Dear Editor:
The New Jersey Climate Superfund Act (S3545/A4696), recently endorsed by the Parsippany-Troy Hills Town Council, epitomizes misguided climate zealotry cloaked as governance. Its proponents claim it will hold fossil fuel companies accountable for damages from climate change, but the Act is scientifically flawed, economically burdensome, and legally dubious. If enacted, it will impose unnecessary costs on New Jersey residents and businesses.
Flawed Science, Misplaced Blame
The Act assumes extreme weather events are increasing due to CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Yet, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explicitly states it has low confidence in detecting long-term trends in such events. Studies by NOAA also confirm no significant increase in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, or other weather phenomena.
Without evidence that fossil fuels drive extreme weather, how can the Act credibly assign blame? This lack of causation undermines its entire premise.
Lack of Proven Harm
Proponents fail to demonstrate specific harm in New Jersey, warranting such drastic action. The supposed “negative impacts” attributed to climate change are indistinguishable from natural weather variability. Blaming fossil fuel companies while ignoring natural factors oversimplifies the science and creates a framework ripe for inefficiency and litigation.
Crushing Economic Burdens
New Jersey already taxes gasoline, natural gas, and heating oil. This Act would impose compensatory payments that fossil fuel companies will pass on to consumers. Higher prices for fuel, utilities, and goods will disproportionately impact low-income households, further burdening an economy already struggling with high energy costs. Businesses and residents may flee to states with less restrictive policies and further erode New Jersey’s tax base and competitiveness.
Misguided Assumptions About CO2
Activists driving this legislation wrongly claim that CO2 is the primary driver of climate change. However, evidence shows the greenhouse effect of CO2 is at or near saturation, meaning additional emissions will have a negligible impact on future global temperatures. CO2 is also essential for life, supporting agriculture and ecosystems. The Act ignores these realities, treating CO2 as an existential threat rather than a critical component of Earth’s biosphere.
A Call to Action
The NJ Climate Superfund Act is a costly and unnecessary overreach built on flawed science, speculative harm, and dubious economics. It risks becoming a costly symbol of virtue signaling and the government’s quest for more revenue.
The EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding within the Clean Air Act, which misclassifies CO2 as a public health threat, will likely be repealed under the Trump administration, weakening the Act’s legal foundation. This will destroy the Act’s legal foundation if challenged in court.
New Jersey residents must reject this ill-conceived legislation. Contact your state representatives and demand a “no” vote. Hold leaders accountable to real science, reason, and economic common sense. New Jersey deserves better.
Thomas Zvolensky
Former Parsippany resident
