Everything You Need to Know About The Green New Deal

On Thursday, the “Green New Deal” was introduced by leading democrats which composed plans to combat and ultimately “solve” climate change. New York Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Senator Markey introduced the proposition that details a 10-year plan that intends to phase out the use of fossil fuels and take apart the country’s infrastructure and create new layers in the “social safety net.”

The plan focuses on a complete shift to renewable energy resources and the elimination of all greenhouse gas emissions. In doing so, the resolution would create many new high paying jobs.

The main problem being noticed in the plan introduced by Markey and Ocasio is the lack of any mention of laws or bans that help lawfully eliminate emissions and fossil fuel use.

The “Green New Deal” focuses primarily on the use of zero-emission transportation, implementing sustainable agriculture techniques and investing in solar and wind energy production.

The Green New Deal also emphasizes setting right injustices on the poor and people of color. Ocasio and Markey call for prioritizing vulnerable communities in rural regions that rely on industries that deplete nonrenewable resources, like oil.

So far, the deal has gained support by a number of progressive advocates and politicians because it outlines a plan for universal health care for all, as well as for affordable housing.

The major fault in the plan people are beginning to notice is that there is no detail on how the actions stated in the Green New deal will be paid for or where the money will come from.

The Green New Deal has been seen as ambitious and by some maybe even too ambitious. An analysis by a conservative organization put the cost at $1 trillion. Furthermore, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi does not intend to present the plan to the house and bring it to the floor for votes in its current state.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s GND has gained great support from a number of politicians. 70 House Democrats and 12 Democratic senators have backed up Ocasio’s plan. In addition, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Cory Booker, who have all announced their campaign for presidency in 2020, are supportive of the deal.

The Green New Deal ultimately introduces many plans and goals to combat climate change, including:

• ensuring the ability to meet the energy needs of all people through renewable energy
• Bring existing buildings to their full potential by repairing and enhancing them to reduce harmful emissions
• Teaming up with farmers and agricultural workers to ensure sustainable agriculture practices
• Investing in transportation infrastructure that reinforces zero-emission vehicles
• Putting into action solutions that raise the carbon storage in soil, the biggest carbon sink on earth.
• Protecting habitats and ecosystems that are at risk and considerably fragile
• Cutting greenhouse gas emissions in large industries
• Funding initiatives that help people and protect people from “climate change-related disasters”

Although the deal sounds ideal to environmentalists and progressive politicians, many conservative Republican politicians far from approve the GND. John Feehery, known Republican and former senior house aid said, “they completely screwed up” and went on to speak about how the mistakes and uncertainties in the Green New Deal are not necessarily surprising considering it is written by a House freshman.

However, mistakes are common and it does diminish the potential the Green New Deal may have. As said by Saikat Chakrabarti, “What’s in the resolution is the GND.”