Here in Lexington, a new youth movement works for Green New Deal and a better economy
On Wednesday, April 14 at 8:15 a.m., I arrived at the Fifth-Third pavilion in downtown Lexington. It was rainy, gray, and cold, but my fellow Sunrise Movement Lexington members and I were excited to brave the weather in support of something we believe in: good jobs and a Green New Deal. The action was part of Sunrise Movement’s national campaign, “Good Jobs for All”, which spurred rallies and actions across the country in support of a federal jobs guarantee and Civilian Climate Corps.
Sunrise Movement is a national youth movement to stop climate change while creating millions of good jobs and addressing racial and economic inequality in the United States. Sunrise was founded in 2017, but launched into the spotlight when the group staged a sit-in in Speaker Pelosi’s office after the Democrats took back the House of Representatives in 2018, pressuring her to support a Green New Deal and interrupting a moment of perceived celebration. From the start, Sunrise has focused on peacefully disrupting the status quo and encouraging elected officials to get on board with bold action on climate change, or risk being voted out. One of the boldest disruptions is ending the narrative that climate action is bad for jobs. As we marched down Main Street in the rain holding bright yellow signs, we hoped to make it known to Lexington that young people want and need a Green New Deal and good, green jobs.
An integral part of Sunrise Movement and the campaign for a Green New Deal is the aspect of good jobs for all, hence the most recent Sunrise campaign “Good Jobs For All” that spurred our action in Lexington. It is often suggested that transition to renewable energy would wreck the economy and job market, but the implementation of a federal jobs guarantee would assure a smooth and just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. President Biden has taken a first step with an executive order to create plans for a Civilian Climate Corps (CCC), modeled after FDR’s New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps (also CCC). Some critics worry Biden’s CCC may resemble AmeriCorps with low wages and short-term work. This is why Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have introduced the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act of 2021 that provides fifteen dollar minimum wage and benefits for 1.5 million workers. Although the CCC would be an incredible first step and a win in the fight against the climate crisis, a more expansive federal jobs guarantee is still necessary.
While discussing a federal jobs guarantee, it is essential to understand that the “green jobs” we at Sunrise Movement are advocating for are not limited to putting solar panels on roofs, climate mitigation, or developing urban gardens, but include improving infrastructure such as public transportation, elderly care for the aging U.S. population, early education for the future leaders of this country. Every state or region of America doesn’t have vast amounts of sunny land to set up solar farms or oceans to harness energy from, but we all have people to care for and towns and cities to improve.
In planning our action, I listened to people tell stories about their families’ experiences with joblessness, low wages, and long hours. They fear the changing climate, natural disaster, and a job market that is leaving people in younger generations behind. These discussions made one thing very clear: We must stop looking at addressing the climate crisis and building a healthy economy as mutually exclusive. Right now we have the opportunity with the Green New Deal to take action on climate change and create an economy that works for all Americans. Why not take it?
Emery Elkinson is a sophomore at Henry Clay High School and has been a member of Sunrise Movement Lexington since August 2020.
This story was originally published May 6, 2021 at 10:27 AM.