To put our money where our mouth is, 1% of the total contributions to the campaign will be donated to 1% for the Planet at the conclusion of the election.
Read the announcement here.
Key Points
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Support the Green New Deal (H.R.109)
- Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, 40 to 60 percent by 2030
- Investing in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing
- Investing in accessible public transit and high-speed rail
- Create millions of high-wage union jobs
- Introduce a Carbon Tax & Dividend (H.R.763)
- Fully fund the Land and Water Conservation fund
- The cost and impact will be devastatingly higher with inaction
Major Issues
- Global temperatures have risen 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the 19th century with most of the warming occurring in the last 35 years
- Ice sheets are shrinking in mass, Antarctica is losing 127 tons of ice per year
- Sea levels have risen about 8 inches in the last century, rates doubling in the last 20 years
- Acidification of ocean surface waters has increased 30%
Green New Deal
The Green New Deal is a bold and comprehensive plan to transform the economy to combat climate change and inequality. Climate change and inequality are intrinsically linked, to address one without addressing the other would be impossible. The plan will revitalize our energy system, improve our infrastructure, and retrofit our buildings.
The end goal of the Green New Deal is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, create millions of jobs, guarantee clean air and water, and lower energy costs. Millions of jobs would be created for weatherizing homes, replacing lead pipes, expanding railways, manufacturing wind turbines, and countless more high paying union jobs. Cleaning up hazardous waste, replacing lead pipes, and reducing toxic air from oil, gas, and coal will provide clean air and water for everyone. Efficiently weatherized homes will vastly reduce energy costs for families.
Carbon Tax
A carbon tax is a fee imposed on the burning of carbon-based fuels which include coal, oil, and natural gas. This is the core policy of reducing and eventually eliminating the use of fossil fuels. It is the only way to effectively force corporations to pay for the carbon fuels that damage our environment. It is a powerful monetary disincentive to push the switch to clean and renewable energy across the economy. The entire goal is to make it economically beneficial to move to a non-carbon based energy source and become more energy efficient.
How Do We Pay for It?
- End fossil fuel subsidies
- Carbon Tax
- Collecting new income tax revenue generated from the new jobs created
- Reduction of welfare funding due to newly created jobs
- Tax increases on industries and individuals that have most benefited from loose tax laws and government funded industry support
The cost of inaction will greatly outpace the cost of proactive action to protect our environment. By paying now to ensure our future on this planet, we avoid the crushing burden of reactionary solutions that are more expensive due to their immediacy of action. Below is an estimation of per capita value of costs avoided by 2090 when proactively reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Martinich & Crimmons/Nature Climate Change). The Midwest has the most at stake when it comes to the future of our climate! By attacking climate change with a true sense of urgency, we can avoid up to $220 billion in costs per year by the end of the century.
Infrastructure and Transportation Investment
We need to rebuild water systems across the nation, build publicly owned broadband internet, increase funding for roads, and ensure decarbonization of the transportation sector.
- Increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Expand on the Obama era policy for vehicle trade-in for fully electric vehicles
- Expand public transit with fully electric buses and trains
- Build regional high speed electric rail
- Retrofit current infrastructure to withstand climate impacts
- Repair water systems to ensure clean water for all