A Bad Deal, Even for the Environment

January 17, 2020

The vast majority of the criticism surrounding Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) Green New Deal (GND) – proposed legislation that would remake the economy and eliminate all U.S. carbon emissions – has been about its disastrous economic consequences, and rightfully so. According to a report by The Heritage Foundation, this deal would mean 1.4 million jobs lost and a $3.9 trillion hit to the economy by 2040. But, would it even be good for the environment?

According to a new Heartland Institute Policy Brief, implementation of the GND would cause serious environmental and ecological harm. As the Heartland Institute reports:

This is primarily due to the massive land use of “renewable” energy sources such as wind and solar power and the amount of rare earth minerals that would need to be mined to manufacture these energy sources.

Paul Driessen, the author of the report, makes the observation that the GND has already been,

…roundly criticized for the astronomical costs it would impose upon factories, businesses, households, hospitals, and virtually every other sector of the U.S. economy, as well as for the economic devastation it would inflict.

But, he argues that,

…too little attention has been paid to the fact GND policies would seriously harm the environment—including lands, wildlife habitats, and threatened and endangered species—and thus would undermine the very values environmentalists have espoused for decades.

If this doesn’t expose the GND as nothing but a radical political statement, nothing will. Legislation that would be an economic catastrophe and an environmental disaster is something that no policymaker can support. A booming industry that creates millions of jobs and generates billions in revenue is something that every American can agree on. It’s time we start focusing on the facts and encouraging an industry that is making a real, positive impact for hard-working Americans every day.