Assembly Democrats: 'Global Warming Response Act' Signed Into Law

'GLOBAL WARMING RESPONSE ACT' SIGNED INTO LAW

Law Places NJ at Forefront of National Fight to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

(EAST RUTHERFORD) - Legislation Assembly members Linda Stender, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Reed Gusciora, Linda R. Greenstein, and John F. McKeon sponsored to help curb the effects of global warming by establishing an aggressive statewide greenhouse gas reduction plan over the next half century was signed into law today by Governor Jon S. Corzine.

The new environmental protection law - "The Global Warming Response Act" - establishes the country's toughest emission standards and places New Jersey at the forefront of efforts to halt global warming.

The measure (A-3301) was signed at Giants Stadium, which will serve as one of eight venues worldwide for Saturday's massive "Live Earth" concert aimed at raising awareness of global warming.  To underscore the importance of the new state law, former Vice President Al Gore -- author of the best-selling book, An Inconvenient Truth, which subsequently was turned into an Academy Award-nominated documentary film -- participated in the bill-signing ceremony.

"Our state and country have come to a critical juncture on global warming," said Stender (D-Union), a leading legislative advocate for combating global warming.  "Today we can proudly say that we in New Jersey choose to take action to fight global warming now rather than face the consequences later."

Global warming is defined as an increase in global temperature with the potential to cause catastrophic changes to the Earth's ecology and environment.  Scientists are increasingly finding links between global warming and a build up of manmade "greenhouse gases" - like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, created from burning fossil fuels - in Earth's atmosphere.

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded with at least 90 percent certainty that human emissions of greenhouse gasses are warming the planet's surface at an accelerated rate.

The new law requires the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the state to be rolled back to at least 1990 levels by the year 2020.  It further requires greenhouse gas emissions not to exceed 80 percent of 2006 emission levels by 2050.

These statutory limits mirror requirements set forth by Governor Corzine through Executive Order No. 54, which calls for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and further reductions of emissions to 80 percent of 2006 levels by 2050.

To accomplish these goals, the law authorizes the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct an inventory of the current, 2006, and 1990 statewide greenhouse gas emissions within one year of the law's enactment.  The law further requires the DEP to establish a greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and reporting program by 2009.

Under the new law, the DEP is required to prepare a report by June 30, 2008, recommending necessary measures to successfully reach the 2020 limit.  A similar report focusing on ways to reach the 2050 limit is required no later than June 30, 2010.

The DEP is to set reduction standards for emissions from commercial sources and collect data on the industries that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions.

The measure mandates the inventorying and capping of six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, as well as hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) and polyflurochemicals (PFCs) -- products commonly found in household cleaners, water-repellant sprays, insulation, air conditioning, and even inhalers.

"This law will save New Jersey families and businesses billions of dollars by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing investment in strategies and businesses that develop cleaner energy technologies," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).

"In light of mounting evidence that global warming is accelerating, we need to ramp up all efforts to curtail rising levels of carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases," said Greenstein (D-Middlesex).

"New Jersey has a unique opportunity to be a crusading force in curbing global warming and promoting new technologies and strategies to counteract greenhouse gas emissions," said Gusicora (D-Mercer).

"This is a vital step in protecting our state's environmental resources and the health of New Jerseyans," said McKeon (D-Essex), chairman of the Assembly Environmental and Solid Waste Committee.  "New Jersey's aggressive protection of its resources will help set a national precedent for states fighting global warming."

The sponsors noted the United States failed to become a partner to the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations' universal plan to reduce industrial emissions by 25 percent to 1990 levels.  They said that by enacting this measure, New Jersey - unlike the Bush administration - would become more than just a symbolic partner to the global pact to reduce greenhouse emissions and global warming.

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