Opinion: Liz Cheney schools Chris Christie on political courage

*Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is voting for Kamala Harris. Will Chris Christie join her? (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)*

By Tom Moran | Star-Ledger Editorial Board

Liz Cheney said yesterday that she intends to swallow hard and pull the lever for Kamala Harris in November, making good on her stated belief that Donald Trump is a maniac who has a knife to the throat of our democracy.

“I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in other people’s names, especially in swing states,” she told students at Duke University. “Not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.”

Can Chris Christie show that same kind of courage, that same patriotism? Like Cheney, he tells us Trump is a low-down hustler who is unfit for office. But unlike Cheney, he has not done all he can to stop him. She’s jumped into the fight. He hasn’t.

And let’s remember, he is the Dr. Frankenstein who helped create this monster, the first major Republican to endorse Trump in 2016, and his debate coach in the 2020 campaign. He owes America a debt for that.

But so far, he’s been playing it safe. The easy option is to vote for Ronald Reagan, his hero. That would keep his own fingerprints of the gun this time. But if he really believes what he says about Trump, then it’s a cop out of historic dimensions.

Read the full story here

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‘I panic when I hear rain’

New York’s deadly basement apartments face growing flooding risk

Many of the roughly 100,000 units are illegal and do not conform to codes, making them a hazard for fires and floods

By Samantha Maldonado, The Guardian

Josh Alba had lived in an illegal basement apartment in Queens, New York, for almost five years. Despite the low ceilings, he savored his chance to afford housing without roommates. But his tenure there ended during Hurricane Ida.

He’d been asleep on his couch as the rain started falling. He only woke up when his cat smacked him in the face, and he noticed water coming in from outside, rising to at least an inch on the floor.

Alba wrapped his cat in a blanket and texted his landlord, who unlocked the door to upstairs through which he escaped. Later, he said, the water broke down the door leading outside from the basement, and the floods came up to about 5ft, toppling the refrigerator and ruining most of his belongings.

“I could’ve died if I didn’t wake up,” he said. Now 35, Alba lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with roommates, paying just $300 less for his room than he had paid for his former basement apartment.

In September 2021, Hurricane Ida deluged New York City with floodwaters and record rainfall – and killed 13 New Yorkers, including 11 who drowned in basement homes.

Read the full story here

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More discouraging news for NJ’s offshore wind plan

By Shannon McDonagh, Newsweek

New Jersey’s newest ambitious clean-energy project is facing significant delays.

Leading Light Wind, an American-founded initiative, has requested a pause from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) on its plans to develop a wind farm off Long Beach Island.

The project is struggling to secure a manufacturer for its turbine blades.

In a filing submitted in July but only recently made public, Leading Light Wind cited industrywide shifts in market conditions as the primary reason for the delay.

Wes Jacobs, the project director and vice president of Offshore Wind Development at Invenergy, a partner in the project, emphasized the need for more time to negotiate with the board and supply chain partners.

Despite the pause, his outlook remains hopeful.

“As one of the largest American-led offshore wind projects in the country, we remain committed to delivering this critically important energy project, as well as its significant economic and environmental benefits, to the Garden State,” he said in a statement.

The project has since been plagued by setbacks, including the withdrawal of turbine supplier GE Vernova and a significant cost increase from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, leaving the project without a viable turbine supplier.

Read the full story here

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California legislature passes textile EPR bill and much more

If the bill is signed, California could become the first state to adopt a textile extended producer responsibility program. Lawmakers also approved EPR updates for paint, carpet and marine flares.

A compost pile in California. State legislators in Sacramento approved several waste and recycling bills in 2024 meant to establish and modernize EPR programs and update SB 1383 organics recycling rules.

By Cole Rosengren and Megan Quinn, Waste Dive

California state legislators approved a range of waste and recycling bills last week before wrapping up their session on Aug. 31. The bills will now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a final decision by Sept. 30.

If these bills are signed, California could become the first state to establish an extended producer responsibility program for textiles. The state is also poised to update its paint EPR program and replace its carpet management program with a new EPR model.

Legislators also passed several bills related to SB 1383, the state’s complex organics recycling law. However, bills related to compost facility zoning, packaging EPR updates and other topics failed to pass before the end of the session.

Additionally, the legislature passed multiple packaging-related bills with implications for the waste and recycling industry. Notable examples include an effort to standardize expiration date labels, which supporters say could reduce food waste, and a bill to tighten the state’s regulation of plastic grocery bags. Both measures saw support from notable waste industry groups.

Read on for more highlights from the waste and recycling bills that previously made it through California’s legislative crossover deadline in May:

Read the full story here

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Go take a hike…in New Jersey

Terrace Pond and Paulinskill Valley Trail,

Terrace Pond – West, Circular, North

Rocky scrambles, a pretty pond, a floating bridge, and a ladder packed into 5 scenic miles.

Have you ever crossed Terrace Pond’s floating bridge? It’s on this route and replaced a dicey water crossing. This nearby ladder was added to help with a rock scramble.

5.2 miles round trip. This is 1 of 4 hike guides we have to Terrace Pond. Passaic County, NJ.

Hike Terrace Pond…

Paulinskill Valley Trail, Upper

Hike, bike, or jog a shady rail-trail along the Paulins Kill river from Warbasse Junction to Cedar Ridge Road.

Easy hiking, but for biking the surface is a bit more rugged than other NJ rail-trails such as the D&R Canal or Columbia Trail.

This is the upper section of the trail that was featured last month. The guide describes a 22-mile round trip route but you can turn around at any time. The entire PVT is 27 miles one-way.

Warren County, New Jersey

Hike Paulinskill Valley…

If you need hiking gear or clothing, you might want to scoop it up during REI’s annual Labor Day clearance running through Sept 2!

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Pitch in, pick up, to keep Jersey beaches clean

At New Jersey's largest volunteer environmental event, guests clean up harmful litter while collecting impactful data. Sweeps take place Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — At New Jersey’s largest volunteer environmental event, guests clean up harmful litter while collecting impactful data. Sweeps take place Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Shutterstock)

By Veronica Flesher, Patch Staff

LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ — Calling all volunteers! Clean Ocean Action’s Fall Beach Sweeps are set for Oct. 19 at more than 80 locations statewide, and registration opens on Sept. 3.

At New Jersey’s largest volunteer environmental event, guests clean up harmful litter while collecting impactful data. Sweeps take place Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Registration opens Sept. 3 at 12 p.m. and is required in order to participate. Visit Clean Ocean Action’s website for more information.

“The beachy-clean fun continues ever onward as we get ready for Fall Beach Sweeps! With each Sweeps, we’re able to gather collectively to make change in the state of NJ through research, education, and citizen science. Join COA and many other like-minded individuals to give back to the beautiful ocean and other watersheds we enjoy year-round!” said Kira Cruz, Clean Ocean Action’s Debris Free Sea Coordinator and coordinator of the Beach Sweeps.

Sweeps provides people with an opportunity to “give back” to the ocean by helping remove litter, which pollutes our land and water and is harmful and lethal to marine life. The data collected by volunteers participating in the Beach Sweeps turns a one-day event into a legacy of information to increase public awareness and change wasteful habits, enforce litter and waste production laws, and improve policies to reduce sources of marine debris.

“Overall, the Summer of 2024 was beautiful, great waves, crystal waters, and marine life was putting on a show with whales breaching and dolphins splashing! Now you can give back, join us for the Fall Beach Sweeps to rid beaches of debris and collect valuable data to help us reduce sources of marine debris!” said Cindy Zipf, COA Executive Director.

These are the Long Beach Island locations being cleaned:

Brant Beach Pavilion (68th Street; 39.61556, -74.19806; additional parking at Bayview Park)
Wally’s Restaurant in Surf City (712 Long Beach Blvd, Surf City NJ 08008) In partnership with Alliance for a Living Ocean

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