by Jess Rutti
Since the emergence of fossil fuels and industrial technology in the early 20th century, humanity has wrought destruction through an onslaught of deforestation, air and water contamination, and carbon pollution. As time elapses, effects of this crisis have become more apparent: oceans are more acidic, drought and disease simultaneously impact agriculture and water quality, rising sea levels threaten coastal communities, and the still-rising temperature promises further ruin. The severity of this climate emergency requires a timely and economically conscious response in order to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and the irreversible destruction of ecosystems.
In late 2018, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report explaining that “Human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate” (IPCC). Since humans are the dominant cause contributing to the changing climate and the results thereof, it is humanity’s responsibility to take action in order to manage their own disastrous actions. Following the initial report’s release, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a United States Representative, came together with many other congressional members to draft the starting point of a plan to do exactly that. The Green New Deal is an enormous proposal that aims to invest in clean-energy jobs and infrastructure, reshape the energy sector, transform the economy, and reduce carbon emissions to net-zero.
Though this first issuing of the Green New Deal was merely the beginning points of an eventual plan of action, it is all-inclusive when it comes to its ambition. The proposal recognizes that “it is the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal . . . to secure for all people of the United States for generations to come— clean air and water; climate and community resiliency; healthy food; access to nature; and a sustainable environment” (Ocasio-Cortez). In addition, the plan outlines goals to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2035. The use of fossil fuels—non-renewable resources—by humans is the single leading cause contributing to the climate crisis, and consequently, a transition to total renewable energy sources is the single best solution.
Expanding on the ideas of congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, a former presidential hopeful, published a comprehensive Green New Deal plan that details specifics of policies and how they will be achieved. Sanders’ plan makes sure to consider the environment and economy together, asserting that the United States will transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and create 20 million jobs. By providing a federal jobs guarantee, Sanders ensures that the prosperous future achieved by saving the planet would not only apply to the rich and powerful, but also to the average working class family. The Green New Deal is meant to both save Earth’s biosphere and to be a catalyst for economic uplift, similar to the original New Deal signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In combination, these proposed policies will rescue millions of Americans from poverty while allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a healthy planet. Most importantly, Sanders’ Green New Deal does not only focus on what work needs to be done in the United States, but it also encourages sustainability abroad through an outline of strict environmental guidelines that the U.S. will require from its allies and trading partners in the future.
The projected cost of employing the policies of Sanders’ Green New Deal plan would total about $16.3 trillion. It is not uncommon for naysayers to object to the practicality of this investment, but they fail to realize the cost of the alternative. A paper published by Nature Climate Change in early 2019 estimated that “largely unchecked [climate change] would cost about $520 billion dollars across [various] sectors every year by 2090” (Levitan), thus resulting in over $36 trillion dollars in comparison to the bargain that is the Green New Deal. Furthermore, the entirety of the investment highlighted within the deal will be taken from purely federal money “including $6.4 trillion in revenue from selling energy via power marketing authorities, $2.3 trillion from income taxes from the new jobs created under the plan, and $1.2 trillion from reducing military expenses related to protecting oil shipping routes” (Irfan and Golshan). Combining these and more contributions, the plan will pay for itself over 15 years.
What should be an issue to everyone—conserving planet Earth— has become a partisan issue. Distrust of scientific fact, obfuscation from fossil fuel industries, corrupt elected officials, and insatiable consumers all contribute to a lack of forward progress. Gaining support for a perceived “far-left” Green New Deal to pass within congress and be signed into law will be challenging, but doing so is absolutely necessary. A global climate crisis is not a distant dystopian fear, it is happening now, severely and fast approaching. To combat it successfully, solutions must also be meaningful and swift. As everyone and everything on Earth faces this crisis of magnificent proportion, politicians can no longer sit idly by as the effects brought about by this worsen and introduce greater destruction. In order to achieve net-zero carbon emissions while strengthening the economy and avoiding potential humanitarian catastrophe, a bold initiative must be undertaken with the United States of America leading the way. Much like the New Deal, which lifted millions out of depression and into greater social and economic prosperity, the Green New Deal serves to insure a prosperous planet and way of life for future generations.
So, does the Green New Deal sound like a real possibility to combat climate change and further stimulate the economy? If not, what are better ways you know of that could achieve the many undertakings that are required to save our planet? Why do you think there has been so much controversy surrounding the Green New Deal? How can we push for politicians to work across the aisle in order to model a plan that appeals to all Americans?
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17 comments:
As a tree-hugging, Lorax-worshipping elementary schooler, I never understood why taking enviornmental action was a “left-only” thing, and I still kind of don’t. The Earth we have is the only one we have (so far) and protecting it should be something that spans political boundaries. With America’s rampant consumerist lifestyle, action must be taken for future generations to have any hope of having a lifestyle at all. $16 trillion dollars sounds scary at first, but compared to the alternative, it’s reasonable. I may be politically clueless, and America alone taking action will probably not restore Earth to Eden, but I think the New Green Deal is plausible and promising,
I have always been a supporter of the Green New Deal and hope it or something like it is implemented in the very near future. Some may argue that it is too radical, but we have run out of time to take baby steps towards change. We need to make drastic changes to our economy, and our practices if we are going to save our planet before it is too late. One argument against programs like the Green New Deal is that it would take away jobs from miners and others who work in nonrenewable energy. To combat this I would argue that these workers should be trained to manage the wind farms, solar panels, and other green energy systems so that jobs aren't lost but the world continues to move forward. One way I believe we can force politicians to work across the aisle to help pass legislation like the Green New Deal is to educate the public. Congressmen's biggest goal is to be reelected and to do that they most vote in favor of their constituents. By educating the public they will be more likely to support radical change in favor of renewable energy and politicians will be encouraged to work together to pass it to reflect the will of the people. If the people believe than the politicians will follow. I sincerely hope that the Green New Deal will be passed, but in today's climate I am afraid it is a long shot. I hope that people will educate themselves and fight for change to save our planet. :)
The Green New Deal definitely sounds like a real possibility to combat climate change and further stimulate the economy. Hopefully, it is implemented in the near future, because as mentioned in the blog post, environmental disaster is no longer a subject of the future, it a present-day threat. I believe that for every issue, one party is going to support a certain aspect, while the other party is to dispute it. I believe that this is one of the fundamental characteristic of a bipartisan government. Environmental concern just seems to be one of those issues, and it just seems to be that the right sided politicians (generally) are more inclined to dispute the environmental suggestions as opposed to left sided. I believe this a serious problem because this issue needs bipartisan support. If we do not have a healthy and sustainable Earth, very few generations after us will be able to survive, and that is quite an issue. We can start to vote for candidates that are more supportive of this issue.
Overall, I think it seems like a great possibility to combating climate change. Though I support it, I know that for some, the proposal seems to radical. For others, the estimated cost of the deal is too unappealing. In addition, I’ve noticed that the Green New Deal and even climate change in general is more of a left-wing issue, which can deter right-leaning people from researching or supporting the issue. I think that one of the best steps to getting a deal like this one passed is education. Many people don’t support it, but they don’t actually know what the deal entails. Even if the Green New Deal is eventually passed, other countries will have to take similar measures in order to create a major positive change.
I believe that the Green New Deal is the best idea that our society has in their hands to combat climate change. As you’ve mentioned in your blog, I believe that there are two reasons why some people may oppose the Green New Deal. The first reason is that whenever a new idea is present, there are going to be people who approve of it and there are people who reject it. That’s is just how society works because of how different the opinions of people are. Another reason that people my not approve of the Green New Deal is because how it takes away job opportunities from minors. Although this is a valid appeal, I still believably the health of our environment still outweighs any drawback which is why I fully support the Green New Deal.
Though this policy is controversial among many, I cannot stress enough how necessary it is to help slow the advance of climate change before it is too late. When I first heard about the Green New Deal, I was genuinely surprised that it was so controversial. Scientists have compiled a multitude of evidence to this trend, that anthropocentric activities have caused global warming, leading to a mass extinction of species, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather more frequently. Since this is not a bipartisan issue, we must turn to sustainability to help save this planet. Allowing earth's resources to both maintain humans while not depleting to dangerous levels. Sustainability is the key to tackling the problem in a way that everyone can agree with. However, if we do not take drastic action quickly, the burden will be placed on the future generations, when the problem will be practically unsolvable.
I believe that the Green New Deal is a good step towards preserving the environment. Although it's unarguably ambitious, which results in a considerable amount of debate as to whether or not it is achievable, I think that the ideas proposed in the Deal are essential to repairing the damage that humans caused to the earth. I have seen some arguments on the news discussing the drawbacks to the promise of a "livable wage" for all citizens, including the argument that minors are not included in this and that the promise of a livable wage for all may result in the decrease in productivity. While these are valid concerns, I also believe that the conservation of the environment should be made a priority, as our planet is our home, and it's the only one we have.
The Green New Deal is a great possibility to combat climate change and further stimulate the economy. I believe that this will help us tremendously to flatten the curve of climate change. If we don’t prevent it, an increase in effects will occur. I think there is a lot of controversy because people look at it to be a left-wing idea. Many people of the opposite side may not even understand the concept but say no to it anyway. It’s horrible how our country has become that way! I think it is important for our politicians to agree that we need a plan now before it is too late. That way we can start to find a solution. The Green New Deal is a great way to reduce emissions and try to restore Earth to keep it sustainable.
Opposing well-founded scientific knowledge always seemed foolish to me. I think that those who do distrust the scientific process have simply been sold faulty information by uneducated politicians or politicians whose agendas don’t align with progress in the environment sector. I believe that it is critical that we take large steps to slow down the adverse effects humans are having on the planet. The Green New Deal would be a great way to initiate the process of restoring Earth to ensure its sustainability. Although some may argue that it is too expensive or that jobs will be lost, it is important to keep in mind the long term expenses of not taking action as mentioned in the blog. The conservation of the Earth and its resources should be our first priority and to achieve this in a timely manner, I believe that people and politicians must take action despite the disapproval of those who regard environmental change as nonsense.
It is astounding to me that this plan is not already in effect. There are clear benefits for out environment and society as a whole, and if we don't put this plan in place it will cost us more. There are many, many scientific sources that say we are killing the Earth and need to restore it to ensure its sustainability. Although the Green New Deal is expensive, in the long run that doesn't really matter. Would we rather have our planet crumble beneath our feet? Helping our environment is not a political ploy, it is something to make sure we all survive and future generations are born into the best possible version of Earth. We need to be doing more, and the Green New Deal plan is exactly what we need right now.
The Green New Deal definitely sounds like a real possibility to combat climate change and further stimulate the economy. However, there is so much controversy surrounding the Green New Deal because of the huge initial costs this plan requires and because of the lesser profits that some businesses (like fossil fuel companies) would consequently experience due to environmental regulations. Despite these seemingly daring costs, I believe that the Green New Deal will turn out to be far more lucrative for the advancement of humanity if enacted. The Earth is our home for much time to come, and we must treat it with much higher regard than we currently. If this plan is anything like Roosevelt's New Deal Program, then the Green New Deal will help stimulate more of the change needed to protect our planet for future generations.
The Green New Deal sounds really interesting and could potentially really help decrease the environmental issues the world is currently struggling with. While some business may suffer and alternate power sources would have to be found, but I believe if the big corporations that have a large influence over the economy and has a wide variety of consumers, they should take charge in encouraging people to take part and lead the way in implementing the Green New Deal. While it may difficult at first, if introduced properly we could really make an impact, at the end of the day it really just depends on how much we desire to make a change.
I agree with the comment you made the most important problem is why conserving the planet has become a partisan issue. Since the severe consequences of climate change are backed by undeniable scientific research and data, it is obvious that we need to take action reverse the damages. In my opinion the Green New Deal does sound like the best method to combat our environmental issues, but honestly, I'm not very politically involved. Considering the reasons that were brought up in this blog (expensive but pay for itself and less expensive than unchecked climate change), it is surprising to see that there is so much controversy surrounding the Green New Deal. This may because fossil fuel companies have so much political power and influence.
The Green New Deal definitely sounds like a real possibility to combat climate change, thought the initial costs are quite high and several businesses would suffer. Those are also the reasons for the controversy surrounding the deal. Politicians need to take steps to create climate change campaigns despite the possible backlash from those who don’t believe in climate change’s existence. Because this issue is so pressing, politicians should not be worrying about their reputations in fear of backlash, though sadly this probably will never happen. We must take action soon or we may suffer severe environmental consequences.
I can’t believe there are still some people who don’t believe global warming and climate change are real. It is insane. The fact is that the increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius is enough to change the environment forever. Fortunately, the Green New Deal has given the environment hope. A transition to total renewable energy sources is a crazy task, but if it is complete, we can save the environment for future generations. The efforts it makes to benefit all people, from rich to poor, is very intriguing to me. I think there has been so much controversy because it is coming from a “far left” perception, while people on the “far right” believe climate change isn’t even real. But the truth is that the environment is at risk, and the Green New Deal can save it.
Now more than ever, the Green New Deal is crucial for ensuring the lives of future generations. Global warming is a widely discussed topic, and the planet’s health continuing to worsen is evidence enough that there needs to be action taken NOW. However, the deal will cost a lot of money, and right-wing people hold that with more weight than they do the health of the world. The way I think about it is that if there if the Green New Deal doesn’t take place, then the planet will soon become inhabitable and there will be no more use for saving money at all. It seems pretty clear to me that the Green New Deal will save our planet and that we should show our support by voting for politicians who support the Green New Deal as well.
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