Environmental Goals & Indicators:

1. Strong Community, Culture & Recreation
   1. Indicator: Open space available for public recreation
2. Healthy People
   1. Indicator: Number of reported hospital admissions for asthma
   2. Efficient Transportation and Land Use
   3. Indicator: Vehicle miles traveled (per capita)
3. Natural and Ecological Integrity
   1. Indicator: Freshwater wetland losses
   2. Indicator: Nesting water bird populations
   3. Indicator: River health
   4. Indicator: Marine water quality
4. Protected Natural Resources
   1. Indicator: Energy consumption
   2. Indicator: Farmland
   3. Indicator: Beach and bay closings
   4. Indicator: Preserved and developed land
5. Minimal Pollution & Waste
   1. Indicator: Greenhouse gas releases
   2. Indicator: Drinking water quality
   3. Indicator: Total solid waste production
   4. Indicator: Air pollution

1. Goal: Strong Community, Culture & Recreation

Feeling good about where you live, feeling a connection to your neighbors and local institutions while surrounded by places to play and learn is an ideal that many people seek. New Jersey offers a vast array of communities and neighborhoods -- cities, small towns, old and new suburbs, rural lands -- and an equally vast array of recreation and cultural options, from cranberry festivals to opera, from bicycle races to ethnic celebrations. Our community bond is weakened when we don't participate in community events, if we fear to walk some streets and when we can't or don't visit our cultural and recreational places.

Indicator: Open space available for public recreation
Status: Increasing
Both children and adults need places to congregate and play. These simple pleasures are fundamental to quality of life in New Jersey. As of 1996, a total of 816,000 acres had been preserved for public recreation. Unfortunately, the remaining unpreserved open space is being rapidly consumed by development.

We benefit from public land in many ways: homes and businesses near parks are worth more than those in other places; we strengthen our communities when we socialize in these places; plants and animals have places to thrive; and green spaces clean our air and water.

Benefits of open space:

1. Economic: New Jersey's second largest industry is tourism -- a measure, in part, of the state's natural charm and attraction. Other industries understand the importance of open space to the quality of life enjoyed by their employees and consider this when deciding where to locate or expand. One Colorado study found the market value of properties adjacent to greenways was 32 percent higher than those only half a mile away.
2. Environmental: We think of parks and open spaces as places to play and relax. But to the state's flora and fauna they are home. This double utility of parks allows us to have fun while also preserving species. Natural areas also absorb some of the pollution from our cars and factories and filter our water. Parks are a triple benefit.
3. Social: Green spaces are part of self-perception. When we think of our nicest neighborhoods we see tree-lined streets, baseball diamonds and benches in the grass. When we think of our nicest vacations, we see ocean beaches, the Appalachian Mountains, the Pine Barrens and the outdoors We can gather in green spaces and socialize. They are part of who we are.

Things to think about:

1. Despite the fact that the amount of open space available for public use has increased, the view from the road -- seemingly endless strip malls and subdivisions -- continues to show that we are losing our forests and farms at an alarming rate.
2. Most of the acres preserved since 1970 have been acquired through the Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres program.

Knowledge gaps:

We still do not have consistent data on the total amount of open space lost annually in New Jersey. The data we have do not tell us whether our open lands have been logged recently, whether they suffer from pollution or other degradation, or about the general quality of nature there. These data also do not say how accessible these places are to our people, especially those without cars.

2. Goal: Healthy People

New Jersey is the home of some of world's largest healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Health service is our largest private-sector industry, providing more than 300,000 jobs. Some of the foremost health research in the world takes place here. At the same time, New Jersey has more hazardous and contaminated (Superfund) sites qualifying for federal aid than any other state.

Indicator: Number of reported hospital admissions for asthma per 100,000 people
Status: Little Change
Asthma is believed caused in part by poor air quality. Moreover, asthma is an indicator of environmental conditions that can cause a host of other serious respiratory ailments. It is a leading indicator of health care costs and reduced economic productivity as well as of human suffering. At a time when our state is becoming wealthier, this indicator reminds us that economic growth can come at an undesirable cost.

Importance of monitoring asthma rates:

1. Economic: Elevated asthma rates increase health care costs. When their symptoms become severe, asthmatics are also sometimes unable to work, and so part of their productivity is lost as well.
2. Environmental: The amount of suffering from asthma is a proxy measurement for local air quality conditions, and those conditions can trigger other respiratory ailments. Air quality is an interesting indicator because it is caused by many environmental problems such as automobile emissions, electricity generation, open space destruction and pollution from manufacturing. These connections tie public health to related issues such as environmental quality, vehicle miles traveled, ridership of mass transit and economic productivity.
3. Social: The simple ability to go out and play, or walk around and be neighborly is a pillar of our civil lives. But asthma keeps some of us inside, especially on hot summer days when air quality is poor.

Things to think about:

1. Children sometimes miss days of school because of asthma.
2. Asthma threatens our children, the elderly and those of us who already have other respiratory illnesses more than other New Jerseyans.

3. Goal: Efficient Transportation and Land Use

New Jersey is a state of transportation "firsts": the first stagecoach, the first balloon flight, the first airport, first steam locomotive. But despite this promising "multi-modal" start, mobility in our state depends on cars and highways. The number of miles we drive in a year has risen steadily, as has the amount of time we spend sitting in cars. The amount of land we pave for roads and subdivisions has risen correspondingly, as has the congestion we endure. Our late 20th century pattern, to build new homes rather than renovate existing towns, perpetuates our car culture -- when we do require services or recreation, most of us have little choice but to drive. The lack of choice in transportation and land use is likely to be an increasing problem as the population ages and becomes less able to live in auto-dependent locations.

Indicator: Vehicle miles traveled (per capita)
Status: Increasing
Vehicle miles traveled and ridership on public transit are both measures of mobility -- a highly prized asset at the end of the 20th century. Our jobs, schools, shopping and recreation sites are frequently spread out and far from our homes. Further, much development -- office, retail center, housing -- is designed for optimal auto access at the expense, often elimination, of other transportation options. Increasing the transit share of our travel would mean that we have planned our "built environment" better, do not need to travel as much and that we will have less traffic congestion and pollution.

Importance of measuring vehicle miles traveled:

1. Economic: The more we drive, the more we are delayed. This irony is the essence of congestion. As our VMT rise, our transport efficiency declines in the resulting traffic jams. As our transit ridership rises, however, congestion is reduced and energy efficiency is increased. This efficiency translates into a competitive economy as workers, consumers and goods get where they need to go with minimum time and cost.
2. Environmental: Motor vehicles and roads may be the largest source of air and water pollution in New Jersey. Roads also fragment wildlife habitat making it unsuitable for some species. Approximately 25 percent of all energy consumed in our state is used for transportation. As VMT increase, our pollution increases.
3. Social: Traditional, centralized towns and cities are more amenable to transit use and harbor a greater sense of community identity than sprawling townships and corporate campuses. Automobile dependence tends to isolate people in their cars, inhibiting interaction and community coherence; while transit brings them together in stations, towns and in larger vehicles.

Things to think about:

1. In many new communities, it is impossible to get a candy bar, gallon of milk or a newspaper, or to go to school or church, without using a car. Many new subdivisions don't even have sidewalks.
2. Most of our existing rail lines are well patronized. For ridership to increase significantly, more capacity and new lines will have to be added.

4. Goal: Natural and Ecological Integrity

Few states have as many types of habitat and ecosystems as New Jersey: bears and bald eagles populate our mountains, crabs and egrets home in our salt marshes, dolphins frolic off our shore, wild orchids bloom in our Pine Barrens. Unfortunately, we are losing much of this natural heritage. Some work is addressing these losses by preserving land, conserving wetlands and the birds and other species that depend on them, and reducing pollution in rivers and coastal areas. Yet despite the efforts of many New Jerseyans, we face escalating threats to our biodiversity, primarily due to habitat loss. Reduced biodiversity has economic as well as environmental consequences -- for example, a healthy and biologically diverse watershed cleanses water naturally, saving millions in water treatment.

Indicator: Freshwater wetland losses
Status: Increasing
Wetlands, or bogs and marshes -- including the Meadowlands around Giants Stadium -- are a particularly critical ecosystem. They filter water, protect us from floods and provide habitat for a wide range of species. They are incubators supplying our sport and commercial fisheries. They are way stations for migrating birds. According to the most conservative estimates, we have lost more than 20 percent of our wetlands since 1900; and as much as 50 percent since colonial times. Fortunately, our annual loss of wetlands has declined impressively in the last two years. We now permit development of fewer than 100 wetland acres a year, from the approximately 300,000 acres of wetlands remaining in our state.

Importance of monitoring wetland losses:

1. Economic: Wetlands act as a natural filter for our ground water supply, reducing the need for expensive investments in water purification. Wetlands also mitigate floods by absorbing water and releasing it slowly, which reduces costs that we might otherwise pay for insurance and clean up. As habitat for a rich variety of wildlife, wetlands attract tourists and bird watchers to our growing "eco-tourism" industry.
2. Environmental: Wetlands support a high density and diversity of native and migratory animal, plant and insect species. Many oceanic species rely on wetlands for some portion of their lives. Wetlands are one of the state's largest repositories of biological capital. Wetlands are also among the habitats most sensitive to disturbance.
3. Social: Wetlands enhance our quality of life by contributing to our recreational opportunities -- hunting, fishing, bird watching -- activities dependent upon clean water and habitat. Birds and other species that rely on wetlands for habitat enhance our daily relationship with the natural environment.

Things to think about:

1. Although our drinking water has remained relatively clean, the amount of work necessary to make it clean has increased over the years as nature's services of cleaning the water have declined with the loss of wetlands and other ecosystems.

Indicator: Nesting water bird populations
Status: Decreasing
Our populations of Great Blue Herons, American Egrets and other water birds are declining. Water birds are at the top of the food chain, and so their well-being can serve as an indicator of the general health of the ecosystem on which they rely; in this case, our wetlands and shore. If water birds are declining, we can also infer the species that they eat, such as fish, amphibians and insects are also in trouble. This decline is due in part to the over-development of shoreline areas and wetlands.

Importance of monitoring nesting water bird populations:

1. Economic: Bird watching is the fastest-growing outdoor sport in the United States. This indicator is important to watch not only for the direct contribution of bird watchers to our economy, but because the habitat that water birds prefer is also the habitat preferred by vacationers seeking refuge from a busy world. If this habitat is lost, it will have other economic impacts, such as additional flooding, water supply degradation and weakened fisheries.
2. Environmental: Water birds react to many changes in the environment, and so their decline tells us about many environmental problems, from pollution to habitat loss. As a result, they are a "plural indicator species." Declining populations of indicator species can indicate an ecological unraveling which threatens our state's natural capital as well as the clean air and water provided to us "for free" by nature.
3. Social: Birds, like all of New Jersey's wildlife, are part of our heritage and our memories. They are part of what it means to explore the beaches of our state and to participate in the tradition of experiencing nature.

Things to think about:

1. Water birds like herons and egrets were once almost wiped out by the millinery trade, but made a great comeback once laws were put into place to protect them from hunting and trapping. Their current decline stems from habitat loss that may not be possible to reverse.
2. Water birds nest in large colonies, and so need large undisturbed areas for nesting and breeding.

Indicator: River health
Status: Increasing
Our river ecosystems survive only if they have enough dissolved oxygen. When large quantities of fertilizers and other pollution run off from our farms, cities and roads, then algae and bacteria grow quickly in our rivers and use up the oxygen. This process is known as "eutrophication." It kills many fish and other species and changes the ecological balance of the rivers.

Importance of river health:

1. Economic: Our rivers are part of the state's water system from which we draw much of our drinking water. Our state has significant industries that depend on healthy rivers for tourism and for fishing. Some of the ocean fish harvested by New Jersey businesses are spawned and hatched in our rivers. Property values are high adjacent to healthy bodies of water.
2. Environmental: Rivers are particularly important ecosystems. They matter not only to a wide range of freshwater fish and aquatic species, but also to many birds and insects and to ocean fish that spend parts of their lives in freshwater. River, or riparian habitat is also among the most sensitive and the first to show damage from pollution and disturbance.
3. Social: Healthy rivers provide valuable recreation to those who have access. They bring charm and pride to the communities they run through. Sadly, the poorest and most neglected communities also have the most polluted rivers.

Things to think about:

1. New Jersey's great cities, including Paterson, Newark, Camden, Jersey City and New Brunswick, were located intentionally on rivers. Each of these distressed cities has a distressed river running through it. Many of the best revitalization efforts are focusing on riverfront restoration.
2. Rivers are habitat to a large number of organisms on our endangered species lists and eutrophication, or lack of oxygen, is one of the leading reasons for those species to decline.
3. The pollution that causes eutrophication is usually not toxic pollution. Ordinary nutrients are among the substances that feed the algae and bacteria that use up the dissolved oxygen. This means that excessive quantities of otherwise harmless substances also constitute a kind of pollution that harms our environment.

Indicator: Marine water quality
Status: Increasing
Shellfish eat by filtering whatever is floating in the ocean. As a result, our ability to eat shellfish -- or our need to declare them off limits -- is an important indicator of water quality and ecosystem health. As our water quality has improved, we have been able to open up more acres of shellfish for harvest. Since the time when the first shell fisheries were closed, New Jersey has had a strong record of improving coastal waters.

Importance of marine water quality:

1. Economic: As a coastal state, marine resources are important to New Jersey's economy. We have a vibrant commercial fishing industry, of which shellfish are part. The commercial and sport fishing industries rely on clean water just as much as the shellfish industry. Water quality, and perhaps a fresh oyster or two, are important to tourism which is the second largest industry in the state.
2. Environmental: Maintaining marine water quality and habitat is essential to protecting the diversity of life in the ocean. As bottom dwellers and filter feeders, shellfish are good indicator species for the quality of the water and the health of the marine ecosystem. Moreover, clean coastal waters reduce public health problems when we eat fish -- and when we swim and play in this water.
3. Social: Clean beaches and water provide safe opportunities for recreation and tourism in our coastal communities. Trips to the shore, and the opportunity to eat fresh seafood, are timeless leisure activities for many of us. Maintaining them means keeping an important part of our heritage.

Things to think about:

1. New Jersey is one of only five states that have been able to increase its number of harvestible estuarine acres since 1990.
2. Suburban and urban runoff is one of the biggest remaining uncontrolled pollution sources contributing to harvest limitations.

5. Goal: Protected Natural Resources

Our state is rich in natural resources. The Pine Barrens supplied the Revolution with timber and iron. Our farmland and the aquifers that fill our streams, rivers and lakes are among the richest in the world. But our farmland has dropped, from 2 million acres in 1950 to fewer than 1 million acres. In recent times, we've begun to protect our dwindling natural resources with mixed results: we've altered 50 percent of the state's colonial wetlands, yet have improved our protection of the state's coastline from pollution. There's much left to do.

Indicator: Energy consumption
Status: Annual energy consumption: Increasing
Our lifestyle and economy are dependent on the use of large quantities of energy to run our cars, appliances, factories and homes. The vast majority of this energy production creates pollution whether in the form of greenhouse gases, toxins or radioactive waste. In fact, most air pollution comes, directly or indirectly, from the creating and consuming of energy. Perhaps the most troublesome aspect of our energy dependence is that most of our energy comes from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil that are finite and non-renewable.

Importance of measuring energy consumption:

1. Economic: Increases in energy prices translate quickly into higher prices for goods and services at every level. Energy shortages have the power to plunge an economy into recession With so much of our energy usage dependent on foreign oil sources, our economy is not as secure as it could be. Technologies that use energy more efficiently can cut our risks and expenses impressively -- but most companies, homes and government agencies do not use them.
2. Environmental: Power plants that burn coal, oil or natural gas emit greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. In addition, mining for these sources of energy tears open the earth and sometimes leads to oil spills in the ocean or accidents at power plants. Most air pollution is the result of some kind of energy production or consumption. There is not yet a long-term solution for radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.
3. Social: New Jersey is a major recipient of -- and contributor to -- air pollution The pollution we emit angers our neighbors when it crosses into their states and countries, just as pollution from upwind neighbors angers us. To voluntarily reduce the energy we consume will require cooperation among neighbors who carpool, families who remember to turn off lights and consumers who buy efficient appliances and cars. Ending our energy dependence will require the efforts of our entire society.

Things to think about:

1. Approximately 25 percent of the energy we consume is used for transportation.
2. New and renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar power, offer impressive potential to pollute less while still living in whatever ways we choose -- but to reap those benefits we have to invest in developing new technology .
3. More efficient automobiles, refrigerators, light bulbs, manufacturing processes and machines of many kinds can cut our energy use and save money, without changing the ways that we live -- but we have to choose to use these efficient technologies.

Indicator: Farmland
Status: Total acres of farmland in New Jersey: Decreasing
New Jersey is called the Garden State because its soil and climate make it one of the most productive farming areas in the world. Our farms provide fresh local produce and beautiful vistas and recharge our groundwater. Because farmland brings in more revenue than it costs in local services, it helps keep property taxes low. New Jersey's farmland is diminishing. Far from yielding to forests or parks, though, in many cases this former farmland has been paved and replaced by strip malls and tract housing.

Importance of monitoring farmland losses:

1. Economic: Agriculture is the third largest industry in New Jersey. To keep farming economically viable requires that farm sizes become relatively large. New development often changes the character of rural areas and threatens to drive remaining farmers out of business. The loss of farmland to new residences frequently heralds property tax increases. As we compete nationally and internationally to attract top workers and businesses, we must prevail over competitors based in part on the quality of life that our surroundings offer. A state of strip malls stands at a disadvantage.
2. Environmental: Crops and farmland offer habitat to birds, other wildlife and a host of insects and small creatures that perform functions like pollination and decomposition. Farmlands, when worked responsibly filter pollutants from the water and air and even play a role in moderating the absorption of rains and preventing floods. Eating fresh local produce is healthy and reduces the energy required for long-haul transportation.
3. Social: Attractive vistas and open spaces are associated with our state's farming tradition. The Garden State is becoming less and less of an apt description of New Jersey. Instead, sprawling and homogeneous developments are driving the state's unique rural communities into extinction. Preserving our farmland preserves our heritage.

Things to think about:

1. As of 1997, only 5 percent of the state's farmland had been preserved from development. The other 95 percent remains open to future development.
2. Attractive alternatives are needed for landowners who often face financial pressure to sell their farmland to commercial developers. They should have incentives to sell it instead to other farmers, the state or to preservation groups.
3. The sprawl created by subdivisions in former farming areas contributes to traffic congestion, long drives and air pollution.
4. New Jersey voters in November 1998 passed a referendum to spend $3 billion to preserve half of the state's remaining open space.

Indicator: Beach and bay closings
Status: Number of times per year a New Jersey beach or bay has been closed to the public due to hazardous conditions: Decreasing
Millions of people visit our beaches every year. The Jersey Shore is a key element of quality of life in our state, and a major tourist draw that contributes significantly to the state economy. Generally, beach closings are caused by pollution, typically due to sewage, medical waste, industrial pollution and runoff from streets and lawns.

Importance of monitoring beach and bay closings:

1. Economic: Beach closings are highly visible events that can drive away potential visitors and reduce the large revenues that are otherwise generated by coastal tourism. They are also related to losses in our shellfish and other fishing industries. They tarnish the general reputation of our state, hurting our chances to attract new jobs and businesses.
2. Environmental: Beach closings represent serious incidents of pollution. The conditions that provoke a beach closing are hazardous not only to humans but also to many types of ocean plants and animals. Some closings, such as those for red tides or fish kills, may be indicative of major ecological imbalances in the marine ecosystem.
3. Social: Many families have gone to the beach every summer for generations. The beach provides recreation for people of all ages. Beach closures ruin this pastime and limit our options for summer outings. Trips to the shore are an important part of New Jersey's quality of life.

Things to think about:

1. Through great efforts in controlling pollution, especially sewage, beach and bay closings have been dramatically reduced.
2. New Jersey not only has fewer beach closings than other shoreline states, but also achieves this with higher standards and more stringent monitoring than most.
3. Most of us can still remember a time when we took it for granted that we could go to the beach and swim in the water without health worries.
4. People once believed incorrectly that the ocean was so vast that it could absorb any amount of pollution.
5. Our beaches continue to face new threats from off our shores, such as New York City's proposal to increase its use of garbage barges.

Indicator: Preserved and developed land
Status: Number of acres preserved or developed: Both increasing
Once land has been built upon, it is very difficult to return it to its natural state. At the same time, the acres of land preserved from development have also increased. This struggle to preserve what is left has been described as the "open space race." The way we develop our remaining land, whether we practice "smart growth" or continue the current sprawl trend, will impact every aspect of life in New Jersey, from air and water pollution to wildlife, economic prosperity, recreation, urban renewal and taxes.

Benefits of monitoring preserved and developed land:

1. Economic: Open space, and the quality of life it provides, is a critical asset as we compete internationally to attract businesses and jobs. Economic studies have shown that property values increase when in proximity to well-maintained public open space. Higher property values translate into higher property taxes and municipalities prosper. The quality of life that comes with proximity to open space is emerging as a major factor in the competition for new businesses and jobs.
2. Environmental: Land is our most precious natural resource. New roads, parking lots, houses and malls strain our ground water supplies, the cleanliness of our air and our ability to escape from traffic and noise. Preserved land, on the other hand, offers a refuge for people, cleans our air and water for free and provides habitat to a wealth of species.
3. Social: How do you value a place where a child has space to throw a ball or to fly a kite? One way is to look at the change that occurs in a neighborhood that has a new park. Crime fell in one Philadelphia precinct by 90 percent after the police helped the neighborhood clean up vacant lots and plant gardens. Parks not only give children a place to play but adults a place in which to invest their pride.

Things to think about:

1. New Jersey has received national attention for its land preservation agenda -- a politically viable effort to slow suburban sprawl.
2. In the 1998 election, New Jersey voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum to spend $3 billion to preserve one million acres of the state's remaining open space.
3. As our population grows and undeveloped land becomes scarcer, future generations may place a higher value on preserving open space than we do currently. Their options for preserving land will be fewer than ours, however, and the prices they will have to pay will be higher because less land will be available.

6. Goal: Minimal Pollution and Waste

The name "New Jersey" once connoted pollution in many people's minds. We've made progress: New Jersey once had among the most polluted beaches in the country; we now have some of the cleanest. Our most innovative companies have proven that pollution prevention is often inexpensive and can improve the efficiency of our economy. New Jersey still has more federally designated "Super fund" waste sites than any other state. Although we have made substantial progress, our air quality remains bad enough that the federal government has limited New Jersey's ability to build new roads and launch other transportation projects. Pollution has driven investment away from our inner cities, and throughout the state has contributed to illness and rising health care costs.

Indicator: Greenhouse gas releases
Status: Millions of tons of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere annually (expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent weight): Backsliding
Global warming is considered by many to be the greatest threat to the stability of modern civilization. It is caused when gases released by human activities, including burning oil and coal, build up in the atmosphere and trap the sun's heat -- much the way the glass of a greenhouse traps heat. Most climate scientists believe that as a result of this warming of the earth, sea levels are going to rise; weather patterns will shift; hurricanes, tropical pests and diseases will travel farther north; and differing rainfalls will alter crop patterns. We in New Jersey are active participants in changing the climate of our state and of our world.

Importance of reducing greenhouse gases:

1. Economic: Unchecked climate change could impose serious burdens on our economy. A rise in sea level that inundates the Shore could cause billions of dollars in property damage. Changing rainfall patterns could cause major crop losses. New Jersey could become more vulnerable to hurricanes, floods, new pests and diseases migrating north from warmer places. Addressing global warming before the full effects are felt presents economic challenges and opportunities.
2. Environmental: If main stream predictions are correct global warming could trigger a wave of massive environmental transformations, causing whole ecosystems to radically change in an attempt to adapt to new conditions. This can lead to invasions of exotic species that will displace native wildlife and become vectors for new diseases. Species extinction may result and entire habitats could disappear forever. The full consequences of such upheaval are unknown.
3. Social: It is only through cooperation, from the local to the international level, that we can address this problem. We in New Jersey and the United States are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. Other countries have begun to express significant anger toward our country because our emissions cause problems that they will have to deal with.

Things to think about:

1. Attempts to correct climate change will be very difficult and costly -- or impossible -- if we wait until our atmosphere is thick with greenhouse gases. Prevention, as always, is the least expensive solution.
2. The majority of land in our state is not very high above sea level. Most of South Jersey is low-lying coastal plain.
3. Climate change can be reduced, or maybe even prevented, by energy conservation. Efficient technologies, from cars that get more miles per gallon to compact fluorescent light bulbs that save electricity are available now to help us save energy.

Indicator: Drinking water quality
Status: The percent of public drinking water systems which tested within allowable levels for all chemicals for which testing is conducted: Increasing
In New Jersey we are blessed with abundant water supplies and drinking water systems that protect us from most of the chemicals, bacteria, viruses and parasites that affect the health of people in other parts of the world. However, no water supply is totally safe and regular testing is necessary. This indicator tells us how often our water systems fail a test for one of the more common harmful chemicals. Since 1985, the number of water systems failing tests for chemicals has dropped from more than 20 percent to about 5 percent. However, such tests measure only a small fraction of known drinking water contaminants.

Importance of a clean water supply:

1. Economic: In communities with poor water, property values fall and economic potential declines. The most costeffective way to avoid these losses is through pollution prevention. Once a water supply becomes seriously contaminated, treatment costs can easily run into the millions of dollars.
2. Environmental: Water deemed too polluted to meet safety standards for people may also contain chemicals that can harm ecosystems and sensitive wildlife such as frogs, whose populations have declined alarmingly in recent years. Clean water and a pollution-free environment is as vital to our ecosystems as it is to our health.
3. Social: A safe and stable water supply is the foundation of any civilization. Most of us are familiar with the sad sight of a dilapidated and abandoned older urban center. Now imagine a neighborhood in perfect condition, yet completely abandoned by its residents. This has happened in towns around the world where the water supply has become severely polluted. Although no New Jersey town suffers today from this fate, residents of many New Jersey towns have serious concerns about the health of their water systems.

Things to think about:

1. Access to potable water is the single biggest public health issue in the world.
2. Bottled water often costs more per gallon than gasoline or milk.
3. "Volatile organic compounds" contamination comes from industrial pollution of groundwater, urban and agricultural runoff and industrial discharges into surface water supplies.
4. Studies suggest that the amount of chemicals we put in our water to keep it clean has been increasing because the quality of our natural water supply has gotten worse due to development and industry.

Indicator: Total solid waste production
Status: Pounds of solid waste generated annually, per New Jersey resident: Increasing
New Jerseyans generate about two tons of garbage every year -- per person. Throughout the United States, we produce nearly twice as much waste per citizen as any other country in the world. This is a costly situation. We pay to buy unneeded materials such as packaging and pay again to dispose of them. Recycling helps, yet is still vastly more expensive in cost and resources than using less in the first place. The adage, "reduce, reuse, recycle" is even more relevant and necessary today than ever.

Importance of reducing solid waste production:

1. Economic: Waste is a misplaced resource. Disposing of waste is an economic burden and an expensive part of local services. The most successful firms and economies in the world are usually those that use the most efficient manufacturing processes. True efficiency means wasting little and avoiding purchase of costly materials and energy in the first place.
2. Environmental: We mostly get rid of our waste by burying it in landfills or burning it in incinerators. This results in groundwater pollution, poor air quality and many other forms of environmental degradation. Such damage frequently pales in comparison to the damage we do in removing these materials from nature in the first place.
3. Social: Political and social battles over where to locate, and how to pay for, waste disposal facilities have become contentious and threaten to split our state along racial, economic and geographic lines. Concerns include odor, the traffic of heavy trucks, and the health risks of pollution from incinerators and landfills. Poor and minority communities may receive more than their fair share of these facilities.

Things to think about:

1. With better technologies and knowledge of environmental issues, we could easily have reduced the amount of waste we produced during the 1980s and 90s. But instead, since 1985 each of us has increased our waste by more than 1,000 pounds, on average.
2. Our increase in waste generation was until recently somewhat offset by dramatic increases in recycling, but this is not a complete solution and the state's ultimate goal is to reduce the size of the total waste stream. This is called "source reduction."

Indicator: Air pollution
Status: Number of unhealthful days annually caused by ground-level ozone, particulate matter and carbon monoxide: Decreasing
Clean air to breathe is one of life' s absolute necessities. Although New Jersey's air quality has improved significantly, it is still considered very bad and among the worst in the country for certain contaminants. Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog, a chronic air-quality problem with serious health effects in our state. "Particulate matter" are tiny particles of pollution that can lodge in people's lungs and create respiratory problems. Carbon monoxide is a hazardous substance (deadly at high concentrations) produced when fossil fuels are burned for energy and especially when gasoline is burned in cars.

Importance of clean air:

1. Economic: We pay for poor air quality in many ways. We pay to treat the illnesses it causes. Neighborhoods lose as property values fall in places where the air is bad. Workers and businesses lose when limits are imposed on new development because federal air quality standards are not met. Businesses lose also if shoppers and tourists are warned to stay indoors because of poor air quality.
2. Environmental: Poor air quality is a generally recognized public health threat. It is linked to significant long- and short-term respiratory illness. Air pollution can be detrimental to wildlife and ecosystems in the same way. In addition, contaminants can work their way up the food chain in ever-higher concentrations and interfere with natural systems. We have a good understanding that many of the factors increasing air pollution, such as new roads and development, also have severe impacts on ecosystems due to habitat loss.
3. Social: Severe air quality problems force people to stay indoors, preventing recreation and social activities. Air pollution is often concentrated in low-income and minority areas, and so represents an inequity in our society. For years, New Jerseyans have suffered jokes about our state's poor air quality.

Things to think about:

1. A significant portion of New Jersey's air pollution is emitted in other states and blows into our state. Changes in those out-of-state emissions are not within the control of our citizens or our state government.
2. Ozone levels are strongly affected by weather conditions. Hot, sunny, windless days tend to exacerbate the ozone problem. The relatively cool summer of 1996 kept ozone levels down, as reflected in the infrequent number of days where ozone levels exceeded the health standard. This does not, however, necessarily indicate that the presence of air pollutants declined in 1996.