opinion

Editorial: Murphy’s 180 on Christie’s energy polices

For eight years, New Jersey sat on the environmental sidelines, unable to show any leadership in promoting clean energy and combating climate change because its governor didn’t want to.

That’s changing rapidly under a new governor, however, with Phil Murphy already moving to reverse some of the environmental mistakes of his predecessor. New Jerseyans should be thankful, because Murphy’s efforts may one day help save a lot of homes and businesses, and a lot of lives.

Former Gov. Chris Christie wasn’t a climate change denier. But he also didn’t believe New Jersey should bother doing much of anything about it. Conservatives like Christie just don’t think it’s worth the cost to fight Mother Nature, regardless of how much human activity may be pushing global warming along. New Jersey, however, is headed back in the right direction. Murphy’s actions to date include:

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• On Tuesday, he appointed NY/NJ Baykeeper Debbie Mans as the second in command at the state Department of Environmental Protection. Her appointment as deputy commissioner is one of the top spots ever held in recent years by an environmental advocate

• Two weeks ago, he signed an executive order to restore the state to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multistate effort to reduce carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade program. Christie said years ago that RGGI was ineffective, but the program has endured, helping fund carbon-reducing programs with revenue generated by auctioning off carbon “allowances” to power companies. Murphy said Christie’s decision has cost New Jersey nearly $300 million, and he wants future funds to be primarily devoted to so-called “environmental justice” communities — lower-income urban areas suffering from pollution.

• He supported a ban on hydraulic fracturing — fracking — within the Delaware River Basin. Governors from neighboring states are on board as well, with the hope of protecting a water supply serving more than 15 million people among four states. Fracking — injecting a powerful mixture of water and chemicals into the ground — has helped to unlock vast new natural gas supplies, but the process comes with significant environmental risk. New Jersey's jumping into the fray can only help prospects for a ban.

• He removed the state from a lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. This one isn’t likely to have much impact; many other states continue to fight the plan’s goals of reducing carbon pollution by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, which critics — including Christie — have maintained will drive up costs and unduly control energy markets. But it’s a stand on principle.

This is just a start for Murphy. Christie was at best neglectful and often aggressively opposed to environmental causes, and the administration in Washington will do nothing for the environment under President Donald Trump. Some of Murphy's desire to undo Christie’s overall legacy may be misplaced, but on the environment there should be little doubt. After eight years on the bench, it’s time for New Jersey to get back in the game and fight.