New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance Conferences

Climate Change Preparedness in New Jersey: Leading Practices and Policy Priorities

Thanks to our Education and Outreach Lead Sponsors, Supporters and Contributors and NJCAA Underwriters
7:45-8:15  Registration and Continental Breakfast
 
8:30  Welcome
  James H. Hughes,
Dean, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
 
  • Anne Hoskins, Senior Vice President for
    Public Affairs and Sustainability, PSEG
  • Honorable James J. Florio
 
8:45-9:30  New Jersey Insights
  Introduction: Gary Sondermeyer,
Vice President of Operations, Bayshore Recycling, Inc.
 
9:30-10:45  Leading Practices and Trends Nationally (Panel 1)
 
  • Agriculture — William Hohenstein, Director, Climate Change Program Office, USDA (Hohenstein presentation)
  • Coastal Communities — Margaret Davidson, Director, NOAA Coastal Services Center (Davidson presentation)
  • Natural Resources — Bruce Stein, Director Climate Adaptation, National Wildlife Federation (Stein presentation)
  Moderator: Nick DeNichilo, PE, President and CEO, Hatch Mott MacDonald
 
10:45-11:00  Break
 
11:00  Welcome
Robert M. Goodman, Executive Dean, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
 
11:00-12:30  Leading Practices and Trends Nationally (Panel 2)
 
  • Public Health — Michael A. McGeehin, Former Division Director, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (McGeehin presentation)
  • Transportation — John Posey, Director, East-West Gateway Council of Governments (Posey presentation)
  • Utilities — Sue Tierney, Managing Director, Environmental Analysis Group (Tierney presentation)
  • Water Resources — Paul Fleming, Manager Climate & Resiliency Group, Seattle Public Utilities and Chair, Water Utility Climate Alliance (Fleming presentation)
  Moderator: Kathleen Ellis, Chief Operating Officer, New Jersey Natural Gas
 
12:30-1:45  Lunch
 
Overview of climate change adaptation activities in the United States at the state and federal level
Introduction: James Bach, Chief Operating Officer, The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
 
  Reducing Risks to Vulnerable Populations
Introduction: Nicky Sheats, Thomas Edison State College
 
  • Beverly Wright, Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Dillard University (Wright presentation)
 
2:00-4:00  State of Climate Preparedness in New Jersey — Three concurrent panels (choose one)
 
 Preparing for Climate Change in New Jersey: Preparing our Residents
 Moderator: Tony MacDonald, Director, Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University
 
  • Public Health — George DiFerdinando Jr., Director, NJ Center for Public Health Preparedness at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health (DiFerdinando presentation)
  • Insurance — Megan Linkin, Natural Hazards Expert, Vice President Global Partnerships, Swiss Re America Holding Corporation (Linkin presentation)
  • Social Services — Robert Kley, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mental Health Association of New Jersey
  • Emergency Management — Bob Butkus, Domestic Preparedness Planner, Ocean County Sheriff's Department, Office of Emergency Management (Butkus presentation)
  • Water Resources — Daniel Van Abs, Associate Research Professor, Rutgers University (Van Abs presentation)
  • Underserved Communities — Roland Anglin, Director and Associate Research Professor, The Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, Rutgers University (Anglin presentation)
 
 Preparing for Climate Change in New Jersey: Preparing our Infrastructure
 Moderator: Jeff Perlman, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
 
  • Coastal and Inland Flooding — Mark Mauriello, New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (Mauriello presentation)
  • Transportation and Planning — Jon Carnegie, Executive Director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University (Carnegie presentation)
  • Water Utilities — Dennis Doll, President & Chief Executive Officer, Middlesex Water Company (Doll presentation)
  • Energy Utilities — Kim Hanemann, Vice President for Transmission, PSEG (Hanemann presentation)
  • Natural Resource Restoration — Patty Doerr, Director of Coastal and Marine Programs, The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey (Doerr presentation)
  • Lands Management and Stewardship — Michael Catania, Executive Director, Duke Farms Foundation (Catania presentation)
 
 Preparing for Climate Change in New Jersey: Preparing Our Communities
 Moderator: Jennifer Gonzalez, Environmental Planner, County of Passaic Department of Planning & Economic Development
 
  • Community Engagement — Randy Solomon, Co-Director, The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey (Solomon presentation)
  • Coastal Communities — Tim Dillingham, Executive Director, American Littoral Society
  • Urban Communities — Ana Baptista, Environmental & Planning Projects Director, Ironbound Community Corporation (Baptista presentation)
  • Agricultural Communities — Mark Robson, Dean of Agricultural and Urban Programs, Professor of Entomology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University (Robson presentation)
  • Community and Regional Planning — Lucy Vandenberg, Executive Director, PlanSmart NJ (Vandenberg presentation)
  • Community-based Tools — Lisa Auermuller, Watershed Coordinator, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (Auermuller presentation)

Preparing New Jersey for Climate Change

November 29, 2011
Workshop Highlights Need to Prepare for Climate Change Impacts in New Jersey

Description: Capt. Tony Miller
U.S. Navy Capt. Tony Miller, Director of Task Force Climate Change,
presented the keynote address
(photo by Larry Levanti)

Climate scientists predict that heat waves, droughts, and heavy rains are likely to increase in frequency and severity as the climate changes, and sea level rise will lead to erosion and wetland loss as well as exacerbate the effects of coastal storms.

On Tuesday, November 29 a workshop at Rutgers University responded to a clear and compelling need to bring together public and private sector leaders to assess and discuss the most significant effects of climate change in New Jersey and to begin preparedness planning to minimize economic impacts.

Organized by Clean Air-Cool Planet in partnership with the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the Rutgers Climate and Environmental Change Initiative at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, with support from PSEG, the workshop brought together a broad array of experts to discuss climate change impacts of particular importance to New Jersey at the workshop, Preparing New Jersey for Climate Change.

“This workshop takes the first step in the development of a common information base and the creation of a network of New Jersey leaders and practitioners who will be better prepared to serve New Jersey communities, businesses, and other stakeholders as we begin to address the challenges of climate preparedness,” said Dr. Anthony Broccoli, director of the Climate and Environmental Change Initiative.

The initiative is a university-wide multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach effort focused on understanding the mechanisms that drive global and regional climate change; predicting the future of the climate system and the impacts of change, including those on a densely populated, coastal society; and informing society about the causes and consequences of climate change.

In his keynote U.S. Navy Capt. Tony Miller, Deputy Director of Task Force Climate Change, noted that risk preparedness in the face of a changing climate change is emerging as priority in the military sector just as in the civilian sector. In May 2009, the Chief of Naval Operations created Task Force Climate Change (TFCC) to address the naval implications of a changing Arctic and global environment. The Task Force was created to make recommendations to Navy leadership regarding policy, investment, and action, and to lead public discussion on this serious issue.

Panelists at the workshop noted that July 2011 was recorded as one the state’s warmest, tied with 1955, and six of the 10 warmest Julys have occurred in the past 18 years. Hurricane Irene was ranked among the all-time top five precipitation events in the state, with streams and rivers rising to record or near-record levels. And August 2011 has been officially declared the wettest month of any on record in New Jerseyâ€"and that is only partly due to the effects of Hurricane Irene.

“Climate impacts are no longer just speculation. We are seeing the first clear signs of how more extreme and unpredictable weather will affect our communities, public health, and economic development. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to start preparing to address the coming challenges now,” explained Adam Markham, president of Clean Air-Cool Planet.            

Clean Air-Cool Planet has a more than decade-long track record of working to explore and promote solutions to climate and energy challenges with leaders from different sectors. “Communities throughout the Northeast are crying out for hard information and good advice on how to prepare for climate change impacts and reduce their vulnerability,” said Markham. “We’re delighted to have helped get the ball rolling here in New Jersey today and to be playing a role in beginning to answer these important questions.”

“Climate change poses the greatest environmental threat to mankind,” said Anne Hoskins, PSEG’s senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability. “It is imperative that business executives, government officials and environmental leaders develop forward thinking plans and policies to prepare and adapt to changes in our climate.”

“We hope to communicate the outcomes of this workshop to the public, key policymakers, environmental leaders, and the non-profit sector,” noted Dr. Broccoli. “The ultimate goal is to develop and facilitate a consensus-based strategic planning process for climate change vulnerability assessment and preparedness for New Jersey through the development of sound and cost-effective public policies.”

Preparing New Jersey for Climate Change

A Workshop for Decision Makers
November 29, 2011

Organized by Clean Air-Cool Planet in Partnership with Rutgers University
Hosted at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, New Brunswick

AGENDA & CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

7:30-8:30: Registration/Breakfast

8:30-9:00: Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Dean James W. Hughes, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
  • Dean Robert M. Goodman, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  • Anne E. Hoskins, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and Sustainability, PSEG, and member of the Board of Directors, Clean Air-Cool Planet

9:00-10:45: Panel: Assessing New Jersey's Risks from Climate Change

  • Dr. Anthony Broccoli, Director, Climate & Environmental Change Initiative, Rutgers University (Anthony Broccoli presentation)
  • Adam Freed, Deputy Director, Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, Office of the Mayor, City of New York (Mr. Freed was unable to attend but kindly provided his presentation)
  • Dr. Kim Knowlton, Assistant Clinical Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University (Kim Knowlton presentation)
  • Dr. Joseph Seneca, Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University (Joseph Seneca presentation)

10:45-11:00: Break

11:00-12:20: Panel on Anticipating Economic Impacts of New Jersey's Climate Change Risks

  • Lindsey Ross, Policy Analyst, American Security Project (Ms. Ross was unable to attend)
  • Dr. Robin Leichenko, Director, Rutgers Initiative and Climate and Society (Robin Leichenko presentation)
  • Dr.Megan Linkin, Assistant Vice President at Allianz Risk Transfer, Inc. (Megan Linkin presentation)

12:30-1:45: Lunch at the Heldrich Hotel
Keynote Speaker: Captain Tony Miller, Deputy Director, Task Force Climate Change, US Navy
Remarks:

  • Honorable James J. Florio, former Governor of the State of New Jersey
  • Honorable Thomas H. Kean, former Governor of the State of New Jersey
  • President Richard L. McCormick, Rutgers University

2:00-3:30: Concurrent Working Sessions
Public Health/Environmental Justice
Moderator: Dr. Nicky Sheats, Thomas Edison State College (Nicky Sheats presentation)
Panel:

Infrastructure
Moderator: Dr. Michael Weinstein, Director, PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, Montclair State
Panel:

 

Watershed, Rivers and Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change
Moderator: Tony MacDonald, Director of the Urban Coast Institute (UCI), Monmouth University
Panel:

 

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Moderator: Michael Catania, Executive Director, Conservation Resources, Inc.
Panel:

3:30-3:45: Break

3:45-4:30: Reconvene
Reporting out from the afternoon sessions

  • Session moderators with Jeanne Herb and Marjorie Kaplan

Acknowledgements and Concluding Remarks

    • Adam Markham, President, Clean Air-Cool Planet


  1. Rutgers
  2. New Brunswick
NJ Climate Adaptation Allaiance