Meet the Newest Social Class: Green-Collar America

It's an understatement to say that the American politics is beginning to address the implications of global warming and energy security--in fact, they are the cornerstones of many a debate these days, coming from all sides of the ideological spectrum. However, Republicans and Democrats alike balk at the prohibitive costs of curbing climate change--almost all scenarios of drastically reduced emissions are accompanied by a fall in economic productivity and gross domestic product (GDP). However, many new studies, as well as some congressional representatives, are saying that a shift to a reduced-emission, renewable-energy-intensive world would actually create jobs.

The Apollo Alliance, a pro-renewable energy yet pro-growth think tank and action group, released a study that offers details about the skill sets needed to obtain a "green-collar job," which are jobs that are associated with green industries. The Alliance speculates that a green economy will produce almost 3.5 million new jobs in the United States, many of which will be clean and relatively safe jobs for low-skilled workers in rural areas--a demographic and region where job growth is often most difficult to stimulate. Additionally, a report released by the Worldwatch Institute states that increasing the share of our nation's electricity from renewable sources to 20 percent of the total would create more than 355,000 new U.S. jobs, and that the consumer savings on cheaper electricity would ripple through the U.S. economy, spawning even more jobs.

Most importantly, green jobs aren't only a product of policy wonks. On June 27, 2007, a bipartisan vote of 26-18 sent the Green Jobs Act out of committee to the floor of the U.S. House. The Act will help create some 35,000 jobs in green industries like solar panel installation, building weatherization, and wind farm construction by authorizing up to $125 million in funding for national and state job training programs. Presidential candidate Fmr. Sen. John Edwards has released a renewable energy plan which will create 150,000 green-collar jobs, while presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton introduced an amendment similar to Congresswoman Solis's which allots $100 million to train workers in green collar jobs.

The political dichotomy used to be to grow the economy or protect the environment. However, with these new ideas and legislation, it looks like the economy can grow by protecting the environment. This realization will shift the energy security and global warming debate--both presently in Congress and among presidential candidates--from one grounded in economic infeasibility to one of economic possibilities.