The Green New Deal, a proposal taken up by scores of members of Congress this month, aims to use “clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources” to provide 100 percent of the power used in the U.S.
Not only would a transition to renewable energy drastically slow the pace of global warming, it could also be the catalyst for the creation of millions of jobs, the equitable distribution of power, and the creation of healthier communities that are better suited to bounce back from disaster, says Jennie Stephens, a professor of sustainability science and policy at Northeastern University.
“By changing the energy system in a deliberate, intentional way, there are opportunities for changing all these other social injustices that are so prevalent,” says Stephens, who is director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs as well as director for strategic research collaborations at the Global Resilience Institute.
