Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Should more Minnesotans support a Green New Deal?

If you follow these pages at all irregularly, it will come as no surprise that we rarely find opportunity to thank Minnesota politicians. For the most part, we have a perspective that too many of today's Democrats aren't good (progressive) enough and Republicans are much, much worse. That's why we were delighted to discover today that Representative Betty McCollum [CD-4] is a co-sponsor of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]'s Green New Deal resolution [H.Res.109 - Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.]

We would be severely remiss if we didn't also note that Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota's senior senator, and current candidate for president, joined many of the other senatorial Democratic presidential candidates in becoming an original cosponsor of of Senator Markey's S.Res.59 - A resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal. Could there be something in the resolution that Senator Smith doesn't support? [see below]

We now return to our curmudgeonly review of the House and find, when we do the math, that only 20% of Minnesota's Democratic members of the House of Representatives have signed on as cosponsors of H.Res. 109. Is there something the matter with the content of the resolution or is it something wrong with representatives:
Here, in summary from the Congressional Research Service, is what the resolution calls for:
  • achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions; 
  • establishing millions of high-wage jobs and ensuring economic security for all; 
  • investing in infrastructure and industry; 
  • securing clean air and water, climate and community resiliency, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all; and 
  • promoting justice and equality. 
The resolution calls for accomplishment of these goals through a 10-year national mobilization effort. The resolution also enumerates the goals and projects of the mobilization effort, including
  • building smart power grids (i.e., power grids that enable customers to reduce their power use during peak demand periods); 
  • upgrading all existing buildings and constructing new buildings to achieve maximum energy and water efficiency; 
  • removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation and agricultural sectors; 
  • cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites;
  • ensuring businesspersons are free from unfair competition; and
  • providing higher education, high-quality health care, and affordable, safe, and adequate housing to all. 
We wonder if the four members of Congress listed above oppose any or all of the goals or the mobilization efforts, of if it's simply that enough of their constituents haven't made it clear to their representatives how important the Green New Deal can be to Minnesota and Minnesotans. If any of you readers think you have good reasons to contact your member of Congress to encourage them to sign onto H.Res 109 as a co-sponsor, please feel free to do so. If you're not sure why it might be important in your congressional district, check back here from time to time. In future postings we'll point out what we believe are many of the benefits that a Green New Deal can deliver to Minnesota.

A Language of Change


by David Sergeant 


‘as late capitalism writhed in its internal decision concerning whether to destroy Earth’s biosphere or change its rules’ – Kim Stanley Robinson

We’re sat by the ocean and this
could be a love poem; but that lullaby murderer
refuses each name I give it
and the icebergs seep into our sandwiches,
translated by carbon magic. And even this might be
to say too much. But the muse of poetry
has told me to be more clear – and don’t,
s/he said, for the love of God, please, screw things up.
Ambiguous, I didn’t reply; as we’re sat
by the ocean and I could make it
anything you wanted, for this moment
of speaking – but we have made it
something forever. Together
the weather
is a language we can barely understand;
but confessional experts detect
in the senseless diktat of hurricane
a hymning of our sins, our stupid counterpoint.
Love has served its purpose, now must be
transformed by an impersonal sequester
of me into the loves I will not see,
or touch, or in any way remember.
Perhaps it was always like this – take my hand,
horizon – ceding this land.


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