Hi all -- we began our discussion about climate change in today's class. I fear I may have bummed a few of you out ...
Don't fret too much. As we'll see over our next few sessions, climate change doesn't JUST represent an extraordinary threat. It also presents enormous opportunities.
One person who has been exploring the positive potential in the climate crisis is Oakland-based activist Van Jones. Here are a few short articles by or about him: a piece by Thomas Friedman that appeared in the New York Times, a recent piece by Van Jones on the government bailout of Wall Street, and an overview of the Green Collar Jobs initiative from Jones' organization "Green For All."
Consider how Jones is framing the climate issue, how he's working to engage a range of different political constituencies, and where he believes solutions to the climate crisis lie. What do you make of this growing movement?
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I find Jones' approach very interesting. Using the current economic recession as a springboard for advancement in our "green" technologies seems to have its advantages. Given the position we are in financially, the so called "bailout" package will bring us back only to where we were.
Jones' plan of creating millions of new technical jobs will not only fuel our economy from the bottom up, but also help many of our nations largest cities.
Up until the crash of many financials, our nation was run by an elite upper echelon of CEOs whose daily decisions could alter market trends instantly. With their falling out, the working class is now the true base of the economy and by following plans such as Van Jones' can re-establish the United States as a truly powerful, and green(er), nation.
some people view our future on this climate challenged planet with a dash of gloom-and-doom, stating that with weak funding for infrastructure, government corruption or a conflict of interests, as well as a lack of american willpower to change (also known as being straight-up lazy asses)will hinder the notion of a better future and end up failing our society into a further spiral of decomposition. but those people are sad and lonely skeptics with no hope... simply because they haven't been convinced yet.
with increased numbers of students throughout the world gearing up for a future of clean energy and sustainbility, inspiring leaders like van jones will be able to successfully march forth with the masses into a cleaner, greener future. his opinions on the need for reliable jobs, reorganizing local communities, and getting "twice the bang for half the buck" are all cues for america to get on track together to see ourselves out of this.
jones speaks of the twin crises: economic turndown and environmental devastation, as our main opponents in the coming future. he makes his points clearly and concisely, simplified for people to understand, and is a captivating public speaker. he is sweeping in at a time when our nation is looking for some guidance... this type of mindset, coupled by strong agressive government leadership, can really bring positive change.
what's interesting is that in past hard times for americans, we were neither as technologically advanced
nor were we as addicted to our technology as we are today. it would seem that the best igniter for a social movement would be through the internet, via blogging, educational websites and online support through interest groups to begin at the roots of non-sustainability ... moving from the ground-up, as van jones has made clear, is a vital first step. jones'book and writings he has compiled in the past are all tied to his online base. his approach of communicating to the masses through the online-community is the best way to reach people about environment, climate, energy and the economy. okay i have to stop writing or i could go on forever on why van jones is a perfect example of a catalyst, but i think for now we're good until bringing him up in class again. because we will bring him up again. that's jones' goal.
The growing movement as reflected by the pieces written by Thomas Friedman, Van Jones, and Jones’ organization “Green for All” is a highlight to one of the poorly mentioned yet incredibly beneficial solution to some of the planet’s global problems. As is fairly evident, our current economic condition is not one in which we would be neither proud of nor confident in its ability to adequately supply the needs of the American people. Most affected by these conditions are the lower classes of society who are seemingly perpetually stuck in an endless cycle of insufficient education, job opportunities, and possibilities for a better life.
What these pieces are presenting to us is that, quite possibly, the answer to the poverty problem and the lack of sustenance for the lower classes is the same answer which will help solve the global environmental problem. The formation of what are called “green collar jobs” would be seen in the calling for government and private investors to invest in objects like solar paneling, insulation, wind farms, and other energy efficient, environmentally friendly technologies. At nearly half, or a substantially lesser, cost that is found with recent economic initiatives such as the $700 Billion Bailout of Wall Street, the country would be investing into a truly beneficial future for all. The jobs and industries created, as stated, would require a high school education but not the strenuous and often seen amongst the lower classes as financially crippling four year college education. These jobs would be available for domestic workers for the problem is here at home and cannot be outsourced. Job security and job availability would provide many opportunities for inner city workers and those who can’t seem to fight their way out of the continual cycle of depression. The investments would in return provide benefits for our own citizens, provide the country with a clean, independent source of energy, and would pay for itself with the economic productivity and money saved from the former ways of the less effective oil industry.
The ideas put forth towards the ideas of investing in green collar jobs has been presented in a way that people just haven’t truly seen before but, when looked at, offer the strongest of cases for why this is such an important matter. We not only have an opportunity to fix our struggling economy in a way that is more permanent and long lasting than the insecure hopes of a financial bailout for corporations, but we can help to solve the problem of poverty within our own borders AND protect the environment and this one planet that we have to call home. It seems like an immense task, but in reality, when presented with the right information and in a way that people can understand, is fairly a simple chain reaction that once started can begin to move on its own. These ideas put forth help to not only supply methods of bettering ourselves right here in America, but these practices could be put forth globally, especially in the Developing Third World. This might very well be the answer towards helping these countries in deep poverty raise their standards of living and give them a chance to become prosperous much the same as we are, but in a method which is beneficial to their entire populations as well as to the environmental good of the entire planet. The outcomes of such initiatives could lead to a reduction of conflicts over resources, a true end to global poverty, and the establishment of living a comfortable, affluent lifestyle that does little to no harm to the planet. These pieces are shedding light on what potentially could be a historically important moment for mankind in its fight to ensure survival for it and the environment.
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