In this excerpt from The Carbon Wave (MIT Press, 2026), author Leah Stokes, an associate professor of environmental politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, reflects on a pivotal moment in U.S. politics when climate change became a central issue. That moment came in 2017 and 2018, when Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey championed the idea of a "Green New Deal"—a bold policy proposal aimed at addressing climate change through large-scale investment in clean energy and job creation. In September 2017, then-unknown Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was deeply affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The storm left the island without power for months, and her grandfather, like many others, lost his life in its aftermath. This experience, combined with her earlier visit to Standing Rock, North Dakota, where Indigenous activists resisted the construction of a pipeline, helped shape her political views. The Standing Rock protests had become a symbol of resistance to the Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry. Just days after Ocasio-Cortez left the protest, a progressive group approached her about running for Congress. Inspired by the activists she had met, she agreed and launched a surprising campaign in the Bronx. Her platform included a proposal for a Green New Deal, a plan that she described as being on the scale of World War II mobilization efforts, aimed at transitioning the U.S. to clean energy. That same year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's leading climate science body, released a report warning that global emissions must be cut nearly in half by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5°C. The report, which sparked headlines like “We Have 12 Years to Limit Climate Catastrophe,” shifted public perception, emphasizing the urgency of the climate crisis. In the November 2018 midterm elections, Democrats gained significant control of the House, and soon after, young activists from the Sunrise Movement staged a sit-in at the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Ocasio-Cortez joined them, encouraging them to push for a Green New Deal. This moment marked a turning point, bringing the idea into the national spotlight and framing climate action as a path to both environmental and economic renewal. As the Green New Deal gained momentum, Leah Stokes found herself drawn into the movement. She attended a meeting in March 2019 in Washington, D.C., where activists, organizers, and academics gathered to develop the policy further. Though the meeting was tense and revealed disagreements within the movement, it also showed the growing influence of young leaders like Varshini Prakash, the executive director of the Sunrise Movement. Prakash, who had become a central figure in the climate movement after the sit-in, spoke openly about the emotional toll of the work. Her vulnerability and dedication inspired many, including Stokes, who saw in her a symbol of hope and possibility. The Green New Deal, though still a work in progress, represented a collective effort to reshape the future—and it was clear that even small actions could create ripples of change.