Yesterday, the Senate failed to advance the Green New Deal, proposed by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The plan was put forth to combat climate change and protect the environment.
According to NBC News, Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Doug Jones of Alabama and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona voted with Republicans against the measure, as did Sen. Angus King of Maine, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
The measure needed 60 votes and failed in a 0-57 vote.
The Green New Deal, which was a vision of Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called for a complete transition to renewable energy by 2030. Some goals of the plan include preparing for natural disasters linked to climate change, expanding renewable energy plants and building a smart grid to more efficiently utilize them, upgrading existing buildings and manufacturing plants to be more green, promoting electric vehicles and public transportation, and protecting existing natural environments.
According to some, including a journalist at Politico, the Green New Deal is “an unrealistic set of proposals that has incited a messaging war over a pile of issues that have very little to do with the environment.”
Either way, most Americans view climate change as a threat, though the severity level varies from opinion to opinion. And many manufacturers have already taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint and use renewable energy sources where possible. But is it enough?
The 4th Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference takes place May 13 – 15, 2019 in Denver. Learn more here.