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Green New Deal | ClearWorld LLC

The proposal known as The Green New Deal is one of the most polarizing in recent years, but should it be? When one stops and considers that the effects of climate change will be very costly not only to governments but industry as well, it could pay to learn more.

Though newly elected Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the person most associated with The Green New Deal, it was cosponsored by senior Senator Ed Markey. The proposed government stimulus package not only deals with climate change issues but also economic inequity.

Five of the 2020 presidential candidates in the Senate—Booker, Gillibrand, Harris, Sanders, and Warren also signed on as co-sponsors, and the rest of the 2020 field has been required to respond to the legislation as they shape their own climate policies.

Many of the candidates for the upcoming Presidential election have been releasing their own plans, but according to a recent poll among Democratic voters The Green New Deal is preferred over a mediocre approach like Biden’s.

Some politicians, especially those that identify as “far right”, had knee-jerk reactions to the proposal without really thinking it through. As its name would indicate, it does focus on making aggressive moves to get away from carbon-based fuels, but it also lays out plans for creating millions of high paying jobs. In order to address the large gap in economic inequality it also provides equal access to affordable housing and healthy food for all.

Local and state governments across the country have adopted the basic framework of The Green New Deal for their own policies. Minnesota introduced a bill in April that outlines a state level version. Earlier this month, the State of New York passed the Climate and Community Protection Act to set forth a defined plan for going 100% renewable and create jobs.

Senator Markey is calling for all of those that back the proposal to reach out to industry leaders in all sectors to make them understand that it is not only possible to achieve but necessary. By focusing on how it impacts each industry the benefits can be more easily seen.

No industry will escape from the ravages of climate change and they must therefor evolve and change their way of thinking to deal with climate change and the increasing economic inequity it will bring. Many private companies and organizations are already having these important discussions, but it needs to become more widespread.

Some industries have already begun policing themselves and making changes that are in alignment with The Green New Deal. In the transportation industry, the move to electric vehicles has already begun, not only for public transportation but freight trucks as well. The fashion sector is streamlining supply chains and creating better pay and working conditions for workers. Leaders in the building industry are discussing how to improve construction efficiency, create needed affordable housing, and better paying jobs for their workers.

Many that object to The Green New Deal have called it too radical, that it costs too much, or asks for too much too soon. The fact of the matter is that inaction will cost far more. Ignoring the impact that climate change is already having has cost billions of dollars in damage from recent flooding and wildfires. To continue to do so will bring these losses into the trillions.

We also must address the tremendous gap in income and prosperity that exists in the country. It is a basic tenet of economics that in order to have a healthy economy the middle class and the poor must be lifted up. If they do not have disposable income to put back into the economy, then it will come to a screeching halt. The Green New Deal offers some ideas that can be built upon on how to accomplish this.

ClearWorld understands that climate change will cause major issues in virtually every area of the country and we support efforts to move to 100% renewable energy as soon as possible. Visit ClearWorld.us to learn more about ClearWorld’s solar LED lighting solutions.