As Green New Deal Fight Shifts To 2020, Young Activists Are Hitting The Road

The Green New Dealers are taking their movement on the road. It’s been a whirlwind two months since the youth activists of the Sunrise Movement staged protests in Democratic leaders’ offices, bringing into the mainstream calls for a Green New Deal ― a sweeping federal policy that would mandate 100 percent renewable energy and provide good-paying sustainable jobs to millions of Americans. Now the Sunrise Movement, likely the nation’s fastest-growing climate advocacy group, is planning a 14-stop tour meant to drum up grassroots support for a Green New Deal across multiple states, HuffPost has learned. It’s the first leg of the group’s effort to make the policy the defining issue of the 2020 election. “We’re launching the Road to a Green New Deal Tour to activate the millions of Americans who are ready to fight for a Green New Deal but haven’t heard of it yet,” Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, said by email. “When you come out to a tour stop, we’ll give you all the tools you need to spread the word within your own community, build support, and pressure your elected officials to take a stand.” In March and April, the Sunrise Movement will host events in Florida, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, Michigan and elsewhere. The tour builds off an intensive new online training program, where volunteers are coached via webinars on how to confront politicians and frame an issue as overwhelming as global warming in terms of clear, effective action. Each event will include in-person training sessions, and conclude with organizing meetings for new converts...MORE