Global Warming Response Act

The Global Warming Response Act

A3301/S2114, sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-22) and Senator Barbara Buono (D-18), requires mandatory limits on New Jersey’s global warming emissions from all sources. It is modeled off the California Global Warming Solutions Act, AB32 (Nunez/Pavley).

Specifically, the act requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to establish a greenhouse gas reduction program to reduce the global warming emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, produced in New Jersey to below 1990 levels (roughly 20 percent below current levels) by 2020.

Within a year of the act’s passage, the NJDEP is required to establish relevant global warming emissions inventories, prioritize sources for global warming emissions reductions and adopt rules and regulations to achieve reductions below 1990 levels by 2020.

On or before January 2008, the act requires the NJDEP to establish a global warming emissions monitoring and reduction program and establish a series of interim emissions reduction requirements targeting specific sources to achieve the reductions. The first global warming reduction requirement must be met by January 1, 2012, and the bill lays out that further reductions be phased in, year-by-year, from 2012 through 2020.

The act requires the NJDEP to identify, monitor and enforce projected and annual emissions from all sources, including emissions from electricity sources located outside of the state that import electricity for use in New Jersey, and to monitor emissions from all sources. According to the most recent data available, 52 percent of New Jersey’s global warming emissions comes from transportation, 16 percent is from in-state electricity generation, 13 percent is from direct use of fossil fuels in homes, 11 percent is from direct use of fossil fuels in industry and 8 percent is from direct use of fossil fuels in commercial business. New Jersey also produces emissions through consumption of electricity generated in other states.

The act requires that on or before January 1, 2009 and annually thereafter, the NJDEP must report back to the Governor and the legislature on current levels of global warming emissions and progress toward meeting the reduction requirements. By January 1, 2015, the NJDEP must evaluate the attainment or maintenance of the 2020 reduction requirement and adopt further regulations to attain or maintain the 2020 requirement or require further reductions beyond the requirement. If further reductions are required, the NJDEP must establish an additional global warming emissions reduction requirement by 2030 and a schedule to attain that level of reduction.

The Global Warming Response Act is ground-breaking legislation. If passed, New Jersey will be one of the first states to adopt mandatory limits on global warming emissions from all sources.

Environment New Jersey is urging all members of the New Jersey Assembly and Senate to co-sponsor A3301/S2114 without delay.
(www.environmentnewjersey.org)

This act came within a week of Governor John Corzine’s executive order on global warming. “Governor Corzine rose to the challenge today by establishing a firm, far-reaching, science-based commitment to reduce New Jersey’s global warming emissions.” (http://www.environmentnewjersey.org/news-releases/global-warming/global-warming-news/governor-corzine-issues-executive-order-on-global-warming) This shows that specific states are more willing to take action against global warming than our American government itself. These states include California, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Illinois, and North Carolina.
In my opinion the only word that comes to mind is “FINALLY’. It is about time that our government is taking action to save the earth for us and those that shall come after us. New Jersey is now a leader in the reduction of greenhouse gases, and if we were to rank the top “reducers”, New Jersey word come in at 32nd in the world

Zach Moylen