Sierra Club Stands with Pallone to Support Murphy

Today the New Jersey Sierra Club is standing alongside Congressman Pallone to support Ambassador Phil Murphy for Governor. The event is happening at the Pavilion at the Atlantic Highlands Marina at 1:00 pm on October 16^th, 2017.

“We proudly standing with Congressman Pallone today to support Phil Murphy because we felt he is the best candidate to deliver on protecting the environment and fighting climate change. While Governor Christie and Kim Guadagno have stalled New Jersey environmentally, we believe that Murphy will bring a new vigor and energy to the Statehouse while enacting important environmental initiatives. We are confident that Murphy will fight to protect our environment and protect us from the rollbacks of the Trump Administration. Phil Murphy cares about clean water and our environment. He will work to protect New Jersey from future storm events by promoting reducing greenhouse gasses and switching our state to a green economy,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The Christie/Guadagno Administration has been nothing but hot air when it comes to protecting New Jersey from the impacts of climate change. We believe that Phil Murphy will change that by implementing environmental and clean energy policies to make us a leader once again.”

Governor Christies has Closed the Office of Climate Change, ended DEP’s Coastal Program for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, and failed to use updated flood maps based on sea level rise. He rolled back the revised Energy Master Plan (EMP) to cut energy efficiency and renewable energy (30% to 22.5%) goals for New Jersey. Instead it calls for more fossil fuels and supports expanding natural gas infrastructure that supports fracking. The administration significantly subsidized gas fire power plants, while rolling back goals for solar and wind. He removed New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), costing our state $1.25 million in revenue and more than 1,800 jobs.

“While New Jersey has been impacted by climate change more than any other state in the nation, the Christie Administration has catered to special interests instead of working to protect us. He has prevented us from meeting future pollution reduction goals, closed the Office of Climate Change and removed us from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. We need to elect Phil Murphy because he will work to clean our air, protect our water and fight climate change. He wants to rejoin RGGI and work to fight against the impacts of climate change,” said Jeff Tittel. “We need a Governor that will stand up to Donald Trump, not someone who believes in rolling back environmental protections and promoting corporate subsidies at the expense of education and the environment. Phil Murphy will be the change we need from the Christie/Guadagno Administration.”

The effects that climate change could potentially have on New Jersey can be devastating from storm surges to flooding. The solution to mitigating these effects is investing in clean energy sources. Before Christie came in office, there were 11,000 solar jobs in the state, but now there are only 6,000. We used to do forty megawatts a month and now we’re doing eight. As a result, New Jersey has dropped from and 2nd to 8th in solar in the nation. As the solar market as changed, we need the BPU to address the changes in technology and improvements in solar.

“Kim Guadagno has stood alongside Governor Christie as we lost close to half our solar jobs and have not followed through on our potential for wind turbine technology. Phil Murphy will work to transition New Jersey to a green economy by promoting renewable energy over fossil fuels. Murphy supports making New Jersey a leader in wind and solar power once again. He supports a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050. He will help accomplish this by putting us back into RGGI and committing to 3500 megawatts of offshore wind. Phil Murphy’s goals for renewable energy and green jobs with help New Jersey’s environment and economy as well,” said Jeff Tittel.

Fracking in the Delaware River Basin would destroy tens of thousands of forests, open space, and wildlife habitat. At the same time it will pollute our waterways and threaten the drinking water for 17 million people. In 2010 the DRBC prohibited permitting for natural gas extraction projects in the Delaware River Basin while they study its potential impacts on water resources, a de-facto moratorium that does not allow permits to be issued until natural gas regulations are adopted. Since 2010, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and on-the-ground experience where fracking has wreaked havoc prove that fracking simply isn’t safe.

“While Governor Christie abstained from voting against fracking in the Basin and has continuously pushed for more pipelines across the state, Phil Murphy has come out against fracking in the Delaware Basin. He joined the Sierra Club as well as other environmental groups and citizens in calling on the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to make the fracking ban in the region permanent. Kim Guadagno has stayed behind Christie in his environmental assault while Phil Murphy vows to undo it” said Jeff Tittel.

New Jersey has serious problems with every aspect of water supply from quality, quantity, toxic chemicals, antiquated infrastructure, and more. Our water supply rivers are too low and dirty because DEP has failed to clean up our waterways. In the last 20 years six New Jersey reservoirs have closed because of pollution and thousands of wells have closed because contamination.

“Ambassador Murphy has been outspoken critic of Governor Christie’s failure to protect New Jersey’s drinking water. He has stated his plans to update aging water infrastructure and stopping the diversion of lead remediation funds. He is opposed to any fracking or dumping of fracking waste in New Jersey as well. Governor Christie has stacked many important Councils and Commission with people who represent the gas and oil industries. Murphy will protect the Highlands and Pinelands by appointing the right people to roles meant to protecting the environment,” said Jeff Tittel. “Christie’s WSMP is part of the Administration’s roll back of environmental protections and puts our water supply at risk. They say we have water on paper, but it isn’t coming out of our faucet.”

We have endorsed Ambassador Phil Murphy and his running-mate, Assemblywoman and former Speaker Sheila Oliver for the election this November. We believe that their Administration would work to protect New Jersey from future storm events by promoting reducing greenhouse gasses and switching our state to a green economy.

“Kim Guadagno used the red tape review to give Christie cover for his war on the environment. Christie was able to roll back protections on climate change, drinking water, flooding, and more while she was his silent partner. Their Administration has the worst record for the environment in our state’s history. Murphy cares about the environment and the people of New Jersey. He will oppose offshore drilling, unnecessary pipelines, and fossil fuel expansion. Not only will Murphy stop Christie’s rollbacks on air and water protections, but he will move forward with stronger environmental protections. He will also work to constitutionally dedicate environmental settlement funds and promote jobs in clean energy fields such as wind and solar. He has also come out against some of the pipelines proposals threatening New Jersey such as PennEast and Pilgrim,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We are proud to stand by Phil Murphy and his goals to reverse the environmental damage of the Christie/Guadagno Administration.”