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The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs
Both Clinton and Obama say they'll cut tax breaks for oil companies and invest about $150 billion over the next decade to promote a green energy sector. Revenues from a carbon "cap and trade" system will pay for job training, weatherization and other efficiency measures along with alternative energy research. Both candidates claim they can add about 5 million jobs to the economy. McCain offers no precise figures but says he will promote policies that help develop alternative energy and then "let the consumers choose the winners."
Though definitions and economic estimates vary widely, advocates say green jobs can revitalize whole communities. In Richmond, Calif., a gritty industrial city in the Bay Area, a city-sponsored program teaches underprivileged youth how to install solar panels. Graduates like Rodney Lee, now a project manager for a solar firm, earn $18.50 an hour. Thanks to city incentives, the once-abandoned Ford Motor plant on the city's waterfront has been made over with bamboo floors and skylights into the headquarters of SunPower Corp., a firm that designs industrial solar roof installations. "With the right investments," says Jason Walsh of Green for All, "the resulting green economy can generate a lot of good jobs at a far greater scale than a pollution-based economy." And that's no hot air.
With Miyoko Ohtake
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: getzel @ 04/11/2008 4:44:30 PM
Comment: Those green with envy of those who have acquired much green, and who themselves are not green when it comes to con jobs, have set out to exploit the green grain of truth in matters pertaining to greening the environment. Even our Absolut or Mexican friends who come in search of green-go cards recognize that like the greengo, he is in constant pursuit of much green, some for himself and some for those back where the grass is not greener. When your green-goes into thin, carbon taxed, formerly air filled pockets of the not so green green-gos, you will really long for greener pastures.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Environ mentalist defined: Individuals that want others to use less energy; almost invariably the Goree truth.
You can fool some of the people all of the time and those are pretty good odds.
Posted By: Dave M. @ 04/11/2008 4:02:30 PM
Comment: You're not alone. Same thing (lay off) happened to me. I ended up having to pull my elderly mother out of assisted living in 2002 (better care after the management at the assisted living center changed, a month after I got laid-off). I became her health care provider (assisted living for a week, then came the discovery of the management change problems, then hospital, hospice, nursing care and hospice yo-yo -- two weeks turned to five years, that was 2 full time & 1 part time jobs for me, with hired help) while living off of my retirement savings (Mom's SSI & retirement paid for the hired help thank God). Fortunately I had no car or house payment, but now that Mom has died, I've gone through just about all of my retirement funds, and the job prospects are worse now do to the state of the economy. I have no complaints about taking care of my mom, only about the economic pulse, or lack thereof.
Posted By: sarahv81 @ 04/11/2008 2:55:42 PM
Comment: What are your green-sins?
We all have them, and we're keen to know yours at www.together.com/confess, lots of good prizes to be one too.