The Green New Deal: Explained
By Valerie Tran & Veronica McKinney
In 2018, the world’s best climate scientists shared an alarmingly haunting fact: up to 200 million people could be displaced by climate change by 2050. Around 50% of all carbon emissions are emitted by the wealthiest 10% of the world’s population. Yet global warming is making climate change victims out of the world’s poorest. Global temperatures have increased about one-degree Celsius in the past century. In the past 30 years, we have been increasing the speed at which the Earth warms by half a degree. Many have met these statistics with the following comment: “Only half a degree? (Remember: Celcius, not Fahrenheit) What’s there to worry about?” Climate scientist Valerie Masson-Delmotte states that “It’s very clear that half a degree matters.” For decades, scientists stated that we should try to keep the global temperature from rising about 1.5 degrees celsius, but we would be okay if we ended up below the line of 2 degrees. Hitting the bare minimum of 2 degrees would result in catastrophic mass migrations, forest fires, droughts, and floods. This powerful rise in temperature will cost us trillions of dollars, millions of lives, and centuries of irreversible change.
In April of 2017, youth in America banded together to create the “Sunrise Movement.” They recruited Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to help spearhead a new Green Revolution. And in 2018, with 200 youth protesting outside Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office and an important press cameo made by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, the spark for the Green New Deal was lit.
So, what is the Green New Deal? Simply put, the Green New Deal (a play on words from FDR’s New Deal policies) is a massive program of investments in clean-energy jobs and infrastructure. Its goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, while also trying to fix societal problems such as economic inequality and racial injustice. The proposal emphasizes how the entire world must reach net-zero emissions by 2050, with the US at the front of it all. The nonbinding proposal was introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (otherwise known as AOC) and Senator Edward J. Markey. And so far, the “official” version of the Green New Deal is Ocasio-Cortez’s document-- a 14-page resolution that encompasses the whole economy and dozens of policies at different levels of government.
The Green New Deal has three core principles: decarbonization, jobs, and justice.
Starting with the first principle: Decarbonization, which includes zero carbon emissions and 100% renewable energy, such as hydroelectric, wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal. Current renewables only account for 20% of U.S energy production, lagging behind natural gas and coal (widely-used fossil fuels) in ten years. It plans to spread the use of electric vehicles throughout the country by possibly banning gasoline and diesel, and decarbonizing buildings (which make up 40% of the US’ annual carbon emissions). The youth who will have to live with the effects of climate change call for a plan that will guarantee the well-being of future generations with necessary changes, rather than what is deemed “politically possible.” By decarbonizing the US economy, the whole image of American life as we know it will drastically change. The Green New Deal’s plan to call for decarbonizing energy and the economy in ten years is a radical and daunting proposal considering America’s capitalist background where for decades, billions of dollars are being put into Big Oil.
Next, we have core principle #2: Jobs. The Green New Deal encompasses a plan that includes a federal jobs guarantee and funding for large-scale public investments. As we said before, the Green New Deal is not only a climate change policy but also an upheaval and renovation of the economy to push for a more sustainable and active public sector. It aims to transform the economy by supporting the poor and middle class, who are the backbone of the American economy. “It would open new opportunities to reevaluate the relationships between the public and private sectors, and the working people-- all together combining to compose a more democratic structure in the economy” as quoted by Vox. The Green New Deal would involve large-scale investments, on account of the use of trillions of dollars over a decade, ensuring a federal-jobs guarantee with jobs paying at least $15 an hour, with benefits and available to the entire public-- a key aspect of the GND. The Green New Deal aims to help the entire American population-- even in the red states who could care less about climate change, providing an edge to the argument against the resolution. This brings the GND not only into the pool of progressive policy but also into the pool of economic policy, as a sustainable economic solution to the long-enduring unemployment crisis.
Finally, we reach core principle #3: Justice. The proposal must include a quote-on-quote “just transition.” FDR’s New Deal failed to recognize the shortcomings the policies had on minority groups and ultimately set up minority groups to be disenfranchised and underserved. The many elements of racial inequalities imposed by the New Deal inspire the Green New Deal’s demand for social justice to be implemented into its unveiling. Ocasio-Cortez’s document calls for the protection for those hardest hit by historical discrimination and those set to suffer most from the effects of climate change, which include, “low-income communities, communities of color, indigenous communities, [and] the front-line communities most affected by climate change, pollution, and other environmental harm.” By including the ideologies of social justice and racial equality, the Green New Deal strives to uphold strong labor, environmental, and nondiscrimination standards as a part of its investment in the communities that, for generations, have suffered health and social consequences from the effects of poor environmental regulation.
Before we dive into the counterarguments and political analysis of the Green New Deal, let’s look over what the Green New Deal proposes for us one last time: providing investments and leveraging funding to help communities affected by climate change; repairing and upgrading existing infrastructure to withstand extreme weather and ensuring all bills related to infrastructure in Congress address climate change; investing in renewable power sources and manufacturing to spur growth in the use of clean energy; building or upgrading to energy-efficient and “smart” power grids that provide affordable electricity; upgrading all existing buildings and building new pens so that achieve maximum energy and water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability; supporting family farming by investing in sustainable farming; building a more sustainable and equitable food system; investing in transportation systems, namely zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing and public transit; restoring ecosystems through land preservation, afforestation (replanting native trees in areas affected by deforestation) and science-based projects; cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites; identify unknown sources of pollution and emissions; and lastly, working with the international community on solutions and helping them achieve Green New Deals of their own.
You may be thinking, the Green New Deal sounds great! More jobs, cleaner air, and effective plans to combat climate change. So why is the Green New Deal so controversial? Well, before legislation can be passed regarding the Green New Deal, it must gain significant public support. The main challenges facing the Green New Deal are funding, convincing the public, and winning over Democrats.
The big question when proposing a drastic change in infrastructure is “How are you going to pay for it?” Many Americans shy away from the idea of additional investments, saying that America is in debt already, and the government is incompetent with the money they currently have. Opponents of the Green New Deal argue that the federal budget must be balanced: in other words, an additional dollar spent on the Green New Deal means a dollar raise on their taxes. However, these counter arguments regarding the funding of the Green New Deal are false, but so widely accepted that it’s difficult to reshape folk political theories in the average American.
But that’s why we are here today: to clarify the purpose and plans in the Green New Deal, and clear up any misconceptions. Although many Americans believe that investing in new infrastructure will result in tax raises, the Green New Deal proposes reallocation and adjustment of federal funds to include the GND. The Deal proposes raising trillions of dollars from military tax cuts and wealthy tax cuts, instead of raising taxes for the working class. Options for raising revenue include imposing carbon taxes (which would fine corporations who exceed their carbon emission limit) or offering emission incentives (which would allow corporations who reach under the limit for emissions to be rewarded). And while the net cost of the Green New Deal may seem great and daunting at first glance, the positive effects on the environment greatly outweigh the costs.
Surprisingly, another one of the Green New Deal’s major challenges is the new Democratic Party. Although the GND was proposed by and gained momentum from Democrats, many Democrats still hesitate to support the Green New Deal because they don’t want to “give Republicans ammunition.” The modern Democratic Party is defensive and fearful of Republican attacks. Green New Deal supporters hope to remind Democrats of the urgency of the Green New Deal regarding climate change, and its goals to support minority communities and decrease unemployment rates.
Predictably, the Green New Deal’s greatest challenge is gaining significant and substantial support from the general public. This support is needed to convince State Representatives of the urgency and necessity for the Green New Deal to be passed. Representative AOC seems to be specifically targeting younger generations. As more and more youth are being reached through social media for awareness for political issues such as climate change and social injustice, it marks the beginning of a new era of conservation-- not only for the aesthetic of nature, but ultimately, for the future of humankind.
But the Green New Deal cannot hope to pass without support from Republicans. Right now, the current polarization of political parties makes it difficult for Democrats and Republicans to work together. We know this for sure: the Green New Deal will be a direct blow to some of the wealthiest and most powerful groups in the world, and they’re not going to accept the total upheaval of an economy that produces trillions in profit for them with grace. Unfortunately, many Republicans spread blatantly false claims about the Green New Deal. According to Vox, Former President Trump claimed the GND would take away our “airplane rights”, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas said the proposal would confiscate cars and require Americans to “ride around on high-speed light rail, supposedly powered by unicorn tears,” and Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming warned that ice cream, cheeseburgers, and milkshakes would be a thing of the past because under the Green New Deal, “livestock will be banned.” Of course, the Green New Deal will not do any of this, but these claims still paint the GND in a harmful, negative light. The only way to combat this negativity from the Republican party is through scientific facts and positive imagery.
According to Vox, “Climate politics is … a choice between changes that seem impossible and a future that seems unthinkable.” Both Democrats and Republicans in government have avoided making this difficult choice for decades, but the day draws nearer where this choice will no longer be available to us.
Facing the issues plaguing our countries demands for mindset and lifestyle changes. It is impossible for us to continue living as we have for the past few decades and expect the planet to adapt to our destructive ways. Now, a response to this global crisis has made its debut on the political stage. The Green New Deal may be the biggest factor in determining whether America can work its way past structural barriers, corporate greed, and blind-faith in political parties to actually work together to take a new and sustainable leap into the future. As a “world superpower” the US has a responsibility to use its global influence to work against climate change for the betterment and of the world, and our future. The argument shouldn’t be centered around political parties and their agenda, but should be a way for all of humanity to come together to end our biggest problem -- climate change.
Podcast episode can be found here.
Valerie Tran is a senior at Mira Mesa High School, and is the Vice President in a volunteer outreach club called the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). Her love for the environment and passion for the advocacy of the Green Movement inspired her interest in environmental justice.
Veronica McKinney is a current senior at Mira Mesa High school. She participates in many clubs and organizations both on and off campus, such as class council, Marauders for Mental Health, Challenged Athletes Foundation, a free tutoring program, and her church’s youth leadership team. In her (rare) free time, she loves to read, cook, travel, and swim
Valerie Tran is a senior at Mira Mesa High School, and is the Vice President in a volunteer outreach club called the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). Her love for the environment and passion for the advocacy of the Green Movement inspired her interest in environmental justice.
Veronica McKinney is a current senior at Mira Mesa High school. She participates in many clubs and organizations both on and off campus, such as class council, Marauders for Mental Health, Challenged Athletes Foundation, a free tutoring program, and her church’s youth leadership team. In her (rare) free time, she loves to read, cook, travel, and swim