Over the past few months, a group of Congress members has worked on a bold proposal, which would effectively enable the U.S. to slow its impact on global climate change.
The plan, the Green New Deal, would create major changes in the U.S. economy. It is certainly a bold plan, to say the least, but some members of Congress in support of the plan say it is only touching the tip of the iceberg––no pun intended.
“Even the solutions that we have considered big and bold are nowhere near the scale of the actual problem that climate change presents to us,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “It could be part of a larger solution, but no one has actually scoped out what that larger solution would entail. And so that’s really what we’re trying to accomplish with the Green New Deal.”
Look, whether or not you actually care about the environment—which you should—it is no secret the climate is looking raggedy. Glaciers are melting. Bees are dying. We are using up a large majority of nonrenewable resources, and every single day we put massive amounts of pollution into the air we breathe.
Throughout the world and especially in the U.S., we have lingered in a season of apathy for far too long. We too often take for granted what we have on this earth, and if we do not do something soon, future generations will suffer.
So, how exactly does the Green New Deal plan to counteract these negative changes within the climate?
First off, the bill calls for “meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources.” In simple terms, the Green New Deal has an overarching goal of eliminating the U.S. carbon footprint within the next decade––an enormous goal.
The Green New Deal also aims to upgrade existing building structures to high energy efficiency levels, reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions on American farms, expand electric car manufacturing and construct a high-speed rail to reduce air travel and create job guarantees for employees, which would include several benefits.
However, as with any piece of legislation, especially one as bold as this one, there is opposition. The Green New Deal is proposed by some of the House’s most progressive representatives. Both moderate Democrats and Republicans have expressed serious skepticism toward the bill.
Advocates remain strong in pushing the legislation. Several years of passivity toward the climate mean small changes will not make an impact. Big problems call for big solutions.
It is largely assumed the bill will not pass, but supporters of the bill cling to the hope these ambitious policies will promote future measures in order for the two sides to meet halfway.
The edgy Green New Deal should especially convict people of faith, whether or not they support the bill. Ocasio-Cortez recently reminded her Christian Twitter followers of this fact.
“Genesis 1: God looked on the world & called it good not once, not twice, but seven times. Genesis 2: God commands all people to ‘serve and protect’ creation,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
She went on to tweet another message: “You shouldn’t need a Bible to tell you to protect our planet, but it does anyway.”
The Green New Deal is controversial, audacious and daunting. More than likely, it will not pass anytime soon.
While this may bring a wave of relief to those in opposition to the bill, we cannot continue to dismiss the way we treat and continue to treat the world we live in––the world, which according to people of faith, was given by God to be cultivated and cared for by humans.
Green New Deal or not, the clock on climate change is ticking. What are we going to do about it?
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