NJ’s Green Amendment Gets A Hearing After 5 Years: Thank you to supportive testifiers!

Yesterday, one after another, NJ Green Amendment advocates and experts laid out reasons to the NJ Senate Environment and Energy Committee, why the people of New Jersey deserve a constitutionally protected right to a clean and healthy environment. Miss it? You can listen to it here.

“After 6 years of no legislative advancement – the New Jersey Green Amendment received a hearing today - March 7, 2024 - before the Senate Environment & Energy Committee. In a packed room, committee members heard overwhelming support for the proposal to amend the state’s constitution to include a right of the people to “a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, and ecologically healthy habitats” and creating an obligation on all government officials in the state to protect New Jersey’s natural resources for present and future generations. While the amendment was up for committee discussion and public testimony, it was not the subject of a vote by the committee – though advocates present at the hearing remain hopeful that a vote, which they expect will advance the bill, is imminent.”

Read the full press release HERE!

Stay tuned and get involved with the educational effort to pass a NJ Green Amendment.

Volunteer with Waterspirit today!

Proud Member of ANJEE

Waterspirit is proud to be an organizational member of the Alliance for NJ Environmental Education (ANJEE).

Our own staff has participated in ANJEE conferences where environmental educators come together to share ideas and even lesson plans to support one another. ANJEE members consider ourselves to be partners, working together to create, through education, an awareness, understanding and a concern for the quality of the environment and a conviction that human well-being is dependent upon a healthy environment.

Last weekend, leaders of ANJEE (all volunteers) gathered at NJ School of Conservation in Stokes State Forest to review the most recent conferences and plan for the future. (See the amazing photos and videos below.) Are you interested in attending an ANJEE conference? Both the Autumn Outdoor conference (held in Sept) and the Winter Conference (Jan) are great ways for teachers, naturalists, environmental educators and students to deepen their connection to nature and develop a greater understanding of the most current environmental education standards. Visit the ANJEE website to learn more. www.anjee.org

For an added treat, after heavy rains on Saturday, we enjoyed a stream filled, sunny Sunday. We watched the runoff coming off the hills and saw newts in the vernal pools. Take one minute to enjoy the video of the running water below. Turn on your speakers and listen to the amazing sound. Water is life.

New Jersey's Fossil Fuel Divestment Act Advances

Continuing a busy few weeks at Waterspirit, this Monday was no different. S198 the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act was up for a vote and narrowly passed through the Senate Environment & Energy Committee.

RELATED PRESS: Citing climate crisis, lawmakers move to ban new fossil-fuel power plants Committee also pushes to end investments in fossil-fuel sector by state’s public-worker pension program by TOM JOHNSON, ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT WRITER, March 5, 2024.

To learn more and get involved in the DivestNJ campaign, visit our advocacy pages and check out Waterspirit’s related 1 page brief.

In Trenton on Monday, there were also meetings held with key leaders to introduce the New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign’s demands. The next steps include organizing: music, education, outreach and another trip to D.C. in June.

Up tomorrow on 3/7 is a hearing before the Senate Environment and Energy Committee of the NJ Green Amendment (SCR43) at 1PM, Committee Room 6, first floor. Check out Waterspirit’s related advocacy page and brief for the NJ Green Amendment here.

3/11 is another day of action in Trenton as we ensure any Clean Energy Standard for New Jersey is as strong as possible. This effort is being led by the Ironbound Community Corporation and overburdened residents whose communities continue to be sacrificed. May you make 2 calls to urge these legislators to lead on climate and support amendments to the Clean Energy Standard that protect clean water, air, environmental justice communities, and in-state jobs?

  • Assembly Speaker Coughlin’s office: 1-866-877-5944

  • Senate President Scutari’s office: 1-866-961-3208

There is no shortage of ways to get involved in all that Waterspirit is doing. Check our Calls to Action Page and Calendar often and let us know if you want to volunteer to do more!

Mass assembly launched 40 weeks of action in the lead-up to November, when poor, low-wealth voters will play crucial role in elections

The New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign Mass Assembly was a momentous event! Thank you to all who made it a success, and to those who plan to work with the effort toward poverty eradication.

We are sharing the video recording HERE and InsiderNJ coverage, “Thirteen miles from Princeton, the Gospel of Possibility.”

During Saturday’s mass assembly, a powerful fusion coalition, including impacted people, poor and low-wage voters, faith leaders, and social justice advocates, gathered to declare their votes are demands for living wages, voting rights and other policies to prevent poverty and save lives. As part of the assembly, poor and low-wage voters shared testimony of how poverty has impacted their lives and why politicians need to champion the issues that matter most to poor and low-wealth individuals. 

Centering the lived experience, we could not help but notice water was a thread throughout. Toxins in New Jersey’s water are overwhelmingly contaminating the bodies of poor and low-income residents. Working on education, outreach and solutions to water issues, advocates from across the state were represented. Waterspirit has played an integral role in supporting the New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign’s growth and we were glad to partake in the days event. If you are interested in learning more, please email: newjersey@poorpeoplescampaign.org

Water Ceremony at Sandy Hook

Waterspirit staff, volunteers and friends gathered at Sandy Hook on Saturday Feb, 24, 2024 for a Water Ceremony to honor the Sacredness of Water. We shared poems and prayers beside the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. As we journeyed along a candle-lit labyrinth in the sand, we contemplated the importance of water in our own lives and recognized the role water plays in keeping us connected to all creation. Waterspirit knows the value of water. Water is Life.

““Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.””
— W. H. Auden

New Jersey Poor People's Campaign Presser got Coverage!

New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign held a press conference last week in Trenton on February 20th, along with simultaneous press conferences taking place across the land. Thank you to InsiderNJ reported Bob Hennelly for covering it with this story: https://www.insidernj.com/election-year-poor-peoples-campaign-gap/

Given the lived experiences shared, mainstream media coverage of homelessness is increasingly getting a necessary spotlight. The NJ press conference helped spark media attention, namely to the plight of the preventable experience of poverty violence known as homelessness.

Waterspirit supports the efforts of the New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign which inherently focus on the interconnectedness of all social justice issue areas with water and climate justice as core. Without clean water, there is no life'; it is our moral duty to protect the human right to water.

We encourage you to register for the 3/2/24 state mass assembly rallies; in New Jersey, please register HERE and spread widely to your networks! or email newjersey@poorpeoplescampaign.org