Commissioner Shinn has formed a Climate Change Workgroup consisting of representatives from the business and environmental communities, the state Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies. They are evaluating cost effective options for lowering or stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey. Commissioner Shinn also has established a Geothermal Subcommittee to investigate the potential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the use of geothermal technologies for heating and cooling. He also has created a greenhouse gas bank advisory committee to design an emissions trading program. New Jersey produces about 2 percent of the nation's greenhouse gases, or more than 129 million tons a year, predominantly from the burning of oil, coal and other fuels for heating, cooling and motor vehicles.
Carbon dioxide is a by-product of that process.
Methane is a naturally produced as materials in landfills decay and as food goes through the digestive tract of domestic animals. Nitrous oxide production is accelerated in soils with the use of fertilizers. The three other greenhouse gases are manmade chemicals.