Global Warming in New Jersey
Climate change could cost N.J. billions - 08/04/08
Climate change will wallop New Jersey by 2100, endangering lives and causing tens of billions of dollars in losses, according to a recent report issued by the University of Maryland.
The study, part of a project that looked at eight states, was prepared for the National Conference of State Legislators. It follows an international shift toward research on the economic consequence of climate change and adaptation policies rather than how to prevent the change.
"If there's a bottom line in this research, it's that delaying action carries a significant cost," said Matthias Ruth, director of the university's Center for Integrative Environmental Research and the study's author.
New Jersey's coast, including Atlantic City, will flood every one to two years, potentially endangering 60 percent of the state's population and threatening $106 billion in real estate.
"New Jersey will experience among the hardest hits" in the nation, said Ruth, whose organization also researched the economic effect of global warming on Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada and Ohio. Four more case studies are due out in the fall.
Ruth said he sympathized with area farmers who see some benefit to global warming. But he predicted that gains resulting from one decade of longer growing seasons would be offset by the end of the century by continually rising temperatures, pests and diseases.
Global Warming Will Affect Every Corner of New Jersey - 05/30/07
As the New Jersey Legislature considers passage of a ground-breaking bill to cap global warming pollution, Environment New Jersey released a new report today detailing the impact of global warming across the state. The report, "An Unfamiliar State: Local Impacts of Global Warming in New Jersey," shows how life in New Jersey could be irrevocably altered by rising seas, severe flooding, health-threatening temperatures and air pollution, pest infestation, species decline and challenges to critical public infrastructure.
"Without decisive action to cut global warming pollution, we face the prospect of a dramatically altered future that could completely change our way of life, and not for the better," said Suzanne Leta Liou, Global Warming and Clean Energy Advocate for Environment New Jersey. "The New Jersey Legislature has an opportunity of a lifetime to help solve this urgent problem by passing the Global Warming Response Act."
The Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114), introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Senator Barbara Buono, requires a mandatory reduction of the state's global warming pollution to below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below current levels by 2050.
The bill passed unanimously through the Assembly and Senate environment committees, and has garnered 49 Assembly co-sponsors and 17 Senate co-sponsors. Legislative leaders are now deciding whether or not to hold votes on the bill for final passage by the end of June, before the legislature breaks for the summer.
Jersey Shore Highly Vulnerable to Storms and Sea Level - 09/25/06
As Corzine Administration officials met quietly behind closed doors with insurance and finance industry leaders to discuss a statewide insurance fund to finance catastrophic shore storm risks, environmentalists called on the Governor to incorporate much needed coastal development and global warming policy reforms in any industry bailout package.
Numerous scientific studies and NJDEP Reports show that the over-developed NJ shore is increasingly vulnerable to hurricane and storm related wind, storm surge, and flooding damage. Those risks are magnified by the effects of global warming induced sea level rise.
NJ already is among the worst states in the nation for payouts on repeat claims under the federal flood insurance program. While risks are great and growing, DEP's own studies show that public awareness is low, and local and state disaster planning and emergency response capabilities are woefully inadequate.
Despite these significant risks, continued over-development, particularly in known high hazard areas along the shore, puts more people and property in harms way, greatly increasing not only risks to life and property. The probability is increasing for a catastrophic coastal storm event that would cause huge economic dislocation.
The multi-billion dollar scope of the problem and potential insurance liability has led insurance industry leaders to withdrawn from insurance markets in the tri-state region, and to seek a public bailout of insured liability.
