Introduction
Energy is an essential topic in the US because of its effects on climate change and the adoption of the Green New Deal. The foundational question in determining the suitability of adopting the Green New Deal is based on how can the US society meet its energy needs while at the same time ensuring a friendly environment for its people (Tienhaara, 2019). The energy requirements of the US require fossil plants to work optimally, but this is a significant contributor to environmental degradation through increased emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper presents an argument for adopting the Green New Deal in the US.
The Green New Deal should not be adopted
Reasons why the deal should not be implemented
In the US, the need for an environmental policy that addresses ecological concerns is fundamental because of developing a sustainable future. The Green New Deal provides a good framework for addressing the nation’s problems and challenges, but it falls short in its implications. For example, implementing the program in the US requires a lot of capital to support its implementation. Secondly, the deal provides another context for climate change discourse that shifts towards polarizing the original political positions (Healy & Barry, 2017). Another reason for denying implementation of the deal is its lack of practicality in its execution. From the policy perspective, the Green New Deal has moved to a point beyond climate policy that seeks to guarantee decent jobs, accessible and affordable housing opportunities, high levels of healthcare, and support sustainable economic growth. Considering these factors, the US shouldn’t adopt and implement the Green New deal.
New political context
The factors supporting a need to forego the Green New Deal have been linked to the political situation in the world. Worldwide, climate change issues are shifting because of the political contexts upon which the problems are evaluated. For example, the US public believes the government needs to address climate change issues in an energized and active manner, which is not provided by the Green New Deal (Tienhaara, 2019). The political discourse requires the government to address the deal and care about the welfare of its people. This creates an opportunity for shifting interests, making the value fail in its objectives.
Climate change
The idea of developing strategies to address climate change issues is founded on policy approaches. Successful implementation of policies to deal with climate change concerns requires a practical policy approach, but the existing one under Green New Deal is not practical. Failure to have a realistic plan for the deal’s implementation means that its desired objectives are challenging (Healy & Barry, 2017).
The United States must embrace the “Green New Deal.”
Urgency
The world has experienced climate change for decades without implementing appropriate policies and programs that have a positive effect. The prolonged period of inaction means that the US should embrace the deal with many urgencies. Lengthy discourse about the value distorts the perception of a free-market and WWII mobilization strategy. This should not be allowed because it portrays the Green New deal as backward instead of focusing on changes to the economy and the evolution of government (Bergquist et al., 2019). Therefore, the deal should be embraced urgently to avoid a distortion of the policy design.
Economic implications
The deal has been opposed because it is costly and should not be implemented because of its implication for the economy (Re, 2019). Regulatory frameworks and policies adopted since WWII have seen the development of intelligent policy frameworks. Experience has shown that leveraging market incentives is critical for supporting technological development that can ensure the realization of policy objectives. This innovation creates a situation where the perceived costly nature of implementing the Green New Deal will be achieved less expensively and effectively (Re, 2019). Thus, the Green New Deal can achieve success through policy solutions consistent with the virtues of a free-market economy and assigning the government a vital role in ensuring social justice and environmental sustainability.
The US government can harness the opportunity of its innovative potential in collaborating with the private sector by formulating good policies. Consequently, it will be possible to achieve the environmental objectives through success in implementing the deal by observing an excellent approach to working with the private sector (Bergquist, Mildenberger & Stokes, 2019). However, there is a need to ensure transition and equity in implementing the deal to respond to environmental justice concerns. Therefore, partnerships with private organizations should embrace and improve the deal.
Critical need for climate action
The globe is starting to be a significant concern if climate change issues and a significant increase in temperatures are not addressed immediately. Uncontrolled temperatures will become complex to mitigate if they are left to increase, resulting in more severe problems than what is known today in science (Bergquist et al., 2019). Studies have shown the world has risen by one degree Celsius during the pre-industrial time, but this has become serious in the contemporary industrialized world, where the decrease of the Arctic Sea ice has been reported. This has damaged weather elements, and if this is not addressed immediately, the world will experience an increase in temperature by around 5 degrees Celsius. For the US, climate change will negatively affect its economic growth and constrain its national security.
Need for zero emissions
The current global emission rates require the development of a carbon budget of 1.5 degrees Celsius target to be affected. If the carbon dioxide emissions are not checked and climate change persists, the world, including the US, will require a policy framework to guarantee Zero emissions by 2050. Failure to embrace the Green New Deal will mean that the US will contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions, and a policy to achieve zero emissions will be difficult (Holtz-Eakin et al., 2019). Therefore, the deal must be embraced immediately to avoid a delay, making it challenging to implement a policy to correct the situation.
Conclusion
The development of a policy to address climate change issues is imperative to be embraced immediately to avert a future catastrophe that will be difficult to achieve. The Green New Deal provides the US with an opportunity to mitigate the effects of climate change while at the same time addressing the welfare of its people. Policies to embrace the approach have received resistance from a section of the public because it is not practical and costly to be supported by the US economy. However, a need to embrace the Green New Deal is urgently needed to support the objectives of equal opportunities for all, social justice, and all-inclusive growth (Galvin, 2019). Policies that will delay the Green New Deal implementation will result in a climate change crisis in the US (Parguez & Thabit, 2013). Consequently, the country will require an elaborate policy that will be difficult to achieve within a short period. Therefore, the deal needs to be embraced immediately through a comprehensive analysis of policy interventions and free-market dynamics that will guarantee a reduction in greenhouse emissions and ensure that the cost of implementing the deal is affordable by incorporating innovations.
References
Bergquist, P., Mildenberger, M. & Stokes L. (2019). Combining climate, economic, and social policy builds political support for climate action in the US. Available at SSRN: Web.
Galvin, R. (2019). Inequality and Energy: How Extremes of Wealth and Poverty in High Income Countries Affect CO2 Emissions and Access to Energy. Elsevier, New York.
Healy, N. & Barry, J. (2017). Politicizing energy justice and energy system transitions: fossil fuel divestment and a “just transition”. Energy Policy, 108 (1), 451-459
Holtz-Eakin, D. Bosch, D. Gitis, B. Goldbeck, D. & Rossetti, P. (2019). The green new deal: scope, scale, and implications. Am. Action Forum. Web.
Parguez, A. & Thabit, S. (2013). The twenty-first century world crisis: a Keynes moment? A true systemic crisis fitting Keynes’s prophecy. Int. J. Political Econ., 42 (1): 26- 39
Re, C. (2019). Green new deal would cost up to $93 trillion, or $600 G per household, study says. Web.
Tienhaara, K. (2019). The Green New Deal is Going Global. The Conversation. Web.