The Green New Deal was never about saving the planet
There once was a time, many years ago, when Americans mistakenly believed that climate change posed a threat to humanity and the only solution was a green revolution.
At the peak of climate alarmism madness, the Green New Deal was billed as a viable plan to achieve the so-called green transition.
In 2019, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the Green New Deal resolution into both houses of Congress, claiming it would address “the existential crisis of climate change” and “create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States, provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for Americans, and counteract systemic injustices.”
At the time, President Donald Trump was in the White House, which meant the Green New Deal had zero chance of becoming law.
That changed during former President Joe Biden’s term, when some parts of the Green New Deal were passed into law under the Inflation Reduction Act and other parts were temporarily put into place via executive actions.
We all know what happened next. Energy prices skyrocketed.
Did you know that Biden’s Green New Deal policies raised energy costs by at least $2,548 from 2021 to 2023 for “the average American household.” During that period, residential electricity prices increased 23%, home heating oil surged 69%, and natural gas prices rose 32%.
This happened because the Green New Deal prioritizes unaffordable and unreliable energy while simultaneously stifling affordable, reliable, and abundant energy. This double whammy was one of the main reasons Trump was reelected in 2024.
In the years since, the need for abundant, reliable, and affordable energy has become front and center, given that modern society needs ample energy to keep expanding the digital frontier.
Although Americans have every right to complain about high gas prices, at least the Trump administration has made major progress in making America energy-dominant.
“President Donald J. Trump has delivered on his promise to unleash American energy, putting an end to years of burdensome regulations, job-killing mandates, and foreign-dependent policies,” noted the White House in late February. “Through decisive action, the United States has reclaimed its position as the world’s leading energy producer and exporter, driving economic growth, lowering costs for families, and enhancing national security.”
Trump’s anti-Green New Deal agenda ought to be celebrated as a good step toward securing a sound energy posture for the United States so that America can emerge triumphant in the AI arms race.
Despite the stakes at hand, far-left Democrats and the Democratic Socialists of America remain wedded to the idea that the climate crisis is imminent and that the Green New Deal must be implemented immediately.
According to the DSA: “The climate crisis is an emergency. The world’s top scientists are saying we have little time to get off fossil fuels. We fight for a Green New Deal because it’s the only plan that meets the scale of the crisis, one that puts people and planet over profit to build a more just and sustainable economy.”
Naturally, the DSA provides zero compelling evidence to support the assertion that climate change poses an imminent threat.
On the other hand, there is a mountain of evidence supporting the common-sense idea that the planet’s climate has always changed and will always change.
Climate is not a static force dependent solely on the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere from humanity’s use of fossil fuels. Rather, as all scientists know, climate and weather are highly dynamic forces influenced by numerous factors well outside human control. That is what this is all about: control.
The Green New Deal was never about saving the planet, increasing prosperity, or combating inequality.
The Green New Deal is all about power and control.
Shortly after Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Green New Deal, her chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, let the cat out of the bag.
“The interesting thing about the Green New Deal, is it wasn’t originally a climate thing at all,” Chakrabarti admitted to reporters. “Do you guys think of it as a climate thing? Because we really think of it as a ‘how do you change the entire economy’ thing.”
THE LEFT’S CLIMATE CRUSADE FUELS THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THEY CLAIM TO FIGHT
With most Americans no longer worried about a climate change apocalypse, I suspect the left will simply invent another scaremongering campaign to justify the Green New Deal.
Whatever they come up with, Americans should remain skeptical because the Green New Deal is just a mechanism for the far Left to exert unprecedented command and control.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
