Bernie Sanders says he's ready for Democrats to stop being afraid of 'big ideas'

Bernie Sanders.
(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

As far as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is concerned, there is no such thing as being too ambitious when it comes to dealing with climate change.

When talk turned to the Green New Deal, some of the more moderate Democratic presidential candidates, like former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, were critical of the plan, calling it unrealistic. Moderator Dana Bash then asked Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio what he thought of Sanders' idea to end new gas-powered car sales by 2040. He explained he wants to create a "chief manufacturing officer" who would work with government departments, the private sector, and investors to "dominate the electric vehicle market."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"I didn't say we couldn't get there 'til 2040, Bernie," Ryan retorted, adding, "You don't have to yell. All I'm saying is we have to invent our way out of this thing, and if we're waiting 'til 2040 for a ban to come in on gasoline vehicles, we're screwed. So, we better get busy now." Sanders agreed that something has to be done, fast. "On this issue, there is no choice: We have got to be super aggressive if we love our children and if we want to leave them a planet that is healthy and is habitable," he said.

Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.