What do we want? GREEN JOBS! When do we want them? NOW!
Many people are speculating that the current economic crisis is as bad, or worse, than the Great Depression. This has sent our country into a tizzy—people aren’t eating out, vacations are scarce, funding for programs is short, and people are starting to hide money in holes in the walls of their homes.
But Van Jones, President Obama’s pick for a new Special Adviser on Green Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation position, wants us to have no fear. Jones is also the founder of Green For All and sees green jobs as a solution to our declining economy, a way for people to get out of poverty, and a way to reduce the environmental impacts of unsustainable fuel choices and industries — what’s not to like? The mission of Green For All is to “build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty,” so that we can “fight poverty and pollution at the same time.”
The theory goes that if we are able to provide job training to those in poverty, it will increase their chances of getting a job, thereby providing them with an income and “a pathway out of poverty.” By creating jobs and reducing unemployment, the economy is stimulated, all while green workers further the environmental agenda by retrofitting buildings, manufacturing and installing solar panels and wind turbines, and so on.
If you are sitting there saying, “Hey! This sounds familiar…” you’re right—it is. This is the exact same theory behind American Youthworks and the YouthBuild bill that is currently in the Texas Legislature (HB 2492 and SB 1770). As I’ve previously mentioned, there are many programs that are based on the idea that if we can provide job training to those in poverty, give them a job in a growing green job economy, we are killing so many birds with one stone. We will be able to help people get out of poverty, we will be stimulating the economy, and we will be fighting environmental evils.
Why this green jobs program is not a cornerstone of our economy during this crisis is beyond me. Putting someone as prominent and influential as Jones so close to the White House is sure to bring attention and awareness to these programs, especially now that people are looking at alternative ways to improve our economy.
One cool thing that the folks at Green For All have done is created an application which you can use to make a “Green Jobs Icon.” You can upload your picture into a template and show that you want “Green Jobs Now.” It’s a great and simple way to show support, as well as spread the word about an important movement.
