The Jersey Sierran: October - December 2023

 

 

View the full October - December 2023 issue here (pdf format) or see individual articles below. 

 

New Jersey Bag Ban: Is It Working?

By Allen Swanson • Communications Committee Co-Chair
In an 83-page report, the Plastics Advisory Council has charted progress of the law during its first eight months and concludes that New Jersey’s “Get Past Plastic” policy has been a success.

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Imagine—It Isn’t Hard to Do

By Karen Becker • Political Committee Chair
Each election cycle, the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club endorses candidates who we feel have taken the greatest steps in working toward a better, cleaner environment. 

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Sierra Club Candidate Endorsements for the November 7 General Election

Cleaning Up After Oil


By Tony Hagen 
An appropriate response to the toxicity of the Oil Age starts with awareness and continues with action.

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Building Community With Spanish Speakers

By Alicia Remus • Press Release Translator
While reading the newsletter of the Sierra Club’s NJ Chapter, I was very excited to find I could contribute at some level by supporting English-to-Spanish translation.

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We Need Much Stronger Ozone Standards

By Greg Gorman • Conservation Chair
Ozone pollution is accelerated by and contributes to climate change.

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Opinion: Wind Energy: Let’s Stick to the Facts

By Sia Satish • Youth Committee Member
Wind energy, an advantageous renewable energy source, could help prevent the extreme effects of climate change that are predicted to occur if greenhouse gas production is not significantly reduced.

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Opinion: Opposition to Offshore Wind Is Not Grassroots

By Judy Minot • Chapter Vice-Chair; Co-Chair, Fundraising Committee
Residents of the Jersey Shore are being led to believe that the opposition to offshore wind is a grassroots campaign started by concerned citizens. It isn’t.

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Sierra Club Redesign Emphasizes Chapter Support

By Joe Testa • NJ Chapter Delegate to the national Council of Club Leaders and CCL Chair
Executive Director Ben Jealous and his new executive team have devised an updated management structure that builds Sierra Club's grassroots, chapter-centered expertise and enthusiasm.

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Opinion: Hunters and Anglers Are Conservationists, Too!


By John Miraglia • Membership Chair, Raritan Valley Group
While the Sierra Club as an organization recognizes the contributions of hunters and anglers to the preservation of our environment, some hard feelings remain between these individuals and some in the environmental community.

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Can Passaic River Polluters Be Held to Account?

By Patricia Hilliard • Executive Committee Member
The Passaic River has been polluted for over 150 years. In the end, those who pay taxes will ultimately pay for the cleanup.

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State Incentives for EVs Fall Short

By Bill Beren • Transportation Committee Chair
Transportation Chair's message

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NJ Transit Grid Rationale and Pivot to Renewables

By Tim Sevener • Transportation Committee Member
The proposed NJ Transit microgrid could be a critical first step toward powering NJ Transit rail with renewable energy, which could also be extended to renewables-based electrification of other transit service areas.

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Tax Credits and Rebates for Energy Improvements!

By George Moffat
Everyone should closely check out the roughly $50 billion in clean-energy tax credits and rebates for homeowners that are part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that Congress passed last year.

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“Ask Sean” How to Electrify Your Home

By Steve Miller • Coordinator for Building Electrification Issues
Can the building electrification (BE) webinar adopt the best practices of a popular entertainment show, or compete with “This Old House” running 24 hours a day on Pluto TV?

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Take Full Advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act

By Pat Miller • Building Electrification Team
The May Building Electrification (BE) monthly webinar presented highlighted the benefits and provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

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NJ Students Advocate for More Climate Action

By Raghav Akula, Syona Gupta, Shirin Sood, Shriyaa Madineni, Winston Kim • Youth Committee
The memories and experiences we’ve gained from being a part of the NJ Chapter’s Youth Committee have shaped us into better students and activists.

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Backyard Bonanza: Native Species Return

By Joanne Pannone • Chair, Central Jersey Group
Native plants can be part of the solution to climate change devastation because they allow many types of wildlife to live amid dense urban development by providing valuable habitat.

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Thinking Cyclically at Mazza Recycling Services

By Jackie Greger • Communications and Outreach Coordinator
On July 27, the Gateway Group and other Chapter volunteers visited Mazza Recycling Services, a materials recovery facility in Tinton Falls.

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Sierra Club Mourns the Loss of Environmental Champion, Ed Lloyd

Ed Lloyd, a long-time environmental activist, attorney, and friend of the Sierra Club, died on August 5, 2023.

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NJ DEP Forecasts a Need for Waders

New Jersey’s flood mapping system was more than 20 years out of date, so the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has adopted new rules to account for current and future levels of precipitation in New Jersey.

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Wildfires Affect NJ Air

TRENTON REPORT
From June 6 to June 8, New Jersey recorded its worst air quality since 1980.

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NJ Settles with Solvay

TRENTON REPORT
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette announced on June 28 a proposed settlement with Solvay Specialty Polymers USA.

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Fighting the Regional Energy Access Pipeline

New Jersey has enough natural gas, but this isn’t stopping Williams Companies from insisting we need more.

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No Flip-Flopping on Climate Change Policy

In New Jersey in February, Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order calling for a faster transformation to 100% clean energy.

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2023 Election for NJ Chapter Officers and Groups

Balloting is now under way for the 2023 election of executive officers and group leaders for the NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club. All current members are invited to participate.

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Our Chapter Welcomes New Volunteers and a College Intern!

By Richard Isaac • Richard.Isaac@sierraclub.org

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