The World is experiencing higher temperatures, a greater frequency of heavy precipitation events, and rising sea levels because of climate change. These conditions impact our economy, our environment, and our day-to-day lives. UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ has said that “the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win.” There remain forces in our society that impede the quest for a clean energy economy that will avoid the extreme impacts of global warming.
In 2005, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) found that each dollar from grants aimed at improving disaster resilience yielded $4 in savings. In 2019, after hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and the increasing frequency of other disasters, NIBS reported that for every dollar spent on federal grants, society saves $6. A study released last spring correlates escalating costs of billion-dollar disasters in the United States with rising temperatures and CO2 levels. It says these necessitate a disaster risk reduction strategy to reduce carbon emissions and provide for resiliency.
The first funding bill passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives under House Speaker Mike Johnson would slash programs aimed at helping state and local governments to adopt climate-friendly building codes and families to electrify their homes. This would not only increase recovery cost for climate-induced disasters, but also result in unacceptable harm to clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives that lower energy costs.
Climate emergency threatens New Jersey in many ways. Sea levels are increasing at a greater rate in New Jersey than other parts of the world. This imperils coastal infrastructure associated with the fishing industry (such as docks, roads, and processing plants) due to flooding risks. New Jersey has more Superfund sites facing climate threats—wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and sea level rise—than any other state. The power grid experiences weather-induced outages, and mass highways and mass transit corridors shut down due to flooding. High temperatures damage roadways and rail tracks and reduce the efficiency of power lines. In addition to crop damage due to drought and storms, climate impacts will increase irrigation costs, encourage root diseases, reduce yields for traditional crops, and promote invasives and weed growth. Commercial fishing patterns are already changing as ocean waters are warming and schools of fish move further north. Climate change also impinges on our health due to excessive heat-related disorders, the spread of tropical disease, and water contamination. It is no wonder that Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration is placing an emphasis on climate action.
It is ironic, however, to see oil interests actively choose to delay and even stop offshore wind development, claiming they are protecting whales in New Jersey, while they sue President Biden’s decision to scale back an oil and gas auction to reduce conflicts with the Rice’s whale habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. There is no evidence that offshore wind development is responsible for whale deaths along the NJ coast. Our NJ Chapter and other NJ environmental groups support NJ offshore wind development.