green new deal
The Problem
In the span of only a few generations, Earth’s climate has undergone extreme changes, the repercussions of which are expected to escalate exponentially if not swiftly addressed. This drastic shift in our climate threatens every living being on the planet, with communities of color, low-income communities, and other marginalized groups being disproportionately hurt by the climate emergency. New Jersey natives already have firsthand experience in the not-too-distant past dealing with severe meteorological events in the form of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy. If we fail to act quickly, hurricanes such as Irene and Sandy will become regular occurrences, as will flooding, droughts, famine, and other climate-related disasters that could lead to a mass extinction event on a global scale.
Our Solution
The Green New Deal addresses the direct causes of the current climate disaster and offers numerous solutions to help heal our planet and provide a healthier, safer, and more prosperous environment for every American. These solutions include taking on the Fossil Fuel Industry, strengthening environmental regulations, providing bold outlines for new, Green infrastructure in our country, ending environmental racism, and creating jobs that work toward building a more eco-friendly and sustainable civilization.
Moratorium on New Fossil Fuel Developments
The Fossil Fuel Industry is one of the planet’s greatest offenders when it comes to damaging the health of our planet and the ecosystems it sustains. A simple, common-sense solution is to place a moratorium on all new fossil fuel projects such as NJ Transit’s proposed fracked gas power plant intended for construction in Kearny. Halting these severely-damaging projects would preserve our Ozone layer, conserve our natural resources, keep our water supply clean, and stop our sea levels from rising. This would prevent a future filled with disastrous climatic events such as hurricanes, famine, and the displacement of large populations across the world.
The New Jersey government has the power to significantly reduce the damage the Fossil Fuel Industry afflicts on our state. Already-existing laws such as the Global Warming Response Act and the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act provide the state government with the authority to tightly regulate the Fossil Fuel Industry, and thus keep our land, air, and waters cleaner. The American Lung Association assigns grades to the air quality of every New Jersey county. According to the ALA’s report card, Hudson County receives an F and Essex County receives a D in this regard. Our politicians must make use of existing legislation to heavily regulate the Fossil Fuel Industry and provide cleaner air to the citizens of New Jersey.
At the federal level, laws such as the Clean Air Act provide the government with the authority to limit the harmful output of fossil fuel projects. In addition, they also grant the government emergency power to address emerging environmental problems. These laws have the potential to greatly benefit the environment, but lobbyists for the Fossil Fuel Industry have spent decades pouring money into our federal government to ensure that our lawmakers do not exercise their power to clamp down on the emission of noxious chemicals and gases into our atmosphere.
Enforcing these already-existing laws is an effective starting point, but we must act beyond this in order to save our planet from the current climate emergency. It is imperative that we create new legislation to extend the reach of those regulations and policies and reduce our planet’s carbon emissions to net zero before it becomes too late. Now is the time for New Jersey to send a leader to Congress who is not beholden to the dirty money of corporate lobbyists, and who will ensure that our government does everything in its power to prevent climate-induced disaster.
Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Government subsidies of fossil fuel projects must also come to an end. In 2009, the G20 (a group of nineteen of the richest countries on Earth plus the European Union) pledged to phase out fossil fuel subsidies in the “medium term” to help combat the looming climate disaster. Yet in June 2019, ten years after the G20’s pledge, a report by the Overseas Development Institute found that this same group had tripled the subsidies it provided to the Fossil Fuel Industry over the course of a few years. We need a government that recognizes the incredible threat posed by the climate crisis and takes action to combat it—not a government that promises change while continuing to knowingly allow the poisoning of our planet.
Water Infrastructure
Our nation needs new, Green water infrastructure. Rebuilding our water system with equipment that can capture and filter stormwater for proper use, reduce the amount of pollutants that reach our sewers and natural bodies of water, keep our waterways clean, and run at a cost-efficient rate would provide immeasurable benefits for Americans everywhere. We also need to invest more heavily in the regulation and maintenance of our water systems, as well as establish a more transparent line of communication between our public works organizations and the American people, in order to ensure maximum clarity regarding the state of our water infrastructure.
According to the infrastructure grading system used by the American Society of Civil Engineers, America’s wastewater infrastructure has a grade of D+, while our dams, inland waterways, levees, and drinking water have all been assigned a D. Needless to say, it is unacceptable for the infrastructure of the richest country on Earth to be in such poor condition.
This is all too evident in NJ08, where Newark was recently discovered to have some of the highest levels of lead-laced drinking water in the state. In the first half of 2019, testing of Newark water showed amounts of lead almost four times greater than allowable levels. This mirrors the crisis that Flint, Michigan has continued to face for over six years. Our legislators have demonstrated an inexcusable unwillingness to address our deteriorating water infrastructure at both a local and national level.
Additionally, studies have proven time and again that communities of color and low-income communities bear the brunt of the consequences of America’s insufficient water infrastructure. In their March 2020 report titled Watered Down Justice, the Natural Resources Defense Council concluded that, “…the rate of drinking water violations increased in:
Communities of color
Low-income communities
Areas with more non-native English speakers
Areas with more people living under crowded housing conditions
Areas with more people with sparse access to transportation”
No community should be left without sufficient water infrastructure because of their skin color, indigenous status, or socio-economic background. We must end the racial and class-based discrimination in our system and invest in robust water infrastructure in our low-income communities and communities of color.
In order to combat these grave deficiencies in our water infrastructure, we must support and enforce strong water infrastructure legislation. Examples of such legislation include:
· The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act of 2019, which would “establish a trust fund to provide for adequate funding for water and sewer infrastructure.” This bill calls for $35 billion in funding.
· The Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2019, which would “direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a smart energy and water efficiency program”
· The Fracking Ban Act, which would “ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing”
· The Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act, which would “direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to make grants to eligible entities to increase the resilience of publicly owned treatment works to natural disasters”
· The Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019, which would “amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize certain water pollution control programs”
· The Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act of 2019, which would “amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation preparedness and response program”
· The Oil and Water Don’t Mix Act of 2020, which would “require operators of oil and gas production facilities to take certain measures to protect drinking water”
· The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020, which would “amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to reduce the production and use of certain single-use plastic products and packaging, to improve the responsibility of producers in the design, collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal of their consumer products and packaging, to prevent pollution from consumer products and packaging from entering into animal and human food chains and waterways”
· The MICRO Plastics Act of 2020, which would “establish a microplastics pilot program”
· The Climate Smart Ports Act, which would “direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to award grants to eligible entities to purchase, and as applicable install, zero emissions port equipment and technology”
· The Water Justice Act, which would “provide supplemental appropriations for safe and secure water”
· The Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act of 2019, which would “improve and coordinate interagency Federal actions and provide assistance to States for responding to public health challenges posed by emerging contaminants”
· The Clean Water Through Green Infrastructure Act, which would “establish centers of excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure”
Agricultural Land Use
The agricultural industry has caused severe environmental damage by abusing our land and soil and sacrificing sustainability for short-term yield and profits. Through the overuse of our natural resources and the destruction of numerous ecosystems, Big Agriculture has played a catalytic role in the climate emergency. It is imperative that we, as a nation, eschew our reliance on huge, multinational Agricultural Corporations and, in their place, invest in local farms as well as cleaner, renewable, eco-friendly agricultural infrastructure.
By investing in less harmful farming practices, we can drastically reduce the emission of greenhouse gases produced by farms and minimize the damage done to the land. Some of the ways we can invest into our local farms include:
· Increasing the Conservative Stewardship Program payments for sustainable farming practices to about $15 billion annually
· Expanding the “Farm-to-School” program a hundredfold and turning it into a billion-dollar “Farm to People” program in which all federally-supported public institutions — including military bases and hospitals — will partner with local, independent farmers to provide fresh, local food
· Reauthorizing and expanding the Civilian Conservation Corps and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund to provide good paying jobs building green infrastructure
· Increasing the production of Green energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has been a leading figure in the progressive movement in this country for decades. This plan supports some of his plans to reform the Agricultural industry, including:
· Investment of $410 billion to aid farmers in the transition to green farming practices
· Investment of $1.4 billion in research to develop new and green farming techniques
· Pay farmers $160 billion to keep carbon in soil
· Spend $500 million to assist farmers that are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program transition their farms
· Invest $1.4 billion in the Rural Energy for America Program for clean energy options to both diversify income streams, save money, and eliminate fossil fuel dependence on farms
There are also several regulations and practices we can enact to ensure greener farming methods, such as:
· Elimination of harmful pesticides
· Implementation of “natural” pest eliminators, such as birds, bats, and various insects
· Apply Managed Grazing for cattle. This calls for a scheduled shift in grazing lands for animals, giving livestock a variety of nutrients while preventing erosion for soil
· Planting cover crops, like clover or hairy vetch in the offseason. This protects the soil in the offseason and reduces the need for herbicides
· Reducing and Eliminating tillage. Tillage can lead to soil loss. Methods that do not use tillage or reduce its use can protect the soil from erosion
· A stronger, more community-focused recycling/up-cycling system, which would reduce waste and provide incentives for communities to collaborate on sustainable projects, such as community gardens and local Green infrastructure
· Supporting and investing more heavily in farmer's markets, and making produce more affordable in general. This would benefit both local farms and consumers, while simultaneously moving us away from a dependence on large Agricultural corporations
As the population of our planet grows and space becomes more scarce, we must also rethink our approach to farming in the 21st Century. According to Bowery Farming, “By 2050, we will need to produce 70% more food to feed an estimated world population of 10 billion. As it currently stands, our agricultural system cannot sustainably feed that many people, most of whom will be living in urban areas.”
This is why we must invest in a strong Urban Farming system, which would supplement our cities with local food sources that can support an expanding, densely-concentrated population. Properly investing in the technology and infrastructure we need to establish a strong system of Urban Farms would create new jobs in this field. We must also implement tax reforms that can contribute to the affordability and sustainability of Urban Farms instead of tax reforms that take from our most vulnerable communities and give to the richest people in the world.
Green Jobs
The Green New Deal has the potential to create millions of jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers across the country. In September of 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that solar panel installers and wind turbine service technicians would be the two fastest growing professions in the United States in the 10-year period from 2018 to 2028. Green jobs are already in high demand even without the Green New Deal. Once the GND legislation becomes reality, the job market will experience a boost the likes of which it has not seen since the original New Deal. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating the American economy and causing millions of people to lose their jobs, the Green New Deal is the solution we need to send Americans back to work and put the economy back on track.
Under the Green New Deal, the government would have more robust funding for providing job training to those seeking employment in this new, Green field. The jobs that are created would feature:
· Salaries no lower than $15/hour, subject to adjustment for inflation
· 12-week family or medical paid sick leave
· Fair scheduling practices
· Collaboration with unions to return power to working people
· Employees having the option to exercise collective bargaining rights
· Commitment to support all workers through understanding the ways in which the legacies of institutionalized racism, classism, patriarchy, and all other forms of systemic discrimination impact job access and experiences
· Equitable hiring processes for marginalized groups such as women, communities of color, and the LGBTQ+ community, including a commitment to accountability and transparency
Many of these positions could also be filled by employees transitioning out of the Fossil Fuel Industry, which would offset the job loss that might follow a scaling back of fossil fuel corporations. For these employees, the government could provide benefits such as:
· Guaranteeing 5 years of workers current salary, housing assistance, job training, health care, pension support, and priority job placement
· Defending pensions, benefits, and retirements
· Protection policy and working with unions
· Providing income support for workers transitioning to green jobs
· Ensuring that United Mineworkers Association health and retirement funds continue for the workers who depend on them
Through deeper investment, the government would also have the means to aid communities that have been hurt by the Fossil Fuel Industry. Such aid would include:
· Requiring that fossil fuel corporations are held accountable by paying for restoration to communities and environments damaged due to their work
· Creating a relationship between local training facilities and businesses that could employ those workers
· Prioritizing new job creation centered on growing high wages and drawn on existing skills of workers
More general benefits that the government could provide to Americans employed under the Green New Deal include:
· Working with the Pension Benefits Guarantee Corporation and labor unions to stabilize the retirement system
· Granting qualifying employees/families with health insurance
· Stabilizing the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which is $6 billion in debt
· Healthcare granted to those who lose health benefits by being laid off
· Income support for workers needing to be trained for green jobs
· Training programs run through local unions
· Requiring Community Benefits Agreements to make sure an investment in green technology is beneficial for surrounding communities
· Requiring Federally funded construction and infrastructure projects sign Project Labor Agreements to ensure fair wages
· Creating a federal clean energy wage that averages $25/hour for skilled workers for clean energy jobs created and supported with federal funds
· Raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour by 2024, pegged to the median hourly wage thereafter, as well as a national paid sick leave
Examples of government programs and initiatives that could be created thanks to the Green New Deal include:
· White House-led national partnership with labor unions, community and technical colleges, and K-12 schools, along with educators from both education sectors, to develop programs that bring workers from school or jobsite, to training facility, to new jobsite with skills that improve work product and expertise while raising pay and benefits
· National, government-led program that provides education on the science of climate change, why it is happening, how it has already affected the planet, how it will affect the planet in the future, and what we can do to combat it
· Climate Corps that will help mobilize the American people to rise to the defining challenge of our time: defeating climate change
· Establishing dedicated programs for green industrial and construction job training and placement under the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA)
· Conditioning new federal investments and grants to state, local, and tribal governments on employers offering family supporting wages and benefits — enforced through Project Labor Agreements, Prevailing Wage laws, federal overtime requirements, and other strong worker protections
Green Infrastructure & Transportation
Much like America’s water infrastructure, our land-based infrastructure is far from perfect according to the standards set by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Although the ASCE considers our systems on land to be better than their water counterparts, there is still plenty of work to be done to modernize our country’s infrastructure. When graded, the American rail system was given a B and our bridges and solid waste systems received a C+. Meanwhile, our schools, energy infrastructure, hazardous waste systems, and public parks all earned a D+, while our roads were given a D, and our transit systems languish in D- territory.
It should be no surprise that our infrastructure and transportation systems generally receive such abysmal grades. The last major investment in these areas came almost a century ago with the original New Deal. Infrastructure investment is almost impossible to export, so committing to more funding and government leadership in this field would create the dual benefits of providing our nation with strong, sustainable infrastructure and creating millions of jobs across the country. With America currently at risk of sustaining infrastructure damages that will cost the country up to $1 trillion dollars to repair, the time has come to launch an initiative such as the Green New Deal to rebuild our country using sustainable, clean, eco-friendly infrastructure.
In order to accomplish the goal of rebuilding our infrastructure and transportation systems in an environmentally sustainable way, it is paramount that we support and enforce such legislation as:
· The 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019, which would provide government support for building green infrastructure and transportation by declaring “a national goal that the United States achieve a 100 percent clean economy by not later than 2050”
· The REHABS Act of 2019, which would “study and facilitate the abatement and removal of environmental hazards in homes rehabilitated with community participation”
· The RECYCLE Act, which would “require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a consumer recycling education and outreach grant program”
· The ZERO WASTE Act, which would “direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for projects that are consistent with zero-waste practices”
In the arena of transportation, America lags significantly behind much of the rest of the world. Energy-efficient high-speed rail systems are in operation in numerous countries across Europe and Asia, and there is no reason we cannot bring such transportation infrastructure to the United States. According to the US High Speed Rail Association, developing a national system of electric, high-speed rails can cut America’s energy use and carbon emission by 70%.
On a local level, revamping our transportation infrastructure can pay big dividends as well. We must begin the process of replacing the equipment currently used by New Jersey Transit with infrastructure that is built on clean, renewable energy. Transitioning NJ Transit to trains and buses that spew little to no carbon into our atmosphere is not only the right thing to do, it is necessary for the health of New Jerseyans and of our planet.
America already spends $200 billion per year on expanding roads, and it is time to invest similar capital into an eco-friendly high-speed rail line on a national level as well as sustainable transportation infrastructure on a local level. Carving out funding for the transition to a modern, sophisticated rail system would create thousands of jobs, emphatically reduce annual carbon emissions, and provide America with the Green high-speed rail system it desperately needs.
Paris Climate Agreement
Signed and ratified in 2016, The Paris Climate Agreement is an accord between almost 200 countries to keep the rise in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by transitioning to cleaner, more renewable energy sources. This would combat the rising of sea levels, an issue which could devastate our coastal communities and severely damage the rest of our land if left unresolved. In June of 2017, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Agreement, making us the only country to do so.
Trump cited the economic burden on American workers and businesses, as well as the unfair advantages for countries like China as his reasons for withdrawal, but these claims are inaccurate and uninformed. As we have seen far too often since his inauguration, President Trump continues to repudiate the importance of working toward a greener future while misleading the public on the severity of the climate crisis. It should go without saying that we must immediately reenter the Paris Climate Agreement. There is no justifiable reason to remain on the outside of this accord, and renewed membership would only expedite our journey to a more environmentally-responsible future.
