Greening the Bailout

In this short video Van Jones, founding president of Green For All, a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress and author of "The Green Collar Economy" discusses ways in which greening the bailout can help move the economy, people and the planet on towards a healthier future.

Jones suggests that rather than bailout the auto industry, allowing it to proceed unsustainably as it has in the past, the industrial resources of Detroit could be used to produce clean energy products for wind and solar technologies. He also suggests that many green jobs could be created for many of the people currently out of work, facing unemployment, or returning from wars or from prison through a massive green retrofitting of infrastructure, which would essentially pay for itself in a few short years.

In this Pop!Cast, Jones shares his vision for providing America’s poor with “green jobs instead of jails” and a creating a Green Revolution that includes everyone.

Photo by Morgan Maher

Comments

Time to make lemonade

Submitted by birdonawire on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 17:51.

I definitely think this is direction to take. America has led the way in terms of technological innovation through the modern era, and by embracing the ever-changing times, could continue to do so. Not only will creating a green-collar industry boost America's economy and create millions of new jobs, it will lead the world toward creating a cleaner, greener world. It's the smart thing to do, not only for the planet, but for business. The potential for profit is incredible. Imagine American-engineered green technology being setup all over the world, allowing even the most remote communities access to sustainable energy, thus opportunity and wealth. I'm also afraid to think of how a new monopoly could be created, but I think the pros outweigh the cons at this point in time. The failing American auto industry cannot hold on forever. Companies will be forced to either adapt and embrace the change, or wither and die thereby creating the space for new seeds of green industry to blossom.

The link seems

Submitted by terseword on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 01:00.

to have been removed.

"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anyone, come and sit next to me." - Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Fixed Up

Submitted by Morgan Maher on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 01:55.

Thanks terseword.

Interesting.

I've fixed the links, but in case something freaky happens, the short video is available on this page:

http://www.poptech.org/gec/

and the longer video can be watched here:

http://www.poptech.org/popcasts/popcasts.aspx?lang=&viewcastid=142

Very Cool

Submitted by Propaganda Anonymous on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 07:45.

Propaganda Anonymous

Just watched the long video.

Van Jones seems to be doing some great stuff. I'd like to read his book that just came out.

In regards to what birdonawire stated about picturing "American-Engineered Green technology being set-up all over the world" misses the point of what Jones was saying.

He's saying something different. He's saying we can set-up Green Jobs that cannot be outsourced.

American Dream

Submitted by Morgan Maher on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 13:18.

Green jobs don't have to be outsourced out-of-country, but in the spirit of spreading a new American dream, if America gets the ball rolling on somthing like what Van is talking about, then other countries could/should/might follow the example and initiate similar projects in their own country with the people there.

Sales pitch

Submitted by birdonawire on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 17:40.

The only reason I make note of the potential for green projects abroad, is to strengthen the arguement that a green industry has huge money-making potential, not only in America, but worldwide. The oil industry will not dissolve overnight (it could, but not with the powers that be) and to create jobs and technology you need capital, and to get capital you need to convince investors they can make money. And, more importantly, you'd need to convince them they can make more money than with oil, which, obviously, is a difficult pitch to throw. Especially when you realize we've had clean-energy technology available since the 1960's and we're still heavily reliant on oil! Yes, I believe the more jobs that stay in America the better, but you cannot assume no outsourcing will occur when we live in a profit-driven world. My arguement is the same as Jones': to train Americans to provide the skilled labor to create the green-collar infastructure the world needs.

Fools Gold

Submitted by Morgan Maher on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 18:08.

birdonawire: "And, more importantly, you'd need to convince them they can make more money than with oil, which, obviously, is a difficult pitch to throw."

It's reached that point where it is in fact too expensive to get the oil.

This is from James Kunstler: "It's not worth it for an oil enterprise (private or foreign) to drill in deepwater or venture into arctic regions when oil is priced at $50-a-barrel -- if it costs $80 to get the stuff out of the ground. It's not worth digging up tar sands in Canada at that price."

I'm not sure if the dollar figures are correct, but that's the sentiment that's been quietly creeping around in Alberta, where the oil industy is a big deal.

These oil companies are business men and woman. They know what's up and they know it can't last. Not only is it, of course, all non-renewable and depleting quickly, they are well aware that it is costing more to take it out then it's worth. I recently visited a sustainable, off grid, eco house here a few weeks ago ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/morganmaher/sets/72157610942901476/ ) and had a chat with Jorg Ostrowski, a sustainable architect and consultant, who said he was recently working with some oil companies (sunalta?) who are very well aware that they face many challenges, all of which simply make it too expensive (either monetarily or aesthetically) for them to continue with oil, so they're consulting with various sustainable firms to get into green business, since, of course, there's future in green. The general consensus is that Alberta's oil industry will only last for another seven years, at best (and that's an industry projection, very likely overestimated).

So, all this hoo-ha media coverage about Alberta's oil industry (and the oil idustry in general) essentially equates to this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2748691030_cb3f738228.jpg

terminology is terminal

Submitted by irie member on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 11:42.

commune with a WILD animal or plant today, it may save y(our) life. people are not the only things that live

in the end there can be only one WHAT?

love

Right On

Submitted by scottla on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 22:45.

Thank you for highlighting this presentation. It's good stuff.

My company, Zymetis, (http://www.zymetis.com) is a start-up paddling hard to catch this wave. As a professional capitalist (with a heart), I can assure you this market is very real.

I was involved in the dot.conomy at its start many years ago and I never thought I'd see a market that big again. Cleantech dwarfs Web 1.0!

Besides the opportunity for financial return, Cleantech provides social and environmental returns as well. The beauty of this opportunity is that it presents an opportunity to 'do well by doing good' - the enlightened business model that will become a hallmark of 21st century business.

In 10 years, we'll all marvel at where technology combined with heightened consciousness has taken us. It's good to see such articulate visionaries evangelizing this future.

Is consciousness REALLY changing?

Submitted by J-Ogg on Fri, 12/26/2008 - 15:22.

I have a tough time with this conundrum. Okay, so it would seem that we are slowly starting to realize the need for clean energy and a green infrastructure. But we're approaching it with the same old capitalist mentality.

We're talking about convincing greedy investors to focus on the health of the planet. This is no way an insult to individual investors or financiers but, on the whole, I think we can agree that capitalist greed is what has us stuck in this mire in the first place. Can we really expect the mentality of the profit-centered mind to change?

So we get an economy running on clean energy. That still doesn't solve the problem that a select few individuals or corporations control the majority of the resources. If these oil companies truly are looking into green industry, then I shudder to think how they'll go about monopolizing and bastardizing THAT sector of the economy like they have so many others in the past.

I am not proposing anything necessarily, just waving a flag for discussion. I don't think simply transitioning our industry toward making fancy windmills or solar panels is going to solve the larger problems infecting our society (greed, political corruption, overpopulation, biased and controlled mass media, etc).

SO... what truly must change? And how?

Cheers. :)

Triple Bottom Line.

Submitted by positive.action on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 03:42.

The triple bottom line is the new paradigm for American business. The triple bottom line represents what is good for the environment, good for the community and still creates a profit. The economic correction that is happening right now is absolutely necessary for this 'game-changer'. Not only are mega-businesses failing, but start-ups with capital can finally compete in this market place. Efficiency, localism, and sustainability are becoming increasingly mainstream. It is these attributes that will seperate the successful businesses in the very near future. I'm very curious to hear from other 'green' business start-ups! www.livingsystems.us