This is Sustainable Jersey, plus this is Planet Ed, and The Climate Daily Reforestation Campaign!
Sustainable Jersey, This Is Planet Ed, The Climate Daily Reforestation Campaign!
THIS IS SUSTAINABLE JERSEY!
Sustainable Jersey began as an informal partnership that has evolved and been shaped by the contributions and perspectives of many. In 2006, The College of New Jersey was funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to create a “Sustainable Communities Leadership Network.” The network was tasked with supporting municipal progress toward sustainable development by identifying best practices, facilitating peer to peer learning, developing metrics to judge performance and providing direct technical support and training.
Since the launch of the Sustainable Jersey municipal program in 2009 and the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program in 2013, participants have successfully implemented and documented over 9,000 discrete actions from our list of best practices. Over $7.2M in grants have been awarded to municipalities, schools and school districts in the program. Sustainable Jersey provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. By supporting efforts to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, educate for sustainability, stimulate local economies, increase resiliency and progress toward an equitable society.
GRANT RECIPIENTS
| Grant | County | Recipient | Project |
| $20,000 | Camden | Camden City Public Schools | Planning an Energy-Smart Camden Phase 2: The district will complete the second phase of a comprehensive Energy Savings Plan to enact an Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP). |
| $10,000 | Bergen | Maywood Borough | Renewable and Alternative Energy Audit: The borough will conduct a renewable and alternative energy “audit” that will assess the feasibility of solar on all municipal properties.. |
| $10,000 | Essex | Newark Public School District | Installation of Wind/Solar Powered Streetlight: The district will install a wind/solar-powered streetlight at Technology High School. The streetlight will allow the district to continue its efforts to create innovative energy educational demonstration projects. |
| $10,000 | Hunterdon | High Bridge Borough School District | Software and Thermostat Upgrades: The district will install seven new thermostat controls at the middle school and upgraded software in one elementary school classroom. The middle school is a 117-year-old building with temperature-control issues, resulting in uncomfortable learning environments. This project will make the building more energy-efficiency and comfortable. |
| $10,000 | Monmouth | Ocean Township School District | Sustainable Greenhouse for Environmental Studies and Urban Agriculture Program: The district will build an energy-efficient greenhouse to teach students modern urban growing techniques in the face of climate change. The greenhouse will use glazing for efficient sun exposure, geothermal heating, solar energy where possible for supplemental energy and rain-capture irrigation. |
DEEPER DIVE: Sustainable Jersey, YouTube Channel
THIS IS PLANET ED!
The Aspen Institute recently announced the rebrand of the K12 Climate Action initiative to This is Planet Ed, a comprehensive initiative that envisions an education system in which children and youth of all ages can thrive in their communities and are empowered to take meaningful climate action. Co-chaired by John B. King Jr., president of The Education Trust, and 10th U.S. Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama, and Christine Todd Whitman, president of the Whitman Strategy Group and former Governor of New Jersey and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, This is Planet Ed builds on the success of K12 Climate Action, launched in 2020.
This Is Planet Ed, an initiative of the Energy and Environment Program of the Aspen Institute, seeks to unlock the power of education as a force for climate action, climate solutions, and environmental justice. Our goal is to empower the next generation to lead a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future. Scientists have made clear that the impacts of climate change and the need to take action will continue for decades. People must be the driving force for sustained action. Education has been identified as a critical tipping point to meet the societal decarbonization needed by 2050, and yet the education sector is underutilized in advancing solutions. Mobilizing educational leaders in the fight against climate change can help make progress towards decarbonization now and build lasting change for a sustainable future.
Why does PlanetEd matter to us? In its initial phase the K12 Climate Action Commission was launched. The Commission held a listening tour and released an action plan to support K-12 schools in advancing climate solutions. The plan outlines policy recommendations for the local, state, and federal level to support the education sector to mitigate, adapt, educate, and advance equity to address climate change. The initiative included over 20 education, environment, civil rights, youth leaders and more, and built a coalition of over 40 organizations who support the education sector in advancing climate solutions.
Phase II: as a result of phase I, these four initiatives were put now in place:
By employing these strategies, This is Planet Ed will mobilize the demand side for action on climate change.
DEEPER DIVE: PlanetEd, Aspen Institute
THE CLIMATE DAILY 50/100 REFORESTATION CAMPAIGN!
Earth Day has come and gone, but Earth Month still lives on! (Yeessss…) Thank you to the more than dozen listeners of The Climate Daily who donated to The Climate Champions 50/100 campaign! There’s still work to do to get us to 10,000 trees. That’s why we’re extending the campaign through the end of the month–to give more of you the chance to become climate champions.
What’s a climate champion, you ask? A climate champion proves that a small group of people can make a massive impact on the planet in a short amount of time. How? Our company, The Climate, is partnering with over 30 international tree-planting organizations–ALONG WITH our climate champions– to re-plant, and regrow forests all over the world, by planting ten thousand trees at a time.
Why? Because science says the best way to combat climate change is to restore nature. And the fastest way to restore nature is to plant and grow a trillion trees, and the fastest way to plant and grow a trillion trees is to replant and regrow forests. The fastest way to do that is to plant ten thousand trees at a time,
So, we’re looking for folks to donate $50 or $100 one time, to help us plant 10,000 trees at a time, in one of seven regions around the planet (Which our tree planting partners will do. They’re the tree-planting professionals.) Please visit champions.theclimate.org/climate hyphen champions/50or100. Click on the donate button and join our team of climate champions today.
Again, visit champions.theclimate.org/climate hyphen champions/50or100. Click on the donate button and join our team of climate champions today. And if you want to start your own team of climate champions, reach out to us at info@34.203.12.8. Well help you put together your own small group of climate champions to make a massive impact on the planet in a short amount of time. (Planting 10 thousand trees–a 20-acre forest!)
Wouldn’t it be great to be the change you want to see in the world? Go to champions.theclimate.org/climate hyphen champions/50or100and become part of something special. Become a climate champion. Thank you!!
DEEPER DIVE: 50/100 Campaign, Trillion Tree Project