JH Monthly Meeting – Green New Deal – Nov. 24, 2019
“Green New Deal: Should Humanists Support It??”
The “Green New Deal” was coined by Thomas Friedman in 2007 when he advocated 1) meeting “100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emissions energy sources” and 2) upgrading all existing buildings with state-of-the-art energy-efficiency technology through a 10-year national mobilization. That mobilization would—not coincidently–generate jobs for many in the American workforce who had been displaced by automation and globalization. Recently, the term has re-emerged when Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced before Congress a Green New Deal resolution that spells out goals and some objectives for the program in a more definitive way. This resolution is not legislation, however. It does not stipulate funding, policy mechanisms, or oversight, and thus has been criticized—even by liberals—as little more than grandstanding.
What should Humanists think of the Green New Deal (GND)? Should we support it in its embryonic form or denigrate it as another Washington boondoggle? We will explore these questions at our November chapter meeting when we turn the stage over to two speakers, for and against the GND, who will a) provide more detail on the resolution and b) explain why they have come to favor or reject it. Speaking against the measure will be Jimmy Sengenberger, President and CEO of the Millennial Policy Center and 710 KNUS radio talk show host. Speaking for the motion will be Phil Nelson, a retired geophysicist and long-time JUC member who volunteers with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Rather than a debate—where speakers labor to convince the audience of a viewpoint, this event will be a moderated dialog with the intent to inform and generate audience participation. Such an approach makes sense for Humanists, who value facts but remain skeptical of anyone who professes to exclusively possess them.
Speaking against The Green New Deal as a Federal “command and control” program, Jimmy Sengenberger:
Arguing that the Green New Deal is a starting point that we can extend into workable legislation, Phil Nelson:
