The Green Collar Economy

Some extracts from the book by Van Jones:

"If we are going to beat global warming, we are going to have to weatherize millions of buildings, install millions of solar panels, manufacture millions of wind-turbine parts, plant and care for millions of trees, build millions of plug-in hybrid vehicles, and construct thousands of solar farms, wind farms, and wave farms. That will require thousands of contracts and millions of jobs-producing billions of dollars of economic stimulus."

"Though the need for a clean-energy revolution will be the main driver in revamping the economy, we will also need well-trained, well-paid workers in a range of green industries: materials reuse and recycling, water management, local and organic food production, mass transportation, and more."

"My definition of a green-collar job is this: it is a family-supporting, career-track job that directly contributes to preserving or enhancing environmental quality."

"Here's more good news. Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education than a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree. So these jobs are well within reach for lower-skilled and low-income workers, as long as they have access to effective training programs and appropriate supports."

"Even better news. Much of the work we have to do to green our economy involves transforming the places we live and work in and changing the way we get around. These jobs are difficult or impossible to outsource."

"We can connect the people who most need work to the work that most needs to be done-we can fight pollution and poverty at the same time."

"The green-collar economic revolution cannot succeed without a corresponding realignment in the public sector."

"The growth we seek will be in steadily improving the quality of life, not steadily increasing the quantity of goods consumed."

An idea worth supporting.