By Michael Alberto
Contributing Writer
The Green New Deal is essential to ensure climate justice. The goals it promotes are the bare minimum of what needs to be accomplished so that we as a society do not let climate change permanently alter our future and the future for generations to come.
In 2019 the United Nations released a report stating that there are only 11 years “to avert a catastrophe.”
Climate change is not an issue to formulate compromises over. We either work towards coming together as a global community to prevent our potential destruction for our future, or we suffer the consequences of not taking this issue as seriously as we should.
Already, people all across our country and the world are suffering through the effects of climate change, with lower classes, people of color and the working class disproportionately suffering.
According to a report from the United States government, low-income communities in urban and rural areas will continue to suffer from health conditions and environmental catastrophes. Due to climate change and the lack of action, these effects will only worsen.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, warns that limiting global warming to the point of avoiding the worst potential effects of climate change requires “unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.”
Unfortunately, neither presidential candidate has fully embraced the Green New Deal in its entirety. However, former Vice-President Joe Biden has adopted parts of the plan in his individual climate plan.
Turning the country from one that is dependent on non-renewable energy into one that becomes renewable energy-dependent is certainly not an easy task.
However, in order to meet the appropriate carbon levels and to become a country that achieves net-zero carbon emissions, investing in renewable resources is non-negotiable.
The Green New Deal represents our clearest path forward to achieve the goals we need in order to combat climate change and to ensure that future generations will be able to live on a habitable planet. We need to advocate for its enactment in the future to come.