The Proposed House Green New Deal Resolution

A Resolution has been proposed to the House for consideration that would recognize the Federal Government’s duty “to create a Green New Deal.”  It sets forth a very ambitious 10-year program to mobilize and transform every aspect of American life to combat the threats of climate change by transitioning to an economy based upon 100% clean and renewable energy.

In doing so, millions of new jobs would be created, and everyone who wants a job would be guaranteed a job. The sponsors’ talking points declare that there is no time to lose, that Americans love a challenge, and “this is our moonshot.” The obvious goal is to eliminate the generation and use of fossil fuel and nuclear energy—they are simply not part of the solution.

A massive federal government effort will be required—“government is the prime driver”– funded by a massive investment of public funds, but the sponsors concede that the proceeds of any carbon tax will finance only a small percentage of the costs required.

More specifically, the goals of the Green New Deal are:

(a) to build resiliency against climate-related disasters;

(b) repair and upgrade the infrastructure of the United States by, among other things, requiring that any federal infrastructure legislation must address climate change;

(c) meet 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, zero-emissions sources;

(d) building or upgrading energy-efficient power grids, and ensuring affordable access to energy;

(e )upgrading all existing buildings in the United States to achieve maximum energy efficiency;

(f) spur massive growth in clean manufacturing;

(g) work collaboratively with farmers and ranchers to remove, as much as possible, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector;

(h) overhaul transportation systems to remove pollution and greenhouse emissions;

(i) mitigate and manage the long-term effects of pollution and climate change, including the provision of funding to community-defined projects and strategies;

(j) remove greenhouse gases form the atmosphere by restoring natural ecosystems that increase soil carbon storage;

(k) restore and protect threatened and fragile ecosystems through appropriate science-based projects; (l) clean up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites;

(m) identifying other emissions and pollution sources and creating solutions to remove them; and

(n) promote the international exchange of technology.

These goals will be met by the successful completion of a number of projects:

(a) requiring large new public ownership stakes in various projects;

(b) provide high-quality education to everyone so that everyone can be a full and equal participant in the Green New Deal “mobilization”,

(c) make public investments in clean renewable energy R & D;

(d) ensure that this mobilization requires the use of “democratic and participatory processes”;

(e ) ensure that high-quality union jobs are created;

(f) guarantee a job to everyone in the United States with a family-sustaining wage and medical leave, etc.;

(g) strengthen the rights to collective bargaining;

(h) enforce labor workplace safety and antidiscrimination standards;

(i) ensure the public lands are protected and “eminent domain is not abused”;

(j) deal openly and honestly with indigenous peoples;

(k) ensure that there is a commercial business environment which is free from unfair competition and domination by domestic or international monopolies;

(l) provide everyone with high-quality health care and adequate housing , economic security and access to nature, clean water, clean air, and good affordable food.