US election special #2: The Green New Deal

The US economy is currently facing its greatest crisis in a generation. Due to the coronavirus, the Federal Reserve has warned that unemployment could reach 30% and the economy could experience a downturn on a scale which has not been seen since the Great Depression. In Washington, a program of large scale public investment is being considered on both sides of the aisle as a way to revive a floundering economy. Congress has already injected more than $2.3 trillion into the US economy, with billions being doled out to the highest carbon emitting industries, such as fracking and airline companies. At this crucial moment, should we really be trying to restore business as usual? Or does the scale of the environmental crisis mean that we need to put our economy on a fundamentally new path? In this second episode of ourVoices series on the US election, Aaron White and Freddie Stuart explore the extensive influence of fossil fuel companies in American politics, and examine the growing consensus that is finally emerging around a transformative Green New Deal agenda. We are a small non-profit journalism outfit, not funded by dark money or lucrative sponsorship, so we depend on regular donations from our listeners. If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to donate, click here: http://bit.ly/3bb06Os