Nasa’s hunt for missed Opportunity
The US Senate will vote on the Green New Deal, a plan by Democrats to combat climate change, Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell has announced – a move designed to force Senate Democrats, including a cast of presidential candidate, into a political bind.
The plan, initially championed by freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-cortez, calls for a New Deal-style mobilisation to shift the US economy away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Republicans have mocked it a pipe dream that would drive the US economy off a cliff and lead to a huge tax increase, calling it evidence of the creep of ‘‘socialism’’ in the party.
The upcoming vote, which has not yet been scheduled, would ‘‘give everybody an opportunity to go on record’’, Mcconnell said.
The vote could be a moment of truth for several Democratic presidential candidates. The document is one of the first highprofile attempts at policymaking from the newly empowered liberal wing of the party.
President Donald Trump slammed the Green New Deal at a rally on Tuesday in El Paso, Texas, saying it would ‘‘shut down American energy’’.
Trump has frequently expressed doubt about climate change and says he does not believe action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
The climate measure is already supported by at least five senators seeking the Democratic nomination for president: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Vermont’s independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who is likely to enter the Democratic primary soon, is also a supporter.
Spearheaded by Ocasio-cortez, of New York, and Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the proposal calls for dramatic steps to virtually eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and meet ‘‘100 per cent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources’’, including nuclear power.
The plan goes far beyond energy to urge national health care coverage and job guarantees, as well as high-quality education, affordable housing and a highspeed rail network. It also calls for upgrading all existing buildings in the US to be energyefficient. –AP