Although it holds no appeal to me, as I am a fan of the blow dryer, the TV, and the air conditioner, there are plenty of people out there who have the dream of “living off the grid.”

There are so many reality shows now that depict real people living real lives off the grid.

What “Living off the grid” really means is the practice of being self-sufficient and not dependent on one or more public utilities, such as electricity, water, and sewage systems.

It often involves generating one's own power through means such as solar or wind power, collecting rainwater, and using alternative methods for sewage treatment.

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The people on the aforementioned reality shows have come up with the most ingenious ways of doing these things.

Living off the grid may also mean growing one's own food and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

The allure, for a lot of people, is to be less dependent on traditional systems and live in a more self-sufficient manner.

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Lawnstarter.com did a survey about which U.S. states are best and worst for living off the grid.

Spoiler alert: New Jersey is the worst of all 50 states.

As you can probably guess there’s not a great demand for living off the grid in New Jersey, especially since it seems that a lot of New Jersey residents, at least, from my observation, enjoy depending on traditional systems, especially the government.

Lawnnstarter.com compared the 50 states based on 23 key factors, such as the cost of farmland, the legality of self-generated utilities, and the availability of renewable energy. They also considered indicators like climate, phone connectivity, and access to rural hospitals.

States like Iowa, Texas, and Kentucky, not surprisingly, ranked the top three in the country for conduciveness to off-the-grid living. Just the sheer amount of rural area in those states makes that make sense.

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On the other hand, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey, the bottom 3, are relatively small states with people packed in together, and no room to breathe. You’d find it hard to live off the grid when you can hardly get away from hordes of people in those three states.

Although I am aware of people who managed to, at least for a short period of time, experience the independence of living off the grid here in this state, it’s so difficult to do so that those who are attracted to that idea have either given up completely, or found somewhere else to do it.

It reminds me of Phil Murphy’s comment that if taxes are your issue, you should probably find another state to live in. Because if being self-sufficient and living without government-supported systems is your dream, you should probably find another state.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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What would happen to NJ if we were attacked by nuclear weapons?

We used NUKEMAP by Alex Wellerstein to see what would happen if a nuclear warhead hit New York, Philadelphia, Washington or New Jersey.

The models show what would happen in aerial detonation, meaning the bomb would be set off in the sky, causing considerable damage to structures and people below; or what would happen in a ground detonation, which would have the alarming result of nuclear fallout. The models do not take into account the number of casualties that would result from fallout.

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