THOUGHT LEADERS: OPINION & COMMENTARY
Combating Climate Change is a Fight Worth Having By Rick Thigpen, Senior Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, PSEG
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ew Jersey is familiar with being on the front lines of environmental challenges. It’s no coincidence that we were one of the first states to create a cabinet-level Department of Environmental Protection. We are also the state that gave birth to the federal Superfund law, drafted by then-U.S. Rep. Jim Florio to deal with the cleanup of hazardous substances released into the environment. Our newest challenge, and perhaps the toughest yet, is climate change. We’re growing increasingly familiar with the stronger, more extreme weather that is being caused by our planet’s changing climate. As noted by C2ES, Yale University and others, hurricanes will grow far more costly without action. As a coastal state with a highly-developed shoreline, New Jersey is extremely vulnerable to potential damages caused by rising sea levels. Rather than sit on our hands, we need to answer the call: reduce our carbon footprint or face the consequences. On behalf of our children, this is a fight worth having. Thankfully, in New Jersey, we already get nearly 40% of our electricity from a carbon-free source: nuclear energy. Nuclear provides more than 90% of the carbon-free power generated in New Jersey, making it a critical pillar in the state’s clean energy ambitions. 6
meadowlandsmedia.com
March 2021
