Department of State. He was President Obama’s chief climate negotiator, leading the U.S. effort in negotiating the Paris Agreement and in all bilateral and multilateral climate negotiations in the seven years leading up to Paris. Stern also participated in the development of U.S. domestic climate and clean energy policy.

Stern is currently focused on writing about the climate negotiations during his time as special envoy as well as on writing, speaking, and advising about ongoing efforts on climate change at both the international and domestic levels.

Stern served under President Clinton in the White House from 1993 to 1999, mostly as assistant to the president and staff secretary. From 1997 to 1999, he coordinated the administration’s initiative on global climate change, acting as the senior White House negotiator at the Kyoto and Buenos Aires negotiations. From 1999 to 2001, Stern served as counselor to Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers, advising the secretary on the policy and politics of a broad range of economic and financial issues, and supervising Treasury’s anti-money laundering strategy. 

About Stephen Cheney

BGen Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret) is the President of the American Security Project (ASP).

He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and has over 30 years experience as a Marine.  His career included a wide variety of command and staff positions with the operating forces and the supporting establishment.  Gen. Cheney’s primary specialty was artillery, but he focused extensively on entry-level training, commanding at every echelon at both Marine Corps Recruit Depots, to include being the Commanding General at Parris Island.  He served several years in Japan and has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Asia.

Other selected highlights of Gen. Cheney’s military career include tours as Deputy Executive Secretary to Defense Secretaries Cheney and Aspin; ground plans officer for Drug Enforcement Policy in the Pentagon; liaison to the Congressional Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces; and Inspector General of the Marine Corps.

Following retirement from the Marines, Gen. Cheney became the Chief Operating Officer for Business Executives for National Security (BENS), in Washington, D.C., and most recently was President/CEO of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas.

Gen. Cheney is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the National War College, and the University of Southern California. He was a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, where he is a member. Additionally, he was also a member of the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board and the Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.

General Cheney has appeared on CNN, Fox, BBC, NPR, and Sky news, and many other stations worldwide discussing the national security implications of climate change and energy security.  His television and public appearances include being on a panel with Vice President Al Gore on his 24 hours of Reality program; on AMHQ at The Weather Channel with Sam Champion; and on stage for Climate Week in New York City with Prime Minister Tony Blair, Richard Branson, and Secretary of State John Kerry.  He has been quoted and had articles in Politico, Foreign Affairs, and The New York Times.  In 2015 he was recognized by The Weather Channel as a member of the Climate 25 for his leadership in identifying climate change as a national and global security issue.  He has spoken at the Chatham House in London, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and in over a dozen cities around the world on this topic.  His most recent testimony (2017) was on energy security, climate change, and cyber in front of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and the EPA.

Gen. Cheney has been on the Board of Directors for ASP since 2006, and served as ASP’s CEO from 2011-2019.