All Clear on the Green Front: The Challenges that Lay Ahead

This week I explored the Blogosphere in order to find articles that would contribute to The Green Solution. Due to my extremely optimistic approach to green issues I used inspiration from a conversation I had last Thursday with a very knowledgeable ‘grounded environmentalists,’ for this weeks post. I decided to take a different approach while searching the blogosphere, finding something I don’t like about the ‘green’ movement. It was a difficult thing for me to do, but I resisted relapsing back to showering the blogger with well worded optimism and ego boosting compliments.

This week I commented on two posts. One from the blog iVillage – Beehive: The Buzz of the Day and one from the Green section of The Huffington Post. The Beehive: The Buzz of the Day highlighted NBC’s Universal Green Initiative’s ‘Green Week,’ and The Huffington Post blog analyzed many of the issues President-elect Barack Obama is being pressured on. The articles are different but the problems are the same, the ‘green’ movements inability to unite and be a stable reliable industry that will serve the public for many years to come.

Comment:

NBC Universal’s Green Initiative and iVillage, Beehive: The Buzz of the Day, are hosting ‘Green Week’ during this week of November 17th. Articles on topics such as going green, buying organic and eco-friendly living headline the website. However this ‘green’ week should have more substance than a ‘Green Kitchen’ page, which enlightens its readers on how to buy local produce.

I would like to preface my next few thought by saying that I am a huge proponent for all things green appreciate all forms of environmentally conscious action.

Although my tendencies are usually ones that are very optimistic when it comes to anything ‘green,’ I find it very troublesome that the ‘green’ sector is extremely unorganized and there is little structure when it comes to getting things done. What spawned my sentiment towards green week, was after searching the term ‘Green Week’ in google, I did not find two organizations/companies who had used the same dates for ‘Green Week.’ In a time when the United States of America has united to elect Barack Obama into the White House, many of his biggest supporters, in the environmental sector, are battling each other. Environmentalist have a huge opportunity to make a break through in green technology and sustainable practices, but what might be the biggest and most crucial of all opportunities is the opportunity to capture the American public. Environmentalist will always be fighting for the environment, and there is a group of people that will never care about the environment. Whether it is the speculation that the ‘green’ economy will save the American economy or the average American has been privy to the slight changes in the environment over recent years, America is ready to give ‘green’ a chance even given the feeble reputation ‘green’ has had since its conception. So as a group, I challenge us, all Americans, to unite, communicate and work together towards the breakthroughs of the future.


Comment:

With the George Bush’s tenure in the White House coming to an end this January, many of Americans are looking forward to the policies President-elect Barack Obama will bring to America. Obama is in the process of putting together an all-star bipartisan cabinet that will tackle the tough issues that face the United States of America. However people and groups are setting themselves up for disappointment by demanding and expecting certain policies and executive orders to be carried out.

The Obama campaign was meticulous in all of its actions over the past two years and ran a flawless, and successful, presidential campaign. Even today Obama’s transition team is doing its due diligence on every candidate mentioned for cabinet positions, making sure the new cabinet is best suited for America. With the expectations of a wide range of environmental policies, bills and executive orders that democrats are hoping to get passed immediately, many environmentalist will be disappointed come inauguration day. The recent actions and characteristics of the Obama team should give light to the upcoming actions they will take once in office. Deviating from their current actions would be a disservice to the American people and devastating for the green movement.

Although this is a very exciting time for many environmentalists and democrats, pressuring the Obama presidency to address the myriad of environmental problems would result in failed policies. The detrimental effects of failed policies could be crippling to the green movement. We stand at a major crossroads as a country, and we as Americans have the opportunity to unite and progress this country for the better. However we need to make sure that the changes that are made are changes that will work for America.

The Obama Administration: On the Green Track

Less than a week ago, Barack Obama, stood in Grant Park, Chicago and claimed victory in one of the most exciting presidential races the American history. On that brisk November evening, the President-elect addressed an international audience, reaffirming America’s democracy and promising to bring change to the United States of America. With seventy-one days left until Barack Obama is sworn in as the President of the United States, America awaits the policies and appointments of the Obama Administration. The President-elect now starts to assemble his team that will lead America over the next four years, as the cabinet starts to take shape we can start to see what types of policies will be instilled. The plethora of information available about Obama’s policies, allows us to analyze and speculate about what the policies and appointees mean for ‘green’ developers.

The future of the built environment in America is directly related to Urban Policy. Barack Obama believes that the federal government needs to do a better job in strengthening ‘main street’ throughout the nation, his comprehensive plan includes stimulating economics in metropolitan regions, reform housing, curb poverty, foster the livability of cities, increase urban education, reform in law enforcement and homeland security and to provide support for families. According to Barack Obama’s website, the president-elect plans to ‘create a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs.’ In a statement delivered by Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s transition team co-chair, stated that “[Barack Obama] understands …that local government [will] play a vital role as we try to jump start our economy… there are so many different agencies that really can impact urban America and to have one person whose job it is to really pull all of that together, is really a critical position.” The Obama team has not appointed anyone to that post yet.

Change was the main theme of the Obama campaign, and there might not be a more drastic change in policy than the difference between the Bush administration and the Obama administration as it relates to the environment. After eight years of repealing environmental protections set in place by the Clinton administration, giving tax breaks to oil and car companies and neglecting the signs of a planet in peril, the Obama administration vows to change. Fighting climate change by implementing policies that will reduce carbon emissions by eighty percent by 2050, investing in Clean Energy technologies that will supplement our economy and create millions of new jobs, Obama plans to increase fuel economy standards, foster more livable and sustainable communities. President-elect Obama’s administration recognizes that climate change is a global issue and will work with international groups to fight global warming, and will defend against any further deforestation of tropical rain forests. Clean air, clean water and healthier communities complete Obama’s environmental plan. As for who spearheads this effort, there has been speculation of Robert Kennedy Jr. being asked to join the Obama Administration by becoming the Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency. Kennedy, who has been a long time attorney and activist for various environmental issues is an exciting choice for the EPA. The EPA which ‘leads the nations environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts…[in order] to protect human health and the environment.’ Another name being floated around for the Secretary of the EPA is Robert Sussman. Sussman who served as Deputy Administrator of the EPA under the Clinton Administration has more recently headed the environmental law practice at Latham & Watkins. Both of the aforementioned people are exciting possibilities and will bring progressive reform to the EPA.

‘America has always risen to great challenges, and our dependence on oil is one of the greatest we have ever faced…For decades, Washington has failed to solve this problem because of partnership, the undue influence of special interest, and politicians who would rather propose gimmicks to get them through an election instead of long-term solutions that will get America closer to energy independence.’ This inefficiency accompanied with the recent economic downtown, the skyrocketing price of gas and the increasing amount of layoffs affecting working class families, has the country looking for relief through the President-Elect’s energy plan. Obama has specified three main proponents to his ‘New Engery for America’ plan, and they are; create five million Green Collar jobs, establish a bold new national goal on energy efficiency and to create a domestically produced clean American energy that will power America into the future. Many names have been floating around for the Secretary of Energy including, but not limited to, Dan Reicher, Ed Rendell, Jason Grument, Steve Westly, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Domenici. The short, bipartisan list of politicians, academics and businessmen are well qualified and will have the opportunity to institute change for the better in the United States of America’s Energy policy.

‘The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.' There are many factors that will go into deciding the path the United States follows the next four years. There are several issues that have been hot topics throughout the campaign season, however none maybe more important to Americans than the slew of issues that deal with the sustainable built environment. As I explored above, the economy, the creation of new jobs in America, decreasing our dependence of foreign oil and the fight against global warming are all intertwined in creating a better America.

Green Jobs: Sustaining America's Future

This week I decided to explore the blogosphere and found two blogs that to decided to delve into the issues of the economy, green jobs, and alternative fuels. Both blogs were written within days of the Presidential election and the blogs both addressed the speculations about the new President and policies that will be the face of America within the next two months. Sustaining our economy was a prominent theme in both, and ‘green’ jobs was the solution given by both authors. This is a promising sign that America is on the brink of the next great innovation, just like we were two decades ago with the Internet and the computer innovations, green technologies are predicated to stabilize our economy, provide millions of Americans with high paying jobs, and provide sustainable energy and technologies that will curb the human effect of global warming.

At this unique time in American history we as citizens have a chance to direct our country towards progress and change. The next president will have their work cut out for them, but with great challenge comes great reward.


Comment:

Forbes Lists America’s Hottest Green Job Markets
By Alex Smith

“We cannot afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake.. . . . This is not the future I want for my daughters. It's not the future any of us want for our children. And if we act now and we act boldly, it doesn't have to be.” - Barack Obama October 7th, 2007.

On the eve of Election Day Americans prepare to cast their votes for many candidates and issues, similar to previous elections, voters will evaluate each candidate and issue and democratically choose the direction we believe is best for our country. With the United States of America facing a long list of domestic and international issues, beginning with America’s dependence on foreign oil, the November 4th election is billed as one of the most important elections in American history.

With wars being waged in the Middle East, a declining economy at home, the United States of America faces a major challenge as we fight our dependence on foreign oil through creating and discovering alternative energy solutions. With manufacturing, within the United States, at a twenty-six year low and thousands of jobs being sent abroad, ‘Green Jobs’ will step in to fill the void and create millions of new jobs and will sustain our economy for years to come. According to Forbes, ‘Green Jobs’ ‘could soon become the nation's fastest-growing job segment, accounting for roughly 10% of new jobs over the next 20 years. The report forecasts that by 2038.’

Citing the aforementioned Forbes article, with support from the government the United States of America will create innovative ‘green’ technologies that will be exported throughout the world, and create an estimated 4.2 millions new jobs in the various sectors. ‘Renewable electricity production will create 1.23 million jobs; alternative transportation fuels, 1.5 million jobs; engineering, legal, research and consulting positions will be more than 1.4 million; and commercial and residential retrofits at 81,000 jobs.’

Comment:

Presidential Election Brings Green Jobs in Focus
By Ben Block

“And let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025." – John McCain, June 25th, 2008

The historic election of 2008 has arrived. With many pending issues at hand, Jobs and the Economy are atop many of Americans’ minds as they head to the polls. "There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy," Barack Obama states in a Time Magazine interview. On this election day voters will have a chance to vote for a new president and a new direction for the country. The two candidates differ on the fundamentals of this issue, John McCain’s plan includes ‘implementing measures which focus on achieving results by providing incentives to stimulate private industry to develop necessary technologies,’ and Barack Obama uses ‘a hands on approach because laissez-faire policy currently being applied to the energy market has not been effective in reducing the dominance of established fuel sources and has therefore not encouraged the development of alternative energies.’ Obama will mandate ‘green’ changes and McCain suggests that he will use incentives in order to get the private sector to ‘go green.’

Forbes forecasts that ‘the green economy could soon become the nation's fastest-growing job segment, accounting for roughly 10% of new jobs over the next 20 years.’ The problem lies in the implementation of ‘green’ policies. McCain’s policy uses benchmarks or minimums that companies must reach in order to receive benefits. This however will put a ceiling on the ‘green’ innovations’ that will arise in the next few decades. Through competition and policy, Obama will provide a platform for green technologies and innovations to come to fruition.