New Jersey’s latest heatwave has put outdoor workers in extraordinarily dangerous conditions. With heat indexes reaching nearly 100 °F and drought conditions imminent, the heatwave serves as a painful reminder of the impending climate collapse. Several towns and municipalities issued restrictions on water use. Water companies like Ridgewood Water, which has been openly breaking NJ State law for years regarding its water safety, are also issuing warnings to conserve water. 

And yet, as these agencies tell us how we can do our part to conserve our most critical resource, the perpetrators of the climate crisis are let off the hook. In fact, the majority of our taxes pay for one of the biggest perpetrators of them all: the United States Military. With a budget amounting to nearly a trillion dollars this year, the Pentagon consumes enormous amounts of fossil fuels funded by regular people. 

The tactic of deflection used by fossil capital is one of the most sinister aspects of the climate crisis. The working people of New Jersey are being told to conserve water, recycle more, buy electric cars, go vegan, or avoid using plastic bags by the very same politicians who then turn around and spend our money on more and more emissions. We are then shamed if we cannot accomplish these impossible tasks– leading to climate anxiety and apathy. 

So as we, the working people of New Jersey, push through the grueling heat to do our jobs, we must remember that this deflection is essentially gaslighting on a mass scale. Because the climate crisis is not an issue of consumption– it is an integral problem with production. We must remember that the political establishment would rather spend our taxes on wars and genocide that cause extreme human suffering while advancing the climate crisis, instead of investing in universal healthcare or housing that would alleviate some of the heat stress we’ve experienced this June. 

I am committed to introducing rigorous legislation that mandates zero carbon emissions by 2035, while supporting workers who transition from the fossil fuel industry into other professions. The energy industry as a whole must be brought into democratic, public ownership for the people. It’s time for us to rally together and demand a just, livable future for all. 

Ben Taylor

6/23/2024