The Nature Conservancy Applauds Gov. Codey for Joining Historic Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to Combat Climate Change

Chester, New Jersey — The Nature Conservancy applauds the decision by Governor Codey that New Jersey has signed onto the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a historic multi-state agreement that takes great strides toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

“We congratulate the leadership of Gov. Codey for brokering this landmark deal with other states in the Northeast,” said Barbara Brummer, Ph.D., executive director, The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. “This is a tremendous first step that sets an important precedent for future climate change policies across the

New Jersey Star Ledger Opinion editorial about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
by Barbara Brummer, NJ State Director

United States and internationally.” RGGI sets an exemplary precedent to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants using a market-based system at little to no cost to electricity consumers. In fact, this new regional climate accord would improve energy efficiency and could save the typical residential customer about $50 per year, according to analysis sponsored by nine Northeast states.

The initiative will place caps on carbon dioxide emissions from electric generation facilities and allow trading of emission reductions allowances to meet those caps. By turning emission reductions into a marketable asset, RGGI creates incentives for companies to invest in emission reduction technologies and gives businesses the flexibility to meet emission reduction goals at the lowest costs.

“We look forward to working with Governor-elect Corzine to make this historic Northeast climate change program successful,” added Dr. Brummer. “Through this initiative, the Northeast will be leading our nation in taking a substantial leap forward to reduce global warming emissions.”

“This program will serve as a catalyst for additional regional and national action which is critical to minimizing the threats that climate change poses to the people, businesses and ecosystems in New Jersey and across the country,” said Dr. Brummer.

Over the past 50 years, The Nature Conservancy has invested billions of dollars in nature conservation in New Jersey and around the globe. But these investments, as well as those of the federal government and private land owners, are in jeopardy because of climate change. For example, The Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, which attracts 300,000 visitors annually, is expected to lose 12-100% of the land area of this refuge by 2100 according to a recent study done by Princeton University.

The population of New Jersey’s coastal counties is estimated to climb to more than 6 million by 2020, and property values, currently estimated at more than $100 billion, will likely rise along with the growth in population. Sea-level rise will make coastal development, infrastructure and residents more susceptible to inundation, erosion and flooding. An estimated 50,000 to 150,000 acres of New Jersey’s coastal areas will be lost due to inundation, and more than 100,000 acres are likely to experience coastal flooding during major storms. In addition, salt water could seep into Southern New Jersey’s primary underground water supply, jeopardizing the source on which over 200 communities rely for all or a portion of their drinking water.

The Delaware Bay is home to the second largest spring migration of shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere. More than 1 million birds visit the bay each spring. Sea-level rise associated with climate change is projected to destroy 20 to 70 percent of the intertidal shorebird habitat in Delaware Bay. This could devastate migratory shorebird populations, including several threatened species such as the red knot.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at nature.org.