The New Green Deal of 2009 *
The incoming US Federal administration of 2009 will have an important opportunity to launch a New Green Deal that promotes locally directed efforts to solve many of our urgent problems. This is a time of economic and environmental crisis, and we need to demonstrate authentic leadership in pursuit of a vibrant, healthy society that is sustainable and equitable. A New Green Deal can address domestic economic, social and ecological problems in a way that also has a positive impact on foreign policy and relations.
The New Green Deal focuses on developing basic requirements for moving towards
The New Green Deal's founding principle is there needs to be regional improvements to local
1) Survey, inventory and evaluation of local/regional renewable and non-renewable assets. These include but are not limited to food, water, energy sources, building materials and methods, open space, and transportation alternatives with an emphasis on a North American, inter-regional railway system.
2) Public participation in designating and implementing priorities for projects and activities.
3) "True cost" analysis to evaluate and select the most sustainable alternatives.
4) Green Collar employment programs in the following areas:
a) Ecosystem restoration,
b) Remanufacturing that maximizes use of recyclable
and/or post-consumer materials,
c) Renewable energy production and use,
d) Regionally-based sustainable agriculture,
e) Converting all wastes into resources,
f) Water conservation and reuse,
g) Energy efficiency,
h) Green building, living roofs, and landscaping,
i) Ecology and conservation education,
j) And special Green Collar job training programs in
vulnerable communities.
5) Create or transform governmental institutions and agencies with policies that promote localization and embody principles of sustainability.
*This is a genuine stimulus package on the scale of the 1930's New Deal for the present day. The New Green Deal promotes positive programs to replace catastrophic activities that underlie climate change, economic inequities, water and food shortages, habitat destruction, and species extinction.
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Committee For A New Green Deal
Email: mail@planetdrum.org
Postal address: Committee for a New Green Deal,
P.O. Box 31251, San Francisco, CA94131
Posts
5 comments:
A very nice idea, congratulations.
I am not a member of your country though I do pass through when it suits me. I think your proposal is in reaction to a global problem so a global response is required.
If indeed this proposal is to be taken as seriously as the new deal of the depression years it will have to be presented in a concise manner.
That old new deal was jarringly imposed from the top down. In your article you imply a movement from the roots up, as well as a top down component.
I will await restlessly your presentation of just how this may be accomplished, and how you propose to present it in its politicaly polished form before the american electorate.
yours
douglas
Comments on my comments
This format isn't very nice for free flow of communication, maybe you should consider a forum to go with it.
A/ I don't want to post as an anonymous coward but I don't attach "google anything" to my name lightly either. Open ID is a gibble as well.
B/ Last post was quite lengthy until I went back to TFA for reference, when I came back my work was gone.
douglas
The focus of activities would be regional and determined by regional councils of local governments regarding needs, inventories of resources, priorities, and allocations of funding. Operations would be carried out through agencies in particular fields such as education and training, employment, public works, and natural systems restoration. Funding can be accomplished by a combination of fedearl tax monies and funds from public-subscribed Green Bonds.
Peter Berg
Congratulations! This is a thoughtful way of using the New Deal concept to address the appropriate scale of the task we have.
Robin Freeman, Chair
Merritt College Environmental Programs
David R. Brower, Ronald V. Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies
Oakland Ca.
Without a doubt, Van Jones is the one to carry our observations and experience to Obama.
My own experience is this:
While running a watershed organization on the Susquehanna, we hired a summer team of high-risk kids, so id-ed by the school and county.
Their job was to carve a trail out of a multilayered usage corridor: trolley, railroad, but most importantly, a significant native trail called the Forbidden Path, which required a wampum passport to travel. Our location had been like Rome: all trails radiated out from there to other watersheds.
We had a local native chief, a historian, biracial team leaders, conflict resolution. The upshot of it was that when we arranged for them to go into the highschool shop to create bridges, the shop teacher said, "What did you do to these kids? I know them. They're troublemakers. Now they're team players, engaged, cooperative, to the point."
I knew we were onto something big, then.
Destiny Kinal
510-701-8909
East Bay, CA
destinykin@aol.com
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