Sanders to host town hall on climate change

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is planning to host a town hall next month on climate change, with the goal of pushing aggressive policies to fight global warming.

Sanders announced the event Monday. He’s expecting to feature numerous experts and activists at the event, such as 350.org founder Bill McKibben, actress Shailene Woodley, Democratic strategist Van Jones and Earth Guardians Youth Director Xiuhtezcatl Martinez.

{mosads}The event will be a matter of weeks after Election Day, which ushered in dozens of new House Democrats. Many of the incoming Democrats, including Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), are pushing progressive climate policies like transitioning the country completely to renewable energy and are clashing with current Democratic lawmakers over the policies.

“The reason we are having this town hall is pretty simple. Unless we take bold and drastic action to address climate change and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, I fear very much that the world we leave for our kids and grandkids will be in much worse shape than the world we live in today,” Sanders said in a statement announcing the town hall.

“Let’s go forward to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels, create millions of jobs in the process and leave behind a planet that is livable for our children and grandchildren.”

The event is slated for the evening of Dec. 3. It will take place in Washington, D.C., and be webcast on multiple platforms.

Sanders, a progressive firebrand who unsuccessfully took on Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, has long been one of the most outspoken lawmakers on climate change.

He has proposed taxing carbon dioxide emissions and moving the country to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050.

Sanders has already hosted four similar town hall events this year, on topics like health care and economic inequality.