This post is for folk who haven’t read the Congressional Green New Deal resolution, as I hadn’t until (re-)teaching a climate change course in May, 2019.

I had had the image that it was an actual bill, but of course it isn’t. Rather, it’s a succinct framework—a collection of principles—for drafting legislation related to climate change. Although I imagine that as time passes we’ll see useful tweaks to its current content, I find it an intelligent and comprehensive draft of crucially interrelated principles. What particularly impresses me is the thoughtful way it integrates saving our species (the planet will survive in some way regardless of what we do) with social justice. I’m not sure that with our best efforts any salvation of the species will be attainable, and I imagine it is quite possible for cultures to wise up to climate change threats while continuing to marginalize sub-groups within them. But short of attempts at massive genocides all over the place (not beyond the self-destructive efforts of a frightened humanity), that strategy is unlikely to prompt mass motivation required for the vast cooperation and mutual sacrifice needed to stop—and reverse—climate change.

Anyway, I invite readers at least to skim through the link to improve understanding when the Green New Deal is being discussed—or to correct others’ misunderstanding