Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveiled her Blue New Deal on Tuesday morning. The plan, as its name suggests, is basically a version of the Green New Deal (of which she is a co-sponsor) that focuses on the ocean. Luckily, Warren’s plan moves beyond the plastic straw debate and deep dives into the real issues impacting not only the ocean but also the creatures that live in it and the communities that rely on it for work and income. In this sense, Warren’s plan doesn’t focus on just the environment but rightly factors in workers' rights, low-income populations, and the economy too.
Unsurprisingly, Warren calls out the super-rich pretty explicitly—and for good reason. “The climate crisis is too urgent to let the ultra-wealthy complain about wind turbines getting in the way of their ocean views,” Warren writes in reference to offshore wind projects. Her point here is that while some might find wind turbines unseemly, that’s not enough of a reason to stop building them. Instead, she wants to see more offshore wind energy production created with domestic supplies, which she says could result in 36,000 new jobs. And she wants those jobs to be unionized, too.
As one might expect, Warren wants to hold big oil companies accountable. This includes phasing out offshore drilling and giving workers who choose to transition to new industries job training and wage parity to do so.
Of particular note in Warren’s plan is her approach to housing, seashore communities, and climate change. As we know, many communities that live close to the coast are vulnerable to rising sea levels and increased natural disasters as climate change rapidly accelerates. Warren wants to invest five times more funds into preparing communities for natural disasters than the federal government currently does. She also wants to reform flood insurance programs and support programs that help people relocate from at-risk shore communities.
Her commitment to low-income people feels particularly important, as while poor people across the globe continue to suffer because of climate change, they’re also chronically disenfranchised. Policies that explicitly center the needs of low-income people (especially directly in the face of the wealthy, who, as Warren suggests, might fret about the aesthetics of a wind turbine) are not only refreshing but deeply necessary.
On this front, Warren’s plan also stresses her belief that no new public housing should be built within 1.5 meters of sea level, because, as she puts it, it is “the responsibility of the federal government to protect our most vulnerable families, not intentionally put them in harm’s way.” For low-income people who own homes in flood areas, Warren’s plan opens up the possibility of buying back their homes at market value.
A “blue” carbon program is another interesting component of the plan. In simple terms, Warren wants to use coral and oyster reefs, as well as kelp and wetlands, to naturally sequester and store carbon.
Warren seeks to restore the Obama Administration’s Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. She also wants to electrify shipping ports. In addition, Warren wants to press Congress to approve long-term extensions for two important renewable energy tax credits, the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit.
Lastly, Warren also promised to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to more closely regulate fisheries, as well as make it more accessible for fishermen in the U.S. to sell seafood directly to people in the nation.
If you're wondering where the idea for this plan came from, it seems like an audience member at a town hall actually sparked the proposal. Months ago, during a CNN town hall on climate in September, an oyster fisherman asked Warren if she’d support a proposal that focused on oceans and the people who worked in them.
“I like that!” she said at the time. “I think he’s got it exactly right. I think we need a Blue New Deal as well.” And just like that, Warren has an ocean-focused climate plan three months later.
Check out our Making Progress interview with Warren below.