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By Jenny Lynn Zappala
msnbc.com contributor
updated 6:20 p.m. ET, Tues., May 5, 2009
Environmentalists and labor advocates have contended for years that environmentally sound policies would create thousands of jobs — stockpiling arguments like firewood for the day when someone in Washington would light the match.
On Feb. 17, the Obama administration tossed in $40 billion worth of matches.
President Barack Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan is intended to revive the economy, largely by putting people back to work. A hefty chunk of that money, $40 billion, is aimed directly at creating what the administration calls “green jobs.”
“I know energy efficiency companies (and) weatherization firms are gearing up to take advantage of those recovery dollars,” said Van Jones, Obama’s special adviser for green jobs, enterprise and innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Those dollars are moving out into states and cities. There is already a lot of activity ahead of the complete disbursement of those dollars.”
Experts agree that the jobs are real, they’re nationwide and they’re multiplying. There are 750,000 to 4 million green jobs available in America, but “everyone is predicting growth in this sector,” Jones said.
While some involve launching new products or companies, most green jobs are traditional jobs with a green twist. Energy efficiency, especially for building retrofitting, and renewable energy are where the most opportunities for immediate employment can be found, said Jones.
“We have a Saudi Arabia of renewable energy in our country: solar, wind, smart biofuels, geothermal,” said Jones. “We know that renewable energy jobs across the country will be coming on line with more force. That includes solar energy in the Sunbelt, wind energy production in the Plains states and off our coast, smart biofuels in the Southeast and the Midwest, and geothermal everywhere.”
Other hot spots to watch:
Green manufacturing: using traditional manufacturing methods and factories to create new parts for green industries. Advocates believe automobile plants can be retooled to build wind turbines, solar panels and other green products.
The smart grid: a coordinated, national effort to modernize the electric grid so it delivers electricity using upgraded digital technology to save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability.
Green chemistry: the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry is doing chemistry the way nature does chemistry.
Sustainable agriculture: a way of farming that produces food indefinitely, without causing severe or irreversible damage.
Sustainable green retail: retrofitting existing retail businesses to accommodate shoppers’ demands for more environmentally friendly products and services.
People know there are green workers in these industries, but no one can say how many or who is counting them.
Right now, it’s easier to follow the money than the head count. As in the early years of computers or HDTVs, it takes time to sort out consistent definitions and standards in this new sector, said Jones. At present, there is no national consensus on what defines a green job, which jobs count, which industries are in or who is in charge of counting.
“The administration is working on getting more clarity and consistency with regard to this question,” Jones said. “ Any time there is a new development in the economy, it takes a while before there are consistent definitions and standards in that new sector. … That is going to be one of the roles of the administration.”
CONTINUED : Strengthening the middle class
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