New Jersey enacts a new anti-global warming law

[jpak]

http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/07/07/news/news07070712.txt

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - New Jersey became the third state in the nation to enact a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction law Friday, requiring the Garden State to significantly cut emissions of global-warming gases. Al Gore, the former vice president turned environmental activist, was on hand as Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed the “Global Warming Response Act” into law. California and Hawaii have adopted similar laws, and eight other states are considering them.

Passage of these laws can “inspire hope and build the enthusiasm necessary to get this crisis solved,” Gore told an enthusiastic crowd of lawmakers and environmentalists who witnessed the signing at the Meadowlands sports complex. “It's great to be able to tell 'em in every country that ... state governments are beginning to take the lead, cities are beginning to take the lead, and citizens of this country are beginning to take the lead.”

The legislation requires the state to reduce global warming gases to 1990 levels by 2020, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050. New Jersey is the first state to set global warming targets so far into the future, environmentalists said, and the first to require that energy imports adhere to New Jersey's standards.
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Corzine admonished the Bush administration for lagging behind on global warming, but praised the actions of state governments. He said, “The states are making a difference; New Jersey is making a difference.”

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[NNadir]

1. By 2050? Couldn't we be a little less hasty here in New Jersey?

Whattya think, will it affect Governor Corzine's political fortunes if it doesn't happen?

Whatever happened to the law passed in California that 10% of the vehicles sold in California would have to be zero emission vehicles by 2000?

Did they shut down the automotive industry.

By 2050 the barrier islands off the coast of New Jersey will likely be submerged and nobody will check with Governor Corzine on the subject. If he lives, he'll be 102 years old.

Hopefully I'll be long dead by that time.

It's real depressing that we've started in with this California type political bullshit here.

But I've been meaning to ask you, how's Governor Hydrogen Hummer's brazillion solar roofs bill doing? You reported that he fixed it after it decimated solar roof sales. When can we see the first exajoule of electricity from the brazillion solar roofs?

[ramapo]

3. A bullshit bill to go with a bullshit concert

Hate to be cynical but 43 years is at least 33 years too late. NJ requires a rollback to an already too high point just 17 years in the past but allows 2.5x longer to accomplish this goal. What a sorry joke.

It is almost as bad as tens of thousands of "concerned environmentalists" driving their SUVs to Giants Stadium. I don't have a problem with the concept of raising awareness through popular culture but how about raising awareness of the fact that these problems cannot be addressed without significant changes in how our society functions.

To that end, I would've been impressed if the concert was held but everybody was required to arrive by mass transit. Yes it would've been a huge logistical challenge, possibly impractical, but it would've demonstrated the absurd dysfunction of our local transit infrastructure.

Addressing climate change is relatively simple. We need to reduce coal emissions to an absolute minimum. We need to significantly reduce the use of carbon-based fuels in our transportation infrastructure while increasing its overall efficiency. Restoration and construction of mass transit systems in every town and city with significant density should be undertaken with all haste. We need to reduce overall energy consumption through efficiency and lifestyle changes.

In doing the above, the United States could become a world leader and, I believe (or is it fantasize?) generate an economic boom.

Passing feel-good meaningless bills and holding feel-good concerts trivializes the situation.

[razzleberry]

2. the problem could be solved today, for next to nothing in cost

by utilizing phoney carbon offsets

Why suffer?

the IPCC reports that carbon offsets can sell for
as little as ten cents a ton.