Also check out my profile today about exactly how regular folks can earn money via the extraordinary new Global Emissions Exchange that calls NJ its home. Further updates today include:

NJ / Global Warming

NJ / Global Warming. NJ Future commended the State's Greenhouse Gas Plan, but warns in its press release that more action will be necessary. For instance, NJ Future wants the plan to establish more transit locations, commit to the DOT's transit village program, and include specific legislative recommendations to address land-use. The public feedback period will contain six Trenton meetings Jan 6-16; I believe the the plan should establish a politically experienced "Implementation Team" and an endorsement of NJ's Global Emissions Exchange in order to earn money from the carbon reduction results above-and-beyond the efficiency savings.

"Bold" NJ Climate Plan. SustainableBusiness.com calls NJ's Draft Global Warming Response Act Recommendation Report, released this week, "one of the most comprehensive and progressive in the nation." (hat tip Politicker NJ.) But many NJ-watchers warn that implementation has been NJ's weakness, not policy expertise. The Report needs to establish an "Implementation Team," I've been arguing.

Energy

Wind farm plans advance, reports the Press of Atlantic City, and The Recrod: "Three companies instead of one are moving ahead with plans to build wind farms off the south Jersey coast... [Each] will receive $4m if they construct towers offshore to gather weather information by the end of next year.... [NJ's Energy Master Plan] wants to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity from offshore wind power by 2012. The companies include Bluewater Wind, Fishermen's Energy and Garden State.

Rep. Scott Garrett's terrible environmental and energy record is the subject of a Take Back The Fifth post today. I've written that one of the best things NJ can do to improve the environment is help Take Back The Fifth elect one of his challenges in '10.

Energy Efficiency. NJBiz.com's #2 most-read article (which I highlighted earlier this week) is about a NJ company that makes corporate IT networks run with much greater energy efficiency.

Preservation

Highlands / PSE&G. "The NJ Highlands Council today [in Chester Township] heard an initial presentation of PSE&G's plans for a $750m power line upgrade.... PSE&G officials stressed that the new lines, on towers reaching as high as 195 feet, would be built within existing line corridor and lead to little additional environmental disturbance. But environmentalists disagreed, saying the work would violate some 50 provisions of the Highlands regional master plan, including infringing at least in Jefferson on stream buffers, sensitive forestland, wildlife habitat and steep slopes." The Daily Record.

Beachfront. NJ will appeal this weeks' court decision to make it harder for the state to replenish beaches. Press of Atlantic City.

Additional

Pollution / Schools. "Pompton Lakes school district officials, heeding the call of concerned parents, are looking into the testing of school facilities for the same kind of chemical vapors that are rising beneath a neighborhood of residences in town [originating with a DuPont facility]," reports Elaine D'Aurizio of The Record.

Judges spares Sierra Club NJ photocopy bill. "An appellate judge has thrown out a $4,000 bill submitted to the Sierra Club and Hartz Mountain Industries by the NJ Sports and Exposition Authority to pay for documents related to a lengthy legal battle by the groups," writes The Record. Sierra Club NJ head says unfair tabs like that would unfairly discourage future legal actions by citizens against state agencies. NJSEA said it was going to let it go anyway.

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