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Re “The Green New Deal Is Better Than Our Climate Nightmare” (editorial, Feb. 23)

To the editor:

As a human residing on earth, we are all entitled to the right to life. Specifically, we are entitled to a safe and healthy one. Climate change has been a topic of massive discussion especially after the release of the U.N. Climate reports of 2018. The report states that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, instead of the 2 degrees that is expected to happen by 2100, could decrease sea-rise by 10cm and prevent up to 70 percent of coral reef degradation. This conveys the severity of the global warming crisis and reveals to global leaders that drastic actions must be taken.

“The Green New Deal Is Better Than Our Climate Nightmare” discusses a proposal by Democratic congressmen, “The Green New Deal”, which proposes actions to battle climate change. The editorial claims “The Green New Deal” is better than the so-called “climate nightmare” but what it fails to discuss is the deal calls for action that is simply a fantasy. In fact, the bill demands an emission-free economy and country by the middle of the century. Such levels of emission reduction would greatly reduce and slow down the effects of climate change but the means through which it must be done simply aren’t possible. The deal calls for trillions of dollars in investment into the nation’s energy infrastructure.

The editorial does praise the fact that the proposal did start a conversation regarding climate change but the conversation would have been of greater effect it had proposed more reasonable and viable means. The editorial claims that “obviously, nothing will happen legislatively as long as the Republicans control the senate”. Statements such as these just simply point fingers and don’t get anything done. True change occurs when a Bipartisan effort is made and “The Green New Deal” is far from a bipartisan effort. The editorial fails to acknowledge the negative side-effects of the Democratic Party’s effort to turn the climate change debate into a Democrat vs. Republican type of discussion. Instead of promoting pointing fingers, serious negotiation must take place instead of the immature finger-pointing and blaming that the Democratic party has been guilty of.

The fact of the matter is that serious action fighting climate change will remain a fantasy if the Democratic party continues to propose deals such as “The Green New Deal”. The deal attempts to push for progressive agendas other than climate change, which the editorial also fails to discuss. As stated earlier, a Bipartisan effort must be taken and if such efforts aren’t taken, Democratic dreams such as “The Green New Deal” will inevitably lead to a “climate nightmare”.