New Jersey, though notorious for its smoked filled sky line, and mysterious whiffs of factory smoke, took steps to address concerns over C02 emissions in the air; Woodbridge is one of several townships equipping their municipality fleet with cost efficient hybrid vehicles, and making a statement about where they stand on issues of the environment.
Woodbridge officials added 12 hybrid cars to the township’s fleet, its largest ever purchase of environment-friendly vehicles. Mayor John McCormac and the township environmental commission presented the new Ford Escape SUV’s during a meeting at town hall. The cars arrive officially in April and will be used by the township’s engineering and code inspection officers. Woodbridge also applied to be apart of the New Jersey Bio-Diesel Fuel Rebate Program which will help to make 139 of its vehicles run on biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel is a substitute made from renewable organic sources such as soy bean oil, usually blended with petroleum.
Other notable efforts have taken place in Highland Park with its “Green Challenge”, an initiative launched this month, which ties all of their environmental endeavors into one united effort. High land Park took several steps already to bring awareness to this cause. One such example can be seen with their municipal hall which operates under solar panels.
In the annual fifteen minute walk I make from my house to the Woodbridge train station everyday, I can’t help but have a greater appreciation for the environment, and even greater need for it to be at its best . I am excited about the steps some townships in New Jersey took towards going green. While, they are just small steps hopefully this attitude toward our environment will spread and we can make more of a national effort to decrease our dependency on foreign resources and protect our environment with cost efficient alternatives.
To read more about Highland Park’s efforts to go green check here: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/middlesex/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1173591995133590.xml&coll=1
To read more about Woodbridge’s purchase of hybird cars check here: http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/117273017774610.xml&coll=1
It’s good to hear that environmentalism is being tackled by state and local governments. Realistically speaking, it’s the most viable way of making progress, what with the federal government being so impotent on the issue.