In his inaugural address at the height of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt credits the support of the American people in leading the nation to victory in its darkest hours. Leading us to victory in this modern era is Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who released an outline for her proposed Green New Deal earlier this year. What’s the gist of this massive mobilization initiative? A period of 10 years to completely eradicate carbon fuel emissions and create an infrastructure that is solely reliant on renewable energy.

The Green New Deal is a stimulus program that addresses climate change and economic inequality. Its proponents aim to cut carbon emissions, specifically in the electricity generation, transportation, and agriculture sectors, while simultaneously generating jobs to boost the economy. This entails renovating all existing buildings throughout the country so that they meet energy efficiency standards; overhauling all transportation systems to reduce emissions, specifically by expanding rail transportation to make air travel obsolete; and enacting accessible health care initiatives and job assurance for all citizens.

Now, while I may not agree with how Dianne Feinstein handled the civic engagement efforts of the Sunshine Movement, a climate advocacy group consisting primarily of elementary aged students, I can not say I completely disagree with her point of dissent regarding the Green New Deal. Do I think it’s realistic that the United States be completely carbon neutral by 2030? Honestly, no. Given the bi-partisan nature of the House, it seems unlikely that this legislation even pass. Do I think it’s absolutely necessary that we start to implement aggressive environmental initiatives to save our planet? Absolutely. It is the framework for change that I am here for; it is the lack of realistic steps for implementation that I am not.

In order for the Green New Deal to be effective, it would take the American public to realize that global warming and climate change poses as a big a threat to us as the Great Depression did in the 1930s. The new deal of Roosevelt’s era was groundbreaking because it established many of the assurances we enjoy today: social security, minimum wage, child labor laws, and bank deposit insurance. The Green New Deal makes similar broad claims that will completely change how the United States operates for generations to come.

“It’s big legislation because it’s a huge problem: we’re all going to die,” said Sean McElwee, co-founder of Data for Progress. “Every week it seems like the risks of climate change become more real, and the amount of devastation it is going to wreck upon humanity becomes larger. That means we have to do bigger things.” We need to do big things to reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. We need to do big things to limit the overexploitation of our planet’s natural resources. We need to do big things to prohibit unsustainable production and consumption practices.

Climate change is here + we’ve got a deadline: 12 years left to cut emissions in half.

A #GreenNewDeal is our plan for a world and a future worth fighting for.

How did we get here?
What is at stake?
And where are we going?

Please watch & share widely ⬇️pic.twitter.com/IMCtS86VXG

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 17, 2019

Is Ocasio-Cortez the woman capable to implement legislation that targets these big issues? That remains to be seen, but what Ocasio-Cortez should be credited for is creating buzz around a movement that has been around for decades. She is bringing new life to a long-ignored issue and giving hope to young climate advocates that tangible change is possible.

The need for sustainable living initiatives is felt most closely by the world’s poorest demographics, namely women. On a global scale, climate change is just as much a  socioeconomic and health issue, as it is an environmental issue.

Climate change is not exclusive to the United States. For women in developing countries, their role as gatherers is compromised when food and water resources become a scarcity. Their health and safety are put at risk when water and sanitation systems are jeopardized.

One example of the effect of climate change towards women can be seen through the increase in droughts. Droughts destroy crop soils, affecting the range of plant and animal species that can thrive there. This has a direct effect on the yield of resources women in these developing countries are able to provide for their families. When food and water are scarce, domestic violence rates against women increase; the number of maternal deaths increases; malnutrition rates increase; and the number of women who are able to receive an education decrease.

For women in America, who benefit from a less restrictive role in society, climate change still can have an effect on women’s health. “There is evidence of how climate change is associated with an increase in asthma in adolescent girls, a higher risk of acquiring lung cancer and heart disease in mid-life, and heart attacks, strokes, and dementia in older women,” said Bruce Bekkar, obstetrician and gynecologist.  That is not factoring the fact that heat and air pollution has a direct effect on pregnancy, specifically correlating with the number of stillbirths that occur each year.

Consider this a call for gender-responsive action. If we want to sustain a livable future for the coming generation, everyone needs to be an equal part of the solution. The Green New Deal targets energy consumption and strives to implement sustainable energy application. While the details of this initiative, at times, feel too grandiose to be realistic, the cost of not at least trying to implement them can have dire consequences for the future of our planet.

As Senator Ed Markey adequately tweeted earlier this month: “The Green New Deal isn’t just a resolution, it is a revolution. A revolution on our streets, where an army of young people strikes for climate action. A revolution in clean energy. And a revolution at the ballot box.” If there is any revolution to make yourself a part of, making it the revolution that saves planet Earth.

By: Rachel Ladeby