By Steven Marcus

Gov. Phil Murphy has taken some important steps to set a new direction for New Jersey's environment and energy policy. Now, the state's public health community is watching closely to see how strong Murphy makes the state's emissions cap.

The consensus among scientists and scientific organizations is that climate change is a real, it's here now, and greenhouse gas emissions are a primary cause. The impacts of climate change manifest in various ways. It's not just infrastructure and coastal real estate at risk -- it's our health.

The United States Department of Agriculture now places the entire state of New Jersey in the same "planting zone" as Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Northern Texas. This change in plant life means that New Jerseyans are suffering a longer and more difficult allergy season. Discussions with colleagues who practice pediatrics and emergency medicine here in New Jersey reveal common wisdom; higher temperatures mean more people visit the emergency room.

My daughter is a pediatric oncologist. Together, we study the literature on pediatric cancers in ancient and prehistoric times. The research suggests that pediatric cancer did not exist prior to the industrial revolution and its accompanying pollution. A 2010 article in Nature stated that the "striking rarity of malignancies in ancient physical remains might indicate that cancer was rare in antiquity."

Today, the incidence of childhood cancers is increasing. A June report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked New Jersey as the third highest in childhood cancer rates (adjusted by age) in the country. There is mounting evidence that environmental pollution contributes to pediatric cancer. Decreasing air pollution could likewise decrease the incidence of some childhood cancers in New Jersey.

We know that climate change is due in large part to burning fuels that emit carbon pollution into the atmosphere. One of the most effective tools by which states have been able to lower carbon emissions is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI, the nation's first interstate, market-based effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants, has lowered emissions and protected public health.

A 2017 report by the consulting group Abt Associates analyzed RGGI's cumulative health effect from for each of the counties in New Jersey between 2009 and 2014. It found that lowering air pollution accounted for decreased rates of asthma, heart attacks, premature deaths and strokes. It also reduced tens of thousands of lost work days and thousands of cases of restricted activity days due to poor air quality. Further, experts estimate that these health improvements saved between $5 and $50 million in avoided medical costs.

But it's not enough for Murphy to simply rejoin the initiative. New Jersey must rejoin with a strong carbon emissions cap in order for RGGI to work. The Natural Resources Defense Council modeled the state's emissions projections under the newly adopted energy package, and calculated that the optimal CO2 emissions cap at 12 to 13 million tons in 2020. Environmental groups support Murphy setting this cap.

New Jersey must make every effort to meet a strong, ambitious emissions cap. The American Lung Association's most recent State of the Air report found that Newark is tied for 10th most polluted city, by ozone, in the United States, and Camden is tied for 12th most polluted city for year-round particle pollution. Eleven of New Jersey's 21 counties received an "F grade" on their air report for ozone. That's bad news for the 161,400 children and 575,000 adults in New Jersey who live with asthma, and the nearly 568,000 New Jerseyans with cardiovascular disease. These numbers bear out the ugly truth that New Jersey's poor communities disproportionately suffer the negative effects of pollution.

Setting a strong RGGI cap is one thing that Murphy can do to begin to correct these injustices.

Pollution costs us our health, and climate change could cost us our future. By setting the RGGI emissions cap at 12 or 13 million tons in 2020, Murphy can lock in a strong environmental policy for New Jersey. He should then take steps to ensure that RGGI revenue is directed to the communities most overburdened by pollution. Climate change is already making an impact.

So must Murphy.

Steven Marcus, M.D., is a professor emeritus in the Departments of Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Medical School. He is also a member of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Pediatricians' Role in Climate Change Issues, and the Council on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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