How Green Is It?

Reports indicate that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create a lot of green work in NC.

Last week, WUNC.org discussed what exactly would change in the NC employment and business landscape (audio). The talk centered on two questions:

...have we reached a tipping point where demand for clean-energy technology has caught up with supply? And how can the demand for green jobs help put those in our most impoverished communities to work?

For more, a report by two participants of that talk, Gary Gereffi and Marcy Lowe of the Duke Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness, lays out how climate change and job creation are inherently linked (PDF). Their thesis: American ingenuity is perfectly suited to the growing demand for renewable and clean energy.

Green Articles

The recent issue of Discover Magazine was clean energy oriented. Check out a few of the articles -

The King of Green Architecture (and his website)

Can Engineers Achieve the Holy Grail of Energy: Infinite and Clean?

From Booze to Garbage to Fusion: The Future of Energy

How - and where - will we live in 2015?

High-flying windmills blow away their ground based cousins

Turning the 'freight trains of the ocean' into hybrids

Powering the Planet with Sun Powered Balloons

Study finds California's Green Policies Created Jobs, Revenue

Read about it (NYTimes).

David Roland-Holst, an economist at U-C Berkeley, found that employee compensation in the electric power industry dropped by an estimated $1.6 billion over a period of 40 years, yet it improved compensation in the state over all by $44.6 billion.

A clean and safe environmental for all

I just attended a fantastic conference coordinated by the BrownBlackGreen Alliance. Yes, it is just what it sounds like---an alliance between non-profits that are dedicated to serving minorities in North Carolina—the Latinos, African Americans, and the environmentalists. And what an impressive group of people!?! It includes the NC Conservation Network, Good Work, NC Fair Share, Green Bridge Development, The NC Institute of Minority Economic Development, NC Council of Churches, Interfaith Power and Light, Sustainable Energy Association, Clean Energy Durham, and many, many others.

While there, I had the opportunity to hear from environmental justice activist and founder of Sustainable South Bronx and MacArthur Genius Award recipient, Majora Carter. She really inspired the audience about the importance of a healthy and sustainable environment for all people, regardless of age or race.

Green Jobs Now

The National Day of Action: September 27, 2008. Hosted by the WE campaign, 1Sky, and Green for All.

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Green job fairs in the Triangle Area:

Raleigh, NC
Green Jobs Now- 09/27

Raleigh, NC
Eat GREEN, Work GREEN, Vote GREEN!!- 09/27

Durham, NC
Green Jobs Now!- 09/27

Carrboro , NC
Are You Ready for The Green Economy? Town of Carrboro Green Jobs - 09/27

Growing a Just, Green Economy

Where: Durham, NC
When: September 20, 2008 8:00AM - 4:00PM
Register: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/6042

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This is a conference on September 20th at NC Central University in Durham North Carolina. Featured speakers include Majora Carter, founder and former Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx, and Rev. Dr. William J Barber II, President of North Carolina's NAACP branch.

Green Job Report

Check out press coverage of the green job report, which the Sierra Club helped role out.

It is being released in cooperation with the Green Jobs for America Campaign, a partnership of the Sierra Club, Blue Green Alliance, United Steelworkers, NRDC and with the Center for American Progress and Green for All.

You can download the full report at the website of Green Jobs for America. Here's a preview:

The vast majority of green jobs are in the same areas of employment that people already work in today in every region and state of the country. For example, constructing wind farms creates jobs for sheet metal workers, machinists and truck drivers, among many others. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings through retrofitting relies on roofers, insulators, building inspectors and many others.