For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
NJ State of State: Gov. Murphy Does not Deliver on Climate
Trenton: Yesterday afternoon, Governor Murphy delivered his sixth State of the State address at the NJ State House despite a major storm that will bring flooding, wind damage, power outages across the state. Despite the state emergency warning to those who watched at the statehouse and at home, Governor Murphy failed to mention preventative climate measures.
Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club, released the following statement:
“Governor Murphy’s state of the state address fell short when it came to environmental protections for New Jersey. Even under a state of emergency for another storm, Governor Murphy did not provide an effective response on how to deal with these increased climate impacts. We are seeing storms happening more frequently and with greater frequency. Yesterday, a big part of the state was either under a coastal flood warning or advisory. We need a long term response to not only deal with flooding, sea level rise and more, but to adapt.
“Governor Murphy briefly mentioned the climate crisis in reference to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to discover new solutions, but we have numerous tools already at our disposal that must be enacted swiftly to meet the urgency of this moment, like the Coastal Flood Protection Rule. 2023 was the hottest year on record, and New Jersey experienced climate events ranging from wildfires, to tornadoes and freak natural disasters, to increased inland and coastal flooding. On Monday, Murphy passionately expressed at a press conference that New Jerseyans “should not underestimate” the impact of the coming storm, but his state of the state remarks did not back up this claim.
“There are only two years left in Governor Murphy’s term with much needed work to be done. New Jersey must continue to push forward for 100% clean energy by 2035, making clean transportation accessible, fighting for environmental justice, clean air, water, and green space for all. Ambitious goals are the driving force of our work, however meaningless without deliverables or protective measures on our streets and in our communities.”
###
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.