On Feb. 13, Environment New Jersey’s Suzanne Leta Liou joined Gov. Jon Corzine as he signed an executive order directing state officials to develop a plan for global warming pollution reductions.

The governor’s order requires the state Department of Environmental Protection to cut New Jersey’s carbon pollution 20 percent below current levels by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050—a commitment that immediately places New Jersey among the nation’s leaders in finding solutions to global warming.

To ensure voter approval of Ballot Question 2, Environment New Jersey worked with more than 70 organizations known collectively as the Outdoor Recreation Alliance. The coalition included environmentalists, urban advocacy organizations and sportsmen's groups.

Last September, Environment New Jersey’s Leta Liou authored and released to the media a report detailing 11 steps the state could take to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. The report, “A Blueprint for Action: Policy Options to Reduce New Jersey’s Contribution to Global Warming,” also helped enlist scientists, business leaders and local officials to join us in urging the governor to take action.

Throughout the fall and winter, at least 7,500 Environment New Jersey members and supporters made their views known to the governor on the issue through phone calls and e-mails.

Environment New Jersey is also working to build support for state legislative action on global warming.

On Feb. 20, 200 people attended a hearing on the New Jersey Global Warming Response Act, including two pre-eminent climate scientists, Dr. Alan Robock of Rutgers University and Dr. Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University

The act would lend more force to the governor’s executive order by making carbon pollution reductions mandatory.

The work paid off on Feb. 26, when the Assembly Environment Committee passed the bill and sent it to the Assembly floor. Environment New Jersey is urging Speaker Joe Roberts to pass the Global Warming Response Act.