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To fight climate change, Democrats want to close the 'digital divide'

Writing for Grist, Maddie Stone on Jul 20, 2020

One of the starkest inequalities exposed by the coronavirus pandemic is the difference between the digital haves and have-nots. Those with a fast internet connection are more able to work and learn remotely, stay in touch with loved ones, and access critical services like telemedicine. For the millions of Americans who live in an internet dead zone, fully participating in society in the age of social distancing has become difficult if not impossible.

But if the pandemic has laid bare America’s so-called “digital divide,” climate change will only worsen the inequality that stems from it. As the weather grows more extreme and unpredictable, wealthy urban communities with faster, more reliable internet access will have an easier time responding to and recovering from disasters, while rural and low-income Americans — already especially vulnerable to the impacts of a warming climate — could be left in the dark.

Unless, that is, we can bring everyone’s internet up to speed, which is what Democratic lawmakers on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis are now hoping to do.

Buried in a sweeping, 538-page climate change plan the committee released last month is a call to expand and modernize the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure in order to prepare it, and vulnerable communities around the country, for future extreme weather events and climate disruptions. The plan calls for increasing broadband internet access nationwide with the goal of getting everyone connected, updating the country’s 911 emergency call systems, and ensuring cellular communications providers are able to keep their networks up and running amid hurricane force winds and raging wildfires. This plan isn’t the first to point out that America’s internet infrastructure is in dire need of an upgrade, but it is unusual to see lawmakers frame better internet access as an important step toward building climate resilience.

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Personally, I think the House Dems should wait until the new Congress gets sworn in early in January to move this forward, for reasons you already know.

EU reaches 'historic' deal on post-pandemic recovery after marathon summit

Source: Reuters

JULY 21, 2020 / 1:27 AM / UPDATED 15 MINUTES AGO

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders reached an “historic” deal on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-hit economies at a pre-dawn meeting on Tuesday after a fractious summit that lasted almost five days.

Summit chairman Charles Michel tweeted “Deal” shortly after the 27 leaders finally reached agreement at a 5.15 a.m. (0315 GMT) plenary session.

“This agreement sends a concrete signal that Europe is a force for action,” Michel said at a dawn news conference

“It is about a lot more than money. It is about workers and families, their jobs, their health and their well-being. I believe this agreement will be seen as a pivotal moment in Europe’s journey, but it will also launch us into the future.”





Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-summit/eu-reaches-historic-deal-on-post-pandemic-recovery-after-marathon-summit-idUSKCN24M0DF