Yes, it will be a gradual transition. However, when the door opens a little, it eventually opens all the way. I think of cable television. Once we let it in, it eventually became the norm. I am not saying the Green Deal is bad. It may well be beneficial to us and the world in the long run. It will also likely cause financial harm to some. One thing, I believe, is almost certain, and that is, it is, for better or worse, the wave of the future, and our grandchildren will no doubt take it for granted despite our present complaints, just as our children now take the technological computer age for granted despite oldsters like me who long for the good old days when we did not live in a virtual reality and under the thumb of monopolies such as Microsoft.
I’m sure you’re right, but as you say, the transition has be gradual, and the choice to retain the Old Way has to be present at least for a while.
As the oldsters die off, the New Ways will become the Normal and will be affordable. But to bring all the New Green Ways in right this very instant, within the next four years, will be unaffordable and will very likely destroy the economy.
My husband and I do not have cable TV.
My husband has one of those E’book things and uses it. I had one, but hated it, so I still read real books.
We still have a regular car and probably will until we become too old to drive.
We still heat with gas, although we are hoping to build a home (after we retire) on a lot in the country that we own, and we do plan on installing some solar panels. There’s a big tax break in Illinois for doing this–we would be stupid not to do it,.
My husband collects typewriters and uses several everyday to do various tasks.
I collect uranium glass, and I use my pieces for food serving!
My point is that we still have a choice because everything is being phased out and phase in GRADUALLY. Oh, yes, I’m sure that eventually, it will be impossible to watch TV with an antenna (unless you’re wealthy and can indulge in a “vintage” setup), and I’m guessing that any new books or magazines will have to be read on some kind of “device” rather than paper, and I’m sure that cars will be replaced by something that is more friendly to the environment.
But we still have options, and we don’t have to spend a huge amount of money to do everyday things like watch TV, read, drive, etc.
I fear that the New Green Deal proponents, many of them young, have gotten so used to having things “instantly”–like any show they want to watch, or communicating with others (cell phones, computers) within seconds, or bringing up a book on a device instead of searching a bookshelf, and calling an uber instead of learning to drive and buying a car–that they think all the environmentally friendly things should happen NOW, right NOW, hang the costs and hang the economy and our current way of life, because the disaster will happen really really soon, just like bringing up a website or streaming a movie happens instantly.
They don’t realize that change is best done gradually.
