A Chatham County native, House Speaker Joe Hackney has served 14 terms in the North Carolina House. Speaker Hackney, a farmer and lawyer with a lifetime Environment North Carolina score of 100 percent, has been a steadfast champion for environmental protections throughout his time in office. He was elected speaker in 2007.

You said in your acceptance speech, “Let us not forget the natural wonder that is the Old North State.” What are some of your top priorities for protecting the environment this year?

I first ran for the North Carolina House in 1980 on an environmental platform and it’s still a central piece of what I do at the legislature. My early efforts focused on the Phosphate Ban, Sedimentation Act, Landfill Bans, and later, Clean Smokestacks.

More recently I have focused on what I refer to as “win, win, win issues,” which are those issues that are good for the environment, good for the pocketbook and good for creating jobs.

In this way I hope to engage the business community and all of North Carolina in environmentalism as a good business practice. Recycling is a key area here.

You created a new committee this year on Energy and Energy Efficiency. Why did you create this committee, and what issues do you expect it to take up in 2007?

This is the perfect place to showcase those “win, win, win issues.” With all the attention on global warming, rising costs of energy, and the tremendous growth in our state, we have a wonderful opportunity to practice environmental conservation.

It is my intention for this committee to develop more specific expertise on alternative sources of energy and conservation and then work hand-in-glove with our Public Utilities Committee and our Environment and Natural Resources Committee to make some real positive changes for North Carolina in the energy area.

You continue to serve as co-chair of the Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change. What do you see as the next steps for the Commission?

In its first year I think the Commission enjoyed getting up to speed on the issues, hearing from national and international experts, and learning about the talents of those who have invited to serve as commissioners — we have members with an incredible span of knowledge.

At the end of the first year we have focused on pursuing those legislative changes that are more easily achieved and less controversial, such as energy efficiency. We know that we have a huge task in educating the whole General Assembly on these issues so they can make informed decisions.

I expect to build on legislative successes and examine comprehensive and complicated matters such as greenhouse gas mitigation and carbon trading markets in the upcoming year.

Last year, the House worked to include a major increase in land conservation funding in its version of the budget. Do you have similar plans this year?

I am supportive of land conservation, and specifically Land for Tomorrow, and will recommend that the House address land conservation needs in any bond package we move forward.

I also will seek full funding of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and additional funding for infrastructure.