We are in a climate emergency that is worsening with terrifying speed. The only solution is immediate efforts to rapidly and deeply reduce greenhouse gases. Yet New Jersey is barely moving to implement such a course of action in the short term and has no real plan to even meet its modest long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gases. That is why we filed our Petition last week to have Governor Murphy and the DEP live up to their legal, moral, and political commitments and accept the undeniable scientific necessity of adopting rules that set a 50% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target by 2030 from the 2005 level. Tell Governor Murphy to accept our petition and prevent a climate catastrophe!

We are experiencing a climate crisis as unprecedented heat waves, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes and floods inundate the globe. Wildfire smoke from out West combined with increased air pollution in our home state has already caused air quality alerts in New Jersey. Summer temperatures in the state don’t rival the misery elsewhere but we are experiencing repeated early heat waves and one of the rainiest Julys on record. According to a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report, NJ sunny day flooding has doubled in 20 years and is predicted to double again in the next 10 years. Climate impacts are happening more quickly than forecasted making 2030 the new 2050. Governor Murphy needs to act more aggressively now in order to prevent even worse impacts in the future.

Other states are moving ahead when it comes to climate action. Fourteen other states have established binding 2030 emissions reduction targets including New York, Maryland, California, Michigan, Oregon, Maine, North Carolina and Massachusetts, a commitment the Biden Administration has also made. As we continue to see, feel, and breathe the impacts of climate change, we cannot let NJ abdicate its commitments and responsibilities!