The Green New Deal is all the rage among Democrats. Defining the term precisely is impossible, because there is no consensus about what it means. One can say with certainty, however, that it is an attempt, probably on the scale of the Manhattan Project, to decarbonize the sources and consumption of energy in America through innovation promoted, and in some cases required, by subsidies, regulations, and legislation.
Given the magnitude of the problem, you can’t reasonably say that the supporters of the GND are extremists, unless you work for a fossil fuel industry. There are lots of outstanding issues, however, including the following:
- Is the GND compatible with capitalism, or must it be combined with socialist measures?
- How is the GND going to be sold to the American public?
- How can the legislative parts of the GND be pushed through Congress?
- Will a carbon tax be included in the GND?
- What are the plausible timeframes for decarbonization?
- Will nuclear power be part of the solution?
- How can the GND work if the rest of the world does not buy into it?
- How will the GND be financed?
These and other questions will be addressed throughout the week.