Sanders will join Ocasio-Cortez at the rally as the climate struggle heats up

May 11, 2019, 15:18 UTC

By Benjy Sarlin

Senator Bernie Sanders will speak at a Green New Deal rally at Howard University on Monday, which will also be attended by Alexandria representative Ocasio-Cortez, organizers said.

The event, organized by the Sunrise Movement, offers the 2020 candidate a high-level platform to woo the environmental left.

The expected appearance of Sanders comes as Democratic candidates begin to argue over their climate plans and recent polls show that Democratic voters place more importance on environmental issues than in the predecessor elections. .

Campaigns are only beginning to put plans in place, but early divisions have emerged regarding the Green New Deal, which calls for a rapid transition of carbon emissions associated with global warming by 2030, and the role of the Green New Deal. what fossil fuels should be doing in this transition.

On Thursday, Sanders and Washington governor Jay Inslee criticized Joe Biden's plan to seek a "middle ground" policy aimed at advancing Obama's rule and possibly including a role for Obama. natural gas and coal.

"There is no" middle ground "on climate policy," tweeted Sanders. "If we do not commit ourselves to completely transforming our energy system from fossil fuels, we will condemn future generations, and the fight against climate change must be our priority, whether or not fossil fuel billionaires want it."

The Sunrise movement, which warned that the approach reported by Biden would be "a death sentence for our generation" in a statement, has so far set the bar high for candidates.

The group praised Inslee's plan to eliminate emissions from new vehicles and buildings by 2030 and move to clean electricity by 2035. However, the group reacted in a way that was mixed with Beto O. Rourke's plan last month to invest billions of green infrastructure and research, thanking him for his commitment to making this issue his top priority, while criticizing him for set the goal of reducing net emissions by 2050 instead of 2030.

Experts have generally been skeptical that a Green New Deal can achieve its goals within 10 years.

The schedule of speeches for Monday's event has not been finalized and it is possible that more senators, including other presidential candidates, will be present. The group is taking advantage of this rally to unveil a plan to put pressure on the 2020 Democrats to place the Green New Deal goals at the center of their campaign, at the center of an event scheduled for the second half of the year. debate on the Democrats in July in Detroit.

Environmental groups, ranging from grassroots activists to established groups like the League of Conservation Voters to megadonor-backed organizations Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, are pushing candidates to publish their plans and pledging to continue them early in their presidency.