We need a Green New Deal

Climate change is a grievous problem, which will eventually launch our planet into a crisis if action is not taken. The Green New Deal is the best way to combat this problem because it is the only proposed solution that details how we must rework our economy and society. Individual action is not enough to solve global warming. Humans did not necessarily cause this problem, but we must intervene on a global scale to solve it. There are many variations of The Green New Deal, but the largest divide exists between the UK and US proposals. Although they both focus on reaching net-zero emissions and include provisions to transition workers to new clean energy jobs, these plans hold significant differences. ^[2]The American plan emphasizes universal healthcare, rectifying the ethnic wealth gap, and investing in energy-efficient infrastructure.^[2] The British version focuses on creating a fund from a tax on oil and gas profits as well as shifting away from systems that support and contribute to extreme wealth.^[2] Critics of a Green New Deal state that it would be too expensive. However, this is simply a straw man argument, because it would save money in the long run. It will certainly cost money to make changes like converting completely to clean, renewable energy, but studies show that these efforts would generate benefits and save taxpayers and consumers money as well.^[3] Currently, The Green New Deal is our best step toward reducing the catastrophic effects of climate change. For this reason, it is one our global community must take.