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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
