This week’s readings focused on what environmental planning is and how to minimize the damage that human activity does to the natural environment. Environmental planning involves the development of strategies and policies to manage environmental resources and minimize negative impacts on the natural environment. It typically includes the assessment and management of air and water quality, land use, waste management, and the conservation of natural resources. On the other hand, energy planning involves the development of strategies and policies to manage energy resources and promote energy efficiency and sustainability. It typically includes the assessment and management of energy consumption and production, the use of renewable energy sources, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Energy planning may also involve the development of infrastructure for energy distribution and storage.

Environmental planning and regulations are often done at the national level due to the scale of problems and the ability of pollutants to travel long distances. Local environmental planning is often done within a framework of federal grants and regulations. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was passed in 1969, leading to an increase in environmental planning specialists and firms due to its requirements for environmental impact statements. Environmental planning at the national level involves the establishment of standards and funding for projects such as wastewater treatment facilities. Local environmental planning involves federal legislation and funding, joint local and federal funding for projects like wastewater treatment, and controls on development intensity and type. Energy planning originally focused on energy costs but has shifted to reducing fossil fuel use to limit greenhouse gas production. Local energy reduction can be achieved through an urban design that reduces trip lengths and promotes public transportation or non-automotive modes, site design for energy efficiency, retrofitting older structures, developing community energy systems, and promoting alternative sources like rooftop solar.

Because of the way that our planet is getting closer and closer to unrepairable climate change, energy and environmental planning is something that becomes more important with every passing day. Recently, Governor Murphy has come out to announce that New Jersey needs more time to rework its energy master plan. This news comes almost 3 years after the Governor revealed plans to update the master plan. This new update which stages New Jersey to transition to 50% clean energy by 2030 and 100% clean energy by 2050, has been postponed due to the state’s need to revise the plan for 2024. The postponement was attributed to a desire to delve deeper into the finances involved with transitioning to renewables and to better capture the economic costs and benefits and ratepayer impacts of the state’s energy sources. Understandably, environmental activists expressed concern that the delay would stall progress in achieving the state’s green energy goals, while others believe it is necessary to integrate federal funding and allow a more robust debate. In my opinion, the state should move forward with making the plan a reality because while finances can be changed and reconciled through the usage of loans and forgiveness, the planet that we will pass on to the next generation is continuously getting more and more polluted.