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Why We Need a Green New Deal...

Exhibit A: Texas

Generation Green New Deal
Feb 19, 2021
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Hi there Green New Dealmakers!

We took last week off from the newsletter so that we could focus on wrapping up our first season of the pod…So, if you haven’t yet heard our SEASON FINALE episode, with climate-movement legends Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein & Sunrise Movement Co-Founder & Executive Director Varshini Prakash, now would be a great time to tune in!

Twitter avatar for @GenerationGND
Generation Green New Deal @GenerationGND
Season finale of #GenGND Pod! We catch up w/ @sunrisemvmt's @VarshPrakash, who says the #ClimateCrisis is a "decades-long problem that demands a a decades-long solution." #GreenNewDeal Hear more from Varsh + @NaomiAKlein & @billmckibben now: podlink.to/generationgnd
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3:45 PM ∙ Feb 16, 2021
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Don’t worry—we’ll still be releasing some stand alone episodes on our feed while we produce the second season over the coming months! And if that’s not enough for you, please consider becoming a Patron of our new GenGND Patreon where you’ll get even more exclusive bonus content (like the full interviews with Bill, Naomi & Varsh!)

Twitter avatar for @GenerationGND
Generation Green New Deal @GenerationGND
On the season finale of the #GenGND pod, @NaomiAKlein says "the #environmentaljustice movement and @sunrisemvmt's fingerprints are all over @JoeBiden's surprisingly ambitious action on climate." Hear her along w/ @billmckibben & @VarshPrakash: podlink.to/generationgnd
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8:22 PM ∙ Feb 17, 2021
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We want to thank all of our amazing guests, our incredible team, especially legendary PodMother and Executive Producer Amy Westervelt and the marvelous Critical Frequency Podcast Network, and you—our wonderful listeners and supporters—for making this first season of the Generation Green New Deal Podcast possible!

Please share the show, spread the word, & stay tuned as we embark on our journey, covering the decade of the Green New Deal!


Texas Needs Our Help—And a Green New Deal.

This week, millions of people in Texas have been in a nightmare situation, after a winter storm caused failures throughout much of the state’s highly-deregulated electric grid (which is predominantly run on fossil fuels.) The freezing temperatures and outages caused a horrific scenario for many Texans who couldn’t heat or power their homes—and we want to do everything we can to help support and amplify the mutual aid networks and organizations doing the vital work of feeding, housing & transporting people who need help during this crisis.

Here is a comprehensive list of organizations and mutual aid networks that you can support, which was put together by members of the Sunrise Movement in Texas…

Twitter avatar for @hey_melly
Mellissa @hey_melly
I created this Mutual Aid Directory with other Texas Sunrise Movement members please share and boost
bit.lyTX Mutual Aid DirectoryTX Mutual Aid Directory Austin Austin Mutual Aid - local mutual aid network coordinating to protect the houseless community from the current winter crisis Venmo: @austinmutualaid Online: https://linktr.ee/austinmutualaid IG: @austinmutualaid Donate: KICK THE COLD FUNDRAISER SWOP Austin - A so...
7:32 AM ∙ Feb 17, 2021
1,367Likes1,913Retweets

PLEASE SUPPORT & AMPLIFY THE GROUPS ON THIS LIST!


Republican politicians and conservative media have been uniformly spewing outrageous claims about ‘frozen wind turbines’ being primarily responsible for these outages. They also attempted to blame the Green New Deal—which we don’t need to remind you, hasn’t yet been implemented—for this crisis, which was actually caused by a cocktail of their own corruption, a shortage of Natural Gas, and frozen instruments at Natural Gas, Coal and Nuclear power-plants—which lack the regulations for winterizing that are mandated for the rest of the nation’s grid, because almost all of Texas is on its own grid, and, of course, the Republicans deregulated it…

Twitter avatar for @kurteichenwald
Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald @kurteichenwald
El Paso TX is on national grid & still has power. Cities on Texas grid are struggling without power/heat. Because it is on the national grid, El Paso gets energy from plants with winterizing regs. Texas grid “deregulated” so no winterizing. People are dying for GOP philosophies.
1:12 AM ∙ Feb 17, 2021
75,486Likes23,876Retweets

“People are dying for GOP philosophies.”

Twitter avatar for @ctraywick
Catherine Traywick @ctraywick
It's confirmed: The blackouts in Texas are primarily because of frozen instruments at gas, coal and nuclear plants -- as well limited supplies of gas, according to Ercot. Frozen wind turbines were the least significant factor. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
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4:32 PM ∙ Feb 16, 2021
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“Frozen wind turbines were the least significant factor.” But here’s what some of “The main factors,” those ‘frozen instruments’ at a natural gas plant, looked like…

Twitter avatar for @EntergyTX
Entergy Texas @EntergyTX
These photos show what our crews at generating plants are facing as they work to return our power plants back to service. We are asking our customers to voluntarily reduce their electricity usage where possible, especially between 5- 9 pm. Learn more ➡️ enter.gy/6014H9Yc2.
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12:15 AM ∙ Feb 16, 2021
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As AOC noted in a tweet on Wednesday…

Twitter avatar for @AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC
The infrastructure failures in Texas are quite literally what happens when you *don’t* pursue a Green New Deal.
5:00 AM ∙ Feb 17, 2021
419,411Likes53,319Retweets

Exactly. Her co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, Ed Markey, had this to add…

Twitter avatar for @SenMarkey
Ed Markey @SenMarkey
This is the reality of the climate crisis. We need a Green New Deal to weatherize and retrofit millions of homes across the United States and protect families from climate disasters like the deadly winter storms we are witnessing right now.
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3:15 PM ∙ Feb 16, 2021
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Not only would the Green New Deal weatherize and retrofit millions of homes, but it would also put people back to work repairing our aging and vulnerable electric grid, and replacing fossil fuel power-plants with distributed renewable energy and batteries that are more resilient, and localized, than fossil fuel infrastructure.

Twitter avatar for @jamieclimate
Jamie Henn @jamieclimate
A climate fueled disaster just crippled our energy infrastructure. Seems like the perfect opportunity for @JoeBiden to declare a #ClimateEmergency and implement the Green New Deal. https://t.co/auC3kCSjiu
Twitter avatar for @AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC
The infrastructure failures in Texas are quite literally what happens when you *don’t* pursue a Green New Deal.
7:06 PM ∙ Feb 17, 2021
93Likes27Retweets

We agree, Jamie, we agree. Unfortunately, millions of Americans who are tuned into conservative media are hearing propaganda about how the Green New Deal and renewables are at the root of the problem—rather than the solution.

Twitter avatar for @allinwithchris
All In with Chris Hayes @allinwithchris
"It is just a lie that wind turbines, 'green energy' are the root causes of the problems in Texas right now,” says @chrislhayes discussing the right wing attempt to turn power outages into a culture war. “A lie pumped into millions of people's brains as they watch TV.”
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1:15 AM ∙ Feb 17, 2021
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That’s why we need to counter that misinformation, with more reporting like the above from Chris Hayes’, and, ultimately, more storytelling like what we’re doing here at Generation Green New Deal. One leader in Texas who has been calling out Republican leadership in Texas for their failures, while also helping to lead mutual aid efforts and organizing wellness check-in calls, is Beto O’Rourke…

Twitter avatar for @BetoORourke
Beto O'Rourke @BetoORourke
Texans are suffering without power because those in power have failed us. As with Covid, a natural disaster has become far deadlier due to the inaction & ineptitude of Abbott and Texas’ Republican leadership. This didn’t have to happen and doesn’t have to continue. 1/4
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11:59 PM ∙ Feb 16, 2021
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Another leader in Texas who’s speaking truth is Julian Castro—watch his interview with Chris Hayes to hear what he had to say about the failures of Republicans in power…

Twitter avatar for @MSNBC
MSNBC @MSNBC
Julián Castro: Texas power chaos is worst state-level policy disaster since Flint water crisis.
on.msnbc.comCastro: Texas power chaos is worst state policy disaster since Flint water crisis“This is becoming the worst state-level policy disaster since the Flint water crisis,” says Julián Castro. “We have state leadership—Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick—that want to point fingers at everything except the problem. For the last few decades, they have been the problem.”
2:19 PM ∙ Feb 18, 2021
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But, it’s not just the government officials in Texas who are at fault—it’s private corporations and businesses who are seizing this opportunity to maximize profits in what Naomi Klein coined as ‘Disaster Capitalism’ in her best-selling book The Shock Doctrine—which, coincidentally, was the project that inspired her to become more fully engaged in the climate movement. Read more about how what’s happening in Texas is a perfect illustration of this principle, in this tweet-thread below…

Twitter avatar for @NaomiAKlein
Naomi Klein @NaomiAKlein
Good thread about shock doctrine in Texas. I would only add: They are doing this b/c they are scared. They know this horror reveals the reality of climate crisis and the extreme vulnerability of fossil fuel infrastructure. They are trying to get out front of #GreenNewDeal calls.
Twitter avatar for @Awais_CRP
Awais Azhar @Awais_CRP
Lets be clear on what’s happening here: in the middle of severe snow storms & power outages Texas Republican officials are making a move to bolster the oil/gas industry and strip the state of its renewable energy sources. This is what @NaomiAKlein has called “disaster capitalism” https://t.co/dr2Mkqkp01
3:37 AM ∙ Feb 18, 2021
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AOC also linked this disaster capitalism directly to the GOP’s attempts to blame the crisis on the Green New Deal…

Twitter avatar for @AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC
Fossil fuel billionaires are profiting off this nightmare. CFOs called it a “jackpot.” The reason GOP are scrambling to blame the Green New Deal is bc it’s the biggest legislative threat against the corrupt powers responsible for (& benefiting from) the suffering unfolding now. https://t.co/3rRXKGUQOc
Twitter avatar for @NPR
NPR @NPR
A drilling company that operates in Texas and Louisiana told investors that the surge in natural gas prices — amid powerful winter storms — was giving it a major financial boost. "Obviously, this week is like hitting the jackpot," CFO Roland Burns said. https://t.co/QvvSHqNO8C
12:13 AM ∙ Feb 19, 2021
31,163Likes7,559Retweets

And of course, she also led by example—while Ted Cruz was fleeing to Cancun, AOC raised over $1 million for relief efforts across Texas.

Twitter avatar for @NaomiAKlein
Naomi Klein @NaomiAKlein
Disaster Collectivism > Disaster Capitalism
Twitter avatar for @AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC
Wow. We officially raised $1 million for Texas relief at 9:17pm. Thank you all so much. 🙏🏽 I’m at a loss for words. Always in awe of movement work. 💯% of this relief is going straight to Texan food assistance, homelessness relief, elder care, and more. https://t.co/DSkTSqfbkZ
2:50 AM ∙ Feb 19, 2021
514Likes62Retweets

Leaders like AOC, who engage in ‘Disaster Collectivism,’ embody the true spirit of America, helping us come together to take care of our community—making sure everyone has what they need to survive. In that same spirit, Sunrise Movement—and their incredible video team, led by our friend Sam Quigley—put together a must-watch rapid-response video in under 24 hours which, through the lens of the crisis in Texas, imagines what a government that actually meets peoples basic needs by enacting a Green New Deal would look like. Asking, what if our government was there for us the way we are for each other?

Twitter avatar for @sunrisemvmt
Sunrise Movement 🌅 @sunrisemvmt
We know that when our lights go out, there are neighborhoods like @GovAbbott’s whose don’t. The rest of us? We come together as a community & pitch in to make sure everyone is ok. What if our government was there for us the way we are for each other? That’s the Green New Deal.
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10:25 PM ∙ Feb 18, 2021
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After you watch the video, add your name to Sunrise Movement’s petition demanding Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz resign immediately.


Check out this week’s Green New Reading List for more on the crisis in Texas..

TEXAS IS MAKING THE CASE FOR A GREEN NEW DEAL, by Helaine Olen for the Washington Post

TEXAS BLACKOUTS HIT MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS ESPECIALLY HARD, by James Dobbins & Hiroki Tabuchi for the New York Times

“WE’RE IN IT ALONE”: POWER OUTAGES LEAVE MILLIONS OF TEXANS DESPERATE FOR HEAT AND SAFETY by Shannon Najmabadi & Marissa Martinez for the Texas Tribune

NEARLY 12 MILLION TEXANS NOW FACE WATER DISRUPTIONS. THE STATE NEEDS RESIDENTS TO STOP DRIPPING TAPS, by Alex Samuels for the Texas Tribune

BLAMING THE WIND FOR THE MESS IN TEXAS IS PAINFULLY ABSURD, by Bill McKibben for The New Yorker

BIDEN GETS HIS FIRST ENERGY CRISIS & AN OPENING, by Eric Wolff & Lorrainne Woellert for Politico

WHY ON EARTH WOULD RIGHT-WING PEOPLE WITH CONNECTIONS TO THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY LIE ABOUT ‘FROZEN WIND TURBINES’ IN TEXAS? by Jamie Henn & Duncan Meisel for The Independent

TEXAS WAS “SECONDS AND MINUTES” AWAY FROM AN UNCONTROLLED BLACKOUT, OFFICIALS SAY, by Zahra Hiji for Buzzfeed News

A PLAN TO FUTURE PROOF THE TEXAS GRID, by Jesse Jenkins for The New York Times

TEXAS LARGELY RELIES ON NATURAL GAS FOR POWER. IT WASN’T READY FOR THE EXTREME COLD, by Erin Douglas for the Texas Tribune

HOW MUCH THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY PAID TEXAS REPUBLICANS WHO ARE LYING ABOUT WIND ENERGY, by Molly Taft for EARTHER

THE CRISIS IN TEXAS UNDERSCORES THE DEADLY RISKS WHEN THE GRID GOES DOWN, by Emily Pontecarvo for GRIST

IS TEXAS’ DISASTER A HARBINGER FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE, by Jeff Goodell for Rolling Stone

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