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CONTACT: Anjuli Ramos, 267-399-6422, anjuli.ramos@sierraclub.org
Link to Video of Press Conference: https://fb.watch/fFCMYUXn7q/
NJ Sierra Club and More Than 160+ Advocacy Groups Pivot to Need For Stronger Pollution Standards to Protect Health, Tackle Climate Change
Pictured: Doug O’Malley, Anjuli Ramos-Busot, Elieen Murphy, Ed Potosnak, Jessica Mengistab
New Jerseyeans and advocacy organizations join “Solutions for Pollution” to increase the Biden administration’s ambition to cut climate pollution and protect communities
Hamilton, NJ — Building on landmark congressional climate, jobs, justice, and clean energy investments, hundreds of local and national advocacy groups are now pivoting to the need for the Biden administration to use all its available tools to set the strongest possible health, environment, and climate protections.
Today, leading local advocates, organized by NJ Sierra Club and NJ Audubon Society formally launched the Solutions for Pollution campaign in New Jersey to drive ambition within the Biden administration to set the strongest possible pollution protections across federal agencies to make good on the president’s promises to cut climate pollution by 50-52% and advance justice, and protect our health and environment.
The Solutions for Pollution campaign is a broad and diverse coalition of over 160 environmental, climate, public health, environmental justice, youth, and clean energy organizations organized by the Climate Action Campaign. On September 12th, the coalition sent a letter to President Biden calling for his administration to implement the approximately 20 federal protections included in the coalition’s Solutions for Pollution Action Plan that along with the Inflation Reduction Act would get us all the way to meeting the president’s climate commitments.
“I am so grateful to New Jersey’s environmental champions for their continued advocacy to make our air cleaner to breathe, clean drinking water more accessible, and our homes and communities safer from toxic hazards. New Jersey families deserve a healthy environment in which to raise their children, and the next generation deserves to inherit a planet protected from the worst of climate change," said Senator Cory Booker.
Anjuli Ramos-Busot | New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club
“The Biden administration just took historical action on signing into law the Inflation Reduction Act, a monumental achievement. Parallel to that and continuing with the momentum of Climate Action, the Biden Administration can enact strong solutions for pollution that will both cut climate pollution and protect our health,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ State Director for the Sierra Club. “The Solutions for Pollution Campaign engages hundreds of environmental, climate, public health, environmental justice, and clean energy organizations in NJ and across the nation to demand the Biden Administration to use its existing authority like the Clean Air Act to advance the strongest possible climate, public health, and toxic pollution protections possible. We need strong pollution standards to protect our health, our communities and our environment.”
“Thank you to NJ Audubon and the Sierra Club for taking on the monumental challenge that is pollution through the Solutions for Pollution initiative, and for having me be a part of kicking things off,” said Congressman Andy Kim. “I’m raising my boys here in New Jersey and I worry about the world we’re leaving them including the health of our environment and our climate. In order for us to pass a planet onto our kids and grandkids that can sustain them, we need initiatives like this one. I’m proud to be a part of protecting our environment and cleaning up our planet and will continue that work as long as I’m able to in Congress.”
Eileen Murphy | Vice President, Government Relations at NJ Audubon.
“We’ve all witnessed the recent increase in storms and flooding and the destruction to lives and property caused by climate change. We need bold action now because we can’t afford to suffer any longer. Using the 20 protections outlined in the Solutions for Pollution plan will help the Biden administration reach its ambitious goal to slash climate pollution in half by 2030 and transition to a clean energy economy,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey LCV. “The Solutions for Pollution campaign also challenges the Biden administration to address the shameful legacy of environmental racism by protecting the health of Black and brown communities and eliminating the historic air, water, and land pollution that causes an increase in asthma, heart attacks, and cancer. We need strong pollution standards that will protect everyone no matter their zip code.”
“As the environment Subcommittee Chair on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I use those two committee assignments to work incredibly hard to address pollution in my district. Unfortunately New Jerseyans are in the 74th percentile for being exposed to particulates coming out of tailpipes in our district. It increases asthma in 600,000 adults and 150,000 children. I’ve been holding hearings and putting forth legislation so we can address some of these issues related to climate change and pollutants in our atmosphere. I’ll tell you one of our biggest polluters is our armed forces. That is why I'm so proud of the work we’ve done in this year's National Defense Authorization Act to address some of those pollutants and move forward in a more green way in our military and I am going to continue to do that in next year’s National Defense Authorization Act,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. “Working hard for the people of New Jersey, especially for our children, so that we can have better health outcomes, decrease pollution in our state, and really make a better future for everyone is my key priority.”
"The impact of climate change has never been more real for New Jersey and the time for federal action to align with climate science is now. The Biden Administration has a historic opportunity to cement a legacy of environmental leadership by strengthening a set of 20 core power plant, industrial, transportation and marketplace regulations to reduce harmful air pollution and climate pollutants. As we prepare for Hurricane Sandy's anniversary, we know climate impacts will only intensify -- that's why we need to pursue real solutions to wean ourselves off of polluting fossil fuels," said Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey.
"The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act is an exciting and promising step in acknowledging the climate crisis and prioritizing public health. We now need the Biden Administration to continue and build on that momentum, working with all appropriate agencies to deliver on his campaign promise- a promise that science tells us is absolutely necessary- to cut climate pollution by 50% of 2005 levels by 2030. We need to keep people from becoming patients and we can do that through the Solutions for Pollution Campaign,” said Jessica Mengistab, BSN, RN Program Manager, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.
“To tackle the climate crisis, we have to implement concrete steps to cut harmful pollution like smog and soot. The Sierra Club and Climate Action Campaign Solutions for Pollution places tough standards on how powerplant and industrial sources, moves forward a strong plan to reduce vehicle pollution and demands climate transparency from large corporations. These actions will be pivotal in tackling the climate crisis and reaching our goal and cutting climate pollution in half by 2030. The Sierra Club’s Solution for Pollution is not only vital for protecting public health and advancing environmental justice, also to accelerate our transition to clean energy. I’ll continue to do everything I can to advocate for climate smart legislation as outlined in the Solution for Pollution Plan and to be your voice in Congress,” said Congressman Tom Malinowski.
The Solutions for Pollution campaign will focus on engaging the administration and mobilizing the public to ensure implementation of rigorous pollution limits on power plants and industrial sources, the strongest possible standards to reduce vehicle pollution, standards for more efficient appliances, limits on methane and HFCs, as well as more transparency for investors, shareholders, and others on climate risks to corporations, and more.
To learn more about the Solutions for Pollution campaign, visit https://www.actonclimate.com/solutions.
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