The State of New Jersey is facing a historic opportunity – the passage of a constitutional amendment that will recognize the right to clean water, clean air and a healthy environment.
The New Jersey legislature is considering whether the state should amend its Constitution to enshrine every New Jerseyan’s“right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, and ecologically healthy habitats,” and to protect these rights for “both present and future generations.”
It is commonly thought that New Jeseyan’s have a right to clean water, clean air and a healthy environment. But that is simply not the case. While there are laws that work to manage environmental pollution and degradation, they do not recognize the inalienable right to a healthy environment and as a result environmental protection is not given the highest legal protection available under the law. In New Jersey the right to free speech, freedom of religion and other freedoms are protected as fundamental rights in the state constitution. But New Jersey has NO constitutional provision protecting environmental rights in the state.
For decades, the people of New Jersey have relied federal and state legislation to protect their natural resources. And for decades, the laws have let them down. New Jersey water, air, forests, and other special places from the highlands to the pinelands have been allowed to degrade in ways that are harming people’s lives. A Constitutional provision could help change that.
In order to obtain this highest level of protection in New Jersey, the bill must pass through both houses of the New Jersey Legislature before the people of New Jersey will be given the opportunity to vote, through the following ballot, on whether or not their right to pure water, clean air and a healthy environment will be protected by the state constitution.
Sign our petition supporting passage of a New Jersey Green Amendment. This will allow us to show all of our NJ legislators the high level of support when the moment is right. So please, sign our petition below, and then get your family, friends and community members to do the same.
After signing this petition, you can take additional actions to help get this legislation passed.