Green Deal
Week 9 Discussion: The Green New Deal
Prompt
In February 2019, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey introduced a proposal for a massive policy shift they called “The Green New Deal.” Renewable energy features prominently in the bill, but it is not just about mitigating climate change via green technology alone: the legislation is designed to address socio-economic inequality at the same time. Though the proposal was defeated the following month, it remains a massively influential focus for current environmental policy discussions.
Watch the following video, “A Message From the Future” where AOC explains the Green New Deal. Be sure to pay attention to the role of technology, but also what is called for instead/in addition.
Then, write a post below describing your own vision for a “Green New Deal,” or dream policy of similar scope. You must address whether and how tech fixes might figure in your plan, and reference (with proper citation) at least one of the required weekly readings (Boucher & Loring, Flmeing and/or Zehner). Don’t forget to think about how environmental and socio-economic issues might be connected. Aside from this be creative! And do some research! And yes, you can write a vision for NO Green New Deal as long as it is also thoughtful and supported with evidence.
Here are a few more recommended sources to get you started:
- This NPRarticle that gives a good overview of the proposal and its history: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Releases Green New Deal Outline. (Links to an external site.)
- This CNNarticle that highlights some of the major components of the proposal in more detail: Here’s what the Green New Deal actually says (Links to an external site.)
- This Wall Street Journal article outlining an alternative plan for “A New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy” spearheaded by Republican Senator Lamar Alexander: One Republican’s Answer to the Green New Deal(Links to an external site.)
A final note: Let’s be especially careful not to reduce our discussion to Republican vs. Democrat partisan battles. Yes, the current policy issue for this discussion is spearheaded by a Democrat, but we ALL need to collaborate on these issues and take each others perspectives seriously regardless of how we vote.
Expectations
Write a 250-word initial post following the prompt above. Be sure to support your position with specific details and to reference the Zehner reading (though you are free to present counter-sources too). Then, reply to at least 3 other students’ posts with comments of 100 words or more. Your discussion contributions should be thoughtful, logically organized, and well-written/edited. Please be respectful, but do not shy away from challenging questions and constructive criticism.
