The Green Collar Economy

I have no reservations in admitting that last year, when the Dow Jones tanked, when innumerable banks failed, when the housing and just about every other market went under and the American economy was consequently sent into chaos, my first thought was: "Shit, there goes the environment." I feared that all of the exposure global warming had gained, both public and political, and the progress being made to take steps toward reducing carbon emissions would be tossed far out of mind given the new economic situation. I feared all the public pressure for improved mileage standards, greater energy efficiency, and more sustainable food would be diverted to preventing bankruptcy, fixing the economy, and preserving jobs. My great concern was that people would see the urgency in economic recovery—which is, indeed, extremely pressing—and forget the urgency of our environmental troubles. I worried that the loss of momentum at such a critical time (a time at which action must be taken, or else it would be too late to reverse the damage of climate change) would ensure that no progress could ever truly be made.

At the same time, however, I recognized that meltdowns are the catalysts of transformation. This economic downturn could provide the American public with the perfect opportunity to rethink how they live. We might realize that the capitalistic, self-interested consumer society we operate by does not support sustainability and happiness; we would see it could, in fact, fail (horrendously). Now is the perfect time to remake the American economy and lifestyle. Great examples have already been provided by states like Oregon, where the government has stressed and supported the creation of “green/sustainable jobs.” Oregon’s Green Jobs Initiative seeks to establish a thriving clean energy sector and to provide workers with the skills necessary to use sustainable practices in their field of work. Such jobs could include construction—Oregon has drafted legislation that ensures that local jobs will be generated renovating homes and redesigning buildings to improve energy efficiency. Wedding economic recovery and the green movement together, Oregon has already planted the roots of a green society. I hope this is just the beginning of what will become a nationwide green collar workforce and sustainable economy.

Check out:

http://www.greencollarblog.org/oregon_green_jobs/

http://oregongreenjobsnow.blogspot.com/

http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/docs/Workforce_LegConcept_draft--8-06.pdf