Meet NJ’s Assembly Environment Committee Chair

A few weeks ago, subscribers to our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics, got to see our
recent video interview with Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer who is chairwoman
of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

Today we’re also making the video available to you, a reader of our EnviroPolitics Blog.

Spencer, an attorney, Democrat, and lifelong resident of Newark, was appointed to the
post in January by Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver. The committee’s former chairman,
John F. McKeon, lost the position after lining up with a faction of dissident Democrats in
an unsuccessful attempt to deny Oliver another term as the Assembly’s leader.

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thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and
regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 


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Our most recent posts:

The latest from our formerly favorite political cartoonist

Storm recovery conference call for small business in NJ
Offshore wind energy gets one step nearer 

Meet NJ’s Assembly Environment Committee Chair Read More »

The latest from our formerly favorite political cartoonist

Ouch!! 

Doonesbury


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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 

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Our most recent posts:
Storm recovery conference call for small business in NJ

Offshore wind energy gets one step nearer 

How to get free publicity for your environmental event
NJ Pinelands Alliance sees enviro-protections weakening

The latest from our formerly favorite political cartoonist Read More »

Storm recovery conference call for small business in NJ


What’s available to help your small business recover from Hurricane Sandy?

The office of  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announces that small business owners have the opportunity tomorrow to join a conference
call with senior officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), New Jersey Economic Development
Authority and the New Jersey Business Action Center to discuss the federal and
state governments’ efforts to help small businesses and homeowners recover from
Hurricane Sandy.

Officials will provide updates
and answer questions about assistance and support to states affected by the
aftermath of the storm.
WHAT: Small business owners
conference call with government officials
WHEN: Thursday, November 8 at 2
p.m.
DIAL IN: 1-888-621-9649, Event
number: 411483

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 

***********************************************************************************************************

Our most recent posts:

Offshore wind energy gets one step nearer 

How to get free publicity for your environmental event
NJ Pinelands Alliance sees enviro-protections weakening
Pa’s voter registration slips 3 percent in presidential year

Storm recovery conference call for small business in NJ Read More »

Offshore wind energy gets one step nearer

We thank Seth Jaffe of the Foley Hoag law firm for the following update.


On Friday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released its Environmental Assessment for the Massachusetts outer continental shelf offshore Wind Energy Area. The EA does not permit construction of any turbines. It merely provides the basis for issuance of leases, pursuant to which the leaseholders would have the authority to perform the necessary detailed environmental and feasibility studies to determine whether to proceed with construction of turbines. 
According to Greenwire, Jack Clarke of Mass Audubon has already pretty much blessed the EA. While BOEM has proposed an alternative that would eliminate approximately 25% of the WEA to increase protection for Right Whales, the preferred alternative remains to lease the entire WEA and, if I had to guess, it looks as though BOEM will move forward to lease the entire area.
BOEM will take comments on the EA through December 3. 

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 

***********************************************************************************************************

Our most recent posts:

How to get free publicity for your environmental event
NJ Pinelands Alliance sees enviro-protections weakening
Pa’s voter registration slips 3 percent in presidential year

The GAO weighs in on fracking’s rewards and risks

Offshore wind energy gets one step nearer Read More »

A leading source for ‘Sandy’ news was a Facebook page

How A Facebook Page Became The Top Source For Hurricane News 

This article originally published at The Daily Dot here.  

The Daily DotNovember 2, 2012 by Jordan Valinsky for   

In Hurricane Sandy’s destructive wake, it’s a Facebook page that is providing essential information to those affected in New Jersey.

Created by N.J. resident Justin Auciello, “Jersey Shore Hurricane News” is aggregating updates, providing shelter information, and organizing volunteer meetups for the page’s 170,000 subscribers. Auciello created it last year during 2011’s Hurricane Irene, but it’s getting a second life because of Superstorm Sandy — gaining more than 100,000 likes since last week.
JSHN is a constant feed of timely information that is proving to be indispensable as the state struggles to get back on its feet. Auciello told MuckRack that he is posting several times a day from hundreds of trusted contributors that he’s developed over the past year.
“It is especially useful in emergency situations, particularly when people are without power and only have social media via smartphones,” said Auciello. “I try to cover stories from all angles — as much context as possible in real-time, which is a complex task.”
The crowdsourced page sees hundreds of posts a day, with some JSHN contributors posting live reports of news breaking incidents, like fires or rescue operations. During the peak of Sandy, Auciello said the page was receiving hundreds of new posts every 15 minutes.
The page’s large fan base could be tempting to hoaxers thirsting to spread false information, but that hasn’t happened since users identify by their full names.
“In the event that a report is false, it would get exposed quickly by someone else,” said Auciello. “I think it’s a testament to citizen journalism that mainstream media monitors JSHN for information.”
JSHN’s influence spreads beyond casual users and is sourced by mainstream press outlets and monitored by the New Jersey Office of Emergency and fire departments. Stranded residents are posting to appealing for rescue while the Union Beach Fire Department seeking generators had their request granted within ten minutes of posting.
Auciello, whose house maintained power during the storm, called the project “very time consuming.” In addition to maintaining a full time job and a small staff, he admitted that it’s going to be difficult to continue JSHN at this magnitude for long.
“This is the future, especially with smartphones growing in popularity every day,” said Auciello. “People not only want news in real-time, but they also want to help report the news.”
***********************************************************************************************************What was/were your primary news source(es) for Hurricane Sandy?  How big a role did social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) play in keeping you informed? Use the comment box below. If you encounter a problem, let us know at: editor@enviropolitics.com 
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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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A leading source for ‘Sandy’ news was a Facebook page Read More »

Quick, he’s running for re-election. Get him a puppy!

An eagle-eyed voter in Pennsylvania’s 89th General Assembly District sent a message informing Keystone Politics that they had in their possession doctored political photos
used by the re-election campaign of State Representative Rob Kauffman. 

The photos appear below with the political blog’s description: 

“Here’s the first piece of literature, which was given to voters by Kauffman as he knocked on their door:     

An idyllic, perfect, and loving family indeed. Now, here’s the piece of campaign literature that was sent to the very same voters as a follow up:

Puppy! [Keystone Politics added the red circle highlighting the perplexing pooch.]


Puppygate? Not even close. Still, one wonders what Kauffman’s advisers were thinking. Was it that important to make an otherwise perfectly acceptable looking family appear a
tiny bit more All-American?  Did it outweigh the risk of being outed as a photo-manipulator?
What’s your favorite, uh, ‘creative’ political campaign story?  Use the comment box below. If you encounter a problem, let us know at: editor@enviropolitics.com  
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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
***********************************************************************************************************

Most recent posts:

How to get free publicity for your environmental event
NJ Pinelands Alliance sees enviro-protections weakening
Pa’s voter registration slips 3 percent in presidential year

The GAO weighs in on fracking’s rewards and risks

Recyclers in NJ meet for 32nd education & awards event
Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant 

Quick, he’s running for re-election. Get him a puppy! Read More »