Green Politics

CLIMATE CHANGE BILL PASSES

2009-06-28T18:38:00.001-04:00

President Barack Obama put political pull on the line and won a victory just when he one.
Obama pushed House Democratic to support energy legislation ever designed to curb global warming which ended up passing
Lobbying and a push by allies former Vice President Al Gore carried weight.
Obama recognizes as much.
"Now my call to every senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past," Obama said in his weekend Internet and radio address. Obama's overall ratings have slipped a bit. The restless nation is wary of some of his proposals such as deficit spending.
Democrats have a comfortable House majority. But the climate legislation eroded Democrats who represent East Coast states and other places that rely heavily on coal and industry. Obama's personal touch and political pull will be needed on capitol hill
"I hope it won't pass the Senate," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on "
Obama called the bill "an extraordinary first step."
He temporarily may have put to rest concerns expressed by Republicans that he's trying to do too much.
After ignoring global warming for decades, most leading nations now agree it's an imminent danger.
"The nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy. Now is the time for the United States of America to realize this as well. And now is the time for us to lead," said obama

White house states no job growth till at least 2010

2009-05-10T16:30:00.001-04:00

Speaking on C-SPAN, Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said that she expected the G.D.P. to begin growing in the fourth quarter of this year. Romer mentioned that she also doesn’t expect job growth until after the economy starts recovering. Job growth is a latent event on economic activity. Romer stated that, “unfortunately pretty realistic” that the unemployment rate could reach 9.5 percent. A sensible estimate for the G.D.P.’s expansion rate in 2010, she said, is 3%.
Christina Romer is a very important person to follow in this economic decline. Her recommendations to President Obama are taken more serious than most economists because of her background research in the great depression.
Based on figures released on May 8th 2009, the unemployment rate in April was 8.9 percent, the largest level in 25 years. The underemployment rate, which counts people who are working part time because their hours have been cut and those who have given up looking for jobs, reached 15.8 percent.
Romer recently mentioned in late April that the rate of inventory liquidation in the first quarter suggests that factories will soon have to begin producing again. Romer believed the White House may "ultimately be vindicated" in its economic forecast for the year, which is rosier than the Congressional Budget Office estimates on growth. Romer questioned recent IMF estimates over the losses that U.S. banks will suffer. Romer's comments came in testimony before the joint Economic Committee of Congress.

CLEAN TECH COMPANY IS HIRING

2009-05-09T19:08:00.001-04:00

The recession is deep but clean technology companies are still growing and now hiring. At an average starting salary of $40,000 Aerovinment is running out of space and need more employees to grow. Aerovinment or “AV” “develops and produces Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Efficient Electric Energy Technologies that enable our customers to rewrite the rules - of engagement, productivity, efficiency and safety - to their advantage. AV is relentlessly committed to delivering and supporting innovations that help our customers succeed” as stated on their home page
Not only does AV sell to the military but they are selling electric vehicle charging systems and electrical vehicle testing system.
What jobs are available at Aerovinment?
AeroMechanical Engineer
Accounts Payable Clerk
Application Engineer
Business Development Manager, Army Programs
Communications Systems/Electrical Engineer, Sr.
Visit the website at http://www.avinc.com/

The Environment, Finally EPA Declares Emissions are a Danger.

2009-04-22T00:09:00.001-04:00

On April 17th, “going green” also means becoming health. Since the Federal Government has declared that emissions pose a danger to public health, environmental policies and emission standards will become an unquestionable need and not just a debate to support public health.
It is clear that the bush administration’s policies are receding. Concerns for global warming were previously ignored and regarded as an economic decision and not a health or environmental need.
The Obama administration is leading future regulations well by providing a clear example of their beliefs. The automobiles used will be standardized to reduce carbon dioxide admissions but cars are not the only intended change. Scientists also claim that emissions from power plants are a large contributor of global climate change.
Legislation will be debated on how to carry out this new declaration of public health risks and the white house will be a strong advocate for speedy change.
On April 21st the Environmental Protection Agency supported a new bill with a far reach for change. A summary Analysis of climate change became available titled “EPA Analysis of the Waxman-Markey Discussion Draft: The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009”
With all the changes proposed new jobs will certainly follow in supporting renewable energy jobs and environmental jobs.

Green Politics

2009-04-11T00:10:00.003-04:00

I beg the question whether or not green politics is a going concern or if green politics is just segments of overall general politics. If we narrow our scope to the united states Green political issues (and not the green party issues) are growing but not seen in national politics everyday. Every week we will hear about major green political issues but not every day. If we broaden our political scope globally green politics is seen everyday however insignificant the country the news originates from. If you are new to this blog i recommend you view previous posts such as "Biden's Definition of a green job"

Back green skills, says Sustainable Development Commission

2009-04-07T19:30:00.001-04:00

INVESTING in green skills and jobs can rebuild the economy and deal with the challenges of climate change and rising commodity prices, says a report out today.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s adviser on sustainability is asking for further investment in the green economy as the recession provides a difficult period for business.

Renewable energy jobs, sustainable transport and making homes more energy efficient are some of the key areas for investment, according to the Sustainable Development Commission.

A Sustainable New Deal urges the UK Government to invest £30bn a year over the next three years on a green recovery package. Provisional calculations suggest this could create 800,000 jobs.

Launching the report at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium today, the commission’s economics commissioner, Professor Tim Jackson, said: “The current economic crisis has the potential to seed the economic opportunities of tomorrow.

“But it demands courage and vision today. The Welsh Assembly Government has an opportunity to invest in the skills and jobs needed to build a more resilient, low-carbon economy.”

The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to a 3% annual cut in carbon emissions in areas of devolved competence from 2011. It also has an aspiration of zero-carbon new buildings from 2011.

Peter Davies, the commissioner for Wales, said: “We welcome the Welsh Assembly Government’s proposal to make sustainable development the central organising principle for government.

“Its work to support jobs through the recession, develop a green jobs strategy and create a low-carbon zone in the Heads of the Valleys provide a good starting point for the transition to a low- carbon economy and addressing the threat of climate change.”

The commission is publishing its advice to ministers in the lead-up to the Budget on April 22.

It comes as a leading professor has estimated that the solar industry has the power to create a minimum of 12,000 jobs in Wales in the next 16 years.

Glyndr University’s Professor Stuart Irvine announced the findings after research into the photovoltaic (PV) industry in Wales, which predicts an extra 1000 new jobs by 2011 and 12,000 new jobs by 2025.

The research was conducted on behalf of the OpTIC technium in Wrexham and the Welsh Opto-electronic Forum and said that the jobs will be in a range of areas from the factory floor through to research.

Prof Irvine said: “The 12,000 figure is actually very conservative. It is quite possible that this figure could be considerably higher.

“North Wales has a strong industrial base as far as solar energy and research into solar energy is concerned and we believe this is an area which will grow considerably during the next few years. As the industry grows obviously there will be a knock-on effect of more jobs being created.”
by Aled Blake, Western Mail

2009-04-07T04:52:00.002-04:00

Here is a link of Christina Romer discussing her current views of the us economy.
To sum up she mentioned that it was alarming to find that the average work week as been reduced to 32 hours. Also, job growth will not happen until after 2009.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=101454&newsChannel=politicsNews

Can Green Jobs Save the Economy?

2009-04-04T19:17:00.000-04:00

By Phil Izzo

As the U.S. continues to hemorrhage jobs, Americans are looking for hope, and one of the key ideas put forward by the Obama administration is the promise of “green jobs” in industries focused on the environment.

San Jose, Calif., Mayor Chuck Reed is on the front lines of the battle for clean technology and other sectors that aim to support the environment. In a recent interview he pointed out a major challenge: “We’ve got to create not just green jobs but green careers.”
Obama makes remarks about investments in clean energy and new technology in Washington. In the foreground is the Solyndra Solar Panel. (Associated Press)

The administration is thinking about that, but it may be difficult to achieve. A lot of projects such as weatherization and environmental cleanup could be limited in their potential. A big chunk of the stimulus money, about a third of $32.7 billion in allocated funds, that went to the Department of Energy will be focused on those areas. The jobs will be a big boon in this economy, but can they be a career?

“We need to strike a balance between creating jobs immediately and getting a long-term impact,” said Reed. One area that could support long-term careers is facilities that produce technology such as solar panels. Factories could create jobs across a wide spectrum from support services to assembly workers to the management suite. And indeed, the government is looking to support such programs. The only loan guarantee listed on the Energy department’s Web site since October is $535 million to Solyndra Inc., a company that makes solar panels, for construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif.

Keeping production in the U.S., though, isn’t an easy process. The economy has shifted, and manufacturing continues to be a shrinking share of gross domestic product. In 2007, the Labor Department issued a report that said employment in the goods-producing industries has been relatively stagnant since the early 1980s, and overall the sector is expected to decline 3.3% from 2006-2016. Growth was seen in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, but the outlook was bleaker for other areas.

That’s a forecast that many are eager to prove incorrect. “This is one of the lulls in the economy that could work to our advantage. We have to turn on a dime because they can be fleeting, and time to market can be critical,” Reed said.

The current environment could provide an opportunity to nurture smaller companies in the green sector. In the early phases of a company’s growth, having production close to innovation and markets can prove to be a major boon.

Green jobs are more about potential than immediate impact. But that potential may be one of the best hopes for rebuilding the economy. Some economists say that Americans are entering a new phase, as the household sector pulls back to cut debt and limit savings. Growth in the last few decades has been built on the back of the American consumer, but something may have to pop up to pick up the slack.

“My job is to make sure companies that sprouted here, grow here,” Reed said. And in the current environment, growth is at a premium.

Green jobs not so good?

2009-03-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

A study of Spain’s clean energy initiative by an economics professor at Juan Carlos University in Madrid shows that for every green collar job created 2.2 jobs are lost. If the numbers are correct, the Obama administration could lose around 6 million jobs if they continue their plan for green job creation. Spain might be an important case study before the US implements a plan and it shows that even the best plans can fail.

Economist Disagree About Current US Policies

2009-03-16T13:09:00.003-04:00

Cristina Romer announced on “Meet the Press” that “We have put in the biggest, boldest recovery package in history… incredible medicine for (the) economy, and we fully expect it to work”. She continued to state that the underlining economy is in good shape and a recovery is expected with the current stimulus packages.
Romer is one of the economists who believe that increase government spending is the answer to the U.S. Economic crisis however some disagree. Cristina received her PH.D from MIT in 1985 and has been considered one of the top female economists in the world. In 2008 she was vetoed by Drew Faust to become a tenure professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy school of government.
Romers suggestions to the White House which is now policy is being debated by many economists. Paul Krugman of the New York Times believed the stimulus plan is not large enough to turn the economy around.
Romer stated “it is premature to talk about a second stimulus package” without giving the first one a chance to work.
There is no doubt that the heated debate of Romer’s recommendation, if inaccurate, will have serious consequences for the not just the U.S. economy but for World whom has looked for American leadership for economic success.
Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron said it’s a good idea that the Obama administration is focusing on long-term economic goals but the current U.S. budget proposal is “wildly optimistic”
“First, tax increases will probably not produce as much revenue as being forecast, and second, he hasn’t really touched the two really important programs that account for a huge fraction of our future liabilities (social security and Medicare,” said Miron.
Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget disagreed and said there will be substantial cutbacks.
Of course in Academia there will be many debates on what would be the best policy recommendations but the fact that Cristina Romer’s views are highly criticized is not consistent with the Obama’s statements that he has looked for a consensus of policy recommendations. Basically, no economist knows if current U.S. economic policies will be successful.
Sponsored by Solpowerjobs.com

Renewable Energy Becomes a Nations Top Priority

2009-03-15T15:57:00.001-04:00

Maldives, or the Maldive Islands off the coast of India has declared its goal to become the first carbon neutral nation. Although it may be the smallest Asian nation not only by geographical area but also by population President Mohammed Nasheed said the country will build a solar and wind power infrastructure and even buy carbon offsets for tourists visiting the nation. The goal is to “become carbon-neutral in a decade” and the plan is estimated at $1.1 billion dollars but the country only makes $800 million a year.
Sounds like a publicity stunt to spark tourism to the country but if going green is the goal it might just work for this little nation.

New Global Cooperation Needed Claimed by British Prime Minister

2009-03-04T12:40:00.002-05:00

Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, spoke before congress on March 4th 2009 with applause for his call for mutual prosperity goals and that “Protectionism… in the end protects no one.” The Prime Minister also mentioned briefly that hard working citizens will want to buy green goods, indicating his acknowledgment of this consumer trend and the importance sustainability to them.
“American and Britain will succeed and lead if we tap into the talents of our people, unleash the genius of our scientists, set free the drive of our entrepreneurs we will win the race to the top if we can develop the high value added products and services and the new green goods that the rising number of hard working families will want to buy”
No speech these days can be made without the mentioning of our difficult economic times. PM Gordon Brown stated that the world has been hit by an economic hurricane
“An economic hurricane has swept the world, creating a crisis of credit and a crisis of confidence. History has now brought us to a point where change is essential. And we are summoned not just to manage these times but to sworn them. And our task is it to rebuild prosperity and Security in a wholly different economic world where competition in no longer local but global and banks are no longer national but international”
Gordon’s overall goal was to encourage immediate action of congress of address the current economic crisis with Europe and not alone. President Obama yesterday also assured PM Brown that their ties were still strong.

Biden's Definition of a Green jobs

2009-03-03T20:28:00.001-05:00

Green Politics is not the Green party

2009-03-03T18:27:00.001-05:00

“The Green Movement” deals with environmental issues but does not mean it comes from Ralph Nader’s “deep democracy.” The green movement has changed its meaning since the days Ralph Nader repeatedly started running for President of the United Starts. Nader Believes in a deep seeded democracy but the new concept of the “green movement” has nothing to do with democracy and everything to do with Social responsibility.
As written on Wikipedia, “Supporters of Green politics, called Greens, share many ideas with the ecology, conservation, environmental, feminist, and peace movements.” Green Politics can be seen in the current Obama administration not through these ideas but through their investment in renewable energy ($19 billion allocated from the American recovery and reinvestment act).
sponsored by Green jobs on Solpower jobs

Obama's Energy Plans

2009-03-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

Energy policy is a large issue in green politics. The way American taxes are spent on energy infrastructure will shape the green political landscape for some time to come. A fact sheet on BarackObama.com gives a great outline for the new administration’s energy policies/beliefs.

“The Obama-Biden comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:
• Provide short‐term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
• Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
• Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined
• Put 1 million Plug‐In Hybrid cars – cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon – on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America
• Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025
• Implement an economy‐wide cap‐and‐trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050

When viewing the “Barack Obama and Joe Biden: New Energy for America” make sure to view the specific policies to get a sense of what the public might see over the next 4 years. This is a comprehensive overview which includes everything thing from building “The Transmission Superhighway” to investing in Alaskan oil pipelines.
Government spending on new oil pipelines seems counterproductive to the overall goals of self sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. It is clearly stated that Obama wishes to “prioritize the construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline.” The only thing backing this project is $18 billion in loan guarantees so due to the credit crisis the oil pipeline project will not be jump started.

Vice President Joe Biden Speaks of Green jobs infrastructure

2009-02-28T15:08:00.000-05:00

The transmission super high way
VP Joe Biden on February 27th 2009, at the “Middle class task force meeting” commented on $19 billion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment act that is dedicated to renewable energy. $11 billion to build “the transmission super highway” with smart gird technology.
Biden spoke “We all know that the existing electrical grid today is inadequate, insufficient and outdated. For example, of all the wind power that we're talking about being able to create in the Midwest and North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and other plain states, (has) significant potential. But it cannot carry that energy right now to population centers that need the electricity most without a new transmission superhighway.”
Whether or not building a transmission superhighway is the best investment to make green jobs, it seems to be the mission of the current administration. There is no doubt the smart grid technology is an improvement over the current electrical grid but there is a reason why current utility companies haven’t already adopted this technology. Utility companies are typically risk adverse and haven’t invested in smart grid technology because it is a huge risk. There are numerous technologies that need to be designed and implemented properly before an effective network can be established. There will be failures before there are successes and should the American tax payer pay this burden so utility companies can benefit?
The current administration has not mentioned the self sufficient decentralized energy sector. This sector consists of localized energy production within say 15 miles of its use. Households that produce their own energy are part of this energy sector and are good examples why the Transmission Superhighway is not necessarily the best investment. There is no more efficient way to transport electricity than to transport over a shorter distance. For every 100 units of electricity that’s comes from a hydroelectric dam, 90 units of electricity gets lost during this transmission.
If the goals are to help create green jobs for middle class Americans, the Obama administration should look into supporting innovated small business that can provide more jobs and accomplish the same goals with more benefits than Smart Grid Technology. Benefits of decentralization include national security (because we are less reliant on any singular power plant), more efficient energy transfer, more jobs and self sustainability. Furthermore, no new technology needs to be developed to build energy producing homes and the proof is in all the existing households that do so. All we need is entrepreneurs to package the systems and banks to finance them when needed.
We can also help create high quality assets for financial institutions by financing domestic solar power systems. These systems would cost similar to a car loan, but unlike a car, solar systems produce cash savings on electric bills. Saving’s that can be used to directly pay the off a loan.

For green job listings visit Solpower jobs

Obama's Address to Congress

2009-02-25T03:05:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday February 24, 2009 President Barack Obama made his first address to Congress. The presence of the office has never been as strong as Obama spoke profoundly about the current crisis. Obama pledged the end of inefficient government spending, and increased accountability to the American people. He stated that his administration found 2 trillion in possible government spending cuts over a decade and that there was more to follow.
“While our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken, though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this,” President Obama declared. “We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.”
The Speech was dominated by a few key issues; Health care, Education, Renewable energy, and the American crises. Obama was greeted with applause on his statement of spending $15 billion a year to develop green industry and to cut the use oil, a critical factor to US security. Obama stated he would remove educational programs that did not work and that “health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year”