It’s Time for a Blue New Deal for Our Oceans

By Ravin Bhatia, TPT Staff Writer

Initially, CNN’s September 2019 climate change town halls felt like nothing more than a flurry of recycled and oft-repeated, albeit bold, ideas. Candidates, throughout each of their allotted hours, told similar stories, cited identical statistics, and recited the same prognostications about our futures. Despite actually caring a great deal about climate change, I almost could not resist the urge to change the channel. That is, until I came across one moment from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s town hall.

During the event, she received a question from Bren Smith, an ocean farmer from Connecticut, who asked her whether she would consider supporting a Blue New Deal to protect and rescue our oceans. That she unequivocally said yes was not the least bit surprising. Rather, what was most shocking, even horrifying, was that I had never heard of the “Blue New Deal” or any similar proposals. Given the severity of climate change, and the dire state of our oceans and its marine life, one would think that such a consequential proposal would be given airtime on mainstream news channels or coverage in widely-distributed newspapers, or at least as much as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey’s “Green New Deal” received. But no: the press has hardly touched it.

That this is concerning is an understatement of an incredible nature. To see why, let us revisit the statistics demonstrating just how detrimental the effects of climate change are to our oceans. The ocean has absorbed over 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere, which has warmed the waters and led to sea levels rising dramatically. (We cannot forget the impacts this has on marine ecosystems, whether that be impeding the migration patterns of marine animals or bleaching coral reefs.) It has absorbed approximately 30% of the carbon pollution in the air, leading to a change in the very chemical makeup of seawater. And the pollution from our land has seeped into our waterways and Great Lakes, causing dead spots.

Still not convinced that this impacts us? See the 40% of Americans living in coastal towns who are constantly at risk due to the flooding and erosion of our coasts, or the millions of Americans who bear the brunt of increasingly severe weather events, like hurricanes (including,most recently, Hurricane Ian which ravaged Southern Florida).

In a time in which climate change is recognized among the vast majority of Americans as a pressing issue, and in which over half of the country does not expect the world to avoid its worst impacts, the lack of action and mobilization to protect our oceans (need I remind that the planet is over 70% water?) is appalling and will certainly bode poorly when our posterity reflects on our generation. “What did they do to safeguard and restore the overwhelming majority of our planet?” they will ask themselves. Apparently, nothing.

But it does not have to be that way. Despite our current, alarming trajectory, all hope is not lost. There is still time, and possible actions, to save our oceans. We can, and must, rebuild and harness our blue economy. Given the $304 billion impact of oceans on our national GDP, as well as the incredible job growth they provide, it’s time we cease our harm and exploitation of what is one of our most sacred resources. We must begin to transition to offshore wind and wave energy. Given that offshore wind would provide four times the present capacity of our national grid and account for tens of thousands of new jobs, it is time that we adhere to Sen. Warren’s Green Apollo Program and fully realize the economic and laborial potential of our clean energy. We must invest in and study regenerative ocean farming, an area that could become crucial in revolutionizing the United States' use of renewable energies. And these are just a handful of the possible, and necessary, steps that we must take. Are they expensive? Of course. But it will never compare to the price tag being paid by our future with every passing day of inaction and silence.

So, the next time I see a climate change town hall, perhaps again on CNN, I’ll keep an eye out for anybody willing to address and commit to solving the problem of ocean pollution and exploitation. For anybody willing to support a Blue New Deal to protect our sacred water resources and oceans. In this day and age, it shouldn’t take a hero or a revolutionary to do so. But unfortunately, it does.