Push-back from Big Energy on State and Federal Government’s Protection of New Jersey’s Forests

A friend in Philadelphia sent me this newspaper article and blog post on the efforts of the oil and gas companies to put a pipeline through a very tranquil section of New Jersey’s forestland. Because this region has special meaning for him, he jokingly asked for my commiseration.

I wrote:

I totally commiserate.  That’s terrible.  And, though this isn’t what you want to hear, it’s a battle that is only going to get more intense over the next few years, at least. 

At some point, however, the fossil fuel boys will have lost.  Wind is already at “grid-parity” with coal.  All of the flavors of renewable energy are becoming more efficient and less expensive with each passing month.  Nobody, regardless of how rich, powerful and selfish, is going to be able to sell fracking, pipelines, oil spills, greenhouse gasses, ocean acidification, lung disease, etc. – when fossil fuels actually costs more money than clean energy. 

And that day is on its way.  The question, of course, is how much damage will have been done in the process.