Robert Reich on Why We Need a Green New Deal

Robert Reich offered one of the best arguments for why we need to invest in clean energy jobs now.

“The two central problems of our time are climate change and stagnant wages with widening inequality,” the former U.S. secretary of labor explained. “A Green New Deal would tackle both.”

For decades, scientists have warned of the catastrophic consequences of carbon pollution and climate change, and Reich said that the window for action is closing.

“Experts now predict that within 10 years, climate change will be irreversible, devastating the economy and threatening the health and safety of millions of Americans and countless people around the world,” he said. “Meanwhile, the wages and economic prospects of Americans have stagnated for decades.”

Reich said a Green New Deal would provide massive investments in the clean energy infrastructure necessary to cut carbon pollution.
“The basis of the proposal would be a carbon tax on polluters, creating incentives for companies to cut their use of fossil fuels and switch to clean energy,” he said. “The revenue would then be invested in programs like job training and education, new construction, energy efficiency, and reforestation.”

Reich says it’s time to renew the spirit to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and a Green New Deal can do that.