My generation, “Gen Z”, has never known a world untouched by environmental crisis–where climate change was a question or a distant threat. Its existence is no longer up for debate, yet policies meant to address it continued to be deprioritized. The so-called “future” where climate change finally materializes doesn’t feel so abstract to us. That “future” falls squarely within our lifetimes—and is already happening now. It’s a future where inaction today unravels the safety of the natural world we’re supposed to grow up and grow old in.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a New Jersey senator to advocate for environmental legislation. It reminded me of what it felt like to vote in my first election: empowering, yes, but also sobering. For all the excitement of participating in the political process, I was struck by how limited my voice feels in practice, dwarfed by the outsized influence of those in office. I may now be old enough to cast a ballot and speak up, but without meaningful structural change, my generation remains sidelined in the fight to protect the world we’re inheriting.
Our future is being treated like a bargaining chip, negotiated behind closed doors by leaders who won’t have to live with the consequences. Enshrining the right to a clean and healthy environment gives our generation more than hope; it gives us legal standing.
A Green Amendment for the Generations
We the people have the right to speak freely, to practice our faith, to assemble, and to receive due process under the law. Yet, we remain unprotected from the risk of polluted air, contaminated water, and irreversible damage to our natural world. We the people are limited in our ability to live in a healthy environment, one that sustains not only our lives, but those of generations to come. Without a constitutional right to a clean environment, our most basic rights cannot be fully secured, as the protection of our health and future is essential to the full enjoyment of all other rights.
The Green Amendment, already adopted in three U.S. state constitutions, adds a vital new protection to a state’s Bill of Rights: the individual right to a clean and healthy environment. Its strength lies in whose hands it empowers–the people. As the sole beneficiaries of the amendment, residents–not corporations–gain the ability to hold governments and individuals accountable through a constitutional guarantee of environmental protection.
This constitutional right isn’t symbolic; it’s actionable. It gives individuals the legal power to challenge environmentally harmful practices in court, even when elected officials refuse to act, offering consistency and accountability in a system often disrupted by shifting political agendas. Without this protection, environmental progress remains volatile—stalled or reversed with each change in leadership, held together by little more than the whims of those in office.
Vital Protections for Everyone
As carbon emissions rise and environmental protections are stripped away, it’s become clear to me that we can’t rely on leadership alone. Lasting change won’t come from the top, it has to be claimed by those who are invested in a sustainable future. The people deserve more: the ability to breathe clean air and drink safe water without fear of toxins. The implementation of the Green Amendment would move us toward that future–one where environmental rights are protected, public spaces are preserved, and every person has a constitutional claim to a healthy environment.
Although environmental protection is often associated with left-leaning political agendas, the Green Amendment has gained traction across the political spectrum. Of the three states that have adopted a Green Amendment–New York, Montana, and Pennsylvania–only New York is consistently blue. Montana is a reliably red state, and Pennsylvania is a well-known swing state, showing that the right to a clean and healthy environment transcends partisan divides.
Some politicians have dismissed the Green Amendment, claiming it will open the floodgates to frivolous lawsuits. However, Maya K. van Rossum, founder of the Green Amendments for the Generations movement and author of the book The Green Amendment, counters this narrative. She points out that the three states that have already adopted the amendment have not seen a surge in litigation. In fact, lawsuits have not even been the primary means of enforcement, nullifying the concerns raised by critics.
To bring the right to a safe environment and access to natural resources to more people, New Jersey citizens must push for the adoption of a Green Amendment. This change doesn’t just require support, it requires pressure. Citizens need to demand that their local politicians not only back the amendment but make it a priority. That means calling representatives, showing up to town halls, and spreading awareness about what the amendment does. The Green Amendment gives people, not just politicians, the power to protect their environment. But that power only comes if we fight for it.
Adopting a New Jersey Green Amendment is just one step, but it’s a crucial one. The larger goal is national: a future where the right to a clean and healthy environment is protected in every state, and ultimately enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. For Gen Z, whose future is directly shaped by climate chaos and environmental injustice, this amendment makes our right to a clean and healthy environment a constitutional right that can no longer be ignored, delayed, or deprioritized.
To learn more or to get involved visit For The Generations – New Jersey – A Movement to Pass Green Amendments Across the Nation and attend out upcoming Camden County, Green Amendment Town Hall on July 30th. For more details and to register visit Camden County Green Amendment Town Hall
Ocean County is in midst growing with condos and removal too many trees and habitat for animals there. Flooding will take place along major routes and highways and homes. Retention basins along rt 70 and 37 are below sea level and where is water from rain that trees held going to go. It is sea-level. What are the engineers thinking? Seems they are not. We need to protect Pinelands habitat and stop building so fast without thinking. Many of theses office spaces have remained unused with rents too high in area where many seniors have limited income and new business owners just can’t afford. Pa to build their business is their best choice. Save the Pines.