Democrats push deal vs greenhouse gas emissions

RISING Democratic star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey have laid out the objectives of a Green New Deal to achieve net- zero greenhouse gas emissions in 10 years, setting a high bar for Democrats who plan to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race.

The resolution is the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define the scale of legislation to create large- scale governmentled investments in clean energy and infrastructure to transform the US economy. “The Green New Deal fully tackles the existential threat posed by climate change by presenting a comprehensive, 10- year plan that is as big as the problem it hopes to solve while creating a new era of shared prosperity,” according to a summary of the resolution released by the lawmakers yesterday.

Ocasio- Cortez has said that she will immediately begin to work on legislation that would “fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal.” Republicans have already criticized the initiative, waving

The Green New Deal also aims to create an economic safety net for “frontline” communities that will be affected by a radical shift away from fossil fuel use. “We ... need to be sure that workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries have higher wages and better jobs available to them to be able to make this transition, and a federal jobs guarantee ensures that no worker is left behind,” according to a summary of the plan.

The Green New Deal was put into the media spotlight by a youth coalition called the Sunrise Movement and OcasioCortez, 29, the youngest woman to serve in Congress. Markey, a veteran lawmaker from Massachusetts, introduced sweeping climate change legislation a decade ago, which passed in the House but stopped short in the Senate.

At least a half dozen Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls have said they would adopt Green New Deal policies, without offering specifics.