When America believes it can do the impossible, we make the impossible inevitable. That’s what the Green New Deal is all about

Posted on May 5, 2019 | 8 Comments

It’s worth reading the U.K. Guardian. It’s worth supporting them too, if you can.

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8 responses to “When America believes it can do the impossible, we make the impossible inevitable. That’s what the Green New Deal is all about”

  1. Mike Roberts | May 6, 2019 at 2:10 am |

    Absolutely right. Though I don’t believe it’s possible, we should try, and then redouble efforts to another ambitious goal if the original goal isn’t reached. Beto’s backtracking is typical of politicians, though, and they shouldn’t be allowed to do it.

    However, the net zero goal should be on the basis of consumption emissions. Net zero territorial emissions is great but if they are compensated for by exporting emissions (by importing goods made in high emitting countries) then the effect would be muted. There should also be no exporting of fossil fuels.

    As an aside, I just came across this TED talk by Greta Thunberg (if it was linked here in previous posts or comments, sorry for missing it). I hope everyone watches it.

    Lastly, I agree with supporting The Guardian. I do, as it’s probably one of the few news sites that’s actually worth reading.

  2. Doc Snow | May 6, 2019 at 11:35 am |

    “I believe it is our duty as a generation to push against the limits of the possible and protect as many lives as we can from disasters that can be prevented. Young people are looking for a president who will fight hard for what our generation and our world deserves – and have the courage to rally our nation to put everything we’ve got behind doing it. Even if we fail trying, we will get much further much faster, and prevent much more damage, in the process. After all, mitigating the climate crisis is not an all-or-nothing endeavor. If setting goals that push the boundaries avoid even a tenth of a degree of warming, that additional effort will be the difference between life and death for millions.”

    –Varshini Prasad

    Well said.

  3. smallbluemike | May 6, 2019 at 3:07 pm |

    Young people are our best hope

  4. postkey | May 6, 2019 at 9:56 pm |

    “OffG was founded by a group of Guardian readers who were sick of being censored BTL, and our comment section has always been dear to our hearts and an important part of what we are. So we decided to honor this by giving our contributors below the line a place on our front page. ”
    https://off-guardian.org/

  5. mrkenfabian | May 7, 2019 at 12:05 am |

    One of the most frustrating themes we get from climate responsibility deniers (I’ve decided that ‘responsibility denier’ more broadly encompasses opposition to climate action, as I don’t think denial of the science is the defining characteristic) is that failure is inevitable and it is not worth even trying.

    What is that card game where having all the wrong cards can be the way to win, where being able to lose every hand counts as a victory – 500 and a Misere? A lay-down Misere if you can lay all the cards on the table and still lose? The enthusiastic embracing of failure like it is superior in every way to success, whilst promoting – justifying, sort of – the growth of very activities and industries that make the problem worse reveals a mindset that is incapable of leadership.

    Rejecting the very idea that we are capable of regaining a semblance of climate stability through forethought, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and commitment may be a logical flow on from rejecting the idea that human activities can change the climate but at least facing the difficult head on and failing allows us to be proud of ourselves and not ashamed.

    • Doc Snow | May 7, 2019 at 11:00 am |

      Cf., “You don’t do the right thing because you are guaranteed success. You do it because it is the right thing.” (Source unknown)

  6. postkey | May 9, 2019 at 8:12 am |

    For consideration?
    “The (other) economic madness of the green new deal . . .
    The main issue that any green new deal has to overcome if it is to have any credibility is how we go about preventing millions of new workers from actually spending their additional income. For all of its many flaws, one of the environmental benefits of quantitative easing since 2008 is that very little of the newly printed currency has seeped out into the real economy. . . . ”
    https://consciousnessofsheep.co.uk/2019/04/05/the-other-economic-madness-of-the-green-new-deal/

    • Doc Snow | May 9, 2019 at 12:28 pm |

      Now let me ask you a multiple choice question: why do you think that the oceans are currently so full of plastic that it has polluted the entire marine food chain? Is it (a) because evil petrochemical companies simply dump plastic into the sea; or is it (b) because it is the inevitable product of mass consumption by 7.5 billion humans (especially those of us in developed states)?

      I think it is (c) because of thoughtlessly designed social & economic systems which take no notice of the environmental impacts of human activity.

      And my corollary to that is that it is possible to use thought to design systems that do not have such results, and to use cultural means to get them adopted.

      Easy? Of course not. But so what? Little that’s worthwhile is.