Last Week, The United Nations called for a “Global Green New Deal (GGND)” to combat climate change, protect “nature-based assets” and alleviate the over reliance on fossil fuels.
The New Deal is formally called the Green Economic Initiative which UNEP says has board support in Europe as evidenced almost $4 million in funding for European Commission. Rather than simply focusing on the environment, the food supply, potable water and clean energy, the proposal also stresses sustainable jobs that will create a green economy.
Such jobs would be created from focusing on the six elements of the GGND.
- “Clean energy and clean technologies including recycling
- Rural energy, including renewables and sustainable biomass
- Sustainable agriculture, including organic agriculture
- Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)
- Sustainable cities including planning, transportation and green building”
What happens in the U.S. rests on the presidential election next Tuesday. But just calling the program something as uniquely American as the New Deal says how instrumental the U.S. is to such an initiative. There is little doubt that Barack Obama would support an initiative like GGND.
While John McCain has voted for the environment in the past, he’s missed just about every roll call on the environmental issues as a senator during the past year. The centerpiece of his energy plan key point is to drill for more oil and the GGND leaves no doubt that fossil fuels are an earthly scourge. Obama’s senatorial voting record in the past year is a bit better.
I have already voted absentee for Barack Obama and make no apologies for using this blog to say so. I deeply respect your right to disagree with me (and cuss me out in the comments section) and vote for McCain.
The GGND sounds like a good idea, but we need to see more details. It’ll be a key topic at upcoming UN meetings and UNEP promises an assessment and toolkit which enables nations to transition to a green economy with 18-24 months.
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