Climate activist and TV personality Bill Nye is voicing support for the “Green New Deal,” a plan put forward by progressive Democrats to combat climate change.
Nye posted a tweet this Saturday showing him and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at this weekend’s SXSW conference, an event that highlights “what’s next in the worlds of film, culture, music, and technology.”
“AOC gets it,” Nye tweeted along with a photo of himself and the Democratic congresswoman.
“She sees that fear is dividing us. We can address income inequality. We can address climate change, if we get together and get to work. #SXSW @AOC.”
AOC gets it. She sees that fear is dividing us. We can address income inequality. We can address climate change, if we get together and get to work. #SXSW @AOC pic.twitter.com/I8tSbAc97u
— Bill Nye (@BillNye) March 10, 2019
The Green New Deal was introduced in the House by Ocasio-Cortez and was met by both praise and skepticism.
Speaking at the conference, Ocasio-Cortez said that despite some people’s opinion that the Green New Deal is unattainable, great things in society weren’t accomplished with a lack of vision.
During Ocasio-Cortez’s talk at the conference, Nye made a surprise appearance and asked the last question.
“I’m a white guy,” he said. “I think the problem on both sides is fear. People of my ancestry are afraid to pay for everything as immigrants come into this country. People who work at the diner in Alabama are afraid to try to ask for what is reasonable. So, do you have a plan to work with people in Congress that are afraid? I think that’s what’s going on with many of the conservatives, especially when it comes to climate change. People are just afraid of what will happen if we try to make these big changes.”
“One of the keys to dismantling fear is dismantling a zero-sum mentality,” Ocasio-Cortez replied. “It means the rejection outright of the logic that says someone else’s gain necessitates my loss and that my gain must necessitate someone else’s loss … We can give without a take.”
Addressing complaints that her plan costs too much, she said people are “viewing progress as a cost instead of as an investment … When we choose to invest in our system, we are choosing to create wealth.”
Watch the exchange below:
.@AOC answers @BillNye’s questions about climate change and how to counteract fear at #SXSW #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/JKL9l2xulo
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) March 10, 2019
Featured image via Twitter
