Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash
Author: Frankie Ingargiola, 281
Date: April 26th, 2021
What Is The Green New Deal?
The Green New Deal is a congressional bill, supported by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, that is attempting to pass through the senate. The goal of this bill is to create a sense of urgency in saving our planet and the people on it by turning away from fossil fuels and looking for better alternatives. The bill remains in the beginning stage of planning, currently containing a short 14 page paper.
What is Outlined In The Green New Deal
The points outlined in the bill are straight forward bill. Number one- Cut down on the things that are killing the earth. These are things like carbon emissions, fossil fuels, things we have alternatives for we are just too lazy to make the switch. Number two- Make sure when we make the shift, we are doing it in a way that will protect our people. The bill is just the foundation of a true step-by-step plan that will hopefully be achieved after its approval, and years of further research into what are the best steps to take.
What Is President Biden’s Plan in Comparison
President Biden has signed more than three dozen executive orders in the first three weeks of his presidency. Climate change is a serious and ambitious goal he plans to take on. Biden’s Green Plan calls for reaching zero emissions by 2050 instead of 2030- like the Green New Deal suggests. Biden also rejoined the Paris agreement which is an act focused to keep the Earth’s temperature below 2 degrees celsius. He also plans to improve energy efficiency in buildings and housing, and promote the production of electric vehicles and conservation efforts in the agriculture industry. While he is setting big goals for the climate future, they are slightly less ambitious than that of the Green New Deal.
Sources:
“Biden Signs 'Existential' Executive Orders on Climate and Environment.” BBC News, BBC, 27 Jan. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55829189.
WP Company. (2020, April 8). Where 2020 Democrats stand on climate change. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/policy-2020/climate-change/.
Friedman, L. (2019, February 21). 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.