Hey There GreenNewDealmakers!
We’re back with another edition the GenGND newsletter.
And there’s MORE Green New Deal news to catch you up to speed on…So, let’s get into it!
THE THRIVE ACT WAS INTRODUCED LAST WEEK…
The THRIVE—Transform, Heal and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy— Act is a bold new bill that would invest $10 TRILLION in renewable energy, climate change initiatives, and green infrastructure over the next decade. This ambitious policy, spearheaded by progressive climate icons like Ed Markey, dwarfs Biden’s infrastructure bill, which would spend $2.25 trillion over the next 10 years.
In order to properly invest in our communities and combat the severe and irreversible effects of climate change, the lingering impacts of an economic crisis, and the engrained legacy of racism and discrimination, we need to go MUCH bigger than what Biden is currently proposing.
Which is exactly what the THRIVE agenda aims to do.
THRIVE presents an alternative to Biden’s bill with a mandate — backed by experts — to invest $1 trillion per year in transitioning away from the fossil fuel economy and building a more just society. In an interview this week for our GenGND Podcast, Julian Brave Noisecat of Data for Progress told us:
“There is a pretty compelling study from the Political Economic Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that suggests that to achieve full employment while tackling the climate crisis — full employment is a situation where everyone who wants a job can get a job in the economy — in order to do that, you need to be investing something along the order of $1 trillion per year for the next 10 years.”
The THRIVE Act would accomplish this by creating over 15 million well-paying union jobs—creating a generation of green careers—and investing half of its money into frontline communities that are hardest hit by climate change and communities of color. By contrast, Biden’s bill says that 40% of “benefits” (a much less well-defined term) would go to frontline communities.
The Act would establish a goal of 100% zero carbon electricity by 2035, zero emissions from new buildings by 2025, and extending clean public transit across America by 2030.
If we’re being being clear-eyed about the scale of the crises we face, then we can recognize that THRIVE is the floor, not the ceiling, of our required action. What we need to do to truly combat climate change, racial and economic inequality, and invest in communities that are hardest hit by these intersectional issues is nothing short of a complete reimagining of how our government works. In order to invest in the next generation and make sure we have a LIVABLE planet, we need bold and daring legislation—and THRIVE is a great start.
THRIVE is also backed by an extremely impressive coalition, everyone from environmental groups like Sierra Club and Sunrise, racial justice organizations like Movement for Black Lives and the NAACP, and unions include SEIU and American Federation of Teachers. Legislative backers include the usual suspects like “The Squad”, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ed Markey, but also Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
So, while THRIVE itself is unlikely to become law in the near future, it provides an alternative to the Biden infrastructure plan that could push Biden and congressional Democrats to go bigger and bolder, while also demonstrating that a wide-ranging coalition representing much of the Democratic party’s base supports investing $1/trillion per year in stopping the climate crisis and creating good jobs.
Let’s not forget that the last few weeks of radical hope and possibility were made inevitable by the previous 3 years of organizing and activism…
And, let’s keep the pressure on, the Conservatives are FREAKING THE FUCK OUT over our ‘liberal fantasies’…
Oh, ya—and those conservatives are gonna be EVEN MORE PISSED when they hear about the Movement for Black Lives’ new ‘Red, Black & Green New Deal’…
Don’t worry, we know this is all a lot to follow—so, we’re working on a fresh new episode of the GenGND pod to break it all down for you…And it’s COMING REAL SOON…SO, STAY TUNED, AND CATCH UP ON ALL OUR PREVIOUS PODS, NOW!!
BUT, WE CAN’T MAKE THE POD ALONE—SO, WE’RE ONCE AGAIN ASKING YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING US ON OUR PATREON…
OH, AND PLEASE ALSO TAKE OUR QUICK PODCAST-LISTENER SURVEY!
AND FINALLY, HERE’S YOUR GREEN NEW READING LIST…
Read an excerpt of Kate Aronoff’s new book, OVERHEATED, on Literary Hub…
“LESSON FROM THE OLD NEW DEAL: WHAT ECONOMIC RECOVERY MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE 21st CENTURY,” by Kate Aronoff
Read about Secretary Deb Haaland’s efforts to instill environmental justice as a pillar of the Interior Department’s policies…
"DEB HAALAND IS MAKING ROOM FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT," by Yvette Cabrera, for GRIST
Read about the details of AOC and Ed Markey’s Civilian Climate Corps proposal…
"AOC's PLAN FOR A 1.5-MILLION STRONG CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS, EXPLAINED," by Kate Yoder, for GRIST
Read about the creation of the politics of the ‘Millenial'-left’ from friend-of-the-pod Sam Adler-Bell…
"AOC & THE MAKING OF MILLENNIAL POLITICS," by Sam Adler-Bell for The Nation
Read a powerful interview with GND-architect Rhiana Gunn-Wright about why there’s no Green New Deal without abolishing the police…
"THERE'S NO GREEN NEW DEAL WITHOUT POLICE ABOLITION," by Yessenia Funes, for ATMOS
And read about the real differences between President Biden’s Climate agenda and the Green New Deal…
“THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GREEN NEW DEAL AND BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA,” by Kate Aronoff, for The New Republic
And finally, how about some hopeful thoughts from best-selling author and friend-of-the-pod, Rebecca Solnit…
“DARE WE HOPE? HERE’S MY CAUTIOUS CASE FOR CLIMATE OPTIMISM,” by Rebecca Solnit, for The Guardian