New Jersey legislators have proposed a constitutional Green Amendment that will recognize and protect the rights of all the people of the state, including future generations, to pure water, clean air, a stable climate and healthy environments.
The proposed Green Amendment language also ensures preservation of the natural, scenic and historic qualities of the environment, and will impose a constitutional duty on all government officials to proactively protect the people’s environmental rights and the state’s natural resources.
It’s vitally important that all New Jersey legislators understand the values of having a constitutional Green Amendment and are prepared to support the constitutional amendment and place the bill on the ballot this November. It’s time for New Jersey legislators to hear from you.
Write your Senator and Representative today.
Why Should I Support a New Jersey Green Amendment?
- A Green Amendment will recognize the rights of all people to pure water, clean air, a stable climate and healthy environments and protects those rights for present and future generations, placing them legally on par with other fundamental rights like speech, religion, civil, property and gun rights.
- A Green Amendment will strengthen environmental justice by creating a duty to treat all communities equitably, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or income; and in so doing ensure the environmental rights of one community cannot be sacrificed to achieve the environmental, economic or political goals of others.
- A Green Amendment will require government officials to prioritize environmental protection in all decision-making – including legislating, regulating, permitting, policies and programs. Integrating environmental protection into the decision-making provides the greatest opportunity to avoid harm and advance sustainable business.
- A Green Amendment will strengthen current laws and how they can and should be interpreted, including by strengthening the obligation of government officials to consider the science and the impacts of decisions.
- A Green Amendment will help fill gaps in the law when it comes to protecting air, water, climate and the environment – think of all the environmental issues where there is not yet a law in place to provide needed protection; a constitutional right will fill those gaps until legislators can pass the laws needed to provide protection.
- A Green Amendment will require focus on preventing environmental harm, not simply accepting it and managing it through permitting.
- In addition to providing strong protection against damaging actions, a Green Amendment will provide powerful grounding for encouraging government officials in the state to support and advance proactive and protective actions, legislation, regulations and decisions.