The Green New Deal is a proposed bill in the United States House of Representatives. You’ve probably seen it in the news recently, but may not know what the proposal entails. The Green New Deal is a comprehensive climate change mitigation proposal for the United States, introduced by Senators Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey. The bill was first introduced in 2019, and was re-introduced to the 117th congress in April 2021. The Green New Deal proposal aims to curb emissions and decrease fossil fuel reliance in the US, and provide high paying jobs in clean industries. The bill has been vilified by many conservative voices as a ‘socialist takeover’ because of some of the high goals of the bill, which are necessary to prevent the effects of climate change. 

 First, we will overview the bill. The bill first explores the known threats of anthropogenic climate change: mass migration, lost economic output, increased wildfires, loss of coral reefs, increasing death by heat stress, damaged coastal infrastructure and real estate, and more. By keeping the global average temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, we can prevent or mitigate many of the effects of climate change. Next, we will look closer at the contents of the proposal. The bill has a proposed “10-year mobilization” where the United States will transition to entirely renewable or net-zero emissions sources, update the power grid and buildings across the country to be more energy efficient, and invest into electric vehicles and high speed rail lines. It also contains provisions for government support in job training and economic development, particularly for fossil fuel reliant industries. 

 Many critics worry about the costs of the Green New Deal. While the bill could cost trillions of dollars over the next decades, continuing without major emissions changes could end up much more costly. Without action now, the effects of anthropogenic climate change will cost the lives and livelihoods of millions.

Citations:

Friedman, Lisa. 2019. “What Is the Green New Deal? A Climate Proposal, Explained.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate/green-new-deal-questions-answers.html
Markey, Ed. 2021. “The Green New Deal: Jobs, Justice, and Climate Action” Via Instagram.
Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria. 2019. “Text – H.Res.109 – 116th Congress (2019-2020): Recognizing the Duty of the Federal Government to Create a Green New Deal.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109/text