New Jersey
Experts: N.J. ban is the subject of misinformation by the plastic bag industry
From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.
The results were in and they grabbed the attention of many.
A study by the Freedonia Group that found plastic consumption went up after New Jersey banned single-use plastic shopping bags began to make the rounds in late January. Several media outlets picked up the story.
But the study was paid for by the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a group that lobbies against plastic bag bans across the country.
Dr. Travis Wagner, professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine, called the study “just a poor piece of misinformation.” He said the source of some of their data is unclear and that the study was not peer-reviewed.
“It’s trying to advocate a particular position without doing a balanced presentation,” said Wagner. “From a basic research perspective, it is not an objective document.”
Industry study claims dramatic increase in plastic consumption after the ban
The Freedonia study claims the shift from single-use plastic shopping bags to reusable bags resulted in nearly three times more plastic being consumed. At the same time, six times more plastic was used to make reusable shopping bags.
Another claim from the study is that 90% of all reusable bags are reused only two to three times before being discarded.
But Wagner said the claim doesn’t match up with previous research.
“What they assume is if you ban all plastic bags, everyone goes out and purchases new bags or you’re always gonna purchase new reusable bags,” he said. “But many people have lots of reusable bags in their closet or in their trunk or whatever and they get reused.”
How to protect your NJ home from wind: Video
Here’s how to windproof your home to minimize damage, and what to do if a tree falls on your property as a result of the weather
A severe thunderstorm watch looms over North Jersey on the evening of June 12 after days of extreme heat.
Nation Weather Service New York declared a severe thunderstorm watch for numerous North Jersey counties including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Morris and Sussex among other Central Jersey and New York counties. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m., according to the NWS statement.
In an hourly forecast from The Weather Channel for Paramus, there is a 74% chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m.
High temperatures reached past 90 degrees in many parts of North Jersey on June 11 and June 12 as a heat advisory also remains in effect until 8 p.m., said NWS New York.
“Dangerous heat is expected to continue across much of our region through today, with several record highs likely to be challenged again. High temperatures are forecast to peak into the low to mid 90s across most of the area,” the National Weather Service said Friday.
A Heat Advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. across the state except for Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
PHILADELPHIA – Philip McPherson II, a 37-year-old from Riverside, New Jersey, was sentenced Thursday, June 11, to 78 months in prison for his role in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing and charges for fatal Lehigh Valley crash
What we know:
United States District Judge John M. Gallagher sentenced McPherson to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, a $4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution. Judge Gallagher also barred McPherson from working in the aviation industry.
McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
The backstory:
Court filings show that on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off from Queen City Airport in Allentown as the pilot-in-command with student pilot K.K. and crashed shortly after, resulting in K.K.’s death.
Prosecutors said McPherson acted with gross negligence, knowing he was not competent to fly as pilot-in-command. He had two prior crashes, nearly a third, and failed a reexamination for his pilot’s certificate in September 2021.
McPherson voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate in October 2021 and let his Temporary Airman Certificate expire in November 2021, acknowledging his inability to meet FAA standards.
He admitted to flying with passengers without a valid FAA pilot’s certificate between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, FAA, and Salisbury Township Police Department worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
-
West Virginia33 seconds agoCharlie Hanafin Testing Himself in West Virginia | WVU Football All 105
-
Wyoming3 minutes agoUp To 2,600 Pounds Each, Powder River Percherons Are Huge At Wyoming Parades
-
Crypto9 minutes agoEveryone Is Getting Hilariously Rich and You’re Not — Week In Review
-
Fitness19 minutes ago‘It takes 2-6 weeks’: This Hollywood PT (who’s trained Pedro Pascal, ScarJo, Margot Robbie & more) shares his go-to exercise for a pain-free back — and how long it takes to ‘restore proper glute activation’
-
Movie Reviews31 minutes agoHyperreal Film Club Review – ‘SHARP: Moving Picture II’
-
World39 minutes agoVideo: Ebola Comes for Congo’s Most Vulnerable Children
-
Politics49 minutes agoVideo: Trump’s Name Is Removed From Kennedy Center Facade
-
Lifestyle1 hour ago‘Wait Wait’ for June 13, 2026: With Not My Job guest Robert Smigel
