New Jersey Governor Corzine Signs Toughest U.S. Carbon Law: On eve of Live Earth

[DeepModem Mom]

New Jersey Governor Signs Toughest U.S. Carbon Law
By REUTERS
Published: July 6, 2007

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - New Jersey became on Friday the first U.S. state to mandate sharp greenhouse gas reductions by 2050 to help fight climate change.

The law, signed by Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, makes New Jersey the latest state to bypass the Bush administration by setting mandatory regulations to fight emissions of gases that scientists link to global warming.

"We want to send a message to Washington. Wake up, get with the program and start doing something about greenhouse gases," Corzine told reporters at Giants Stadium on the eve of former Vice President Al Gore's international Live Earth concerts.

The Global Warming Response Act mandates cuts of greenhouse gas emissions throughout New Jersey's economy by about 16 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 in the country's most densely populated state.

Scientists say heat-trapping emissions need to be cut by that much to prevent the worst effects of global warming including deadly storms, flooding and droughts.

U.S. states have taken action on their own and in regional groups because the federal government has not yet passed mandatory regulations on the emissions....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-climate-emissions-nj.html

[Cha]

1. Governor Corzine more than most

people must realize how precious life is and we must fight those who would see us polluted out of existence rather than give an inch on carbon reduction.

[Jersey Ginny]

2. Go Governor Corzine!!!!! Great news!!

I'm getting my solar panels soon and I can't wait to help lead by example in my town!

[Booster]

3. Way to go, Gov. Corzine. We even have Arnold out here in CA

listening. Maybe state by state we can take back the United States.

[flyarm]

4. yeah Corzine!!!!!!!!!!!! he's my man!!! wooo hooo!! eom

[SeattleGirl]

5. .....

"Live Earth", not Live Aid.

But that's really cool! Glad to see that, and I hope we see more and more states doing this.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. THANK YOU! And thank goodness I had time to edit.

Friday night vino.

[AlGore-08.com]

6. For those who don't know, Al Gore was there at the signing ceremony

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/8361017.html

NJ enacts long-reaching anti-global warming law

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.

"In order to inspire hope and build the enthusiasm necessary to get this crisis solved, 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," Gore told an enthusiastic crowd of lawmakers and environmentalists who witnessed the bill signing at the Meadowlands sports complex.

(more... )

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Thanks, Al! nt

[Kool Kitty]

9. Bless you, Jon!

:toast: And thanks, Al!:loveya:

[Pachamama]

10. Tougher than California and what CA has pledged and ole' Arnie has promised?

Haven't read the full article, but was surprised to see this (not that its not welcome news, its great!) but I was under the impression that my beautiful forward-thinking state of California had already done a major pledge and along with the million solar roof project launched last year by Schwarzenegger, that CA was leading the way.

Hey, if its even better than California, then lets get CA to step up even further...lets get all the states competing to out-do the other on preventing greenhouse emissions....especially those that are in the West or Middle of the country, since the Jetstream takes it all to the poor Eastern states...