A trio of legislators were joined by a environmentalists on Tuesday to express concerns about President-elect Donald Trump's environmental agenda. Watch video
LONG BRANCH - When Paul Revere famously rode through the Massachusetts night, it was to alert colonial militia of a pending threat.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker said during a press conference on Tuesday that Americans now face another "Paul Revere moment."
"It's not the British that is coming, it is Donald Trump that is coming," said Booker, D-NJ. "In many ways, I see that as a threat to our nation. Not because of some irrational fears on my part, but because of the things that he said during his campaign and the things that he is doing now that he is president-elect."
Booker, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. and a group of environmental leaders united for the press conference at Pier Village - coincidentally a Kushner Companies property - to discuss "serious concerns" they have about the president-elect's environmental agenda.
These concerns included withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, the elimination of President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, cutbacks at the Environmental Protection Agency and expanded offshore drilling.
As a result, the trio lawmakers again called on President Obama to use his authority - under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act - to permanently ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean before leaving office.
"This is about the environment. This is about being good stewards of the land, this is about our economy, this is about jobs, it brings all of that together," said Menendez, D-NJ. "This is one stroke of the pen that could have enormous positive consequences for generations to come. And unlike other executive actions, which maybe can be rolled back by another executive, under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Congress intended for that to be permanent in nature. ... So if (President Obama) hears our call, it will be one of his lasting legacies."
Pallone (NJ-06) said the negative impact of some of the intensions that Trump has already made public related to environmental issues - including withdrawing from the Paris agreement - would impact more than just Americans.
"The consequences will be felt world wide. Some of the countries, like India and others, have already suggested that if he withdraws that they would withdraw as well," he said. "The whole effort to try to deal with climate change on an international level could easily fall apart with catastrophic consequences. This is simply not acceptable."
Bob Spiegel, the executive director of the Edison Wetlands Association, said that Tuesday's press conference was not a post-election eulogy for the environmental movement.
"This is really a call to action to the public, to people who live in this coastal towns and to people who are affected by the decisions that Donald Trump is going to be making," Spiegel said. "This is not a reality TV show, this is not a beauty pageant. This is our environment and there is no more important issue to people that live in New Jersey and around the coastal parts of the United States, so we have to send the message loud and clear."
Amy Goldsmith, state director of Clean Water Action, said these may feel like "dark times" for people who care about the environment, but they don't have to be.
"This is not a time to retreat," she said. "This is a time, this is a moment for everyone who wants to protect the water and the air, protect environmental justice and protect us from the harms of climate change ... to come together."
Greg Remaud, the deputy director of NY/NJ Baykeeper, said there is a silver lining for the environmentalists as they head into the Trump administration.
"The only good news is that we've had seven years of practice with the Christie administration's rollbacks," Remaud said. "We're going to take all that we learned and apply it on the federal level."
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.