Rev. Dr. Adam Robersmith spoke to us at our annual retreat this year in Spokane. Adam is the minister of the Universalist Church West Hartford in West Hartford, CT.  Adam addressed the Green New Deal as a biology major who understands the planet in ways that allowed him to speak about the elements of our planet. As we listened, Adam talked about the changes we all could make and how capitalism plays a role in the health of the planet. Rev. Dr. Robersmith also took questions and engaged all of us in a very intimate and welcoming way. 

Build the Movement Toward a Green New Deal by Dick Burkhart

Climate catastrophes are hitting ever harder and closer to home while 2/3 of the US population has fallen behind economically over the last two generations despite a doubling of the economy. It’s the old story of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. That’s why our working class has lost trust in the leadership of our society. That includes most of us and the science that informs us.

The Green New Deal is a home run on both counts: The carbon-neutral infrastructure it will create is exactly what we need to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time we’ll be investing in working people, with rewarding jobs and universal benefits, regaining their trust, building a more equal society. Demagoguery and scapegoating will lose their force. We’ll leave a more hospitable world to our youth and future generations.

The Green New Deal is a vision, not a blueprint. We know we need a rapid transition to clean, renewable energy, leaving the fossil fuels in the ground. But national politics is not yet there to pass detailed programs, and that’s the point: Spread the knowledge about the climate emergency, yes, but also, to rebuild trust and political will by extending a helping hand to the many who have been left behind.

Instead of spending our resources on the fancy lifestyles and projects of the rich, on a bloated military, and on pervasive consumerism, think about a lot fewer mansions, yachts, and extravagant parties and vacations, but a lot more solar panels, wind mills, public transit, walkable and bikeable communities, and affordable and energy-efficient housing, health care, and education. Now add to that a more localized economy and a massive expansion of regenerative agriculture to take CO₂ out of the atmosphere.           Submitted by Christopher Sims