Please invest in Our Daily Planet today, by making a one time or monthly contribution.
We do not charge our readers a subscription fee for our content. We want to continue to grow our readership, particularly among millennials and public servants. Voluntary contributions from readers will help us employ interns and freelance journalists, expand our content, and reach a larger audience.
If you make a contribution of $150 or more, you will become an official “Friend of the Planet” and receive a Friend of the Planet T-shirt or water bottle.
Our Daily Planet is a daily morning email (M-F) to keep you informed of the stories shaping our environment. If these issues matter to you, we’d like to be the best ten minutes of your morning.
Last week, the Republican Members of Congress met at their annual policy conference and emerged from the meeting hoping the Green New Deal (GND) is a major issue in the 2020 election cycle because they think it is a winner for them.According to E&E News, their leadership is convinced that their best strategy for retaking control of the House of Representatives is to bash the Green New Deal by painting it as “creeping socialism” and that doing so will win them back the 19 seats needed. President Trump addressed the meeting and whipped up the crowd arguing that “the plan to achieve zero emissions by 2030 is ‘insane’ and ‘crazy,’ warning it would cost trillions of dollars and eliminate cows and planes.
Why This Matters: Both Republicans and Democrats see the GND as helping them politically so we are bound to hear a great deal about it over the next year. And both could be correct in that assumption — that the GND motivates both their bases equally to turn out in the next election. Indeed, in a stroke of counter logic, the Republicans will argue that the GND will lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions because it will force manufacturers to leave the United States to escape burdensome and costly regulations and build plants in countries with far fewer guards against emissions. However, in some Republican districts and red states where climate change impacts are being seen and felt by residents, it may not be such a winner for the Republicans.
How Un/Popular Is the GND
One of the leading Republicans in the House, Steve Scalise, told the Republicans that in visits to swing districts around the country in recent months, he finds more voters are aware of the Green New Deal than they are the Paris climate accord and they think it is “lunacy.” Other Republicans were more cautious about whether to take the GND on in every district. Congressman Greg Walden of Oregon told E&E that “it’s too early in the election cycle to say what issues the GOP should emphasize, but he noted Democrats could be hurt if their presidential nominee moves too far to the left.” Walden said, however, “issues vary and races are won district by district. He noted in his rural eastern Oregon district wildfires have been a top concern of voters.”
On Tuesday, the CEO of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset management company, announced in his yearly letter to his clients that they must layout comprehensive game plans to survive in a net-zero world.
Why This Matters: A 2020 report from portfolio.earth found that the world’s largest investment firms and banks are investing trillions each year into operations that damage the environment and threaten biodiversity.
Environmental Justice legislation is getting lots of attention this year as numerous bills are pending in Congress on a topic that, until now, barely received attention. Yesterday, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Deb Haaland rolled out a bill that would put $100 billion dollars toward eliminating pollution that has disproportionately harmed communities of color.
Why This Matters:Lisa Friedman of The New York Times wrote last month that by putting Senator Harris on the ticket with him, Vice President Biden signaled that environmental justice will be high on their agenda.
Congratulations to Senator Ed Markey — a very early #FriendofthePlanet — for his incredible come-from-behind victory over Congressman Joe Kennedy in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. Senator Markey has long been someone I (Monica) admired — ever since his days as the leader of the nuclear freeze movement back in the 80s. He has been […]
Subscribe to the email that top lawmakers, renowned scientists, and thousands of concerned citizens turn to each morning for the latest environmental news and analysis.
Want the lastest climate news summarized for you each morning?
Our Daily Planet is your daily dose of the stories shaping our world and the ways that you can take action. From the climate crisis to the protection of biodiversity, if these issues matter to you then please subscribe & stay informed!
Your privacy is Important! We promise never to use your email address to send you spam or advertisements.