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A4   U.S. NEWS
                Tuesday 11 december 2018


















            Presidential hopefuls pushed to go big on climate change




            By ELANA SCHOR                                                                                                      legislation  that  addresses  the
             Associated Press                                                                                                   scope  of  the  crisis  we  face,
            WASHINGTON (AP) — Environ-                                                                                          creates tens of millions of jobs
            mental  activists  are  ramping                                                                                     and  saves  American  families
            up  a  pressure  campaign  de-                                                                                      money while holding fossil fuel
            signed to drum up Democratic                                                                                        companies  accountable  for
            support for a sweeping agen-                                                                                        the  enormous  damage  they
            da  to  fight  climate  change,                                                                                     have  done  to  our  planet,”
            with  the  2020  presidential                                                                                       Sanders said in a statement to
            campaign in their sights.                                                                                           The Associated Press. “Our job
            Hundreds  of  young  demon-                                                                                         is to be bold, to think very big
            strators turned out Monday on                                                                                       and to go forward in a moral
            Capitol Hill to push Democrats                                                                                      struggle to protect our planet
            on  a  package  of  ambitious                                                                                       and future generations.”
            environmental goals — includ-                                                                                       When   Sanders   introduced
            ing  a  nationwide  transition                                                                                      single-payer  health  care  leg-
            to  100  percent  power  from                                                                                       islation last year, most Senate
            renewable  sources  within  as                                                                                      Democrats  also  considering
            little as 10 years — that’s col-                                                                                    presidential runs signed on at
            lectively  dubbed  the  Green                                                                                       the outset. It’s not clear, how-
            New Deal. Already embraced                                                                                          ever, whether other prominent
            by   Rep.-elect   Alexandria                                                                                        Democrats  eyeing  the  White
            Ocasio-Cortez,  D-N.Y.,  an  in-                                                                                    House  would  back  Sanders’
            creasingly influential figure on                                                                                    forthcoming  climate  change
            the left, the Green New Deal                                                                                        bill  or  seek  to  carve  out  their
            is designed to nudge prospec-                                                                                       own territory. Sen. Cory Book-
            tive  Democratic  presidential   In this June 1, 2017 file photo, protesters gather outside the White House in Washington to protest   er, D-N.J., said last week that
            candidates  to  stake  out  ag-  President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the Unites States from the Paris climate change   “obviously, we have been do-
            gressive  positions  on  climate   accord.                                                                          ing a lot of work trying to find
            change. Some cast the goals                                                                        Associated Press   some  bolder  things  we  as  a
                                                                                                   as  idealistic  and  politically   nation could be doing” on cli-
                                                                                                   risky. Organizers with the Sun-  mate change. Booker spokes-
                                                                                                   rise  Movement  activist  group   woman  Kristin  Lynch  that  his
                                                                                                   frame  it  as  a  make-or-break   staff has held dozens of meet-
                                                                                                   issue  for  Democratic  voters,   ings since the summer aimed
                                                                                                   particularly  young  ones.  But   at  shaping  a  broad  climate
                                                                                                   they’re  fighting  recent  history   bill and that he welcomes the
                                                                                                   on  that  point.  Hillary  Clinton   activists’ effort to spotlight the
                                                                                                   and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,   issue. The staff of Sen. Kamala
                                                                                                   jockeyed  during  the  2016   Harris,  D-Calif.,  has  been  in
                                                                                                   Democratic  presidential  pri-  contact  with  the  organizers
                                                                                                   mary over their plans to stave   behind  the  Green  New  Deal
                                                                                                   off  the  devastating  effects   push,  according  to  spokes-
                                                                                                   that  scientists  have  warned   woman  Lily  Adams,  who  said
                                                          We Wish You A                            of  as  temperatures  continue   the  senator  is  broadly  sup-
                                                                                                   to  rise.  Ultimately,  however,
                                                                                                                                portive  of  the  sort  of  sweep-
                                                    Happy Holiday Season!                          other  issues  dominated  the   ing  climate  change  agenda
                                                                                                   debate, and climate change
                                                                                                                                that  the  effort  envisions.  As
                                                                                                   barely  registered  during  the   legislation aimed at enacting
                                                                                                   2016 general election.       the  Green  New  Deal  begins
                                                                                                   Stephen  O’Hanlon,  a  spokes-  to take shape, Adams added,
                                                                                                   man for the Sunrise Movement,   Harris  plans  to  take  a  close
                                                                                                   said,  “Any  senators  or  any   look at it. The Green New Deal
                                                                                                   other politician who wants the   deliberately  omits  details  on
                                                                                                   votes of young people in 2020   how  to  reorient  the  United
                                                                                                   needs to back a Green New    States toward the drastic car-
                                                                                                   Deal that would transform our   bon  emissions  reductions  it
                                                                                                   economy and create millions   calls  for,  instead  calling  for  a
                                                                                                   of  new  jobs  stopping  climate   select committee in the House
                                                                                                   change.” As he weighs anoth-  to devise a plan by 2020. That
                                                                                                   er  White  House  run,  Sanders   timetable  is  designed  to  rally
                                                                                                   has staked out an early claim   Democrats  behind  a  climate
                                                                                                   on  the  issue,  hosting  Ocasio-  change  strategy  as  they’re
                                                                                                   Cortez  for  a  climate  change   picking a nominee to take on
                                                                                                   town  hall  last  week  and  pre-  President  Donald  Trump,  who
                                                                                                   paring a forthcoming propos-  has  rolled  back  multiple  en-
                                                                                                   al that an aide said is likely to   vironmental  regulations  and
                                                                                                   align with the broad goals of   cast  doubt  on  the  scientific
                                                                                                   the  Green  New  Deal.  “Next   consensus that human activity
                                                                                                   Congress I will be working on   is driving global warming.q
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