zero greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in a good goal, and renewable energy will create millions of “good, high-wage jobs."

Love Durban but I think he blew this.

Climate change is the biggest crisis we have ever faced as a species and it sounds like he is minimising the situation with what he said. He also came out against the legalization of marijuana here in Illinois so he seems a little out of step with democrats in general at this point.

That's disappointing. I was shocked over him trivializing the NGD and pretending he didn't understand it, because I know he's a lot smarter than that.

Many older people are against it. There are friends who I used to get high with who have become old, crabby squares (we're entering our sixties). The ball is rolling. It won't be stopped.

Even if you switched to all electric from 2021 on, what about all the cars before 2021?

harm in pushing electric or other types of vehicles and transportation over gas now, at this time. With climate change breathing down our necks it should be a universal goal.

I guess we have to give them notice, so let's make all cars coming out after 2030 electric. From 2031 to 2050 there will still be a lot of gas cars, but it will be less and less each year. By 2100, you will only see historic gas cars on the road, and rarely at that since they won't be daily drivers.

We take our 49 Chevy out once or twice a year to a car show.

We should have made a law in 2000 that by 2020, all cars will be electric. Now we have to wait until at least 2030, but realistically, a lot longer than that.

So that would mean mitigating all car emissions with carbon sinks. The (relatively) easy low tech way would be to plant a lot of trees, but there is also some research in CO2 scrubbing technologies.

They already have, but not very many.
If the electric cars dominate, then gas stations will begin to drop gas pumps, converting to all-electric.
We'll have to have Amazon send cans of premium for those classic cars. Or convert the '67 GTO to electric.

“ A perepective!”

understand it and had to have it explained to him by the co sponser of the GND Merkey when he was interviewed this morning?

AOC and Markey don't talk in circles or write nonsense bills. Durbans a pretty smart guy, if he read it and didn't understand it that's not on them, that's on Durban. He's read a lot of nonsense bills and resolutions by Republicans and had no problem understanding those.

YMMV.

is different from "legislation."

Cortez will learn. She's very young and inexperienced. She's gotten big facts wrong, so far. I think she'll learn as time goes on. She's a bit taken away with her celebrity status, IMO. I hope the fall won't be too hard. But it's a-comin'. It always does.

Then she'll get serious and start working with staff to write real legislation.

AOC will do just fine, she and Ed Markey did just fine writing this resolution.

It reads like a college student's paper on climate change. It contains specific un-sourced "facts" about climate change, as they are known at his particular point in time (a very bad idea to put in any bill...since such things change regularly). And contains some ridiculously lofty goals...I think they're great. But we don't live in Honeycomb's dictatorship.

It's basically meaningless. And has zero chance of passing.

It needs to be rewritten, with a lot of that college stuff removed, and some general goals and recognition in it. A recognition of the fed govt that a green deal should be acknowledged. That could maybe pass. Maybe.

A bill that passes saying they'll work toward green policies is a lot better than one that doesn't pass.

That's why Durbin said, "What IS this?"

Durbin is not stupid.

The point is, Durbin doesn’t help Democrats by uttering negative horseshit in public. The most important issue on Earth should be treated with solidarity and respect from Democratic Party members who are the only real chance our nation has to rejoin the world in its efforts, efforts which if not successful in the very near future, will render Durbin and every other politicians moot and irrelevant quite soon. It’s a fucking shame when the most precise and and enthusiastic voice to be heard anywhere is that of 16-year-old, Greta Thumburg, and thank goodness for her.

And pretending it is a bill.

Bills mandate things. This thing reads like a leftist Christmas list.

do something.

appear to be making some Democrats squirm.

it actually doesn't do anything: it has lofty ambitions with respect to reducing carbon emissions, but doesn't specify any of the very complex means that are necessary to achieve those goals, not to mention the host of technocratic and technological hurdles.

And it also contains a whole bunch of stuff that has zero to do with climate change, any one of which would be crazy-hard to pass on its own:

—Sustainable wages, family and medical leave, vacations, and retirement security

–High-quality education, including higher education and trade schools

–High-quality health care

–Safe, affordable, adequate housing

–An economic environment free of monopolies

–Economic security to all who are unable or unwilling to work]

The future will not look kindly on hemming nor hawing.

because he does not jump in with both feet on something he thinks is pie in the sky.

I believe in my Senator. If he has reservations, I am sure there are good reasons.

Maybe Markey has questionable judgement. It could be that Durbin is right to question him closely over this "bill."

Once we're all buried in the ground (not long now - 30 years or so for me), it won't be "pie in the sky" anymore. It will be real. Billions of refugees forced out of the equatorial zones, climbing over the crumbling remnants of Trump's wall.

Kids (AOC is a kid to me) are pissed off about the world we're leaving them, and the selfish assholes that stood in the way of what is going to be needed to save the planet.

If Durbin has quibbles, he can work to change the GND and not dismiss it out of hand. Make it real. Get on board, embrace change, energize the youth vote, and beat the fuck out of the GOP and the Denialists.

including people here, were saying that about Pelosi a very short time ago.

I believe he has good reasons.

let's not go crazy with pie in the sky overreactions!

Best leaders we have!

He is obviously hesitant to endorse it out of hand for a good reason and a wimpy reason:

a) he's not sure what it really means and needs time to fully understand it -- that''s a good reason --, and
b) he's got to test the political winds before issuing a public approval or rejection -- and that is a wimpy reason -- but not an unusual one for a career politician.

(Personally, regarding the vote McConnell is calling for, I think the Dems should refuse to do anything he wants done until he agrees to seat Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court. )

It sounds more like goals to work toward. Like something that should be in the party platform.

Legislators are used to seeing legislation in their bills.

Cortez is inexperienced, as were some of the others. She voted no on BOTH of the House Democratic bills to fund the govt because, she said, they funded ICE, and "we" are against that! Bill #1 was just the same 2018 budget already passed last year...just to cover a several week period so there would not be a shutdown. There was no new funding in it (altho it had the same existent ICE funding). Bill #2 was to cover the budget for several weeks, and had NO ICE funding at all.

She also was explaining something recently, and her facts were wrong...on the BIG points.

She'll learn. She's so inexperienced that she doesn't realize what she doesn't know, IMO. I've seen this before in the business world with young newcomers at the company.

Some of the ideas are already working. My post below explains methene gas for electricity.

that has no chance of passing, will not expand the election map and will most likely cost seats in the Senate. Couple that with the fact that it is non binding so actuality does nothing and you can see his reluctance...

We have seen something similar to this with the BTU tax in 1993 that never saw the light of day in the Senate and helped cost us the House in 1994

There has been a big deal about doing away with farting cows. That is not in the bill but Methane gas is. Farmers are joining with the deal because they are using manure to make methene gas. One is already providing gas for electric for a town that has $3500 people. They showed what they have already accomplished on Ali Vishi yesterday. The plant is in operation.

With a time line and clearly measurable goals. I am all for a GND, but if we are to be taken seriously, we need to show people the path. I worry that an “aspirational” bill looks too much like a pipe dream.

asking for a realism from Dems on an aspiration resolution is absolutely pointless.

what should we do about ACC? just learn to adjust, right? that's the GOP plan - do nothing, let the earth die.