Appendices: To Ramapo College Students’ Recommendations to the Next New Jersey Governor on Climate Change: Over 45 Years of My Own

 

–Cassandra

–Marcos Ribas Perez

Professor Matt Polsky

September 13, 2025

“You could pay me now or pay me later”

–Fram Oil Filters

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These Appendices are my own views, as opposed to my students in the body of the Report. These sections tend to be more opinionated, based on over four and a half decades trying to promote and accelerate thinking and change on this issue.

Appendix I looks at aspects of the Rutgers Forum my class did not address.

Appendix II shows my comments about eight other related forums by NJDEP and others: the New Jersey Green Buildings Association, New Jersey Economic Development Administration (NJEDA), New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), Rutgers Corporate Innovation Center. If needed, it can help provide a look from different angles at possible opportunities.

Appendix III is a reprint of an article from 2023, itself a compendium of earlier works, of ideas for NJDEP to consider. It offers  perspectives on how the agency, but really also other state agencies, students, and others, can approach this issue going into the future.

Appendix IV is a compendium of other articles and reports I have  been involved with over the decades. This is offered if even more ideas are needed to address climate change in the years ahead, for more explanation of earlier ideas, or in the event anyone is interested in history on this subject.

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Appendix I

Assessing The March Rutgers “Sustainable Innovation” Forum

My students were assigned one separate video each that were released from this Forum. Whereas, I attended it and saw most of it, and refreshed my memory by watching or rewatching all of the 6 hour-plus videos. These are my views.

As was evident, Rutgers did a very fine job in many ways. We are way past the “Plant some trees” era in New Jersey. They:

• Continue to show impressive leadership on climate change. They have come very far from when I remember they had only two people on it
• The early sessions set the baseline well for later ones
• All speakers were strong, a who’s who for the most part, and included the three best talks I’ve heard on politics and interconnections by Dr. Jessie Jenkins, environmental justice by Melissa Miles, and Helen Wiley on insurance innovations. Also, Dr. Bob Kopp, a scientist, spoke knowledgeably outside of his field; and Dr. Clint Andrews was eloquent about the historical big picture driving forces for how we got into this situation, and that how we make decisions is a factor in whether we can meet these challenges
• Several difficult subjects were discussed, never superficially
• Rutgers went further than I’ve ever seen them in soliciting stakeholder input on climate change, using some of the exactly right prompts (“What is needed in New Jersey?” and “What did we do wrong?”), while encouraging the audience to paste Post-it questions in the hallway
• They complied a “history” of climate change in New Jersey I’ve never seen before. It must have taken considerable work
• Education was mentioned at least three times to include an emotional component
• It was nice that at least two historical figures in the audience were recognized by panelists
• They at least somewhat recognized the trouble the State is in with the loss of federal support, with one heavily involved speaker admitting to emotional pain
• They drew a nice crowd
• Technically, everything seemed to work and the follow-up videos proved very useful.

There were several terrific quotes and points:

• From Senator Smith, “New Jersey will be a leader in a green economy”; We “don’t talk much about efficiency to bring demand down;” and “We’re in big trouble”. He also discussed the importance of his bill to require new data centers for AI to use renewable power to avoid making the pending electric rate increases even worse
• From Senator Zwicker: “…ensure that everyone has access to the green economy”
• From NJDEP Commissioner LaTourette, “We don’t pay the real costs of electricity….or water…or food. All of these things are subsidized for us”. Also, “bikeable cities is unrepresented in policy”
• From Bob Kopp, “Every pressing policy issue is touched by climate change;” We can “creatively leverage markets”; and We “need to know what to do with policy windows”
• From Jessie Jenkins, We “need a rethink…;” We “must fundamentally reform rate design;” and We “can’t continue to hide the true cost of electricity from consumers”
• Joshua Sax, from the Georgetown Climate Center, found a nice chord: “New Jersey is doing great things”. But “don’t let that lull you into a sense of complacency. We are nowhere close to doing what really needs to be done”
• From Rob Freudenberg, Regional Plan Association (RPA), We “need to save good ideas from this Administration so they don’t go away with the next Administration”
• From Nick Angarone, NJDEP, “The easy discussions are gone. We have to have the difficult discussions”
• Dale Bryk, Harvard University, linked dealing with climate change to “helping save democracy;” “No one has figured out the compliance [part] of scaling building electrification;” and “Put together economic development, particularly for affordable housing, and waste heat”
• Melissa Miles, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, asked a question that was far less simple than it appeared: “What is clean energy?” Her answer is that it does not exist without justice. “Clean energy really must be clean”. I had never seen equity put this way. She also said: We will “really need to think outside of current boxes, “with creativity;” and the current generation should “set the stage for the next generation…to do what we couldn’t”
• From Jennifer Sennick, Rutgers Green Building Institute, “Behavior is incredibly important,” which might seem obvious, but rarely is made explicit. She also talked about “market transformation”
• Further on transformation, which does not mean minor, limited changes, Kathleen Caviello, from NJEDA, is their “Chief Transformation Officer”. Caviello also discussed the HAX incubator in Newark that NJEDA has partnered with, saying “It is a linchpin that would marry the innovation economy with our clean energy goals in the State”. Three companies at this incubator are involved with climate change-related enterprises
• From Mark Warner, Gabel Associates, “New Jersey is relatively behind on storage policies and incentive programs”
• From Zoe Baldwin, RPA, we “need to think about how we’re thinking about this,” in the context of equity
• Helen Wiley, of Insurance for Good, discussed a number of innovations from insurance companies, as “new approaches are needed:” parametric insurance for disasters, which does not required a deductible or a claims period, kicks-in with a “predefined triggering mechanism,” and is being pioneered in New York City; micro-insurance, which would benefit from a regulatory framework in states; grants from insurance companies for fortified roofs to increase reliance, again being applied in other states; and FM Global, which sends representatives to communities to see how they can reduce risks from disasters. She also mentioned that Swiss Re Insurance is studying nature-based solutions to resilience
• Kathryn Zala, from the Georgetown Climate Center, said, regarding wind, “Be ready when the dynamics at the federal level are different”. In other words, keep developing wind where we can.

But that does not mean they hit every point. In the interest of avoiding redundancies, I omit both the points my class made in the Body of this document, and those I make elsewhere in this Appendix, unless there is something new to say.

The Forum missed, or could have done better:

• While there were a few of the state’s leading environmentalists in the audience (at least that I recognized), for the most part they were not on the agenda. Their foci, as I understand them from their emails, such as pipelines, road expansions, and expansion of gas generation, were not really mentioned. It was if the respective topics were in parallel universes
• There was no presence of Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation, that works with business on sustainability. They have had their own sessions on climate change, but the respective Rutgers Schools do not appear to know of each other
• There may have been no presence from Sustainable Jersey or the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS)
• Similarly, sustainable business was nearly totally lacking from discussion or consideration as an opportunity. It, and its concepts, are still not being seen as part of “the green economy”. There were two implicit mentions, the innovations by the insurance sector by the representative of “Insurance for Good;” and NJEDA has testimonials from small businesses that have used their EV incentives on their Instagram account
• Their historical record is not complete. For instance, the unique Office of Sustainable Business (OSB) New Jersey once had, before it was eliminated, was not shown. Nor did it come up at the Forum. The next generation, and even the one present when OSB existed, probably does not even know about that major innovation. The same for the “Sustainability Era” of the Governor Whitman years, including how NJDEP worked with business in other sustainably-oriented ways
• While “Sustaining” was in the title, sustainability as a framework, and some of its concepts, did not come up
• Stakeholder participation was still not adequate. (I haven’t received a follow-up from my Post-it entry to “Contact me”.) That also reflects on less-than-full curiosity. The “dialogue” in the Forum’s promotion was not really met. It was not clear how the information on everyone’s Post-its will be used
• Other key terms mentioned in the Forum promotion; e.g. “exploration” and “lessons from others” were only partially met
• With the exception of Dr. Jenkins-above from Princeton University, Rutgers still does not seem to know that other colleges in New Jersey are working on this issue
• There is ambiguity around whether it is necessary to “be political”
• There was also ambiguity around how much New Jersey has accomplished. The Forum kept surfacing at different times both significant accomplishments, with areas where other states have done certain programs better. Still, the awareness of what other states are innovating was higher than I have seen
• They acknowledged the need for big carbon reductions, and need for new approaches, but did not (in my view) adequately express how urgently we need them. While “Innovation” was in the forum title, they did not show awareness of just how they will be open to the non-business-as-usual, or encourage others to be (Not the Forum’s fault, but two speakers I spoke to privately did not return my subsequent messages, which had some sustainable business content. That was not the first time for them or their organizations. That is not the way to encourage deep innovation.)
• There was no Research Agenda
• There were a few mentions of biodiversity, ecosystems, or nature-based solutions, including its connection to climate change, but not many
• Sustainable biomass did not come up
• While green buildings had a panelist, LEED did not come up, even though the need for a buildings performance standard and net zero stretch goal for new buildings did (See Appendix II.)
• While we seem to be in a different era now in the near-general acceptance of nuclear, there were no caveats about avoiding the mistakes of the past
• PJM came up a lot, much more than I have seen before, which was welcome as it was made clear how relevant they are to the looming major increases in electric rates. But more definitions of terms would have helped
• Agriculture came up only in two mentions of agrivoltaics. There was also a missed lesson about if and how agrivoltaics overcame the conventional wisdom that farms are no place for photovoltaics other than just on buildings
• The demand side rarely came up, although rate design did and load shedding once. Efficiency also only came up a couple of times, but limited to the Award-below. Whether and how New Jersey could do much better with efficiency was not discussed. This is particularly important as it could help with the projected demand growth, which often did come up
• A few times speakers mentioned impressive accomplishments or how well New Jersey is doing, but (in my view) were too complacent; e.g. New Jersey getting an award for improved energy efficiency was mentioned twice. Humility is still usually called for, even when there has been an accomplishment. (There is still room for improvement in energy efficiency. See Appendix II.) Be more explicit that we do not fully know how to meet these challenges. Students need to know this
• It was ambiguous about whether renewables are or are not cheaper than fossil fuels. It may depend on how it is looked at. But this key point needs to be communicated
• There was only a couple of brief mentions of social science
• The term “Lever” was used in the title of a session, but was really just meant as a synonym for strategies, as opposed to relatively easy ways to try to achieve big results. (See my article in Appendix IV on “Levers”.) Possibly, though, some of what was discussed still qualifies as actual levers
• While the “History” of climate change in New Jersey was very welcome, it could have been framed as part of a larger story that we are all writing. That would be consistent with the subtitle of the Forum: “Past, Present and Future”
• While “How we think” came up a few times, in various ways, it was not grasped as a major obstacle to achieving our goals (See that same article.)
• The “Summary” talk included some items that were missed, but, still, many that were not.

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Appendix II

Assessing Eight Other Sustainability Forums in New Jersey

Here are comments on eight recent, for the most part, sustainability forums in New Jersey that focus on complementary areas to address climate change. They provide more ways, if needed—as very well might be the case.

The NJDEP Seminar “Natural Climate Solutions Round 1 Project Showcase“ Webinar

My Question and Suggestions Is there an overarching ambitious Vision for this Program? Possible creative elements of one: ·         Track ecosystem benefits (even in dollars) ·         What potential kinds of projects could quality beyond the ones today ·         Sequestration on farms in rural areas ·         Work with business (there are relevant non-profits that make this connection) ·         Link to eco-tourism, green jobs, research, and environmental education

• Any feeling that with the withdrawal of the federal government, the blow to planned wind power, that NJDEP must jack-things-up to try to make up for the loss of support?

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NJDEP Sustainability Speakers Series: “Small Business Resources”

Observations

NJDEP offers to write a Sustainability Plan for the small business

55 different actions by small business are possible

There is a connection with available incentives

NJDEP networks with similar offices in other states

The Business panelist had wonderful quotes:

• “[The program] can help with fostering innovation to prosper and become a green business in the State of New Jersey“
• They both reuse water and use byproducts as cattle feed
• “[They] looked at areas they otherwise wouldn’t have without NJDEP“ “NJDEP saw things we didn’t, as business doesn’t see everything”
• “[The Program[ provides new perspectives.” “It’s the first time I looked at it from a sustainability perspective”
• “[It] helped my personal growth”
• “While some companies view regulatory agencies as a…threat, this NJDEP Program is nothing but a partnership“
• “Sustainability is beyond efficiency“

Comments

This business partner is obviously very happy with this Program. The quotes are too good not to use as part of a vision for where this could go

This is beyond older roles of just helping small business better understand regulations

There was a limited mention that the Program benefits society

Environmental restoration is the closest it comes to biodiversity

Still stuck on “measurability”. See my articles, formulated if not written about this during my earlier years at NJDEP

No linkages to: environmental or societal conditions, and how the small business could help; politics or policy; advanced sustainable business concepts; the green economy; knowing what you do not know; going beyond providing a limited number of outside references

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NJDEP “Appliance Standards Stakeholder Meeting”

Involves establishing minimum efficiency standards for certain appliances, with labels.

Observations

Mentions as part of “economy-wide transformation”

Comments

Do not limit the frame to just “rule-making.” Be more ambitious, making it part of, and supportive of, the green economy

Incentivize going beyond “the minimum standard” in some way, such as a number or different label. You want a “race to the top,” not to settle

Relatedly, go beyond “widely achievable”

Consider taking advantage of third-party labels when available

Why not automatically switch to utilizing updates of versions of Energy Star when they come out (Note: no longer relevant with the demise of the latter. Unless it gets renewed under a future federal government.)

Use “New Jersey” on the label and/or graphics unless this is implemented regionally

Reference my Policy Paper on this subject over 30 years ago. Be aware there is a social science field for labeling

How will accuracy be ensured? Remember scandals like Volkswagen’s fake testing

Educationally, promote this label and how to use it. Aim to make it a part of the larger culture

Use social science to check whether the program is working and where it might need improvement

Stay up to date on progress with efficiency

Ensure that Jevons Paradox is not occurring which means efficiency backfires and causes more consumption. Do not fall prey to cognitive bias, in either direction, that presumes, automatically, either the Paradox always exists, or never does

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NJEDA “Green Workforce Grant Training Challenge”

Observations

Links to the Green Economy

Eligibility for “Support services like mentorship, eldercare, counseling”

Mentions green design, which is not limited to buildings; biodiversity

Mention “energy transition”

Comments

Start from premise that “All Jobs Need to be Green Jobs”

Consider unmet environmental challenges where help will be needed, even for job categories that do not exist yet

Expand the definition of “innovation ecosystem”

Why are four-year colleges not eligible?

Not everything has to be “tangible skills” or high growth

What about social entrepreneurs, artists, mediators, inventors, journalists

From time to time ask “What don’t we know?”

Connect to Rutgers Center for Corporate Innovation

Consider other ways green workers can contribute to their businesses and organizations, and include that in training

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NJEDA RGGI Stakeholder Funding Plan Initiative: “Green Bank, Clean Energy, Manufacturing & Industry, & Workforce & Technical Development”

Observations

Goal to help New Jersey’s business’ decarbonize

New Jersey can learn from other states’ experience with Green Banks

Emphasized need for stakeholder input; “We really want it”

Acknowledge unavailability of already-won funding from USEPA and have partially compensated for that

One acknowledgement of climate change, although did not emphasize it is driving anything

Recognize need new technology, eventually discussing research & development

Mentioned some very good and unusual things proposing, including floating solar, food waste diversion, battery recycling

Suggestions

Very Program-oriented language and presumedly thinking: measurements, history, processes, matrices

But missing out-of-the-box possibilities, a culture that encourages  asking “What are we missing,” the expression of “innovation” that could still miss it. The next generation of State Government staff and management needs to know they could look at things differently. We are in a bind, and so need that

Nothing on agriculture

Two of 12 Strategic Innovation Centers (SICs) mention some climate change or clean energy, but not necessarily a priority. No sign the environment is integrated into everything else at either these or the other 10

NJIT is a partner in one of the SICs in Newark. When I tried to talk to NJIT’s own incubator about sustainability and social innovation some years ago, they were not interested. Or similarly saw environment in the same narrow, limited way. Yet years earlier, NJIT had a green design center. And had (and has) a Humanities Department in which sustainability and concepts, including green economy ideas and technology assessment, were taught

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New Jersey Board of Utilities Clean Energy Program “Energy Efficiency Stakeholders Meeting”

Some good points (e.g. the link with solar and now water, suggestions on how to go beyond the Audit findings, the enthusiasm of the speakers), but did not see some things, or other issues:

• At times, too jargony. If you do not know the field, you will miss some of the terms. I didn’t see the customer’s perspective, particularly the very new customer unfamiliar with the lay of the land and knowing who’s who (including the differences between the roles of NJBPU, TRC, and the utility). Suggest take the view of a new applicant. Follow them through the process, seeing where they might get stuck
• What I call “People” issues continue to be missed. These include  why did the LGEA application my Synagogue submitted several months ago just sit, without period notifications of status? I heard it takes an average of 7 months once everything is complete. I’m pretty sure my synagogue’s complete application has taken longer. It makes it difficult to maintain committee interest from the customer end (which can be hard enough) [Note: This was subsequently fixed in our case with a change of staff. But when I brought up the problems of energy audits at a subsequent NJBPU stakeholder meeting, a staffer disagreed that there are any problems with them.]
• No social science on how to influence peoples’ behavior to be interested/receptive to energy efficiency. Do we know what percentage of people show initial interest and then don’t go further; and why? What is social science discovering about this field?
• No big picture on the importance of the State’s energy efficiency goal and how we’re doing in achieving it
• No showing of technical innovations and thought on how to ramp up energy efficiency to potentially new stretch goals. For instance, see this article in yesterday’s Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/realestate/sustainable-home-renovation-brooklyn.html. Does NJ BPU follow this field?
• No link to NJDEP’s Product Labeling and Sustainable Business Initiatives, the very new Social Cost of Carbon announcement for all State Agencies (https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/09/nj-murphy-administration-wont-back-down-clean-energy-goals/), or Sustainable Jersey

Murphy stays on course with clean-energy goals | NJ Spotlight News DEP reaffirms aim to slash global warming emissions by shifting NJ to electric vehicles and virtually phasing out natural gas for heating. www.njspotlightnews.org

• Did you ever see my last formal comments to the NJBPU from 2019? http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/09/17/comments-to-the-new-jersey-board-of-public-utilities-njbpu-on-their-2019-draft-energy-master-plan-emp/. I stopped doing these, after three or four iterations over the years, because I saw no evidence that they ever went anywhere.

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New Jersey Green Buildings Council “Building Transformation Forum: Building The Circular Economy in New Jersey”

Observations

The use of “circular economy” (CE) has expanded beyond reuse to include: unsustainable consumption, refillables, renewable energy, comprehensive life cycle planning, adaptive reuse, a clean supply chain, clean production, purchasing, policy, and environmental justice. There was a time when CE was much more limited. Therefore, what CE is can be ambiguous unless clarified

With the issuance of LEED 5, the GBC has expanded its scope beyond just buildings towards waste management of buildings materials, but possibly more than that. LEED 5 includes a requirement for zero waste

The issues they are discussing are more challenging than in the past. This field has evolved

They have ambitious zero waste and carbon reduction goals

“Materials Transformation” is now being discussed

New York seems to be ahead of New Jersey with certification of CE

There are bills in the New Jersey Legislature about aspects of CE, such as a fee on paint

Noteworthy quotes:

“How can policy drive sustainability and CE?”

“Recycling hasn’t done what it needed to do. We need to go beyond recycling”

“We need mandates for increased recycled context and an ecofee”

“Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can drive CE”

“Government procurement could be an important enabler”

“We need more sustainability standards”

“Customers should ask for more sustainable solutions“

“There is an opportunity for business to change the conversation”

“We must source separate at construction sites”

“New needs can transform product development”

“Corporate policy could be helpful as purchasers of green buildings products“

My Comments To Them

Their bailiwick should include problematic chemicals and what is happening outside of the building

They don’t have the luxury of “being non-political” given that the federal government is cancelling Energy-Smart, a program important to them

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The Rutgers University Corporate Social Innovation “Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)” Forum

Observations

Certainly everything was competently done, all the speakers were professional and informative. Getting a sense of how practitioners see things and the constraints they feel they are under is always good to know. The technology worked. Things flowed. I’m glad you included a section on science. In those senses, it was a successful event.

Suggestions

But, you know, I’m going to look at things differently. And I have always had higher hopes for this field. So I have my own criteria.

1. Recognition of how bad things currently are for ESG and not putting too hopeful a perspective on it? I was really worried on this one based on the forum’s promo. Mostly, you avoided this rose-colored perspective
2. The “avoid politics” dilemma? It’s not so much there’s a right answer to this one, but it was interesting how one speaker explicitly didn’t want to get into it, but the forum showed there is really no way to avoid it. The “Elephant in the Living Room” is growing into the rest of the house
3. Even pre-Trump, why is the field in this shape? Did we do something wrong all these years? Did we miss something? While the answer was OK, there must be more there. How can we re-build without it?
4. Was there a strategy for moving forward? I only heard one helpful suggestion. Muddle though is not much to go with. We need alternatives. For instance, why not try to activate support among Democratic Governors and environmental groups. They have ignored the opportunities in the past. But what else have you got?
5. Apart from ESG, getting a sense of the state of development of sustainable business? Successful, but have to say I am disappointed in its development. My comments were the same as what I would have said years ago. Only one brief mention of biodiversity, one of my continuing litmus tests. The field still is confining itself into an old box, not showing a lot of boldness (as if the Ray Andersons never existed), with no vision of a future of what it could conceivably grow into. It was more hopeful to hear of The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It would be good to hear more about it and how it might withstand pressure from our federal government.
6. Given where things are, why should students want to go into this field?

This question needs a better answer.

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Appendix III

A Reprint of “Where New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Stakeholders Could Take Their Climate Change Efforts: 30 Suggestions for Continual State Leadership.”

Medium

November 30, 2023

Matt Polsky

A Global Report Card, the economist

 The State of New Jersey and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) have come a very long way on climate change from the late 1980’s when a colleague and I, eventually the Sustainability Team Leader inside the Department, had to instigate to create any interest at all in it, as hard to believe as that might sound. And then stoke the embers to keep things moving forward after fallbacks of government interest.

The response we got to our earliest effort, from an Assistant Commissioner, was “Not our issue.” NJDEP was not the only non-interested State Agency. Counting on pressure from the outside, which internal change-makers sometimes do, was also, perhaps surprisingly, almost non-existent, as even environmental groups weren’t interested at that time.

But things have changed with the current Administration pursuing progressive goals and policies, including prioritizing this issue. They “get” the threat but are still hampered by a somewhat similar lack of reflection about “What do we not know about what we don’t know?” And “What assumptions are holding us back?”

Now the Department is asking for input about their August, 2023 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Work Plan to guide their climate change efforts going forward. This seems like a good opportunity to tell them, and their stakeholders, about some possibilities, even if what is offered goes beyond the objectives for public input that NJDEP seeks at this time on the Work Plan.

We’re going to have to increase our tool kit, level of ambition, and creativity, even more if the carbon reduction goals need to be sped up, which I suspect is likely.

The decades-long back-&-forth provides perspective for future efforts, from a Governor Kean-era Executive Order for state agencies — only, to look at their carbon emissions; a Governor Florio-era receipt of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to inventory the State’s carbon emissions; Governor Whitman-era Internal and External Work Groups to develop sector-based voluntary agreements to reduce carbon emissions by the then-revolutionary goal of 3½% below 1990 levels, and move the State towards sustainability, including a pioneering Office of Sustainable Business, later killed by Governor DiFrancesco; the Governor Corzine-era Global Warming Response Act, which for the first time brought vision to the State’s thinking on carbon reduction (i.e. 80% by 2050); and a forgetting of the latter during the Governor Christie Administration, which removed New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

There are numerous positive things in the Work Plan, including some of which I wasn’t aware. Still, there are a large range of ideas I would like to offer.

At times, I take the long view, not just in the sense of looking backwards, including missed yet possibly still-available opportunities; but also looking forward, sometimes a long way, to what will likely be necessary, even if currently some ideas may be considered wildly impractical. For the latter, the best that probably can be done are baby steps, but connected to a vision of where something needs to go.

Some of my ideas are informed by earlier efforts within the Department, including what the obstacles were, at the time and later; and since then, from my continuing to follow different fields, and ways of looking at the issue.

There is some overlap in the 30 wide-ranging suggestions.

At times sources are provided. Where not, it is possible they could be suggested.

Here some suggestions, both for NJDEP or anyone else interested in this perspective.

1. Communications, Stakeholder Input, and Responsiveness. The first two are about the best I’ve seen from NJDEP, especially the idea of “Deeper Engagement.” This is far from the typical two-three-minute limit imposed on those giving comments at Public Hearings, usually with no feedback from the government staff at the front of the room. Such a protocol limits real communications, making it at times close to token.

To utilize deep engagement effectively, though, NJDEP needs to respond do people whose input is not taken so that they don’t think they have wasted their time, and were not heard. That includes both specific ideas mentioned during these sessions, and reports/articles/letters sent to NJDEP.

NJDEP and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) sometimes do the latter, but inconsistently. NJDEP staff have given me generous time to speak with them about product labeling, carbon sequestration, and cost: benefit analysis. But sometimes they have not. Still, that is better than The Office of Climate Action & Green Economy (OCAGE), The Governor’s Office, and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) that literally never have. (Note: since this was written, the latter has.) That is bad government practice, inconsiderate, and, to the degree some ideas might be valuable, bad policy-making. And unnecessarily so. Providers of input probably are not expecting total agreement with their ideas. See “Not Meeting New Jersey State Government’s Basic Responsibility to Respond to Constituents’ Suggestions: Frustrating and a Barrier to Innovation.” Whereas, this later one was better. “Can a Public Meeting Catalyze a Tipping Point for Both Accelerated Conventional and Creative Efforts to Address Climate Change?“

2. All-of-Government Approach. This is fine and appropriate, but a method to do this was in a 2002 Report based on what an Interagency Sustainability Working Group found. See GoverningWith The Future in Mind. Beyond this, relevant non-NJDEP agencies should acknowledge their connection. At recent forums I’ve attended, neither the NJBPU or The Highlands Council even mentioned NJDEP. Even while focused on things closer to their mission, other agencies should mention this, at least in passing
3. Keep a further eye on California (which NJDEP is probably already doing). This includes California’s globalwork, having large companies report on their carbon emissions, and incentives for those with lowincome.

But certainly not just California when other states do innovative things, too. The Work Plan does hint this

4. Be careful with Metrics. As the one-time lead on NJDEP’s and State Government’s Indicators efforts, I suspected some problems with them at the time, which later led to writing 22 articles exploring these and how to overcome them. See “Putting the Cart Before the Horse: Five Anecdotes About Sustainable Business Metrics,“ the most relevant of the 22 to NJDEP
5. Product Labeling. This initiative isn’t mentioned in the Work Plan. I gave comments to NJDEP staff on product labeling based on a Policy Paper I did over 30 years ago. (It may be available at the NJDEP or State Library.) Among other things, labeling can go beyond just ensuring accuracy of a claim. It can promote better-performing products and thereby be an element supporting a green economy
6. Cost: Benefit Analysis/Social Cost of Capital. This isn’t mentioned in the Work Plan, either. I also gave comments about this to NJDEP staff based on a Work Group Guidebook written during the Whitman Administration
7. Sequestration. This is mentioned in the Work Plan. I was impressed earlier with the scope of ideas during a conversation with NJDEP staff. To critics who argue that it is a diversion from the emphasis on reducing carbon emissions, NJDEP might respond: (a) it might (and probably will be) necessary, (b) it is possible to do both mitigation and sequestration, and (c) if I remember right, they’re focusing on natural solutions. This is not to say investing in some research and development (R&D) or following others’ work on other ways to sequester carbon shouldn’t be done (such as putting it in concrete). It depends on the relative risks, whether those risks can be managed, and, in the end, how desperate we may one day be.

However, regarding natural sequestration, as I learned during Senator Bob Smith’s Forests Task Force earlier this year, there isn’t a full consensus on what “Healthy Forests” means. The best that NJDEP can do is catch up on this work (if it hasn’t already), follow the recommendations that achieved consensus, and see if anyone can help bridge the gaps between stakeholders when they don’t agree on such difficult issues as when, if ever, trees should be cut, the deer management issue, and apparent conflicts between the goals of addressing climate change and biodiversity.

Some key areas did not receive enough attention by the Task Force, such as whether “Sustainability” has been misused but doesn’t have to be, why there seems to be a binary choice between protecting old growth and planting new trees, whether there are at least some green jobs prospects in this area, and whether there’s ever a place for non-native species.

However, I also found the consensus-attempting process that the Task Force leaders used was excellent, even apart from the results, including bringing in leading outside scientists to inform us on some of the above. It would be a good model for trying to address other tough issues

8. Keep the biodiversity connection in mind. See “10 Ways the Climate Crisis and Nature Loss are Linked.” This regards both joint opportunities, as more of the one not focused on might be possible; and when there might be trade-offs, meaning that helping with one hurts the other. How can these trade-offs be avoided or at least minimized? In comparison to concern about climate change which is now at least partially mainstreamed, our society has not yet woken up to how serious the biodiversity crisis is. See “Number of Species at Risk of ExtinctionDoubles to 2 Million, Says Study“
9. Consider the potential upsides of the Biomass/Bioenergy Economy, as the downsides are already known. While the ethanol experience, one form of bioenergy, might at best be considered a learning experience, we’re likely to need bioenergy to transform sectors that cannot easily convert to green electricity. Plus, by working with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and NJEDA, there may be the opportunity to displace oil-based products with much more benign farm products. I’m aware of only one report in this area, written by the Rutgers Eco-Complex, which I believe was ignored. Sustainability, not just a technical approach, needs to guide this, too

10.Sustainability. Don’t just use “Sustainability” as a throw-away adjective placed before a noun, like “Architecture,” “Buildings,” or “Business.” That adds little meaning to them. Instead, take the tenets, insights, and ideas of the field seriously, including the stretching of current thinking.

I once facilitated a rare story directly on sustainability in the New York Times by a columnist but first had to explain to him, in a conversation, that sustainability is not synonymous with climate change, yet adds value to understanding it. See “It’s the End of California as We Know It: The Fires and The Blackouts are Connected to a Larger Problem in this State: A Failure to Live Sustainably.”

If we start to see conflicts between environmental justice and other goals, go deeper into sustainability to try to resolve them. Or if businesses claim they are sustainable, because they are doing a few good things. But, while they won’t say this, they’re doing nothing to conserve biodiversity. So point them to specific businesses that are. See this organization, The Wildlife Habitat Council that works with businesses on biodiversity projects, including those that simultaneously help with climate change. Or see this book by their Executive Director, a former New Jersey environmentalist: Strategic Corporate Conservation Planning: A Guide to Meaningful Engagement

11.Carbon Tax. While probably the most politically infeasible strategy NJDEP or the New Jersey Department of Treasury could do, one day we may need a major one to reach our current goals, and even more so if we have to accelerate those goals. Which is quite likely. Imagine if we had one now. It could be very helpful with multiple issues like funding New Jersey Transit or environmental equity projects. If the day comes when we’re prepared to consider a carbon tax, and if a rebate feature is a part of it to restore equity, try to keep a portion of the revenues for such purposes as R&D, careful subsidization of high potential green technologies, or adaptation.

However, the wider the geographic scope of a carbon tax, the better. That is, multi-state is better than just New Jersey implementing it. The national scale is even better. See “New Jersey Now ‘Gets’ Climate Change. What We Are Still Missing: Focus State Support for a Carbon Tax at the Federal Level: Part 5”

12.Research & Development. Contrary to the message sometimes sent that “We know how to (fully) address climate change,” we’re going to need new technologies. During the Kean Administration, New Jersey had a focus on funding advanced and even speculative technologies. Return to this and carefully pick and seed high potential, but less-than-certain technologies. If successful, these technologies could be passed to the marketplace and make a big difference, with taxpayers getting a fair return. However, don’t overlook less technical, more socially-oriented ideas, or quality public input to and acceptance of choices. Try to avoid unintended consequences. Again, use a deep sustainability perspective

13.Don’t just focus on Rutgers University as the State’s exclusive higher education partner. Rutgers nearly always is the only university mentioned, as there seems to be a mistaken assumption that it is the only place to go for help. I have taught and/or been a Fellow at five other New Jersey colleges, attended conferences at many other colleges, and was a long-time member of the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS). Other colleges, professors, and students at them can help, too.

This is not to take anything from Rutgers, as it too has come a long way, with their climate change work prominent in the field. But even they could do more. See “COMMENTARY: Rutgers’ Climate Task Force Has Work To Do.”

14.Social Science. We don’t usually think about climate change this way, as usually technology or policy frame our thinking, but we’re facing a massive challenge to change human (and organizational) behavior. Focusing just on science and technology is not going to be enough. There’s increasing thought, coming from multiple fields, that we need to reach people in other ways besides presenting facts and data. We’re going to have to better understand how to do that. We also need to do better at anticipating the negative consequences of technical choices we’re considering, before they’re introduced and lead to unpleasant surprises. If we did, we may be better able to ameliorate them, with more public acceptance. We can’t just leave out the human element, both through social science and the humanities

15.Problems with how we sometimes think, the assumptions we make, and our mindsets, including by those actively trying to address climate change. This has been my focus in recent years. See this talk I gave, in part on my NJDEP experience, entitled “What’s Holding Us Back on Climate Change.” Or this article, “New Jersey Now ‘Gets’ Climate Change. What We Are Still Missing: Why We’re Not Talking About What We’re Not Talking About: Part 4.” Some of the other suggestions reflect this

16.NJDEP needs to realize that it has a culture. It’s not only because it’s a government agency as, likely, all other sectors have cultures, too. It’s also not necessarily a bad thing. But cultures can be limiting, by narrowing what they see, how they think and communicate, and — what they don’t see. NJDEP should try to be sensitive to this, including occasionally asking internally: “What are missing?” And not take the first quick “Nothing” as the answer. See “New Jersey Now ‘Gets’ Climate Change. What We Are Still Missing: Starting with Organizational Culture: Part 2”

17.Innovation Ecosystem. This is a term used in the Work Plan. Go beyond the mindset that innovation is only seen with advanced technologies. There is also social innovation/entrepreneurship (related to the green economy), policy innovation, and organizational innovation.

Another mindset blockage is that innovation can only look like what people are expecting. Something very different might not even make it in the door. That’s the opposite of innovation

18.The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. The criteria for this are heavily numbers-oriented, focusing on, for example, how many pounds of pollution are reduced by the applicant’s initiative/project. While this certainly has its place, for example, the whole area of ideas, catalyzing initiatives, and getting people to raise their sense of what’s possible is ruled out. Again, not innovative. The criteria for this Award need to be re-thought to better reflect the State’s direction and what it will take to achieve its (possibly speeded up) goals

19.Education. The State is rightly proud of being the first, and maybe still the only, State to have a K-12 climate change curriculum. But New Jersey shouldn’t rest on its laurels. Future iterations could get into various themes: emphasizing that there are still unknowns in how to address aspects of climate change, thereby alerting and maybe motivating students to be the ones to figure things out; adding some of the themes of these comments; preparing the facilitators we’re going to need with the skills and resources to try to bring people together to resolve difficult issues, both those that are here and may be coming; and how to merge science-based facts and process with stories/narratives, spiritual beliefs, and other ways of knowing. I suspect that education may eventually be seen as even more necessary to address climate change, and not just in the conventional sense, and not just for K-12 or even college students.

See “Non-conventional Learning on Sustainable Development: Achieving the SDGs,” “It’s OK, We Disagree’: as Campuses Boil Over With Rage, Some Seek Elusive Path to Dialogue,” or “From 45 Years as a Sustainability Change-Agent: 40 Ideas and Lessons to Pass on to Students and Perpetual Students: The Biggies: Part 1“

20.Green Economy/Green Jobs. Current thinking about this topic properly considers now-conventional ideas like jobs in the solar and wind sectors, other renewables, sometimes efficiency, sometimes buildings. But it overlooks many other possibilities. This includes both other sectors and ideas.

Regarding other sectors, why not think of the possibilities of almost any sector greening, including, but way beyond, renewables and the jobs associated with them? That type of greening is associated with the sustainable business revolution, with which the NJDEP has historically dabbled, but has not taken even close to full advantage.

For instance, some companies have accepted the need to address climate change, have announced ambitious net carbon zero goals, and supported climate change public policy. Some are even working, on the environmental side, to enhance biodiversity, and, on the social side, to support democracy, Black Lives Matter, and LGBTQ issues. See “On 40 Years Watching the Sustainable Business Field: Part II of Using Sustainability to Recharge America’s Problem-Solving” for some of the possibilities.

There also are interrelated ideas that facilitate a green economy like green design (see “America’s Broken Systems: A Case for Sustainable Design?: Part I of Using Sustainability to Recharge America’s Problem-Solving”), biomimicry, life cycle assessment, industrial ecology, the circular economy, “B Corps,” green industrial policy, and impact investment.

These ideas are not new, but have been underutilized. Why not consider a goal to be the leading state in expanding the now almost conventional idea of a green economy, and bring in potentially all of these ideas? There could be gains in most areas of sustainability, including the economy, environment, and even social areas.

A report, co-written by my students at Ramapo College in 2018, has many ideas on this, but has been ignored by this Administration. See “A Green Economy for New Jersey: A Proposal to the New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy,’ & ‘Postscript: Going Wider and Deeper with the Green Economy.” It includes several Appendices, including a summary of most of the earlier State reports on a green economy, and ideas on how to take further advantage of agriculture.

It would prove useful if the State, and particularly the OCAGE, decide to go deeper into, and even aim to mainstream, the green economy.

(If this article is ever reviewed at the federal level, here’s a version for them by another Ramapo College class, “Defending the Green New Deal: Recommendations To Build On What’s Actually In It While Reaching Out To Others”.)

21. Efficiency. The following are comments I sent to the NJBPU in September, 2023, after a webinar it sponsored on energy efficiency.

It reinforces some of the same concepts mentioned above, and a few others. It: highlights the vital importance of efficiency (which often gets overlooked in discussions about energy supply options) and keeping the public posted on how the State is doing on it, the overlooked importance of implementation, keeping up with the state of the art, use of terms in communication, and the value of social science.

“(I) Read/browsed the PPT and listened to most of the Presentation. Many good points (e.g. the link with solar and now water, suggestions on how to go beyond the Audit findings, the enthusiasm of the speakers), but didn’t see some things, or other issues:

• At times, too jargony. If you don’t know the field, you’ll miss some of the terms. I didn’t see the customer’s perspective, particularly the very new customer unfamiliar with the lay of the land and knowing who’s who (including the differences between the roles of BPU, TRC, and the utility). Suggest take the view of a new applicant. Follow them through the process, seeing where they might get stuck
• What I call “People” issues continue to be missed. These include (a) why does the LGEA application my Synagogue submitted several months ago just sit, without period notifications of status? I heard it takes an average of 7 months once everything is complete. I’m pretty sure my synagogue’s complete application has taken longer. It makes it difficult to maintain committee interest from the customer end (which can be hard enough) (Note: This was subsequently addressed when a new person at the NJBPU’s subcontractor was put on it.); (b) No social science on how to influence peoples’ behavior to be interested/receptive to energy efficiency. Do we know what percentage of people show initial interest and then don’t go further; and why? What is social science discovering about this field?
• No big picture on the importance of the State’s energy efficiency goal and how we’re doing in achieving it
• No showing of technical innovations and thought on how to ramp up energy efficiency to potentially new stretch goals. For instance, see this article in yesterday’s Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/realestate/sustainable-home-renovation-brooklyn.html. Does BPU follow this field?
• No link to DEP’s Product Labeling and Sustainable Business Initiatives, the very new Social Cost of Carbon announcement for all State Agencies (https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/09/nj-murphy-administration-wont-back-down-clean-energy-goals/), or Sustainable Jersey
• Did the State ever see my last formal comments to the BPU from 2019? http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/09/17/comments-to-the-new-jersey-board-of-public-utilities-njbpu-on-their-2019-draft-energy-master-plan-emp/. I stopped doing these, after three or four iterations over the years, because I saw no evidence that they ever went anywhere”

22. Speaking to Conservatives. In some circles, conservatives are presumed to be unreachable on climate change. This is unfortunate, as I can’t see how the State can achieve its ambitious goals without them.

We’ve already seen problems with the constructed controversy of windfarms at the shore (though not all opponents are conservative), parts of the state (yes, even New Jersey) where you can’t say “climate change” (or you can advocate for it, but can’t call it by its name).

Yet, there have been some successes. See either “Seven Projects with Potential to Talk to the Trump Voter: Part 4,“ for ideas, or “Climate Change, A Divided America, and The Need For Sustainability Policy.”

23. Transformation. New Jersey is way behind Europe in the field of Sustainable Transformation or large societal changes. This field tries to understand how to make big changes in society, including what is blocking them, and how to overcome obstacles, such as through the use of pilots or demos of cutting edge ideas which can be difficult to imagine. Some of the thinking in this field has changed from these things should be kept away from government, as government, by its nature, is too bureaucratic and resistant to change. To now, that is not necessarily true, and that government must be part of it. There are people in government who are comfortable with more rapid change, but, as in the earlier comment on culture, assumptions have to be identified and no-longer relevant ones changed.

Transformation is in at least implicit contrast to a common theory of how to make societal change: “One building block at a time.” This assumption about slow change can be effective, and certainly much easier, including politically and what it is asking from the government and the public. But may not be sufficient if, again, the goals have to be accelerated

See “Sustainability Transformations” and “New Jersey Now ‘Gets’ Climate Change. What We Are Still Missing: “From Government and Really Helping: Part 3.”

For more on speeding up change, as well as unappreciated mindset barriers that make it harder, see “Leverage Points Meets Sustainable Transformation: Speeding Up Sustainability Progress and 101 Mindset Barriers to It”

24. Phase Out Fossil Fuels. This has been a hard step for the State to take although, it can be argued, this is the trend line. Still, it’s not clear to everyone what the writing on the wall says. Not all pipeline projects have been killed, and there is political opposition to some clean energy measures, like encouraging electric stoves.

Yet, while, as above, providing some support to and keeping an eye on sequestration, there is no way to protect our planet without phasing them out. Perhaps international climate change negotiators at the U.N. Conference of The Parties 28 (COP28), resuming their work today, will get there some day.

New Jersey could beat them to it by announcing a phase-out schedule for fossil fuels, giving these sectors and their customers plenty of notice of what’s coming, and time to prepare. It would not be the first time the state led global action.

New Jersey has to bite this bullet

25. Much more and better biking. The occasional calls for more biking, while important, are framed by a limited sense of what’s possible. Check out some European cities; e.g., Copenhagen, Munster, Rotterdam, Amsterdam; and see things at an entirely different scale. This could be our long-term vision, even if we can only work on specific projects on a more limited basis. “See Transport Matters: Strengthening the Human Infrastructureof Cycling”
26. County and Municipal Scales. The Plan is vague about what these are. Existing ones, other than Sustainable Jersey, may not be well known. Initiatives at these scales have their own possibilities.

See “12 Ideas for Sustainable Jersey’s ‘Next 10 Years” for the local scale, and “New Jersey Now ‘Gets’ Climate Change. What We Are Still Missing: A Climate Vision for Montgomery County, Maryland: Should We Be Doing This in New Jersey?: Part 6“ for the county scale

27, Speaking of scales, expand the international presence. This includes both learning from other parts of the world, and showing what we are doing in New Jersey. See “The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Non-Traditional Role in Promoting Sustainable Development Internationally,” or “A Personal Learning Bridge: How New Jersey and the World, Including Europe and Germany, Might Learn From Each Other”

28. Pick up on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). These 17 Goalsrepresent the urgent direction that must be pursued to achieve a sustainable planet. Unfortunately, few in the U.S. are even aware of them though they are not new. While climate change is only one of them, all 17 are interrelated. And while they are not intended for the state level, there is no reason New Jersey cannot pick up on them, adjusted as appropriate, and do its share towards meeting them. That would send quite a message, about direction, the understanding of urgency, the interrelatedness of policies and actions (and not just in government), and that New Jersey “gets” the big picture that we really are “All in this together.” It could even spur non-New Jerseyans to pick up the pace in their pieces of the planet, helping them and, in an interconnected world, indirectly, us too
29. Not Just NJDEP. Having worked with or within other sectors in New Jersey (see below) over the decades, in the years ahead it is not just NJDEP that needs to consider transformational possibilities, and what they might be missing. NJDEP does not operate in a vacuum. It’s also (a) other state agencies; (b) the Legislature; (c) as above, other levels of government; (d) business (as above, all sectors); (d) higher education; (e) environmental groups; and (f) journalism (see “Where is Sustainability in The New York Times”). Even social welfare groups must consider their climate change connections and how they can help

30.Recruit Ex-NJDEPers. Take advantage of interested NJDEP alumni to see if they can lend, in some cases, hard-earned advice to help current staffers think about how to implement some of these ideas and actions.

Conclusion

I want to return to four themes involving interrelationships that don’t usually come up: the time dimension, the limits of what NJDEP can do, the need for creativity, and between geographic scales.

I hope some of these ideas will be considered, both in the short run and in the years ahead. The short- and long-runs are related. The latter should inform and guide the former. And the latter shows climate change is one of the greatest threats we in New Jersey face. As the surprises show up, and limits of current policies become apparent, we and those who come after us are likely to need to strongly consider currently unimagined responses. That’s worth keeping in mind when an idea for a strategy is written off as “infeasible,” particularly politically, or because the specific behavioral change seems too much, too soon.

These comments ask a lot from NJDEP, but they can’t do this alone. They will need a significant amount of help from others interested in this issue, as well as, through each’s efforts and influence, those who do not yet appreciate the urgency of the situation; working directly with the Agency, or in parallel with their separate efforts.

Both within and outside NJDEP, this help can come in a variety of forms, such as by showing creativity, which includes pulling together ideas from multiple places and fields, perhaps in ways that have never been done. This includes fields where creativity is understood as essential, such as fashion, but even those where it is not necessarily associated, such as engineering. Certainly, the inertia from a business-as-usual mindset cannot be our guide.

The photo at the beginning of these Comments shows a mediocre global response to the threats from climate change. While I don’t think the specific grades The Economist assigns are directly applicable to New Jersey, since this Administration has done much better, still, it is relevant in at least two ways.

The tagline, “Some Progress, Must Try Harder” still applies.

And while we focus on New Jersey, the global dimension still applies. One of the main messages, apparently forgotten, from the late 1960’s Environmental Revolution is: “We’re all connected” (or “interconnected”).

What happens in New Jersey both effects the rest of the world and is affected by it, in many usually hidden ways, both negatively and positively. Two positive ways the State and its citizens can affect the world are by staying aware of global developments and by setting examples of what is possible.

In some cases, we’re already doing this but not realizing it. See “The Local-Global Connection: Forging Inter-scale Sustainability Action.”

That’s worth remembering as COP28 begins today, with so much at stake. Hopefully it will be surprisingly successful. But, if not, we’re all going to have to step up even more.

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Appendix IV

Historical Climate Change and Related Sustainability Resources

This historical list of documents Professor Polsky wrote, co-wrote, edited or catalyzed is presented in case there is ever a need for even more ideas to consider for how to deal with climate change in New Jersey. Some are shown that were on sustainability or sustainable business, so less directly on climate change, but still highly relevant. In some cases the URLs were lost to history, but the documents are available from the author.

(1998, September) Opportunities & barriers to Incorporating ecological economics & other new economic ideas into environmental policy in New Jersey. Masters’ Thesis, Draper Program in Humanities & Social Thought, New York University. https://wgbis.ces.iisc.ac.in/biodiversity/Environ_sys/doc98html/ecoecon1031.htmlhttp://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/Environ_sys/doc98html/ecoecon1031.html

With Shinn, R. (2002, Summer/Fall) The NJDEP’s non-traditional role in promoting sustainability internationally. The Seton Hall University Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations.  https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/shjdir/v3n2/shjdir_v3n2f.pdf

(2006, December) Strategic thinking: New Jersey’s garden-variety environmentalism. GreenBiz.com. (2007,November, 26) Emission goals will need creative solutions. Courier News.

With Cloud, J., Harmon, J., Wirtenberg, J., & Benjamin, R. (2010, August) Developing and implementing a sustainable growth strategy for New Jersey. Institute for Sustainable Enterprise, Fairleigh Dickinson University.

(2012, January, 12) “I believe: The pursuit of a sustainable future is the biggest & most difficult challenge of our time.  Grassroots, The Daily Record.  http://dailyrecord.com/article/20120119/GRASSROOTS01/301190003/I-BELIEVE-pursuit-sustainable-future-biggest-most-difficult-challenge-our-time-

(2012, April 6, 2012) The RGGI bill: Returning to where we started, and building on that: Part I & II. The North Jersey Public Policy Network Newsletter. (2013, February 4) Why can’t we leave Al Gore alone. EarthPeople Media.

With Aravkar, P. (2013, May 8) What the first annual survey of New Jersey business sustainability tells us. EarthPeople Media. http://earthpeoplemedia.com/what-does-the-first-survey-of-new-jersey-business-sustainability-tell-us/

(2013, May 20) 12 Areas where social entrepreneurship needs to improve: Part I. GreenBiz.com. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/12-areas-where-social-entrepreneurship-needs-improve-part-1

(2013, September, 17) The Local-Global connection: forging inter-scale sustainability action. EarthPeople Media.  http://www.truevaluemetrics.org/DBpdfs/Ideas/MattPolsky/The-Local-Global-Connection.pdf

(2014, April 13) A look at sustainable development in New Jersey: How have we done & what are the opportunities– If we want them?: Part I. New Jersey Green Association Newsbriefs: Special Edition.

(2015, April 13) How superficial interpretations of sustainable business metrics can be totally off-base: Part XIII. Sustainable Brands. https://sustainablebrands.com/read/new-metrics/how-superficial-interpretations-of-sustainable-business-metrics-can-be-totally-off-base-part3

(2015) Putting the cart before the horse: Five anecdotes about sustainable business metrics. Sustainable Brands. https://sustainablebrands.com/read/putting-the-cart-before-the-horse-five-anecdotes-about-sustainable-business-metrics

(2015, June 15) When It really isn’t business as usual: can there be principle without ‘principle?’: Part I. Sustainable Brands. https://sustainablebrands.com/read/stakeholder-trends-and-insights/when-it-really-isn-t-business-as-usual-can-there-be-principle-without-principle-part

(2015, June 22) When It really isn’t business as usual: can there be principle without ‘principle?’: Part 1I. Sustainable Brands. http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/stakeholder_trends_insights/matt_polsky/when_it_really_isn%E2%80%99t_business_usual_can_the

(2015, July 3) When It really isn’t business as usual: can there be principle without ‘principle?’: Part III. Sustainable Brands. http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/stakeholder_trends_insights/matt_polsky/when_it_really_isnt_business_usual_can_there_

(2017, January 31) America’s broken systems: A case for sustainable design?: Part I of using sustainability to recharge America’s problem-solving. Sustainable Brands.  http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/organizational_change/matt_polsky/america%E2%80%99s_broken_systems_case_sustainable_design

(2017, February 6). “On 40 years watching the sustainable business field: Part II of using sustainability to recharge America’s problem-solving. Sustainable Brands.
https://sustainablebrands.com/read/organizational-change/on-40-years-watching-the-sustainable-business-field

(2017, February 16) Policy wonking could be relevant, maybe fun? A review of the social cost of carbon: Part III of using sustainability to recharge America’s problem-solving. Sustainable Brands. https://sustainablebrands.com/read/organizational-change/policy-wonking-could-be-relevant-maybe-fun-a-review-of-the-social-costs-of-carbon

(2017, August 18) Seven projects with potential to talk to the Trump voter: Part 4 of 8. Medium. https://innovator3.medium.com/seven-projects-with-potential-to-talk-to-the-trump-voter-part-4-e172ee80f4c

Ramapo College Class.(2018, June 12) A Green Economy for New Jersey: A Proposal to the New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy; & “Postscript: Going Wider and Deeper with the Green Economy. https://www.ramapo.edu/mass/wp-content/uploads/sites/129/2018/06/PolskyA_Green_Economy_for_NJ.pdf

With Furman, L., Cloud, J., & Montgomery, C. (2018, October 15) New Jersey now ‘gets’ climate change. What we are still missing: Introduction: Part 1. GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2018/10/15/new-jersey-now-gets-climate-change-what-we-are-still-missing-introduction-part-1/

With Furman, L. (2018, October 22) New Jersey now ‘gets’ climate change. What we are still missing: Starting with organizational culture: Part 2. GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2018/10/22/new-jersey-now-gets-climate-change-what-we-are-still-missing-starting-with-organizational-culture-part-2/

(2018, October 28) New Jersey now ‘gets’ climate change. What we are still missing: ‘From government and really helping:’ Part 3. GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2018/10/28/new-jersey-now-gets-climate-change-what-we-are-still-missing-from-government-and-really-helping-part-3/

(2019, January 3) New Jersey now ‘gets’ climate change. What we are Still missing: Why we’re not talking about what we’re not talking about: Part 4. GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/01/03/new-jersey-now-gets-climate-change-what-we-are-still-missing-why-were-not-talking-about-what-were-not-talking-about-part-4/

Aucott, M. (2019, January 20) New Jersey now ‘gets’ climate change. What we are still missing: Focus state support for a carbon tax at the federal level: Part 5. GreenEconomyNJ.org. http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/01/20/new-jersey-now-gets-climate-change-what-are-we-still-missing-focus-state-support-for-a-carbon-tax-at-the-federal-level-part-5/#more-1911

Simmens, H. (2019, March 11 ) New Jersey now ‘gets’ climate change. What we are still missing: A climate change vision for Montgomery County, Maryland: Should we be doing this in New Jersey?: Part 6. GreenEconomyNJ.org. http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/03/11/new-jersey-now-gets-climate-change-what-are-we-still-missing-a-climate-vision-for-montgomery-county-maryland-should-we-be-doing-this-in-new-jersey-part6/

Ramapo College Class. (2019, June 14). Defending the Green New Deal: Recommendations to build on what’s actually in it while reaching out to others. http://greeneconomynj.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DefendingtheGNDJun2019.pdf

(2019, September 12) 12 ideas for Sustainable Jersey’s ‘Next 10 years. GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/09/12/12-ideas-for-sustainable-jerseys-next-10-years/

(2019, September 17) Comments to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) on their 2019 draft Energy Master Plan (EMP). GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2019/09/17/comments-to-the-new-jersey-board-of-public-utilities-njbpu-on-their-2019-draft-energy-master-plan-emp/

(2020, February 6.) Rutgers’ climate task force has work to do.  The Rutgers Daily Targum. https://www.dailytargum.com/article/2020/02/rutgers-climate-task-force-has-work-to-do

(2020, February, 28) Can a public meeting catalyze a tipping point for both accelerated conventional and creative efforts to address climate change?.  GreenEconomyNJ.org.  http://greeneconomynj.org/2020/02/28/can-a-public-meeting-catalyze-a-tipping-point-for-both-accelerated-conventional-and-creative-efforts-to-address-climate-change/

(2020, April 10) Leverage points meets sustainable transformation: Speeding up sustainability progress and 101 mindset barriers to it. OIDA International Journal on Sustainable Development.­ https://oidaijsd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/12-12-2-130.pdf

(2020, October 22) Not meeting New Jersey state government’s basic responsibility to respond to constituents’ suggestions: Frustrating and a barrier to innovation. GreenEconomyNJ.org. https://greeneconomynj.org/2020/10/22/not-meeting-new-jersey-state-governments-basic-responsibility-to-respond-to-constituents-suggestions-frustrating-and-a-barrier-to-innovation/

With Feldman, I. (2021, January 25)  Climate change, A divided America, and the need for sustainability policy.  LinkedIn.  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/climate-change-divided-america-need-sustainability-policy-ira-feldman

(2021, October) Virtual poster on “A personal learning bridge: How New Jersey and the world, Including Europe and Germany, Might learn from each other”.  Climate Bridge Conference, Rutgers University

(2022, January 18) What’s holding us back on climate change? Sustainable Red Bank [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m3MhwsbHfA

(2023, January 2) From 45 years as a sustainability change-agent: 40 ideas and lessons to pass on to students and perpetual students: The Biggies: Part 1.” Medium. https://innovator3.medium.com/from-45-years-as-a-sustainability-change-agent-40-ideas-and-lessons-to-pass-on-to-students-and-c704bf487a9e

(2023, January 3) From 45 years as a sustainability change-agent: 40 ideas and lessons to pass on to students and perpetual students: What’s Been Working: Part 2.” Medium. https://innovator3.medium.com/from-45-years-as-a-sustainability-change-agent-40-ideas-and-lessons-to-pass-on-to-students-and-adb378412440

(2023, January 6) From 45 years as a sustainability change-agent: 40 ideas and lessons to pass on to students and perpetual students: What Hasn’t Been Working As Well: Part 3. Medium.  https://innovator3.medium.com/from-45-years-as-a-sustainability-change-agent-40-ideas-and-lessons-to-pass-on-to-students-and-a5d5246306fa

(2024, July 27) When can we say ‘Climate Change’ to deal with climate change?’: The early years of carbon-smart agriculture in New Jersey: Part 1.” Medium. https://innovator3.medium.com/when-can-we-say-climate-change-to-deal-with-climate-change-cf6f9e46ea37

(2024, August 1 )  When can we say ‘Climate Change’ to deal with climate change?’: Farmers Helping to Address One of the Biggest Problems We Have: Part 2.” Medium. https://innovator3.medium.com/when-can-we-say-climate-change-to-deal-with-climate-change-147e629e88c6

Edwards, J. (2024, October 18) Warren County residents, local officials gather to discuss Sustainable Jersey certification at community forum. WRNJradio.com.   https://www.warrencountynj.gov/Home/Components/News/News/638/14