Dark money bill threatens future climate and environment advocacy, group says
News Article • 9/27/2019 • by Ed Potosnak at The Star-Ledger/NJ.com
...Over the past two years, the environmental movement’s strong advocacy in Trenton has led to important victories that will expand clean energy and wean our state off fossil fuels. Yet our future advocacy work is now threatened by a recently passed measure that gives cover to the shadowy corporate interests at the root of our climate crisis.
The law, passed by the legislature in June, was pitched as a way to address the problem of money in politics.
New legislation will help N.J. meet its aggressive clean energy goals
News Article • 7/25/2019 • by Ed Potosnak at NJ.com
...on May 23rd, 2019, something dramatic happened. The legislature doubled down on its commitment to a clean energy future, to healthy communities, to a decarbonized world. The Assembly passed – in strong bipartisan fashion – an update to the existing, economy-wide, Global Warming Response Act (GWRA) and sent it to the governor’s desk. This legislation proves timely as the federal government has ceded all leadership under the current administration, leaving it solely to states to demonstrate leadership – none more so than New Jersey.
Murphy OK’d ‘Rain Tax’ — Could it Fight Lake Hopatcong's Toxic Algae?
News Article • 7/8/2019 • by David Matthau at North Jersey 101.5
Several recent heavy rainstorms have made a bad situation worse at Lake Hopatcong, where a harmful algae bloom caused by stormwater runoff has prompted the state Department of Environmental Protection to ban swimming and most other water-related activity.
Henry Gajda, a public policy associate with the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, said what’s happening is not really surprising.
"The more rain that comes down in heavier doses, the more stormwater runoff there’s going to be," Gajda said.
Lake Hopatcong's toxic algae bloom renews fight over stormwater law derided as 'rain tax'
News Article • 7/8/2019 • by Scott Fallon at North Jersey Record
The severity of toxic algae blooms like the one affecting popular Lake Hopatcong could be minimized if more New Jersey towns impose fees on property owners to pay for upgrades that reduce runoff into lakes and rivers, environmentalists say.
"We have a lake closure due directly to stormwater and the failures over the years to deal with it," said Ed Potosnak, director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, who grew up water-skiing and fishing on Lake Hopatcong. "We now have a tool to really deal with it. We just need the political will to use it."
After flooding, Moorestown talks stormwater management
News Article • 6/30/2019 • by George Woolston at Burlington County Times
MOORESTOWN — One week after torrential rain flooded much of Burlington County, the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters hosted a meet and greet Tuesday with the mayor and deputy mayor to discuss one of the township’s more pervasive problems — stormwater management.
Around 30 residents attended the informal meeting at the Moorestown Community House, where officials answered questions and updated those in attendance on what the township has planned this year to address the problem.
New Law Simplifies How State Allocates Funds To Preserve Open Space
News Article • 6/28/2019 • by Tom Johnson at NJ Spotlight
Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a bipartisan bill that determines how the state will allocate constitutionally dedicated funds to preserve open space, farmland and historic structures.
The new law could result in less messy fights over how to dispense a big pot of corporate business tax revenues to fund a wide array of open space projects each year. This year, $155 million will be divvied up among state and local governments and nonprofit groups that annually vie for the money.
Legislature Needs to Live Up to Compromise and Fix Dark Money Bill Before Law Hurts Progressive Groups
News Article • 6/19/2019 • by Ed Potosnak, Marcia Marley and Saily Avelenda at Insider NJ
The New Jersey Legislature needs to act now to protect our state’s progressive advocates.
For the past several months, the Legislature and Governor Murphy have publicly debated measures aimed at tightening public disclosure requirements for organizations that fight for clean air and drinking water, civil liberties, racial justice and reproductive rights.
While shining a light on Trenton is a laudable goal, the bill that was signed into law by Governor Murphy has serious flaws that both violate the Constitution and threaten progressive advocates.
Edison’s great-grandson condemns lightbulb efficiency standard rollback
News Article • 6/12/2019
Barry Edison Sloane, Thomas Edison’s great-grandson, condemned the Trump administration’s rollback of lightbulb efficiency standards that reduce energy consumption and save consumers billions of dollars each year.
“Today, we stand together to call attention to a roll back of the federal lightning standard that could cost consumers billions, increase air pollution, and take us ten steps back in addressing the climate crisis,” said Ed Potosnak, executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. “Federal light bulb standards may seem like a small thing, but in fact they have enormous impacts on our wallets and our environment.”
Congressman Pallone And Edison’s Great-grandson Denounce Roll Back of Lightbulb Efficiency Standards
News Article • 6/7/2019
At a press conference held at the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Barry Edison Sloane, Thomas Edison’s great-grandson, condemned the Trump Administration’s rollback of lightbulb efficiency standards. They were joined by Ed Potosnak with the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.
"Clean Energy" Jobs in NJ Nears 55,000, with Hopes for More
News Article • 5/28/2019 • by Michael Symons at New Jersey 101.5
The number of "clean energy" jobs in New Jersey has been increasing steadily the last few years and advocates say could grow faster soon due to a law enacted a year ago Thursday.
To mark the anniversary of Gov. Phil Murphy signing a bill designed to promote the use of renewable energy sources and increase statewide energy efficiency, the nonpartisan business group E2 issued a report that finds there were 51,582 clean-energy jobs in New Jersey in 2017.
That was up from 49,936 in 2016, E2 said. A portion of the data for 2018 was released in March, indicating that the number of clean-energy jobs in New Jersey grew by around 2,800 last year, not including jobs related to clean vehicles and other small categories.