On climate change, inaction in New Jersey is the greatest danger | Opinion – NJ.com

By Tammy Murphy, Jane Cohen and Rob Asaro-Angelo

For anyone who did not personally experience or witness the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Ida, it is impossible to convey in words or images.

Seeing a 150-year-old house moved off its foundation in a photograph is jarring, but it does not convey just how far it slid. The mud piled high, people sorting through their belongings, neighbors offering comfort to one another; it is devastating to bear witness to these images. Even more devastating are the stories of those who died in their houses and in cars as they traveled through flooded roads to get home.

For a long time, many viewed climate change as an abstract problem, something for someone else to deal with in the distant future, but science tells us that the storms and flooding New Jersey experienced this summer were not a fluke. They are part of new patterns of extremes that climate scientists have told us will only worsen as our planet continues to warm. From New Jerseys own scientific report on climate change to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the warnings are clear and stark: fundamental changes must be made to drastically decrease emissions now.

Until recently, global progress has been dangerously slow as disinformation suggested addressing climate change would destroy industries and jobs. The truth is, serious climate action will create not destroy opportunities to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce and create family-sustaining jobs. Our urgency in reducing emissions will help us to develop an economic ecosystem that fosters generational investments and prioritizes environmental justice.

Changing the way we produce and consume energy and treat our natural capital will have big impacts on the world around us.

Governor Murphy understands that successful climate action requires a comprehensive, intentional and collaborative approach across all levels of government and economic sectors. As we seize this opportunity together, we are not just positioning New Jersey as a national leader of the climate action movement, but also creating a lasting green economy that works for all New Jerseyans.

To this end, the governor created the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, which is developing the long-term roadmap for building New Jerseys clean energy and green industries into powerful engines for job creation, economic growth, and equitable investments.

On September 9, we broke ground on the New Jersey Wind Port, a once-in-a-generation project that will create hundreds of jobs and attract billions of investment dollars to New Jersey. This transformative project is proof that climate action can drive investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, create good-paying, union jobs and help us reach our goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050.

The scope of Governor Murphys Energy Master Plan and overall climate action and investment strategy extend beyond the burgeoning offshore wind industry. Essential elements include making significant investments to double solar capacity, electrifying fleets of buses, vehicles, and port equipment all while reducing the disproportionate pollution burdens that affect New Jerseys underserved and environmental justice communities.

While we work to grow New Jerseys green economy, we are also preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow. Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, our New Jersey students will be the first and only in the nation to have climate change education incorporated across all K-12 learning standards. This means that when they graduate, they will be the leaders of this new economy equipped to face the real-life challenges of climate change.

Having three tornados touch down alongside torrential downpours, which led to the horrific loss of life and destruction of property and lifestyles going forward, New Jersey understands that climate change is a great and deadly danger to our way of life. However, the greatest danger that we face is our own inaction.

As the clean-up from Tropical Storm Ida continues in communities across the Garden State, families, friends, and neighbors have come together to support one another and rebuild. This spirit of community and service are the same values that must drive New Jerseys commitment to climate action. And, in many ways, we are taking the same approach all hands on deck, ready to make profound and transformational change to protect our environment and future while we build a green economy that lifts every New Jersey resident.

Other contributors to this column:

Joseph Fiordaliso, president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Tim Sullivan, the chief executive officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Tammy Murphy is New Jerseys First Lady and co-chair of New Jersey Council on the Green Economy. Jane Cohen is the executive director of New Jersey Council on the Green Economy and Rob Asaro-Angelo is the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.

Read more:

On climate change, inaction in New Jersey is the greatest danger | Opinion - NJ.com