Why the Green New Deal needs to be so big
We’re long past the time for gradual changes.
The Green New Deal casts a big vision for addressing a big problem. At its heart is a bold plan for the US to tackle the crisis of climate change by weaning the economy from its dependence on fossil fuels, while ensuring that the burden of that transition does not fall on those who can least afford it. The GND currently exists as an early draft of a law, and there is much to debate about its particulars. Scaling it down, however, would defeat the purpose. The big, comprehensive approach the GND represents is exactly what’s needed, for at least four reasons.
1. Climate change is an enormous problem. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group that reflects a broad scientific consensus, projects that total warming of 1.5 degrees will cause suffering for hundreds of millions of people. We’re on track to reach that level within 33 years, and it won’t stop there.
2. Climate action is urgent. To avoid the above scenario, the IPCC says the world needs to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050. Decades ago, it may have been enough for nations to enact narrow policies to curb emissions gradually. We’ve shot past that stage.
