See All of New Jersey on the Long Trail
By Judy Minot • Our Chapter Correspondent in Dublin
Did you know that New Jersey has a hiking trail extending from the tip to the tail of the state? The NJ State Long Trail is a 383-mile-long route from High Point, New Jersey’s highest point, to Cape May Point at sea level.
A Summary of Trump’s Environmental Assault
By Tony Hagen • editor@newjersey.sierraclub.org
Amid the new administration’s assault on millions of federal workers and vital federal institutions, its attack on the environment, although major, could easily become lost to view. Below is a short overview of the Trump administration’s executive orders and memoranda that undermine pro-environmental policy.
Trump Actions Hobble EV Movement in New Jersey
By Bill Beren • Transportation Committee Chair
Given the sustained attacks by the Trump administration on the environmental and climate initiatives begun under President Biden, it is unclear where we will be at the end of March.
Our Environmental Justice Law Needs Broadening
By Gary Frederick • Environmental and Social Justice Committee Member
In September of 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy signed historic, first-in-the-nation legislation that required the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to consider the public health impacts on overburdened communities when reviewing the permit applications for eight types of facilities: gas-fired power plants and co-generation facilities, sludge processing facilities, garbage incinerators, solid waste facilities, scrap metal facilities, medical waste incinerators, landfills and recycling facilities.
A Brighter Future With Darker Skies
By John Kashwick • Hunterdon Warren
As the New Jersey Symphony transported audiences through the celestial sounds of Holst’s The Planets at concert halls this winter, a conversation was unfolding in the lobbies of these buildings—about the stars above us and the growing threat of light pollution.
The Outdoors Benefits Mental Health
By Sriman Arji, Saatvik Guduru, and Sahil Kulkarni • Youth Committee
A future that integrates nature into urban designs will create significant mental health benefits and potentially more resilient and peaceful societies.
Will AI Thwart Our Efforts to Stop Global Warming?
By George Moffatt • Jersey Shore Group Education Chair
What will happen as the continued growth of artificial intelligence (AI) requires more and more electrical power?
The Bald Eagle is Officially America’s National Bird
By Joanne Pannone • Lifetime Sierra Club Member
After 242 years of being part of the Great Seal of the United States, the bald eagle became our official national bird on December 24, 2024, when a bill that Congress had passed with unanimous support was signed into law by former President Joe Biden.
Consider Home-Based Solar and Battery Power
By Mike Winka and Betsy Longendorfer • Building Electrification Committee
Can you achieve savings by installing batteries as standalone systems or as complements to your solar panels? The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has proposed new rules that may provide the answers.
Avian Influenza Arrives in New Jersey
As bird flu cases widen across the United States, authorities in New Jersey are on alert.
Offshore Wind Report: Trouble for Turbines
By Denise Brush • Offshore Wind Committee Co-Chair
The 2.8 megawatt Atlantic Shores offshore wind project is in limbo following difficulties obtaining local approvals and Trump administration pushback.
Let’s Find That Pony!
By Tony Hagen • editor@newjersey.sierraclub.org
Lately, there has been a blizzard of the wrong stuff coming down the pipe from Washington, and it doesn’t take much to read the writing on the wall. Things are likely to get awfully bad, and that’s already the case for offshore wind.
Water, Water Everywhere, but Is It Safe to Drink?
By Patricia Hilliard • Hudson County Group Chair
New Jersey’s water supply is facing many threats. Many of the solutions are available to us, if we put pressure on our leaders to insist on potable water.
Sustainable Energy Needed for Data Center Buildout
By Greg Gorman • Conservation Committee Chair • ggorman@embargmail.com
Energy-hungry data centers, which house the equipment used for large-scale computing, storing, and networking, are supported by power subsystems (e.g., uninterruptible power supplies and backup generators), ventilation and cooling equipment, fire suppression systems, and building security systems.
The scale of the energy needed is such that data centers may contribute significantly to climate instability.
Join the Wildlife and Endangered Species Committee!
Important highlights of the Research & Activities from the Wildlife & Endangered Committee.
California Wildfires: A Warning of What’s Ahead
By Shreya Patel • Youth Committee
Early this year, devastating fires ravaged Los Angeles, leaving behind scorched landscapes, displaced communities, and shattered ecosystems. While the exact causes of these fires were many, their impacts are undeniable and serve as a sobering reminder of what the future could look like if we don’t address the growing threat of climate change.
Current Environmental Affairs
Qualified Charitable Distributions—Save the Planet, Save on Taxes
By Jim Andreano • Fundraising Committee Chair
The QCD is an IRS-approved mechanism available to an individual retirement account (IRA) owner, age 70 ½ or older, who is taking distributions. Such a person can direct their IRA trustee to make a distribution directly to a recognized 501(c)(3) charity. The charity that immediately comes to mind, of course, is Sierra Club Foundation, with the proceeds flowing to the NJ Chapter.