A SUSTAINABLE PATH TO THE FUTURE?

The proposed “Green New Deal” is a revolution of sorts, for it would cause a major shift of the economy in the United States.

This would include more focus renewable energy, job programs and much more. This resolution is forcing politicians to think about climate change, and actually giving the conversation momentum as we celebrated Earth Day again this week. 

Newly elected U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) proposed the Green New Deal (GND) in the House of Representatives, describing this “deal” as a House resolution, and not a legislative bill – it doesn’t go to the Senate or the president right now for approval.

“It puts forward the large scope, the overall vision that we want to be able to accomplish,” said Ocasio-Cortez in an interview with television talk show host Seth Meyers.

What the GND entails is 100% reliance on renewable energy, Medicare health care coverage for all, and tuition-free public colleges, as well as investing in technology, more renewable resources and electrical vehicles. This is the vision on what should be, and needs to be, accomplished in the next 10 years.

Many other bills can be passed by Congress regarding smaller pieces of this vision, for it to one day be fully endorsed, and implemented. 

As many know, President Trump says he does not believe in climate change, despite scientific consensus that it is occurring. He has gone as far as to attempt to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement reached in 2015. By late 2016, United Nations representatives from countries all over the world came together to sign an agreement to collectively combat climate change – including the U.S.. 

Some of the goals of the agreement are to strengthen global response to climate change, and to prevent Earth’s temperatures from rising as much as 2 degrees Celsius. Nationally determined contributions were made by each country that signed; the U.S. agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by implementing a variety of environmentally directed programs.

Although the U.S. agreed to contribute the most money for the proposed changes, it is not alone. Japan, the UK, France and Germany are some of the other countries that have pledged the most. But by all accounts, Trump does not want the U.S. to be part of the agreement because he says it’s not in the best interest of America. He would rather spend that money elsewhere, especially since he doesn’t believe climate change is happening.

 The Green New Deal is similar to the Paris Climate Agreement, in the sense that there is a mutual understanding that change needs to happen in the very near future, to avoid catastrophic climate changes.

It is time for real change to take place. As citizens of the world, we must be concerned for the future of our home, the Earth.