The Green New Deal is an item that has been perceived in a variety of ways. Many people view this bill as a positive and feasible plan to benefit our current ecological crisis, while some see the bill as being a very ambitious plan to put forth. I personally agree with the latter, that this bill does not seem like an achievable plan of action. While the goals presented are ones that almost any person would be pleased to see, they seem too unlikely to ever be attained. There are a couple of points to the introduction of this bill that I do agree with, such like “human activity is the dominant cause of observed climate change over the past century,” and “a changing climate is causing sea levels to rise and an increase in wildfires, severe storms, droughts, and other extreme weather events that threaten human life, healthy communities, and critical infrastructure.” Human’s and their relationship with nature most definitely are the cause of the ecological crisis that we face today, however, the bill proposes such grand ideas that Forbes Magazine states that it is “so out of touch with the realities of today’s economy and the concerns of most Americans that it’s hard to take seriously” (Eberhart).
Such ideas include ensuring prosperity and security for all people of the United States, accomplishing these goals within a 10 year period, upgrading all existing buildings in the country to achieve maximum energy efficiency, and ensuring paid jobs, leaves, and vacations to every individual within the United States. These plans would be incredible if they were to occur, but ideally they are so challenging and in depth that it seems almost impossible. The bill does however pose similarities to that of Laudato si’, in many ways. The two texts resemble one another initially by their recognition that humans play a part in the problem at hand. The Pope promotes integral ecology in an effort to help the flourishing of life, stating that “we can no longer achieve integral human development without the simultaneous inclusion of concern for the environment in which we live”. The Green New Deal, as stated previously, holds the same belief that humans hold the most responsibility for the ecological downfall. The texts are similar in another sense, where Laudato si’ and The Green New Deal both promote the education of people, and a specific focus on the poor.
The Pope believes that the ecological crisis greatly affects the poor the most, even though they have little to contribute to the issue. With this same idea, the bill aims to be “providing resources, training, and high-quality education, including higher education, to all people of the United States, with a focus on frontline and vulnerable communities.” While both Laudato si’ and The Green New Deal hold very similar aspects to each other, I believe that the writings within Laudato si’ are more of an urge and call for attention, whereas The Green New Deal is a promise of their stated goals. I do believe that The Great New Deal speaks of vital and important goals that the United States may achieve in the far future, but it does not seem like a bill that will be effective very soon. The goals would benefit the ecological crisis, and would create a better human to nature relationship, however, to put forth all of these ideas into one bill seems highly unlikely to happen in my eyes. I tend to side more on my perception of Laudato si’, in which it calls for individuals to self reflect and adopt new ways of life in order to help the environment. This has no promises, no high set goals, and has each person be a part of this change, rather than having the Government be in control and making these false promises.
Works Cited
- DiLeo, D. R. (2018). All creation is connected: Voices in response to Pope Francis encyclical on ecology. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic.
- Eberhart, D. (2019, February 14). Even Democrats Are Wary Of The Green New Deal.
- Forbes. doi:https://www.forbes.com/sites/daneberhart/2019/02/14/even-democrats-are-wary-of-the- green-new-deal/#561b4b177e6d
- Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal., H.R. Res. 109, 116 Cong. (2018).
