What Is The Green New Deal?

The Green New Deal has been in the works for years, but the goal has always been the same: to build a greener economy and take larger steps toward socio-economic equality. The Green New Deal spells out the changes that countries across the world must make to build a greener future.

Today, America’s Green New Deal is already in motion. These actions are seen in transitions towards cleaner energy, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and the empowerment of communities across the nation. While climate change is a focal point, to say this Green Deal is purely about the environment is to underestimate its extent. Green New Deal policies are also focused on social and economic issues, like creating new jobs and a fairer world for all.

With so much packed in, our New Green Deal is transforming society as we know it and heralding an era of equality and prosperity.

America’s Green Deal is working to bring gas emissions down to net zero and a fully renewable economy. Nations around the world have already implemented green policies and developed political platforms to transform their economies and contribute to a better world.

So, what is the New Green Deal? Here are some of the main aspects:

Reduce Gas Emissions to Net Zero – Bringing down carbon emissions to net zero is crucial. The U.S. is not alone in this endeavor, although the U.S. is one of the biggest contributors.
100% Renewable Energy – The U.S. government has committed to sourcing its energy from 100% renewable sources by 2030. The work of grassroots organizations like The Solutions Project is helping to hasten the demise of the fossil fuels era.
Create Millions of Jobs – New infrastructure and new businesses require skilled individuals. So we shouldn’t just be asking what the Green New Deal is, we should also be asking who it benefits. The Green New Deal is also about creating prosperity for all and widening opportunities for underprivileged groups.
Bolster America’s Infrastructure – America’s infrastructure is crumbling. Years of neglect have stunted our country’s economic growth and kept millions in dead-end jobs and deprived communities. The Green Deal will revolutionize the country’s infrastructure in rural and urban areas.
Weatherize America – Retrofitting existing buildings and constructing more innovative infrastructure and residential/commercial installations will help protect Americans against extreme weather of increasing frequency.

The specifics extend beyond our Green New Deal summary and simply tackling dangerous emissions. It examines how we live and commits to breaking from the past and creating a fair society that benefits everybody.

The Green New Deal arose from grassroots pressure, and the execution of the Green Deal requires that same pressure. At The Solutions Project, we continue to support activists and entrepreneurs in changing their communities for the better. America’s Green New Deal is an excellent start, but we demand change.

Green New Deal Policies

To reach the ambitious goals set out by the Green Deal, a comprehensive set of policies have been enacted. Ordinary people are taking action on the ground to ensure the nation’s Green Deal achieves what it set out to do.

Environmental and social justice are at the heart of the deal. We stand on the precipice of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a fairer society for the masses. We are committed to fighting for those policies that will transform America for a better future for all.

The Green New Deal and Environmental Justice

Environmental justice ensures that everyone gets their fair share of the benefits that arise from transitioning to a greener economy. Inadequate access to food, public transportation, and safe homes leave millions stuck in generational poverty. Air and water pollution filter down into the lower classes and disproportionately impact underprivileged groups.

The policies of today’s New Green Deal aim to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure, bolster public transportation to enhance mobility, and weatherize buildings to protect against flooding, power cuts, and earthquakes. Expanding light rail networks, replacing lead pipes, building smart grids, and building new stormwater systems are all part of creating buffers that defend communities against an increasingly chaotic climate.

We believe that the underprivileged and low-income communities that have been ignored and neglected for so long must finally be prioritized to level the playing field. A greener future must work for communities, not corporations.

The Green New Deal and Social Justice

For too long, underprivileged groups and low-income Americans have had to fight for scraps from those sitting on top.

America’s Green New Deal aims to change that and make a push towards social justice for all. Fairness in opportunity, equal access, and wealth distribution form a large part of the Green New Deal. Supporting family farming, hiring locally, and forcing polluting corporations to pay their fair share are just some of the policies that commit this nation to social justice.

Another big aspect of the Green New Deal is our nation’s infrastructure and the creation of jobs, which will aid in providing access to a better life and improving socio-economic equality. President Biden has laid out his goals to create millions of jobs in communities across the nation as part of America’s infrastructure rebuild.

Most importantly of all, social justice begins at the community level. Giving often ignored communities a say in how their tax dollars are spent and how projects proceed can build a whole new local economy that benefits people, not profit margins.

We fight from the ground up. The Solutions Project speaks up and ensures nobody gets left behind.

Criticisms of the Green New Deal

While the Green New Deal is a good start, does America’s commitment to a greener future go far enough? What are the implications of such an ambitious project?

At The Solutions Project, we wholeheartedly support this commitment to revolutionizing America and our approach to the climate. It is a once-in-a-generation endeavor that will go down in history as a turning point.

However, the Green New Deal explained has led to plenty of critics who are skeptical of its merits. Here are some of the common criticisms of the Green New Deal.

“It Costs Too Much”

Implementing the policies of this platform will cost billions. It will be America’s most expensive project in history. The incredibly high costs have led to critics claiming that the country cannot afford it.

Estimates of the overall cost vary, but some claim it could cost up to $93 trillion and cause America’s deficit to skyrocket. Opting for a carbon-neutral approach and levying environmental taxes on the country’s largest polluters will help to offset the deficit.

Smart economic management of the deal’s policies will remain paramount over the decades to come, but there are ways to ensure that America can continue to act with fiscal responsibility.

Climate catastrophes cause more and more damage every single year. Economic stagnation and generational poverty will cost the country far more than an investment in forging a better society for all.

“It Doesn’t Go Far Enough”

Many feel concerned that even this hefty goal doesn’t quite go far enough, and we agree. America could move faster and go further, but prevailing political and economic realities have led to this compromise.

And yet, the green approach is not set in stone and the Green New Deal isn’t a catch-all answer for our staggering environmental issues. Communities must continue to push for more through lobbying elected representatives and voting intelligently.

“It Will Send Jobs Overseas”

Thinktanks have highlighted that some corporations may react to green taxes and dismantle their polluting subsidiaries by moving their operations overseas.

Critics often use this argument to stifle change. It has been used before to argue against increasing the minimum wage. Yet in states like Washington, where the minimum wage has risen to $15 per hour, corporations have not vanished, and mass unemployment hasn’t taken over cities and towns.

It is a scare tactic used by corporations to maintain dominant market positions. Progressive policies are a threat to these organizations. The reality is that all developed nations have adopted similar policies as the U.S. and that moving overseas is neither practical nor viable.

“The Deal Will Change Our Way of Life”

Some people suggest that environmental policies will lead to drastic life changes that will make our lives more difficult. Again, corporate powers use these scare tactics to turn people away from progressive policies.

Green economies improve access to well-paying jobs and eliminate the low-advancement roles of today. If implemented correctly, the deal will put more money in your pocket and provide you with a better life.

Will it change your life? Yes, but it will change your life for the better.

Conclusion

Today’s Green New Deal is the opportunity of a lifetime to provide for every American, no matter who they are or where they live. With the policies introduced, every single one of us stands to become stakeholders in this nation’s future.

But a greener future requires passion, dedication and perseverance from the people. That’s why The Solutions Project encourages you and your community to act now to help create a future featuring socio-economic equality and 100% renewable energy. Become a part of a historic movement and get ready to take America into a new era with The Solutions Project. We know that we can do anything when we work together and we see what’s possible when everyone shows up for the causes that matter. Contact us to join together and start making a difference today.