'Not Off Our Coast,' Says New Jersey Environment Committee

Today the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility Port Ambrose.  Liberty Natural Gas is applying to build a facility that would be made of two floating buoys allowing LNG tankers to offload 17 miles south of Jones Beach.  Senate Resolution 120 calls on the Federal government as well as Governor Christie to deny Liberty Natural Gas’s application.

The resolution was introduced by Senator Jennifer Beck (R-11) along with an identical resolution in the Assembly (AR205) introduced by Assemblyman Sean Kean (R-30).  The resolutions are supported by 24 organizations in New Jersey who signed on to a letter urging the legislature to adopt the resolution.

“While we continue to pressure Governor Christie to veto Port Ambrose, it is just as imperative that the New Jersey Legislature is heard.” said Cindy Zipf, Clean Ocean Action Executive Director.  “This resolution sends a message to anyone who wants to industrialize the ocean that the Legislature and the people of New Jersey will stand up to defend their beaches, marine ecosystem, and coastal economy.  We are grateful for Senator Beck’s leadership on the issue and applaud the committee for voting unanimously to protect the ocean.”

In February of 2011, Governor Christie vetoed Liberty Natural Gas’s previous application for an offshore LNG facility with the proposed alternate location being the same as Port Ambrose’s current proposed location.  When Liberty attempted to side-step the Governor by amending the application to the alternate location the Governor re-affirmed the original veto.  In June, 2013, Liberty LNG applied again, seeking federal permission to build an LNG port in that alternate location.

In July 2013, the US Coast Guard accepted public comment on the proposal and received over 25,000 comments only 16 of which were in favor of the port.

Clean Ocean Action will continue to advocate for the passage of these legislative resolutions opposing offshore LNG hoping that AR205 will soon be brought up in the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee and that SR120 will make its way to the Senate floor for a vote by the full chamber.

O Tannenbaum! Eco-friendly, chic decorations for the SEAson

This season, Clean Ocean Action will be offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the first of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

O Tannenbaum!  Eco-friendly, chic decorations for the SEAson

By: Diana Reinhardt Paradis, Manager of Development and External Affairs

I love the scent of a real Christmas tree.  It makes a home feel ready for the holiday.  But what type of tree is the greenest option?   Should I purchase a natural tree or an artificial tree?  

This bulb tree might live
in your backyard for years.

When shopping for a Christmas tree, there are many factors to consider.  Natural Christmas trees are chopped down (often from Christmas tree farms) and usually shipped long distances, but forever artificial trees can contain plastic and chemicals and are often made overseas and then shipped long distances to your home. 

If you decide on a natural tree for your home, buy locally.  New Jersey is the Garden State!   There are wonderful Jersey-grown trees available.  When the holiday season is over, many towns will pick up your tree and turn it into mulch.  Trees are chipped, mixed with leaves, and recycled into rich compost for parks, institutions, and community gardens. Your tree will be part of the soil when flowers bloom this spring in your town.  Remember to remove all lights, tinsel, ornaments, the tree stand, and plastic from your tree before setting it out at the curb for collection. 

My little reindeer!

If you choose an artificial tree, make sure it becomes a family heirloom used for generations, instead of sending it to a landfill. These days, some artificial trees are sold with built-in LED lights – and LED lights save electricity.  Plus, you avoid the old, “one goes out, they all go out” light string trap!  Some of these newer trees even work by a remote control – no more stooping to ‘turn on the tree’. 

Another option is to purchase a living tree. Find a bulb tree (with the roots wrapped in burlap or other preserving fabric) at your local garden center and decorate it for the season, then plant it outdoors.  Mark a special milestone like a wedding, anniversary or the birth of a child or grandchild, or just start a new tradition.  The most successful way to bring a living tree indoors for the holiday is to keep the tree in a room that isn’t very warm (away from fireplaces and kitchens) and keep the tree well watered.  Bulb trees come in all sizes, and several smaller trees grouped together would make a stunning decoration. 

Modern décor more your style?  Use an unusual material to build your tree, like metal or cardboard.  You can also fit more ornaments on a metal tree than one with branches and can even be used for other events during the year, depending on the style. Cardboard trees can be very chic; check out sites like www.Pinterest.com to be inspired by amazingly creative designs made from recycled cardboard. 

If you want to get really creative, make a tree from up-cycled, weathered wood. It may not be traditional, but it can become your new eco-friendly tradition. Or you can use the trimmings for a special display.  Last year, my husband and I built a reindeer out of the leftover stumps and branches from our live tree – and the results were adorable!  Old buttons were used for the eyes and a washer my husband had laying around made a nose for Rudolph. 

Jack Johnson’s Christmas Tree

This year, I was inspired by an article I read in Coastal Living about musician Jack Johnson’s laid back style of decorating.  A COA supporter, Jack is an active surfer living in Hawaii.  After a storm, he took his family to the beach, and found some wood and debris.

"I think it was pieces of somebody's turquoise plywood deck that had been all beaten up and washed around, so it looked really neat—it was all weather worn, and it was Kim's (Jack’s wife) favorite color, so I turned it into a tree."  The tree is now decorated with other items found on the beach by the Johnson family, which they recycled into ornaments.  You can read more about the Johnson family holiday traditions at www.CoastalLiving.com. 

No matter what you choose for your home this year, you can make it greener with a little time and creativity.  

#GivingTuesday: Have You Seen the Giving Ocean?

Video produced by Grace Hanlon, then Executive Producer, Edvantage Media

The ocean gives so much to us – free of charge, but keeping it clean, healthy, and natural is a full time job that drives Clean Ocean Action. Wouldn’t you like to give back?

Tuesday, December 3 is this year’s national day of giving.  Reacting to the consumerism that is sometimes part of the holiday season, thousands of nonprofits, companies, and people like you have come together for the second annual #GivingTuesday to make a positive contribution to society – instead of simply shopping.  

Here are some new ways to give: Recall your days of fun at the beach this year and give to the ocean: 

Unleash Your Inner Good Guy: COA Featured in The Jersey Give Back Guide

COA is thrilled to be included in the inaugural edition of The Jersey Give Back Guide, an annual, seasonal project of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. A longtime supporter of Clean Ocean Action’s work, the Foundation believes everyone has the power to be a philanthropist in their own community.

The Dodge Foundation chose just fifteen organizations from the entire state that excel in collaboration, innovation, and community engagement.

Clean Ocean Action is honored to work with the Dodge Foundation on The Jersey Give Back Guide. Check out their Generosity Generator – which takes the guesswork out of donating to charity – at www.jerseygivebackguide.org.


Help COA Meet the Challenge
Each organization featured in The Jersey Give Back Guide is eligible for a $1,000 matching grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Help COA raise additional funds by being one of 50 supporters to give through the Guide by December 31st. Share with friends and family!

Amazon Smile

For your future holiday shopping, consider buying used books or vintage items on Amazon. When you shop using Amazon Smile, Amazon.com will make a donation to Clean Ocean Action.  Tell your friends how easy it was to shop and support the Shore on Facebook and Twitter - it even works with Amazon Prime!  Click here for more information.

Celebrate the Shore

In 2013, COA’s work focused on assisting the people, businesses, habitats, and waterways impacted by Superstorm Sandy through monthly clean-up days. Waves of Action ‘For The Shore’ program saw over 13,725 volunteers that participated in 281 projects in 70 different towns with over 120 organizations from across New York and New Jersey.  Learn more at www.ForTheShore.org.

Clean Ocean Action has been advocating for the ocean since 1984; nearly 30 years of hard work to keep the ocean wild and free of harmful industry. To learn more about COA’s ocean protection work or to make a contribution this #GivingTuesday over the phone, please call the office at (732) 872-0111.

Superstorm Sandy-Inspired Education: First 'Virtual Teach-In' on Climate Issues a Success

Photo Credit: Basil Henning

For the November Wave of Action, COA compiled educational materials from national and international sources that creatively and clearly present complex climate issues.  Materials were sorted by topic and age with resources available for K-12.  Topics included Climate Change, Global Warming, Sea Level Rise, Your Carbon Footprint, Greenhouse Gases, and the Science Behind Hurricanes and Superstorm Sandy.

Over 87 educators throughout New York and New Jersey, and even Australia, who represented 77 schools, 6 groups, 1 Cub Scout Troop, and 3 homeschoolers, signed up to bring the resources into their classrooms.

“I envision that in the future these 5th graders could find themselves in a meaningful conversation where they can contribute their ideas in their second language to help the environment.  We stressed in class that these issues were not isolated to New Jersey or to the United States, but rather a global issue that demands we work together internationally,” explained Knollwood School Spanish Teacher Basil Henning.

“Thank you for the abundance of educational information that you provided for my students. I was happy to participate and I believe my students gained tremendous insight into the conditions that set these storms into motion and the devastation that they can cause to the communities that they impact,” stated Woodlynne Public School Science Teacher Renae Vannais.

Climate change education is important every day of the year, especially now in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Many voices around the world are making the connection between the Typhoon and climate change. In fact, the UN Conference on Climate Change is currently meeting in Poland.

Please visit ForTheShore.org to access COA's resources and lesson plans on climate change any day of the year. 

Join us in celebrating the culmination of Waves of Action For The Shore, Clean Ocean Action’s year-long Sandy response program, on Saturday, December 7 from 8:30AM-12:00PM at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, NJ.  Almost 14,000 volunteers (and counting) have helped to improve and protect the marine environment through 281 projects, with more than 100 different organizations, in over 70 towns in New York and New Jersey.  For more information and to reserve your seat at this breakfast event, click here.