ENGLISH 23
(A.K.A. CLIMATE CRISIS 101)
Deep Dive
The Green New Deal
Unfortunately, I was one of the people who was misled and misinformed about the Green New Deal due to the media’s portrayal of it. All I knew was that it was about climate change and that it was radical.
The Green New Deal seemed honestly confusing, but after watching the “Green New Deal, Explained” I was surprised to see that the whole document has two major goals: What we need to do to solve the climate crisis and how the American people will be protected. Looking at it like this, makes it seem much more simple and doable.
I am assuming that the title of this deal is a reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s new deal. This is most likely meant to mirror the circumstance of that time to our present day. America is facing one of the world’s most pressing issues and the government needs to create sweeping change in order for its people to thrive again. Similar to the New Deal, the Green New Deal aims to assume the responsibility for transitioning the American people from one stage to another. This is great because it is obvious that such a huge overturn is going to affect the lives of many and as well all know, it will affect our country’s
When you assigned the reading of the Green New Deal, I had mentioned it to my parents and they immediately started talking about how radical the idea of getting rid of all cars, planes and cows was. But once I read it I was super confused because like I was missing something. The Green New Deal said nothing in detail, and I felt almost tricked. After watching the videos, I realized that the media and politicians have been overtly tricking Americans into believing this solution is worse than our current situation. Platforms only talk about the negative effects of the Green New Deal, leaving passionate activists to sound like they are crazy. Because they are so outnumbered, the voice of reason is being trampled by climate deniers and those who are desperate to continue business as usual. As a nation, it is our job to implement a change. Maybe if we take this first step, other countries will follow in our footsteps and we can save the planet.
These short documentaries this week are extremely topical for me. While they are topical at all times due to the urgency of this climate crisis, they are especially pertinent to understand while I am currently in Texas experiencing an energy crisis during an unexpected winter storm. Half of my city is without power, many without hot water and now with a drinking water boil notice, and there was no policy put in place to protect our houseless neighbors. The government was aware of the issues this storm would bring before the public …
By increasing government spending and revolutionizing infrastructure, it is possible to create millions of “good, high-wage jobs to provide security for all of those in the US” (GND). It is crucial that these jobs provide equal pay for everyone regardless of race, class, gender, citizenship, and physical aptitude. Moreover, the Green New Deal will give Americans the right to a living wage, welfare services, adequate, affordable housing, quality education, and health care; all of which will help mitigate the fears that customarily accompany periods of significant change. These efforts will create healthy, sustainable, inclusive communities that are ready and willing to adapt to major policy reforms.
I really enjoyed the videos for this week! Last fall, I took a course on news, politics and democracy within the Communication program. We learned about how the media relies on sensationalism, and is not fulfilling its responsibilities to our democracy. Unfortunately, consumers are attracted to the spectacle and don’t want to be shown things they don’t understand. So rather than teaching voters about the details of policies and issues, the media “dumbs-down” the message and relies on partisanship to tell voters how to feel about a policy. In this class, we discussed tactical framing by the media in great detail. It’s a strategic move by the media to attract viewers and make it more difficult for people to form educated opinions. Tactical framing doesn’t care for the capacity to solve the problem, only the political debate. While the media is supposed to be summarizing relevant issues on behalf of the citizens (in order for them to formulate opinions of their own), they often complicate the narrative and make voters more cynical about politics and its ability to get anything done. In this way, rather than educating voters, the media serves as a tool for polarization. With the Green New Deal, the media (and the politicians themselves in their discussion of the bill) focus on its controversy. More specifically, Republicans have correlated the deal with socialism, creating fear within their supporters that the bill is not about the environment, but more about a complete restructuring of our system. Therefore, anyone that doesn’t support socialism is likely to reject the bill before learning any of its contents.
Watching “A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” made me slightly emotional. I loved how the story ended with people uniting to protect the environment and work toward a more equitable and sustainable future. However, it felt all too hopeful. As we’ve seen, Republicans and moderate Democrats have given strong push back against the Green New Deal. So while it was temporary bliss watching AOC’s vision, as soon as the video ended, I was struck by the reality that this will never be the reality.
This week’s videos were eye-opening in several ways this week. For one, I didn’t realize how little I actually knew about the Green New Deal until someone actually pointed out to me that I knew very little. As someone who lives in a progressive area and thinks of myself as someone that stays up to date with current events, I can only imagine how pervasive this lack of knowledge must be for people all around the United States. On top of that, as the videos illustrated, there has been an active campaign to confuse and misdirect the public from the true facts surrounding the Green New Deal, just as we saw in Merchants of Doubt just a few weeks ago. With all this being said, how is the average American supposed to make any sort of informed decision about whether this proposed plan is a good idea or not? Yet again, I found myself sitting at my desk, frustrated with the cyclical nature of the fight against climate change and how all the efforts being made seem to be going to waste. Then I watched the AOC video, and I found myself hopeful for the future. It was such a refreshing message to follow the weeks of doom and gloom that we have gone through this quarter. I found myself truly believing that there was hope for the future, whereas before a lasting solution seemed closer to fantasy than anything to me. Whether or not what AOC described actually happens is not the point; the point of the message was to show that there is indeed a way out of the mess we have found ourselves in. Granted, this way out will most certainly lead to sadness and pain for many, but why should that stop us from attempting any solution still within our grasp? The Green New Deal seems to me to be an opportunity for us as a society to wipe the slate clean and to fix the injustices we have institutionalized throughout our history. Not just those involving the climate, but those involving social and economic injustices as well. With such an amazing opportunity presented to us, it only seems foolish to turn our heads the other way.
I love and admire AOC. She is the type of person that needs to spread awareness to this big issue of climate change. Because she has a common past, she can relate to the working class and genuinely looks out for the best in others. I think we need a team of like minded people to enter congress and initiate change as outlined in the green new deal. We need to take the privileged elites out of the government and instead elect those who understand our struggles and enact change to help all of us.
I loved AOC’s film and her narration. I am a huge fan of hers, so I was immediately drawn to what she has to say. I am also majoring in art and have always had a love for painting so listening to her powerful language associated with the beautiful watercolor time-lapse was quite beautiful to watch and see. I was left wondering, after watching these films, “who in their right mind could watch these and not agree with and support the Green New Deal? It baffles me, honestly.
“A Message from the Future with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” was incredibly inspiring. It is good to see young, impactful politicians in Congress who genuinely care about the environment and not their own agenda or money. AOC’s statement that we should “[commit] to universal rights like healthcare and meaningful work for all” resonated.
“To take action will cause pain.” I think this quote from the first video assigned this week really sums up the Green New Deal. I really enjoyed the videos this week for the reason that they took something that so many people talk about, but so few people truly understand and put it into terms that the general public can comprehend. This cluster of videos shows how small changes will not suffice, and the reversal of climate change will not be an easy feat. There will be lost jobs and panic, but there are solutions. The Green New Deal proposes jobs for those who will lose them due to the halt of fossil fuel use. It also suggests affordable housing and high quality, free healthcare. The Green New Deal recognizes that the citizens with the greatest barriers to overcome will be the ones who suffer the most from the changes proposed in the Green New Deal. This recognition led to the protection of all lower class/income families in the Green New Deal. It won’t just protect the coal miners and fossil fuel industry worker. It will protect all those who are losing essentials for living in the efforts to halt climate change.
When I was much younger I read two books that take a deep look at the infrastructure that delivers Bananas and Tomatoes to the US. One was Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook the name of the other escapes me. These two pieces shine a light on the people who pick these plants, the places that they are produced, and how those things come about. Younger me was inspired in a way. I wanted to be a food scientist, someone who could work to create better foods and influence the ways that consumption was expressed in the US. I wanted to be a person who changed the horrible conditions brought about by the corporations that produce food. As time went on, and I became far more cynical and realized how lofty those ambitions were I lost that spark that inspired me to pine for a better world. All that being said, Representative Ocasio-Cortez is working to reignite that flame. Through her actions and words, we are beginning to see a seismic shift in the very foundation our society rests on. She is encouraging young people all around the country to be the change they want to see. These tangible steps are awesome to see, and I hope that as she continues to gain seniority we can see the movement she helped foment blossom into a fully-fledged revolution.
My biggest takeaways from these videos were not just the real information about the Green New Deal they presented, but also the way they presented the information. Ken asked at the end of this video how we should inform and encourage the public to back deals such as this one, and I think the model of the Vox videos and the Message From the Future video is a great example of a new way of informing people. Some of the most informative pieces of media I’ve seen are on Youtube, and not even ones produced by big production companies such as Vox. I’ve seen videos done by a single person working out of their bedroom that are very well thought-out, often heavily researched, and present great analysis of social justice and political topics (ex: Big Joel’s videos on PragerU, Kat Blaq’s videos on racism within the youtube community). While Youtube and other social media platforms are not seen as reputable sources in the public eye, I think that creators on these platforms are showing us just how effective this type of independent content is for informing people…If we want to mobilize people, the old ways of media and news are just not cutting it. There are so many new avenues of getting information that are almost more accessible than older forms of media, and I think that if we want to truly inform the public, we’re going to need to move towards newer and more free-form types of media that are not beholden to old and outdated standards.
“Why you still don’t understand the Green New Deal” answered that question for me. The idea of “tactical framing” is another reason I don’t watch the news; the news doesn’t even provide us with real information. Every time I have watched it, I always see just a bunch of rich white guys arguing about whether information is relative or not or asking guests personal questions instead of contextual questions and they always label everything and everyone with a big “LEFT” or “RIGHT” stamp.
I really enjoyed “A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” A someone who has become politically active in the past few years, as I became a citizen who could vote, I have admired AOC for quite some time. I basically follow her on every social media platform you can, even on Twitch where she has streamed twice (?) now. So obviously, I really liked what she had to say in that video; I believe her commitment and dedication towards fighting for universal rights is really admirable and I also thought including those things in the Green New Deal made a lot of sense.
These videos did an excellent job of covering several key details in a relatively short amount of time. The Green New Deal being only 14 pages shouldn’t be seen as a negative thing. It is simple and to the point, while addressing many key elements including job transitions. It also uses very understandable vocabulary which I think is critical for accessibility. Too often political jargon and excessively complex wording gets in the way of the point. The Green New Deal is a solid first step and now the work begins to making these ideas a reality in America.
I found this week’s films to be quite interesting and educational. I had only heard about the Green New Deal a couple of times before watching these videos, and I didn’t know much about it besides that it dealt with the issue of climate change. I thought that it was interesting, yet unsurprising, that I saw many of the same tactics being used by climate change deniers in previous segments of the class were being used when regarding the Green New Deal. Many republican figures (including then-president Trump) reported information about the Green New Deal that was focused more on creating fear and doubt around its implications and plans. Most of these claims surrounded the idea of socialism, communism, and a complete destruction of our lives as we know it. Like many times before, this tactic of creating doubt and fear worked extremely well at making the Green New Deal controversial and not taken seriously. While radical reforms are proposed in the Green New Deal, there is no mention of banning planes, cars, cows, oil, gas, and the military as Trump told his followers. It is extremely important for people to do their own research on the Green New Deal and not solely get their information from biased sources, as they may be surprised and find themselves actually liking some of its suggestions. I am hopeful that with the new presidential administration, we will be able to implement some of the suggestions that the Green New Deal outlines to make changes for a sustainable future.
Now that I have learned more about what the Green New Deal is and what it consists of it was frustrating to hear Ken talk about the way that Trump talked openly about the deal as he said many things that were not even true and would scare Americans into being against this whole idea. Trump states that the Green New Deal would mean getting rid of cars, planes, cows and oil when in reality it says none of these things. The deal talks about reducing emissions from cars and moving towards electric vehicles, says nothing about getting rid of planes, and talks about working with farmers to reduce emissions from meat production. When people think of a world with none of these things it makes sense that this would scare them and be overwhelming and therefore result in people not being open to the idea of the Green New Deal but the things Trump said were not even true and it is unfortunate that people now believe that.
I like how the three short videos this week covered a variety of different aspects of the Green New Deal, such as the goals of it, how it is covered in the media, and AOC’s perspective on it. What struck me most was this concept of “tactical framing” that news media uses in order to get their viewers to focus on the political aspects of the Green New Deal instead of how it actually works. In turn, this tactic makes viewers more cynical and less informed about the issue, which is problematic. I actually found that this tactic actually worked on me, since before this course, I only had a vague understanding of the Green New Deal and I only knew the political implications of it, not how it exactly worked. Now that I know how it works, I appreciate how the Green New Deal addresses many different promises such as jobs, healthcare, education, and economic freedom. I also appreciate its commitment to helping ordinary Americans in the transition away from fossil fuels as I feel as that is of utmost importance. I was quite surprised when Ken mentioned how the Green New Deal was too much for Americans to support, as I feel as if the changes it proposes have many ways to help Americans that may be negatively affected by them. Although the Marshall Plan for the Earth Ken talked about would be better for the environment and people in developing nations, it is unfortunate that it is also too much for Americans to get behind, even though we have put 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere and should have a moral duty to help out developing nations.
I did this week’s reading before I watched these short videos, and the reading alone certainly was confusing. The contents of the Green New Deal are vague, and though the resolution may provide a broad framework for what we need to do as a country to mitigate the climate crisis, reading it did not make me feel as if those in power in our government have a solid and clear plan going forward. Yes, we need to reassess current infrastructure and promote sustainability, while also providing job security and healthcare. But how?
Then, after watching Ken’s video here and the three other videos, it became a lot clearer why I felt so confused about the Green New Deal even though I knew I wanted to support it. In particular, the video explaining media tactics and coverage of the resolution (“Why you still don’t understand the Green New Deal”) really opened my eyes. I had never before noticed how little actual substance from this resolution was covered in news stories I’d read or heard. Furthermore, even after reading the document in its entirety, I agree with Ken’s point that it is probably vague on purpose. But even after these moments of realization, I still feel frustrated and discouraged. I find myself asking the same questions as Ken: if lawmakers have to tiptoe around issues because Americans feel so entitled to certain “freedoms” like consuming 6600% more meat than people in Bangladesh, how are we ever supposed to create effective and lasting change? I have grappled with this question throughout the duration of this course, as I have tried to get through to my own family about the changes we all need to be making in our individual lifestyles. Let me just say, it’s been a tough process. And all in all, this week’s content has left me with more uncertainty and questions than answers.
This weeks films really connected with me because I remember when the green new deal was introduced and everybody was freaking out about it. I actually didn’t know that it was just a resolution not legislation. I thought it was a bill that was introduced into Congress or at least was being planned to be introduced into Congress. The way the news covered it so aggressively and with so much anxiety made me assume that it was going to be voted on. But clearly that’s not the case. I think that the green new deal is revolutionary and that it is finally outlining a clear plan to a better future.