Van Jones, founder and president of Green For All states said, ''we (as a nation) need to invest in jobs in sustainable industries — wind and solar, among others. Only then will we be able to fight poverty and pollution at the same time.'' The ''Green Jobs Now'' petition is being prepared and communities are being educated on the need there is for action.
Green Jobs Now: A Day to Build the New Economy events were held in every state across the country to educate communities and government officials that is does not have to be the environment vs. the economy. One can help the other.
Green For All, 1Sky and the Alliance for Climate Protection collaborated to pull off this informative, urgent call for action. There were over 100 000 Americans that showed they agreed with them. Those who didn't show up or don't support the cause may not have all the facts on how environmental jobs can revitalize and help build the economy in rural and urban centers. Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore founded the Alliance for Climate Protection with the goal of building a movement that leads politicians to solve the climate crisis. Their website www.wecansolveit.org states that we can switch all of America's electricity to clean energy options within a decade. It also states the fact that individuals have to take action for the world to take action. Leaders will not make environmental job creation and research a priority unless we tell them it must be.
Al Gore has personally trained 23,000 volunteers worldwide to educate others about climate change. He could be considered a bit of an expert on the subject. Business and government leaders all over the world agree with him that green jobs are good for us economically too. Venture capitalists know that the green job movement is a wise investment. They poured $2.7 billion into the clean energy sector in 2007 (according to Energy Trends 2008 put out by Clean Edge; the entire document can be found at http://www.cleanedge.com/reports/).
The American Solar Energy Society estimates that $970 billion in renewable energy and energy efficiency industry revenues and over 8 million jobs can be created in the next few decades.
Green jobs are not just limited to building windmills in a field or growing corn on a farm. This movement creates jobs in the agriculture, manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance sectors. These careers have room for advancement as most of the low skill green jobs provide training and experience while working allowing advancement because it is a relatively new sector being targeted. Solar panels must be built, existing buildings retrofits and new eco friendly building plans stimulate growth in all areas of the economy. As more resources are found, more workers will be needed to research ideas, create them, and implement them.
Green Job Now events held September 27th included anything from a Green Festival to neighborhood beautification projects to a youth Hoagie sale. Concerned citizens young and old by the thousands participated in this event demanding that the political and business leaders of our nation take green job creation more seriously and look at it as not only a way of creating employment opportunities but also revitalizing a desperate economy.
Van Jones an organizer and one of the driving forces behind this project releases his first book on October 7th. It is entitled ''The Green Economy'' and will list the benefits of a greater national commitment to environmental job development. His book can be ordered through the Green For All website.
If you are looking for more information on the ''Green Jobs Now'' campaign or other global environment issues, a great starting point would be one of the following sites:
www.greenforall.org has some interesting facts and is developing a clearinghouse of various resources on environmental issues.
www.1sky.org has the motto of One Climate, One Future, One Chance. They were involved in the preparations for Green Jobs Now and provide some resources and information for those wishing to get involved in this cause.
www.wecansolveit.org is a project founded by Al Gore. This site is worth the visit for useful links, articles, and a petition you can sign which already has a billion names of support.
www.greencollartech.com/green-jobs-act-of-2007-update.html is a website not linked directly to the Green Jobs Now campaign, but it is has some informative documents available to read on line and to download. It is based in Hawaii but does have nationally relevant documents for viewing.
If you are looking for a green job then www.jobs.greenbiz.com might be a good site to bookmark. It has a searchable database of environmentally friendly jobs from around the country.
www.greenjobs.com is a searchable collection of employment opportunities that will appeal to the tree hugger part of you as well as your bank account.
www.jobs.treehugger.com is a well-organized environmental job board with an international search option. It also gives you tips on how to go green at home and in your community giving simple ways that you can take action.
www.greencollarblog.org is a great resource for anyone searching for information on green jobs. This is time well spent if looking for anything environmental.
www.ellabakercenter.org This is the place where Green For All was conceptualized and then implemented into an action campaign of its own.
No matter where one lives, the environment is their concern and responsibility. The future of the world depends on our solutions. Our commitment to save the environment can coincide with our economic needs by calling on government and big business to explore the infinite options for greener more world friendly jobs.
