House Democrats Offer an Alternative to the Green New Deal

An influential group of Democrats in the House of Representatives on Tuesday set an ambitious target for United States greenhouse gas emissions, calling for a reduction to net-zero by 2050. The goal, intended to slow the pace of global warming, does not include either a legislative or regulatory plan. It would very likely require rigorous new curbs on fossil fuels over the coming decades and steep increases in wind, solar and other renewable sources of power. The initiative does not go as far as the Green New Deal. That Democratic plan calls for achieving carbon neutrality within a decade and supplying 100 percent of the country’s electricity from clean energy sources while also creating millions of high-wage jobs. Analysts described the announcement Tuesday as an effort by centrist Democrats to reclaim the climate agenda while treating global warming with the urgency that scientists say it demands. What on Earth Is Going On? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our latest stories and insights about climate change — along with answers to your questions and tips on how to help. The 2050 target is expected to be adopted in the Energy and Commerce Committee, the primary legislative body for developing climate change legislation in the House. “I think the main difference between this and the Green New Deal is the Green New Deal was the 2030 deadline and we have 2050,” said Representative Frank Pallone Jr., the New Jersey Democrat who heads the Energy and Commerce Committee. “If we can meet an earlier deadline, great. But right now the scientific community is saying 2050 is the key year.”...MORE