Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll probably have seen that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the election, and will become the next President and Vice President of the United States of America. Of course this is a big deal for the USA, but it’s also a pretty big deal for the rest of the world. The USA is the second biggest polluter in the world, came out of the Paris agreement and has had a President who does not believe in Global Warming – all not great. Climate Change is not a ‘topic’ for politicians to argue about, it is a reality – one that we cannot ignore. If we don’t all work together, it won’t really matter who is President. So, the people making decisions across the world are very important! Obviously, although Biden is (in my opinion) much better than Trump, there is still a way to go. With that in mind, I thought that I would talk about The Green New Deal, which has been put forward by several people, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (my absolute favourite lady). So what is it? Well, I’ve linked the full bill down below, but I will do my best to sum up.
What does the deal aim to do?
The basic aim of the deal is to make the USA carbon-neutral in 10 years. It wants to do this whilst alleviating inequality and poverty, stating that a more eco-friendly society and better quality of life for all go hand in hand. It would not eliminate emissions completely, but would aim to offset them. The deal also states that Climate Change will cost the USA billions of dollars by the end of the century, and that although this deal could be expensive, it will be less expensive than repairing the damage of Climate Change.
How will it do this?
Whilst there are few specifics, here is what we do know. The aim would be to have 10 years of mobilisation, where infrastructure would be upgraded, and places would be made more prepared for climate change related disasters. Although the use of coal, oil and natural gas would not end completely, it would be offsetted by absorbing the CO2, such as with forests (although these methods are not detailed explicitly). Energy efficiency and access to power are also mentioned, along with improving transportation and working with farmers to reduce emissions. In terms of people, the deal wants to focus on eliminating inequality. To do this, it calls for guaranteed jobs with paid holidays, security for retirement, fair pay and family and medical leave. It also states the importance of universal healthcare and free higher education. Access to affordable, safe housing, and clean water, air, health, nature and affordable food are also mentioned. More regulation to protect workers against discrimination and other issues like health and safety would also be brought in. It’s a pretty extensive list of things!
Why has it been labelled as controversial?
It sounds pretty positive right? Like it wants to right all the wrong in the world! Like with most things relating to climate change, this deal goes too far for some and not far enough for others. Because it’s America, there will be a vote on this deal, and this is not one piece of legislation – it’s lots of little ideas pushed together. This is part of the problem – a lot of people think that it is too ambitious, as no climate policy so far has attempted to tackle so much at once, especially with social issues as well. People are also worried about the money, as it has been estimated that this deal will be expensive. The truth is, no one really knows exactly how expensive it will be. There’s no doubt that because of the changes in infrastructure, it won’t be cheap, but it might be cheaper than simply doing nothing. Crucially, no one has any better ideas, especially any on the same scale.
So, it’s a pretty radical (and I mean that in the best way) plan – and I really hope that it gets taken seriously. It will be interesting to see exactly what the offsetting methods are and how they plan to do everything in 10 years, but it is a step forward – as long as it gets put through! I hope that this was interesting, and helped you to understand a little bit more what is going on. Please correct me if you see any mistakes I’ve made! I’ve linked below all the sources I have used – most of which are more coherent than me. Thanks for reading!
Sources:
- BBC – What does Trump actually believe on climate change?https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51213003
- The Green New Deal – https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hres109/BILLS-116hres109ih.pdf
- Science Direct – The Green New Deal in the United States: What it is and how to pay for it – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620301067
- CNN – Here’s what the Green New Deal actually says – https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/14/politics/green-new-deal-proposal-breakdown/index.html
- NY Times – What Is the Green New Deal? A Climate Proposal, Explained – https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate/green-new-deal-questions-answers.html
- The Guardian – What is the Green New Deal and how would it benefit society? – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/11/green-new-deal-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ed-markey
Waste Makes Waste 