Political action must come faster

Younger generations will bear the brunt of the disastrous effects of climate change. From sea level rise to extreme heat and higher annual rainfall, Gen Z must face the consequences of the inaction of today’s decision-makers. The transition to renewable energy sources from fossil fuels is crucial in the fight against the climate crisis.

Offshore wind development is a clean energy source that gives New Jersey the opportunity to harness the power of our coastline to reduce emissions.

At a recent rally in Wildwood, former president – and now indicted in a New York criminal court – Donald Trump announced: “We’re going to make sure this ends on day one. I’ll put that in the executive order. This will end on day one.”

Trump and similar opponents of offshore wind fail to recognize the environmental damage that will inevitably wreak havoc on coastal communities and marine life in the decades to come unless we take immediate and decisive action against climate change.

Every day we do not take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we cause irreversible damage to the environment. Ocean temperatures around the world have been reaching record highs every day for more than a year, choking marine life and changing migration patterns.

In New Jersey, rising sea levels and a longer, more severe hurricane season are putting our coastal communities on the front lines against the effects of climate change. Not to mention, New Jersey is suffering from the highest warming rate in the nation, with average temperatures rising 4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900. As a result, average rainfall has reached record highs, putting New Jersey’s infrastructure at risk and creating additional financial burdens for municipalities exposed to coastal or inland flooding. If we are to have any chance of mitigating the ongoing impacts of climate change, our state must take proactive steps to modernize our energy infrastructure and achieve our goal of net zero carbon emissions.

As global temperatures rise, so do America’s fossil fuel subsidies. Every year, billions of dollars of taxpayer money are spent subsidizing oil, gas and even coal through tax breaks, direct payments, loans and low interest rates.

However, Trump announced to his Wildwood audience: “(Offshore wind) is the most expensive form of energy that exists.”

Make no mistake, clean energy is only as expensive as the federal government allows it to be. If the United States is to take the climate crisis seriously, fossil fuel subsidies must be reduced and transferred to renewable energy sectors such as offshore wind and solar. By investing at scale in renewable energies, we can improve the innovation process and make renewables more efficient and profitable, just as the innovations that made solar energy cheaper than oil and more recyclable wind turbines .

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New Jersey must also take immediate action to transition away from fossil fuels, starting with a pension fund for state employees.

Average global surface temperatures are rising, that is beyond dispute. While many of our policymakers are on the wrong side of 40 in terms of dissatisfaction with experiencing the full range of future climate impacts, it also means they will avoid responsibility for their inaction while their children and grandchildren are forced to endure frequent floods, unbearably hot days and loss of beaches.