A Green Light for Green
Mr. Jurgen Tritten at his lecture at the Goethe Institut on June 23, 2009. Photo courtesy of Till Kotter of the Heinrich Boll Foundation's Transatlantic Climate Policy Group)
By Evonne Liew, Contributor
Washington, DC - July 11, 2009: Could solar, wind, and biofuel energy be the solution to the economic crisis and global warming? Some politicians and environmentalists argue that thousands, if not millions of new “green” jobs could be created if governments were to provide incentives for businesses to become energy efficient. A massive shift towards energy efficiency would simultaneously propel the green movement forward and stimulate the sluggish economy.
Proponents of this green policy include the likes of German Parliament Member Jurgen Trittin, who, during a presentation at the Goethe Institute in Washington, DC last week, maintained that in 2008 over one million new green jobs were created, exceeding the 757,000 jobs available in the German car industry.
The green movement is not a new concept. Take the Danish island of Samsoe for example. In 1997 Samsoe won a competition to be transformed into an island of renewable energy within a ten-year time frame. Twelve years later, 21 wind turbines provide the island with 100 percent of its electricity needs and 70 percent of its heating is derived from renewable sources, including solar, straw, and woodchips. Samsoe is the closest any place has ever gotten to becoming independent of fossil fuels.
Sure, green is attainable, but can it create jobs and help the economy?
President Obama seems to think so. Just this week, the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program (“CARS” or Cash for Clunkers) bill was passed. The one billion dollar bill will provide car owners government subsidies ranging from $3,000 to $4,500 to trade in their aging vehicles (those with less than 18 miles per gallon) and buy fuel-efficient vehicles. In theory, this would help clean up the air by reducing carbon emissions and massage the aching car industry. Skeptics of the new law say that it will only add to the already insurmountable national debt without really selling enough cars to stimulate the economy.
CARS is just one measure in line with Obama’s larger plan of spending $150 billion to create five million green jobs. Some are quick to tear down the initiative. For example, there is no guarantee that these new green jobs will go to those currently unemployed. Also, existing jobs will have to be destroyed to make way for these new ones. And here’s the kicker: according to the Manhattan Institute, estimates show that it could cost taxpayers anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 to create each new job. With so many logistical issues such as funding left to be resolved it seems like green jobs may get stuck at a red light.
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