Videos
10:00 am – ~11:00 am – Keynote “5 Things to Tackle Climate Change”
Ralph Izzo, President, Chairman and CEO, PSEG – Live Keynote Address and Q&A – limited capacity
11:00 am – 11:30 am – Green Teams 2020 Launch Event
Welcome and Remarks by Dr. Katia Paz-Goldfarb, Montclair State University’s Assistant Vice President for Hispanic Initiatives; Meet the 2020 Green Teams Members; Hosting Organizations and Summer 2020 projects will be revealed + Q&A
Agenda
- Welcome:
Amy Tuininga, Director PSEG Institute of Sustainability Studies - Opening Remarks:
Kyle Tafuri, Director of Sustainability Hackensack Meridian Health - Special Remarks:
Mikie Sherrill, U.S. Congresswoman, Representing NJ’s 11th District - Speakers:
Jose Lozano, President & CEO, Choose New Jersey
Bruce Stiftel, Professor Emeritus, School of City & Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology - Green Teams Final Presentations
- Closing Remarks
Trina Mallik, Climate Change & Energy Policy Manager, The Nature Conservancy New Jersey Chapter
Teams
About the City of Jersey City
Jersey City, located between the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, covers nearly 15 square miles of land at the center of the New York City metropolitan region. Jersey City’s Office of Sustainability researches and implements new community sustainability policies, develops action plans for meeting the City’s climate sustainability goals, and interfaces with the community to raise awareness of sustainable practices and resources. This is Jersey City’s second year participating with the Green Teams.
Deliverables
- Made progress in accurately mapping and analyzing Jersey City’s street trees through the collection of various attributes of the trees such as latitude and longitude; species; health; diameter at breast height; and pit area
- Created estimates of carbon sequestration by the city’s trees, using an Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA)
- Made recommendations on communicating tree-related educational information to the public
- Developed a report and presentation that offers a strategic plan for improving the city’s tree canopy
- Created website dashboard
Outcomes
Final Presentation
About the City of Newark
Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, with over 270,000 residents. Newark’s Sustainability Office “supports policies and programs that improve public health and quality of life, drive down costs through better stewardship of resources, and expand green job and business opportunities for Newarkers.” This is the City of Newark’s fourth year participating with the Green Teams.
Deliverables
- Worked on climate action for the City of Newark by gathering, organizing, and cleaning various energy-related data sets to better inform proposed actions
- Developed a greenhouse gas inventory using ICLEI’s ClearPath software, which included future forecasting carbon use scenarios and recommendations to reduce the city’s energy usage
- Created a map and dashboard as visual aids linking Newark locations to their associated energy consumption data
- Identified areas needing additional vetting of data sources, accuracy of available data, and missing data
Final Presentation
About Newark Science and Sustainability (SAS)
Newark SAS’ mission is to combine social entrepreneurship with environmental awareness and sustainability to improve the culture of health of Newark residents. The non-profit is led by Tobias Fox, and aims to “implement various initiatives to increase awareness of environmental, ecological and wellness issues through educational programs and hands-on activities.” This is the second year Newark SAS participating with the Green Teams.
Deliverables
- Researched and made recommendations for various software that Newark SAS’s community gardens could use to track data for food production and environmental factors
- Created code for data collection technologies using a Raspberry Pi and sensors to collect air temperature, soil humidity, and relative air humidity for a future greenhouse project
- Created an employee website for easy visualization of incoming data
- Developed an interactive map of all of the community gardens that are a part of the Newark Community Food Network
- Made infographics displaying the layout and types of produce being grown for Newark SAS’s Garden of Hope
- Created short promotional videos highlighting community supported agriculture for Newark SAS to use on their social media and website
Final Presentation
About NJNG
This is NJNG’s second year participating in the Green Teams program. Their company’s mission is to “promote increased emphasis on personal energy awareness and sustainable energy behaviors.” NJNG aims to promote a more responsible use of energy as well as working together to create a positive change
Deliverables
- Promoted energy efficiency for three municipalities through NJNG home energy analysis program and Direct Install program for businesses
- Identified new marketing channels for residential and commercial outreach
- Created a promotional and educational video, website, tax bill, infographics, and newsletter inserts
- Supported communities in earning points for the Sustainable Jersey Municipal Energy Initiatives
Final Presentation
About NNJCF
The NNJCF, a non-profit, was first founded in 1998. The Foundation’s geographical reach extends to Bergen County and the surrounding region. Their mission is “to improve community life through its work in education, public health, civic engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and the environment. Central to its success is fostering collaboration among local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profits, and citizen groups.” This is their first year participating with the Green Teams.
Deliverables
- Developed a closed loop food system model that can be used at the municipality or county level
- Analyzed organic waste generated by three municipalities
- Evaluated economies of proposed systems including composting (small and large scale), anaerobic digestion systems, and pay-as-you-throw trash removal
- Proposed food waste reduction strategies for municipalities to do in both the short term and long term
- Created educational materials to disseminate information
Final Presentation
About PSEG
Established in 1903, Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest investor owned utility. They are a regulated gas and electric utility company serving 2.3 million electric customers and 1.9 million gas customers, approximately 70 percent of the state’s population. Headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, they have approximately $47.7 billion in assets and $10.1 billion in revenues.
Deliverables
- Organized and analyzed energy consumption data from PSEG headquarters
- To increase employee engagement, the team researched, gathered, and created various ways to engage PSEG employees with sustainability
- Researched alternative methods of waste disposal for various types of waste
- Calculated PSEG’s relevant Scope 3 emissions