Climate crisis will deepen the pandemic. A green stimulus plan can tackle both

(The Guardian, 20 Apr 2020) The convergence of the climate and coronavirus crisis will be catastrophic. Now is the time to deploy a green stimulus

The Covid-19 epidemic is ravaging our tattered healthcare system and shredding our economy. In the past month, over 22 millionAmericans filed for unemployment benefits, compounding the fear that unemployment could breach 32% absent massive public action. This is an unmitigated human disaster, recalling the horrors of the Great Depression. And it gets worse. We’re also facing the climate emergency. Immediate relief is necessary – but not sufficient. To tackle all these crises at once, we need a Green Stimulus that creates jobs and lifts up communities in ways that also slash carbon pollution, increase resiliency, and develop a just, modern economy.

No one can predict when Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump will turn their full attention to economic recovery. But behind the scenes, the planning has already begun. It’s not a question of whether we spend big on stimulus, but what kind of stimulus.

And while Republicans will decry anything “green”, we can win the argument. But much of what we propose already has bipartisan support, from polling to pending legislation.

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The Guardian, 20 Apr 2020: Climate crisis will deepen the pandemic. A green stimulus plan can tackle both