San diego climate change group advocates for local green new deal support

A San Diego-based group of environmental activists launched a 100-day campaign Monday calling on the region’s congressional representatives to support the Green New Deal to mitigate the

effects and exacerbation of climate change. San Diego 350 hopes to convince Reps. Susan Davis and Scott Peters, D- San Diego, and Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, to support the resolution by

inundating their offices with calls and postcards from constituents between now and the August congressional recess. Reps. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, and Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, are already

co-sponsors of House Resolution 109, which supports the drafting and adoption of a Green New Deal. The proposal would reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a net-zero level, invest in

infrastructure and shepherd the country’s economic and energy sectors away from fossil fuels and coal by 2030. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, first proposed the concept and

introduced the resolution in February. “Over 80 years ago, (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and the Democratic Party created a bold plan to address the biggest economic crisis our nation had ever

faced,” said Masada Disenhouse, San Diego 350’s executive director. “The stakes are even higher now.” San Diego 350 organized demonstrations at Peters’ and Hunter’s offices in February to

call on them to support he proposal. The organization has also held sit-ins and delivered petitions to members of the county’s delegation asking them to co-sponsor the resolution. To date,

Davis, Peters and Hunter have not done so. Last month, Peters proposed a divergent plan to stem the tide of climate change, which he called a climate playbook. Peters’ proposal includes more

than 50 bills introduced by both Democrats and Republicans since 2017. San Diego 350 representatives said the organization plans to hold a series of town hall discussions through Aug. 20,

when Congress will go on its summer recess, to discuss constituent concerns regarding climate change. The town halls will be held in Davis, Peters and Hunter’s respective districts.

“(Eighty) years from now, will our great grandchildren know that we did everything we could to fight climate change?” Disenhouse said during a demonstration outside Saturday’s Roosevelt

Dinner, held by the San Diego County Democratic Party. “Let’s start by ensuring that our representatives step up and take action to make the Green New Deal a reality!” —_City News Service_