A New Look at AOC & The Green New Deal

By Caleigh Calvey

March 14,2019

OHIO--Democratic Socialist and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is typically viewed by Conservatives as ignorant due to her economic ideologies. Ocasio-Cortez has proposed an environmental and economic concept before The House called the Green New Deal.

The Green New Deal is entirely focused on reducing the United States’ carbon footprint, emphasizing the use clean and renewable energy sources. The idea of The Green New Deal is, in theory, good for the environment and maybe for a lot of people. But when the Green New Deal is reviewed it is highly unrealistic and uneconomical. The American Action Forum estimated in February 2019 the Green New Deal could cost as much as $51-93 trillion U.S.D over the next decade, Fox News on the other hand estimates that it could be the “second largest budget expenditure by 2028, costing $761 billion”. The way the people will pay for these expenses is with 80% or higher taxes, which is the same way Ocasio-Cortez suggested that Medicare for all should be paid for.

The goal of Ocasio-Cortez and the Green New Deal is to “achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions” meaning absolutely no emissions whatsoever that can harm the environment. A large percentage of Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign was framed on the concept of climate change and global warming. While it is no surprise she is pushing the issue it is a very unreasonable policy, and a rash move for a freshman congresswoman. While absolutely nothing is wrong with being concerned about the environment, it will be impossible to reduce all energy emissions to zero. The process would take many years, if not decades, and would rapidly decrease industrialization and manufacturing. Ocasio-Cortez and her followers should be striving towards a more realistic approach to help the environment. One way of doing so is for Ocasio-Cortez to practice the policies she proposes, if she is being taken to public events via car, you would think she would insist upon making cars more eco-friendly rather than merely suggesting that cars should not be emitting or burning fossil fuels.

Cost efficient, eco-friendly energy has come a long way over the last 50 years, but it still has a far way to go. Ocasio-Cortez’s policies will cause an industrial recession. Imagine all the workers who will lose their jobs due to her policies. Workers equality and power is something Ocasio-Cortez strives for after all.

In conclusion the Green New Deal will hurt Americans more than it will help. If environmental conservation is something that Ocasio-Cortez wants she will need to find a more cost effective way to do so, otherwise she will never gain the support of the majority.