One of the things I learned when I was a Boy Scout was to always leave your campsite better than you found it. Clean up any trash and don’t disturb the area more than necessary for pitching your tent and building a fire for cooking and staying warm. It might also mean leaving some chopped firewood for the next camper. That concept has remained with me, and I’m reminded of it whenever I’m encouraged to “reduce, reuse and recycle.” What a great lesson and advice for all of us to help celebrate this year’s Earth Day on April 22.
Premature electrification: Will we really have the power to last?
I admire the governor’s confidence that our utility companies and infrastructure will be ready to satisfy this new desire for electric power. However, it is unclear if New Jerseyans will be clamoring for more electricity. Most New Jerseyans can neither afford the price of an electric vehicle nor the additional costs of electric appliances, nor the utility itself. Nevertheless, I applaud the governor for prioritizing the need to combat climate change through an accelerated target of 100 percent clean energy by 2035, ambitious goal-setting for electrification of the state’s building sector with an additional 400,000 residential and 20,000 commercial units by 2030 and collaborative planning for the future of the state’s natural gas utilities.
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Vintage Jersey properties are ripe for repurposing
As one of America’s original 13 colonies, New Jersey has a rich and historic past. This includes former industrial properties or commerce centers in urban areas, more recently developed office parks in the suburbs and older office buildings — many of which largely stand empty — in central business districts. These vacant relics — together and individually — can be transformed into new, vibrant centers for live, work and play.
