Like the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Green New Deal is a visionary plan to transition to 100% renewable energy. We will need to build the infrastructure, including renewable energy systems, a smart power grid, renewable energy driven mass transit systems, and upgrading existing buildings to be well insulated and energy efficient. To do this will require thousands of new jobs and re-prioritizing of our governmental budgets.

Our Theory of Change (from the Sunrise Movement Plan)

Stopping​ ​climate​ ​change​ ​means​ ​completely​ ​updating​ ​our​ ​energy,​ ​transit​ ​and​ ​food​ ​systems. This​ ​will​ ​require​ ​aggressive​ ​action​ ​at​ ​every​ ​level​ ​of​ ​government,​ ​sustained​ ​for​ ​many​ ​years​ ​in​ ​a row.​ ​History​ ​shows​ ​that​ ​two​ ​ingredients​ ​are​ ​needed​ ​ to​ ​make​ ​this​ ​type​ ​of​ ​sweeping​ ​change:

1. People​ ​Power:​ ​a​ ​large,​ ​vocal,​ ​and​ ​active​ ​base​ ​of​ ​public​ ​support

2. Political​ ​Power:​ ​a​ ​critical​ ​mass​ ​of​ ​supportive​ ​elective​ ​officials

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The Sunrise Movement is an organization to coordinate the efforts to articulate and get support for the Green New Deal.

Story of the Sunrise Movement

We are young people who united by the thousands to stop KXL. We joined with many nations to protect the water at Standing Rock. We weakened Big Oil by divesting billions of dollars.  

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(I’m far from a young person but feel a kinship with these young climate activists by having worked against the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines, and for fossil fuel divestment.)

Now, we’re getting ready for the fight of our lives: to defeat Donald Trump and the fossil-fueled politicians from both parties who back his agenda.

Sunrise is part of the political revolution. Across the country, a surge of teens and twenty-somethings are getting politically involved for the first time. We don’t see a reason to choose between working on elections and creative protest—it’s obvious that both are needed. And we’re unafraid to take on entrenched elites from any political party.
https://www.facebook.com/sunrisemvmt/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

“The proposal states that a Green New Deal is a “historic opportunity to virtually eliminate poverty in the United States and to make prosperity, wealth and economic security available to everyone participating in the transformation.” The proposal lays out a number of policies to “mitigate deeply entrenched racial, regional and gender-based inequalities in income and wealth,” including a federal jobs guarantee, universal healthcare, and a universal basic income.“

This multi-pronged approach for a just transition to 100% renewable energy is being recognized by more people and groups. The Minnesota Climate Intervenors “show what it looks like for each one of us to have a stake in the collective well-being of Minnesota. The group is made up of diverse individuals from different schools, hometowns, ages, and racial and cultural backgrounds. The strength of their coalition shows us the possibilities for connection across difference, and gives us examples of how to articulate our own personal involvement in environmental justice.“

“The Youth Climate Intervenors have been working tirelessly to bring distinct legal arguments against Line 3 to the Public Utilities Commission. Many Youth Climate Intervenors object to the pipeline because of its impacts on indigenous land, life, and cultural resources. In fact, its construction on Ojibwe land through wild rice beds would break longstanding treaty rights and disproportionately pollute Native communities, who already face health disparities. Other Intervenors want to uphold Minnesotans’ abilities to hunt, fish, practice spirituality, and safely enjoy our 10,000 lakes. Finally, many cite the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels to sustain our state’s healthy water, air, land, and economy for the rest of our lives and for future generations.“

The First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March is another example of climate activists coming together to promote plans to address climate change and social/economic injustice.

It will be important for those of you who support the plan to share news about it and the Sunrise Movement. The mainstream press is not likely to report on this movement. I didn’t see any television coverage of the Sunshine Movement’s activists flooding capitol hill yesterday, where nearly 150 were arrested.

You can see the resolution to create a select committee for a Green New Deal here: https://ocasio2018.com/green-new-deal

And see the whole Sunrise Movement Plan here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lcpb6Tuyh4-mEjGV7aO8b8Hq9zkQ782w/view

What’s next? You can register for the Green New Deal Campaign call December 13th at 8:00 pm Eastern here:  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/30e8fba92a4dc97f4ac87b605f06faf5

#NoExcuses for anything less