How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

Book by Van Jones

For many decades, governments and the public have perceived sustainable economic development as a tradeoff, since upholding environmental standards is believed to require a compromise in economic growth. As a result, the poorer members of society, who are more vulnerable to economic downturns, never fully embraced the environmentalist movement, arguing that they cannot afford to. At the same time, prominent conservatives and free-market economists have openly fought environmentalism.Most recently, American conservatives have used rising fuel prices to stoke public support for offshore drilling with the mantra “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less,” despite the fact that offshore drilling would need decades to have a significant effect on energy prices.

     In The Green Collar Economy, Van Jones, renowned community activist and civil rights lawyer, cogently demonstrates that the choice we have been called to make between environmentalism on the one hand and economic growth and poverty alleviation on the other is a pseudo-dilemma.As a result of the depletion of nonrenewable resources and the consequent soaring fossil fuel prices, the American economy runs the risk of stagnation. Here is where, notes Jones, economic growth and environmental protection converge. He argues that “we cannot drill and burn our way out of our present economic and energy problems. We can, however, invent and invest our way out.” Besides breaking America’s foreign oil dependence, the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources on a massive scale would cut energy prices and generate enough jobs to pull the U.S. economy out of its present death spiral. If the U.S. economy is to be rescued, we need to “retrofit, reboot, and reenergize” America.According to Jones, green-collar jobs are the one solution to fix America’s two biggest problems: poverty and environmental degradation. He defines green-collar jobs as “blue-collar employment that has been upgraded to better respect the environment,” such as electricians installing solar panels or construction workers building energy-efficient buildings. Green-collar employment, nearly impossible to outsource, is not limited to the energy sector, but extends to several green industries, such as materials recycling, water management and mass transportation. To effectively tackle global warming, we need to weatherize millions of buildings, install millions of solar panels and wind turbines, plant millions of trees. Besides the immense service to our planet, the millions of green-collar jobs to be created from these activities would produce billions of dollars of economic stimulus. Just as the mobilization of the American armaments industry in World War II transformed the American economy, a similar mobilization of economic resources working for the transition from a polluting, self-destructive grey economy to a green economy is the answer to America’s current economic crisis.

     What makes Jones’ message so powerful is that he does not shy away from the greatest weakness of the environmentalist movement: “environmental racism” or “eco-apartheid.” Following the conservation
movement at the start of the 20th century, the second wave of U.S. environmentalism in the 1970s, aimed at better regulating the industrial society, was the exclusive domain of the affluent whites. It failed to prevent the pollution that was concentrating in minority communities and poor neighborhoods. “Regulate pollution-
yes, but do it with equity” said the racial justice activists of the ‘80s. Even today there is an apparent distinction between the ecological “haves” and the ecological “have-nots,” and the poor and people of color are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards, as seen in the Katrina tragedy. Jones posits that the new environmental movement must become more inclusive and build a broad coalition of people of all classes and races.

     Eco-equity and inclusiveness are not only morally defensible in their own right. The green coalition must embrace all members of society if it is to have any
significant impact. In this way, the green revolution can create a great opportunity for social change. Socially
 uplifting environmentalism would “connect people who most need work to the work that most needs to be done,” fighting against both poverty and environmental degradation at the same time. This green pathway out of poverty lies at the core of Jones’ message. “The green economy should not be just about reclaiming thrown-away stuff. It should be about reclaiming thrown-away communities.” In building a new
economy, green-collar employment gives us the oppor
tunity to make a new beginning and avoid the injustice of the grey economy “with good wages, equal opportunity, and pathways to success.”
Even though the green revolution is a revolution of people, entrepreneurs and innovators, it cannot succeed without government support. Jones calls for a “Green New Deal,” envisioning a limited but smarter role for the government that will become a supportive and reliable partner to the forces working for change in the economy. Effective policies at all levels of government can play a key role in creating a green economy by regulating conduct and spurring innovation. Most importantly, governmental action can ensure that we make the transition to a green economy while protecting the most vulnerable parts of the population.

     Jones’ call for change in U.S. environmental policy could not have been more timely. After the failures of the Bush administration in environmental stewardship and energy policy, a bipartisan consensus has been established in the US to discuss the urgency of action against environmental degradation. In addition, both presidential candidates in the 2008 election emphasized the opportunities of green-collar employment. The author of The Green Collar Economy, which was written before the November elections, outlines the top priorities for the next president, underlining the importance of the early days of the new administration in sending a firm
message domestically and internationally about America’s new course. Jones proposes a comprehensive green legislative agenda, whose most important components are the cap-and-trade policy, a market-based policy providing significant rewards for firms reducing their carbon emissions, and the replacement of the present energy grid, built around the needs of big polluting power plants, with a clean energy smart grid, designed to accommodate multiple power producers including thousands of home producers of solar and wind energy. Jones also asks the new president to restore America’s face in the environmental field
and to take the lead in international negotiations on environ-
mental protection, so that Amer-ica turns “from a leader in pollution to the leader in solutions.”

     Today, Jones’ revolutionary agenda is more likely than ever to become a reality. President-elect Barack Obama has been a fervent advocate of the green revolution. His energy plan includes the implementation of a cap-and-trade policy aiming at an 80% reduction of carbon emissions below 1990 levels by 2050, the investment of $150 billion over the next 10 years in the green sector to create 5 million new green-collar jobs, and the reduction of dependence on foreign oil through the development of alternative energy sources. “Create a Green Energy Economy” has been the central motto of the Obama energy plan.

     In The Green Collar Economy, Van Jones eloquently articulates his vision for the American economy and provides specific policies on how to make it a reality. Above all, he understands that the majority of ordinary people, severely affected by the current economic crisis, cannot afford to cater to environmental needs at the expense of their economic prosperity. His book thus makes a great contribution to the environmentalist movement, as it demonstrates that environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity go together.