A few words on the economy Michael C. Lazarchick, PhD February 10, 2009
Part 1
The new administration
clearly is suggesting a dramatic shift in federal policy. We are in uncharted
territory and there will be money available for those that best produce jobs
and those who show movement into the emerging green economy. The president has
been clear that he wants to reduce the dependence upon foreign oil and tend to
the needs of the infrastructure of this country.
There are many definitions of what is the green economy. Van Jones in his popular book The Green Collar Economy talks about energy, transportation, water, waste and land management. In a blog, Carl Burkett adds green buildings to the list.
Renewable Energy
Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Geothermal Energy
Wave Energy
Bio-Gas & Fuel Cells
Green Buildings
Residential & Commercial Assessment
Energy Efficiency Retrofits
Water Efficiency Retrofits
Green Products & Materials
LEED Construction
Clean Transportation
Fuels of the Future
Electric & Hybrid Cars
PEV's (personal electronic vehicles)
Public Transportation
Rideshare & Flex Programs
Water Management
Water Recycling
Grey & Rainwater Systems
Low-water Landscaping
Water Purification
Stormwater Planning
Waste Management
Recycling & Municipal Waste
Salvage - 2nd Hand
Toxics Remediation
Brownfield & Superfund Cleanup
Sustainable Products - Packaging
Land Management
Organic Agriculture
Habitat Conservation/Restoration
Urban Forestry & Parks
Reforestation & Afforestation
Soil Stabilization
Geographic Information
System (GIS) analyst made the top ten on the Green Jobs List of the
Environmental Careers Organization of Canada. I mention it because our local
community college is offering a course of study. GIS was not in my vocabulary
before a conversation with the college president at a recent WIB meeting.
I like what the UNEP (United Nations Environment
Programme) Background Paper on Green Jobs stated in 2008. http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/PDFs/Green-Jobs-Background-paper-18-01-08.pdf
“Greater efficiency
in the use of energy, water, and materials is a core objective. The critical
question is where to draw the line between efficient and inefficient practices.
A low threshold will define a greater number of jobs as green, but may yield an
illusion of progress. Given technological progress and the urgent need for
improvement, the
dividing line between efficient and inefficient must rise over time. Hence,
“green jobs” is a relative and highly dynamic concept—in other words there will
be “shades of green” in employment.”
Indeed, “greenwashing” is a fairly new term
applied when marketing comes into play without a substantial set of
corresponding actions. And of course there are websites that will measure the
sincerity of each claim to being Green and clearly there is a movement to be on
the green bandwagon. http://www.greenwashingindex.com/ is one of those sites and implicit is the message
I see, “Buyer beware.”
On the good side I place companies like The New
Belgium Brewing Company in the Green category and not just because they have
been on the bandwagon since 1989. From their website they display values to
which I applaud.
As this tasty amber named Fat Tire
grew in popularity, Jeff and Kim knew they’d need help. Enter Brian Callahan,
an aspiring brewer and New
And all the employee owners today thank them for doing what came naturally.
Ownership is now awarded at one year of employment. And just when you think it
can’t get any better, they roll in your very own one-year anniversary cruiser
bike. It’s pure bliss.
If it were your company, what would you do? Look for ways to be less wasteful,
be more efficient, recycle and reuse? Yep. It’s infectious. Once you start
thinking of ways to make your company better, you can’t stop.
In 1998, a unanimous vote by employee owners switched New
And, like all responsible business owners, it’s important to know your
bottomline, barrels, and books. Meet New
It’s something good. All agreed. http://www.newbelgium.com/our-story
Of course I have heard the rhetoric from the champions of oil and
the call to drill at home. And I have listened to the ethanol debate. Despite
“green marketing,” I have heard that the cost is still too high, that we use as
much energy to produce ethanol as we get and that gas mileage drops. All this while
world hunger is further exacerbated by a corn shortage. It was a joy to my
heart to watch the video about Valcent’s closed loop algae growing system that
is suggesting a real 21st century alternative. http://www.valcent.net/s/Home.asp
EMSI (Economic Marketing Specialist Inc.) in A Look at “Green
Occupations suggests that it is results, not the type of efforts that define
work in the new economy.
The
consensus among those economists who address these issues is that the
designation “green” turns not on the specific tasks associated with an
occupation, but rather on the specific outcome of an occupational effort.
Accordingly, green jobs result in
green investments. Green investments aim to drive households, companies and
governments to act in more “environmentally stable” ways (e.g. reduce
pollution, increase energy efficiency, curb carbon emissions, improve air, soil
and water quality, etc) http://www.economicmodeling.com/
So the building designer, the accountant who get financing, the
electrician and carpenter who do the installation and the helper who does
caulking and insulation all get to place “green” in front of their title if the
building is solar powered. Obviously many people already have the technical
skills necessary to participate in the green economy. It is the shift in
consciousness that needs to fully take place.
Visiting our local