BLUE NEW DEAL Is Crucial Because The Future Depends On Healthy Oceans, Says Warren
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- Warren Says Blue New Deal Crucial Because Future of People and Planet 'Depends on Healthy Oceans.'- "A Blue New Deal must be an essential part of any Green New Deal." Common Dreams, Dec. 10, 2019.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren expanded her vision for combating the climate crisis on Tuesday with the release of her Blue New Deal—a new component of the Green New Deal focusing on protecting and restoring the world's oceans after decades of pollution and industry-caused warming. The plan includes proposals for an array of ocean-related issues—including fossil fuel emissions, ocean acidification, overfishing, and the destruction of coastal communities.
The Massachusetts Democrat and 2020 primary contender wrote in a Medium post that "a Blue New Deal must be an essential part of any Green New Deal."
"As we pursue climate justice, we must not lose sight of the 71% of our planet covered by the ocean," Warren wrote. "While the ocean is severely threatened, it can also be a major part of the climate solution—from providing new sources of clean energy to supporting a new future of ocean farming."
-- Under Warren's Blue New Deal, the federal government would expand offshore renewable energy production, hold agribusiness accountable for ocean pollution, and expand protected marine areas.
In keeping with the Green New Deal's focus on a "just transition" for fossil fuel sector workers, the plan aims to expand offshore renewable energy exploration as Warren follows through with an earlier promise to impose a moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling..
"Protecting our oceans and marine areas are fundamental to fighting climate change and revitalizing coastal communities. We are glad to see a plan recognizing the oceans' role in defending against the climate crisis."—League of Conservation Voters. Coastal communities hosting the projects will be consulted regarding transparency, environmental, and labor standards, and community agreements will ensure that those living in these areas see a share of the benefits.
With Warren's planned investment in the industry, she wrote, the U.S. could come closer to filling 36,000 well-paying offshore renewable energy jobs.
The senator would also direct the USDA to research and develop policies for ocean-based farming, paying farmers for their contributions to the climate change fight and including the industry in disaster assistance programs. "Land-based farmers have long been supported by the USDA, but in a world of rising seas, increasing ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification, we must expand that support to include ocean farming as well," Warren wrote.
"Algae and seaweed are the trees of our oceans, absorbing carbon and helping to reduce ocean acidification and pollution locally, and are valuable sources of nutrition... These resources even have the potential to become a key ingredient in renewable fuels."...
More, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/10/warren-says-blue-new-deal-crucial-because-future-people-and-planet-depends-healthy
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- UNITED NATIONS, 'Diving Into The Blue Economy' 2019.
Can humans use the ocean as a tool for lifting people out of poverty, all the while protecting its valuable ecosystems? Certainly, say proponents of the growing sustainable blue economy movement. The first-ever Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, held in Kenya in November 2018, brought together thousands of ocean experts and activists to discuss how to sustainably use our ocean.
- What do we mean by a “blue economy”? “The blue economy comprises a range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean resources is sustainable. An important challenge of the blue economy is to understand and better manage the many aspects of oceanic sustainability, ranging from sustainable fisheries to ecosystem health to preventing pollution. Secondly, the blue economy challenges us to realize that the sustainable management of ocean resources will require collaboration across borders and sectors through a variety of partnerships, and on a scale that has not been previously achieved. This is a tall order, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who face significant limitations.”
- Why is a healthy ocean so important for current and future generations? “The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the earth habitable for humankind. Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, medicines and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all provided and regulated by the sea. Living oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce climate change impacts...More, https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/sustainable/blue-economy.html
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