All in for Green New Deal
As a high school student and a part of the generation that will inherit this planet, I am greatly concerned about the impacts of climate change. I have always been concerned about the figures I have seen, predictions of sea level rise, an increase in the severity and frequency of extreme weather events and natural disasters, and temperature increases. Upon reading many of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's recent report, I am even more worried. It is becoming increasingly clear that climate change is by far the most urgent challenge facing our world today, and that we must take broad action to combat it.
Seeing the Green New Deal gain support has brought hope to me and many of my friends. We are seeing leaders lead, rather than simply sit back and watch our planet, health, and future being destroyed. I would urge our representatives in Congress to get behind this agreement because I want to live in a world where I know my children will have access to clean air and clean water. We want to see a future with good jobs and a strong economy, fueled by renewable energy. I support the Green New Deal because it represents a sense of hope for my generation, that we can still protect our planet.
Grace McGee
San Francisco
Climate change's looming threat
I'm 24 years old and I don't have a lot of experience in activism, but I can't ignore the looming threat of catastrophic climate change. After all, if I'm aware of its consequences as laid out by the world's top climate scientists and yet choose to do nothing, I am no better than a climate change denier. As we are all aware, we have 12 years to prevent the worst effects of climate change, which would disproportionately affect the poor and the global south — precisely the same groups of people least responsible for the crisis. Given this, we must support Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's resolution to create a House Select Committee for a Green New Deal in Congress. We need a Green New Deal to create millions of green jobs, move our country off fossil fuels, and protect working people of all backgrounds.
For as long as I've been on this planet, our leaders have consistently failed to make progress. We will never get those years back, but it isn't too late for radical climate action. Congress members should support the Green New Deal as a step in the right direction.
Daniel Jin
San Francisco