, Columnist
A Green New Deal Isn’t Ready for Prime Time
Progressives are making a mistake if they place their entire agenda in a single plan.
Focus, please.
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A lot of people are getting excited about a Green New Deal. Incoming freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been building support for her idea of a plan to tackle the monumental challenge of climate change while also bettering the economic situation of poor Americans.
Such a plan is long overdue. Stopping climate change before the effects get truly severe is going to be a huge undertaking — the equivalent of a global mobilization for war. And because plenty of low-income Americans are available to furnish the necessary labor for this mobilization, compensating them fairly would give their economic situation a much-needed boost.