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Middle Class Task Force Meeting in Philly Focuses on Green Jobs

March 4, 2009 in economy, green building, jobs, policy by nils | 5 comments

One of the Middle Class Task Force panels at the Philly meeting

One of the Middle Class Task Force panels at the Philly meeting

If you're not reading the new whitehouse.gov blog, you're missing out.

This liveblog about the "Middle Class Task Force" meeting in Philly last week from whitehouse.gov was great. Speakers included John Podesta, former Clinton staffer and now with the Center for American Progress; Van Jones from Green for All (based in the Bay Area), Fred Krupp from the Environmental Defense Fund, a bunch of cabinet and administration appointees, and representatives from labor like Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers of America.

Some highlights:

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Green Building/Green Energy Salon in Menlo Park on Thursday

January 26, 2009 in energy efficiency, energy generation, green building, jobs by nils | 4 comments

My Soul

Green things (image by WTL photos, CC 2.0 license)

I'm starting a green energy/green building salon, and the first meeting is this Thursday night (1/29) in Menlo Park. Sign up on this invite/RSVP page to let me know if you're coming.

If you're interested in green buildings like me, or are working out how to have a new career in the green economy, you should drop by!

As I've mentioned, I have a modest little goal to ensure that all 50,000 housing starts in California in the year 2018 are "zero net energy." That means they'll generate as much or more energy as they consume in operation.

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Deutsche Bank Confirms Green Energy Creates Jobs and Economic Growth

December 2, 2008 in analysis, business benefits, energy efficiency, green building, jobs, policy, transportation by nils | Add your comment

home with free electricity

Available: Home with free electric (photo by Kainet, CC 2.0 Sharealike license)

From MIT's Technology Review comes this column from Kevin Bullis, about a recent report from Deutsche Bank on the economic benefits of investing in new energy projects:

It argues that it's possible to address challenges related to climate change, energy security, and the financial crisis at the same time by investing in four specific areas: energy-efficient buildings, electric power grids, renewable power, and public transportation. The report cites figures that suggest investing in these areas creates more jobs than investing in conventional energy sources because much of the old energy infrastructure is already in place. It says that "a $100 billion investment in energy and efficiency would result in 2 million new jobs, whereas a similar investment in old energy [such as coal or natural gas] would only create around 540,000 jobs."

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Amory Lovins On Declining Gas Prices

November 14, 2008 in business benefits, energy efficiency, jobs, policy by nils | Add your comment

There's a lot of energy to be saved in all sectors

There is lots of opportunity to reduce energy intensity throughout the U.S. economy

In "a few policies to hedge against crashing oil prices," the latest post on the Rocky Mountain Institute's "Environmental Lovin's" blog, Amory Lovins himself provides some suggestions on how to keep making progress on energy independence despite the recent dip in oil prices. Of course, efficiency is the star of the show:

We now have techniques to save half our oil and gas, and three-quarters of our electricity, at about an eighth of their price. Energy efficiency remains one of the highest-return and lowest-risk investments in the entire economy.

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Obama’s Green Opportunity

November 7, 2008 in investing, jobs, policy by nils | Add your comment

US Senator Barack Obama campaigning in New Ham...

Image via Wikipedia

On Wednesday, the Freakonomics blog asked:

If you had a seat at one of the tables where Obama will be meeting over the next days and weeks, what would be some of your suggestions for how he should shape his administration, address the economic mess, consider the energy future, engage the global community, and so on and so forth?

My suggestions for the president-elect:

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Study: Make Money and Create Jobs By Greening California’s Economy

September 23, 2008 in analysis, business benefits, energy efficiency, growth, jobs, profits by nils | 1 comment

Boutiques along Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights

Fillmore Street in San Francisco; Image via Wikipedia

The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the conclusions of a study just completed by the California State Air Resources Board that "going green" will be extremely beneficial to the state's economy.

Under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the state must impose a limit on the amount of pollutants companies emit and expand renewable energy. These changes, along with others, would result in 100,000 new jobs, boost the state economy by $27 billion and increase personal income by $14 billion, the study said.

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Efficiency profitable for energy-independent Denmark

August 11, 2008 in energy efficiency, jobs, policy, profits by nils | Add your comment

Thomas Friedman's OpEd on Sunday describes how Denmark has achieved energy independence, and illustrates the numerous benefits for the country, including a very low unemployment rate and a large new export market.

When the 1973 oil shock hit, Denmark got 99 percent of its energy from the Middle East. Now they get zero. The country has combined massive energy efficiency programs, such as using waste heat from power plants to heat homes (known as "cogeneration"), with alternative energy sources like windmills (20% of their energy comes from the wind now), effective use of their own petroleum resources in the North Sea, and incentives for lowering energy use via high taxes on gasoline.

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Clean and renewable energy also profitable for individuals who want jobs

August 7, 2008 in growth, jobs, profits by nils | Add your comment

A report from Worldwatch Institute details the way that traditional high carbon industries, such as coal, are shedding jobs while renewable energy and energy efficiency industries are adding jobs.

An estimated 2.3 million people worldwide currently work either directly in renewables or indirectly in supplier industries. The solar thermal industry employs at least 624,000 people, the wind power industry 300,000, and the solar PV industry 170,000. More than 1 million people work in the biomass and biofuels sector, while small-scale hydropower employs 39,000 individuals and geothermal employs 25,000.

It's not just those people and organizations applying clean and renewable energy who are profiting, but also those doing the work.

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