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TechnoratiEnvironmentalists, Unions Call For Green-Jobs Plan
A new report by an unusual coalition of environmental and labor groups seeks to plant a seed for a national, $100 billion public and private investment in an environmentally friendly, low-carbon economy that would grow 2 million new jobs over two years.
![[A new report by an unusual coalition of environmental and labor groups seeks to plant a seed for a national, $100 billion public and private investment in an environmentally friendly, low-carbon economy that would grow 2 million new jobs over two years.]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/greenjobs.0910.jpg "greenjobs.0910.jpg")
The report, released today by the Green Jobs for America Campaign, says a combination of tax credits, loan guarantees to small businesses and direct public investment spending could jump-start a clean energy transition that would produce good jobs in civil, environmental, electrical and chemical engineering fields, steel and metal working, heating and air conditioning, the construction trades, and contracting.
In Pennsylvania, the report projects a $4 billion investment that could produce more than 85,000 jobs and reduce unemployment to 4 percent. In July, the state unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent.
"That potential growth for good, family-supporting jobs when the economy is down and we see our manufacturing jobs leaving the country makes it imperative that we take a long, serious look at green investment and green energy solutions for our future and for future generations," said Tony Montana, a spokesman for the United Steelworkers Union, part of the Green Jobs for America Campaign and one of the groups releasing the report.
Other groups participating in the jobs campaign include the Blue Green Alliance, the Sierra Club, the natural Resources Defense Council, Green for All and Working America.
The proposal, which the coalition hopes will be considered next year by a new Congress and new administration, is less than the $168 billion economic stimulus package approved by the Bush administration and Congress in April.
The report by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the Center for American Progress examines the economic benefits of accelerated investment in clean energy and environmentally sustainable technologies. It details a "green economic recovery program" that invests in retrofitting buildings, expanding mass transit and freight rail lines, and expanding production of wind power, solar power and advanced biofuels.
The report says that thousands of Pennsylvanians already have the skills necessary to work in clean energy and building-retrofitting jobs.
28 Comments so far
Show Alldjmike:
I am not sure if it will catch on or not. 26 postings but the "Use Wind to Power Cars" got 4 times as many. Americans look at change one way. If it is change it has to be cheaper. If Green can't do it cheaper than the way we are doing it now what change. I am sure some postings the people are saying go ahead buy electric or air if leaves more oil for my SUV to pull my boat to the lake with.
"The proposal, which the coalition hopes will be considered next year by a new Congress and new administration, is less than the $168 billion economic stimulus package approved by the Bush administration and Congress in April."
If the new administration doesn't go for it, can we start a grass roots effort to get this going? This coallition sounds very promising and I hope it works. I've said it all along, if companies are taking away jobs here, then we just create our own jobs from the ground up.
Mike
tmullins:
Yes that is how this whole campaign has been run and others before it. No real questions to make the people running look bad. These people running are bought and paid off long before they get this far in the election process. Look at the millions it cost to become a President, do you think this money comes out of Obama or McCains back pocket?
It is like Auto racing at times it isn't the best drivers working their way up the ranks it is the person who can get the most or best sponsors. ( I do race cars and see this first hand)
If every human on this planet Earth stopped eating meat today, it would not prevnet the Arctic from thawing and the Arctic's methane gas escaping. It's burning fossil fuels that is the number one problemm. Number two is deforestation. Number three is having people deny global warming is an issue.
Well that one posted, so I'll try again.
We humans had better get on the stick and get some green energy programs initiated and do it QUICK. It's don't matter if it's the uninos and enviromentalists working together or Jack and Jill, or Obama and Bill Clinton working together. It musty be done.
If we don't act very soon it will be too late to prevent the ocean's stored methne gas from escaping into our atmosphere and that disaster will be the end of almost all life on Earth. The Arctic thawing and the release of the now trapped methne there will set off global warming to an extent that the ocena's methane will release.
The test progrma to seed ocean cloeds was a total success as was the re-forestation by use of aircraft. Both oi those programs must be initisated as well as having green energy developed. We are running out of time.
~Kem~
Have you ever heard the theory that big oceanic methane burps are responsible for planes and ships going down in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle? I saw a show about it once, and there was some seemingly good evidence.
Joe
I wrote a blog and was informed I was no longer allowed to access this site. I'll try again again and see if this one is acceptable.
I repeat - I believe the "Access Denied" message is a bug that shows up when some return situation is mis-programmed. I get it too, but it doesn't prevent posting. Just ignore it. Hope the CD programmers fix it so that sensitive people do not think they are being punished.
Joe
The unions have been taken over, a number of union leaders are on the Trilateral Commission and have been for some 30 years.
For every green job created, many more jobs will be lost as whats left of our productive economy will move to a country where there are no carbon caps, and we will provide them tax incentives to move as we currently do.
And BTW, farmers will eventually be subjected to carbon caps and have to pay a tax if they exceed their quota. Only the big farmers will be able to keep within the cap, thus ending the small farmer. Yes, carbon caps will mean the small farmer will become extinct. But at least yah saved the Polar bears, so you think.
Insanity. Maybe the neo-malthusian elite are right. Cull the herd (and I do not mean cattle, but the beast that be man who shall soon be marked with a microchip for security purposes). Don't worry though, all animals (cows, chicken, pigs, etc) will also be marked so as to enforce the carbon caps and enforce carbon tax collection.
Lebanon, Virginia
Should Obama apologize for lipstick remark ?
Is that all we have to talk about when other more urgent matters need to be addressed !
Health Care for one, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/timmullins
And the impact coal has on Wise County, Virginia http://www.samsva.org
I'd much rather discuss these issues than a stale pig joke...
Now, this is a promising development. If we can only get labor to trust its own energies from here. A couple more betrayals from the "democrats" might just do it.
.
Get America back to work? It worked before.
We need to legalize pot. It provides food, fuel, clothing, paper, building materials and entertainment. For conservatives however, everything good is bad. When conservatives rule, everything turns to shit.
I thought it was legal.
Actions speak louder than words so I joined the Green Party in Canada.
The Green Party that Harper the PM of Canada refused to allow to join an all party debate on TV. Talk about a Bush wanabe or what.
Stop posting and get off your butts and volunteer to help Green in your country. Posting gets no where at all knocking on doors and informing people of the truth helps.
Thie year, that would be Cynthia McKinney. I like her alot--she has zero chance of even making a dent. An Independent candidate is the way to go.
Green jobs are those in which the Repimplican employer keeps the green and the worker gets bupkes.
If there were truly an alliance between labor unions and environmentalists, we might see a force capable of contending for the future of the people of the United States. Green jobs is a wonderful goal with many, many possible manifestations. Now I hope to see the coal miners, health workers, construction, transportation workers and others get on board and figure out how to turn this promising general concept into specific local and national project proposals. It also has possibilities for employing our young people currently in the military in constructive and peaceful endeavors.
Joe
I hope we someday reach that time you envision when we do not need a serving military. I don't see any indication of it in the world yet, but I'm sure the day will come. Perhaps before another century rolls around.
The other goals you mention could be reached with just a little leadership I believe.
If this happened it would turn our economy and maybe the world around. This has been my vision since I was a child. I hope to see that world before I leave it, to the next generation.
It's been my vision since the '73-'74 oil shock. That was when I personally learned about the promise of renewable energy technologies.
They were featured on the covers of Popular Mechanics and Popular Science Magazine. One of my favorites was a September 1975 edition of Popular Science that described a farm that derived all of its energy sources locally from photovoltaic cells, a wind turbine and natural gas sequestered from animal dung. It was fascinating and I have dreamed of such a house ever since. Now we are within striking distance of using the photovoltaics as the cost of using coal rises from higher demand and, it is hoped, pricing carbon dioxide to make it more reflective of its cost to environment and society so that renewable energy sources become economically viable. These are exciting times but they are littered with danger if we don't change now.
The unions and environmentalists had better unite long term. I also suggest shutting down the phony "war on drugs" and reinstating industrial hemp. I would also recommend creating more jobs for farming so that we can bring back some small farms that specialize in grass fed meat and diary over fossil fuel burning factory farms. Remember, factory farms pretty much made it easier to SMASH the butchers' unions or something like that.
FrederickJohnson - Have you researched Algea to fuel, and compressed air vehicles. If you have, your opinion would be welcomed by me and I expect others. Your option.
I don't know a the whole thing. I do understand, however, that it certainly isn't easy. As for compressed air, I still doubt that it will sustain even in India. Besides, those compressed cars look a bit too goofy.
Skip the meat and learn to eat grass. At least become a vegetarian.
Distributed wind/solar and smaller cars can reduce oil imports to zero.
I no longer eat meat, but I am realistic enough to know that alot of people simply wont/cant do that. If our produce didnt taste like styrofoam, people would eat more fruits and veg. The least we can do, if to stop factory agri-business, treat aniamals as humanely as possible (I know that slaughtering them is not humane.) I'm tryin to be realistic here--the "cows" and "pigs" and "chickens" we now farm/eat bear about as much resemblence to the real thing as a hamburger does to a steer. Family farms (I grew up in what WAS a very rural county, unti my teens)are safer, cleaner, more humane and keep Wal-Marts away.
Eating meat is simply not necessary (except for some med. cond,)and the West (with China catching up) consumes more than is good for them or the planet. The de-regulation of the neo-cons has made the entire situation worse.I'm sure Bush et al buy Japanese Kobi beef, or Trump--but poor people are stuck with produce covered in cancer-producing chemicals, salmonella, and e coli.
Most of the family farmers I used to know (and their kids) have simply given up on family farming. We need to stop subsidizing agri-business. It has almost nothing to do with "farming".
KDelphi,
Thanks. You framed it well. I would add that while I wouldn't preach the idea of skipping meat altogether and going vegetarian or saying that you can still eat all the meat you want as long as it is grass-fed, I would say that we need to open all the doors. Currently, since I discovered grass-fed beef from a website unexpectedly, I found myself still eating meat but eating less amounts when it was the grass fed type compared to when it was corn fed. While I can't speak for everyone, I would recommend leaving room for moderation instead of pushing others to extreme. Also, I would strongly recommend introducing vegetarians to various Indian lentils as they contrain digestible plant protein and almost replace meat as far as nutrition is concerned.