Take a few minutes and read the Green New Deal. Our friends in the media have made the plan all things to all people, but read it and make up your own mind.

In this column I will correctly quote the plan using full sentences and then comment.

The opening paragraph says “The Green New Deal will convert the decaying fossil fuel economy into a new, green economy that is environmentally sustainable, economically secure and socially just.  The Green New Deal starts with transitioning to 100% green renewable energy (no nukes or natural gas) by 2030.  It would immediately halt any investment in fossil fuels (including natural gas) and related infrastructure. The Green New Deal will guarantee full employment and generate up to 20 million new, living-wage jobs, as well as make the government the employer of last resort with a much-needed major public jobs program.”

Aren’t we at statistical full employment today? Yes we are. How do we pay for this? Who cares?

100% renewable energy by 2030?  Eleven years to do away with fossil fuels such as gasoline or propane and natural gas? That, my friends, is your car/truck/van/SUV if not 100% electric. That is your natural gas, oil or propane gas furnace. That is the dryers fueled by gas that dry cereal grains to store for food for winter.

Eighty-one percent of our fuel use is fossil fuels; coal provides arguably 50% of the electricity in the United States, but in 11 years we are supposed to replace it all. “The Green New Deal starts with transitioning to 100% green renewable energy (no nukes or natural gas) by 2030.  It would immediately halt any investment in fossil fuels (including natural gas) and related infrastructure.” Immediately halt building new power plants, auto plants that build/use fossil fuel vehicles: tractors, combines, ambulances, autos, aircraft, school buses, trash trucks, motorcycles. “Immediately halt.”

“The fate of humanity is in our hands.” No! if we believe in global climate change, the 95% of the world not the United States also use fossil fuels, even the socialist/communist nations. The 95% are using ever-increasing amounts of fossil fuels. The Greens are free to blame America first, but it is just unfair, incorrect and dangerously naive.

“We propose an ambitious yet secure economic and environmental program that will revive the economy, turn the tide on climate change, and make wars for oil obsolete – allowing us to cut our bloated, dangerous military budget in half.”

Can you build a solar powered 76-ton M1A1 tank? Cost? We are nearly self-supporting in oil; add in oil from Canada and Mexico and we can exceed our needs. More wars have been fought for food in history than oil.

“End unemployment in America once and for all by guaranteeing a job at a living wage for every American willing and able to work.” If you are not “willing” to work, not a problem, just sit home and collect a check. A job? We don’t need no stinking job, the government will pay us to do nothing, is this a great deal or what?

“The government will be the employer of last resort, offering jobs meeting community-identified needs in the public and non-profit sectors to take up any slack in private for-profit sector employment. These will include jobs in sustainable energy and energy efficiency retrofitting, mass transit and ‘complete streets’ that promote safe bike and pedestrian traffic, regional food systems based on sustainable organic agriculture, clean manufacturing, infrastructure, and public services (education, youth programs, child care, senior care, etc).”

Read they have no idea how to accomplish this lofty goal. Can you walk or bike everyplace you must go? Not in SW Michigan. Just what is clean manufacturing?

“On top of that, the Green New Deal largely pays for itself in health care savings from the prevention of fossil fuel-related diseases, including asthma, heart attacks, strokes and cancer.” The Green folks have apparently found the way to prevent heart disease and cancer, just go green.

“Provide green jobs by enacting the Full-Employment Program, which will directly provide 16 million jobs in sustainable energy and energy-efficiency retrofitting, mass transit and “complete streets” that promote safe bike and pedestrian traffic, regional food systems based on sustainable organic agriculture and clean manufacturing.”

The world is not able to feed its population now; with 82 million folks being added worldwide per year we can’t feed the people without petrochemicals. “Complete streets” need asphalt, made from oil, by the way.