NJ Sierra Club
Protect America's Environment:
For Our Families, For Our Future
The Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter Welcomes You!
Current Issues
The New Jersey Chapter staff and volunteers are active on a number of important environmental issues. Here are a few of our current priorities:
Implementing the Global Warming Response Act
Global warming is one of the most important environmental issues our society as a whole faces. On a state level, in 2007 New Jersey passed the Global Warming Response Act, which sets goals for reducing greenhouse gas reductions to 1990 levels by 2020 and an 80% reduction from 2006 levels by 2050. However, implementing this act will require a change in the current environmental policy.
Some of the measures we are working towards in order to meet the goals outlined in the Global Warming Response Act include:
- Mandating green building requirements for all new structures and encouraging the retrofitting of existing buildings to increase efficiency
- Establishing green energy sources such as wind and solar so that we can move beyond carbon-emitting, coal-fired power
- Improving the cost and availability of public transportation and reducing the number of miles that people drive in their cars
- Opposing projects such as the PSE&G line expansion and the widening of the Turnpike that would threaten progress in emissions reductions
Funding Open Space
The NJ Sierra Club is working to secure a consistent revenue source to sustain the Green Acres program, which no longer has funds to purchase new land and will solely be used to meet debt service obligations. The Sierra Club supports a water user fee to establish a permanent source of funding for open space. In addition to working to secure permanent funding, the Sierra Club has fought consistently to ensure that urban areas get their fair share of funding.
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Benefits of open space include:
- Establishes much-needed valuable recreational areas
- Alleviates congestion and enhances the quality of life for residents
- Ensures that the most important pieces of land are preserved with development taking place in appropriate areas
- Brings vital jobs and value to communities through park development and historic preservation projects
Environmental Justice/Site Remediation
With more than 20,000 toxic sites in the state, virtually all New Jersey residents live within a mile or two of one.
- NJ Sierra Club supports the responsible and timely cleanup of these toxic sites, which pollute water sources and threaten communities.
- ppose privatizing the cleanup of thousands of toxic sites.
In that vein, low-income and urban communities are often exposed to a disproportionate level of pollution and environmental hazards. For example, diesel engine trucks traveling through the port system in Newark and Elizabeth emit high levels of particulate matter, which can increase the rates of cancer, asthma and heart disease.
- NJ Sierra Club is part of the Coalition for Healthy Ports, which is working to push the Port Authority toward solutions that would result in less pollution, cleaner air and healthier communities.
- We’ve also been working to clean up air pollution at the Marcal plant in Elmwood Park as well as at the Newark and Camden incinerators.
Protecting New Jersey Water Quality
The Pinelands and the Highlands are two of the state’s major water sources. The NJ Sierra club is constantly working to ensure that the Highlands Act and Pinelands Protection Act are upheld, therefore protecting water quality for all residents.
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- We initiated the effort to upgrade important water supply streams to Category One designations, which is DEP’s highest level of protection
- Because sewers lead to overdevelopment and impact water quality, we’ve worked to rollback sewer service areas in environmentally sensitive areas.
- We’ve fought for 300 foot buffers on high quality waters
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New Jersey Sierra Club, 145 West Hanover St., Trenton, NJ 08618, USA
Sierra Club is a registered trademark.
Questions and comments about this web site may be sent to:
George Newsome
For general questions about the club, contact the Membership Chair of your Local Group.
Page URL: http://NewJersey.SierraClub.org/Issues/index.asp
Page Last Modified 5/2/2009
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