[HTML1] October 29, I attended an event in Santa Barbara, California and listened to Van Jones speak about the Greening of the American Economy. Is it possible to take the recent “great recession” and turn it into a blessing, one in which we can stop the destruction of our planet, grow social responsibility and create jobs that simultaneously lift people from poverty and green the planet?
TIME Magazine called Van Jones one of the top 100 influential people in the world in 2009. As an adviser to the Obama White House, he helped run the inter-agency process that oversaw $80 billion in green recovery spending. He left the White House explaining that although many supported his staying and fighting the controversy over his past activism, he originally took the position to fight for others, not for himself.
A Yale Law School graduate, he has a 20-year track record as a successful, innovative and award-winning social entrepreneur. He is a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean energy economy. He holds a joint appointment at Princeton University as a distinguished visiting fellow in both the Center for African American Studies and in the Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He is also the best-selling author of the definitive book on green jobs, The Green Collar Economy.
In his presentation, after painting a dismal picture of the current economic, social and environmental state of the world, he used a graphic of 4 quadrants to represent the solutions as perceived by the various segments of people. Each quadrant is a crude stereotype, but serves to clarify the options each segment perceives as solutions. “Grey” represents the current broken economy and polluted environment.
The top left quadrant represents the concerns of people with wealth who focus their efforts far from their home, a home in which they are comfortable. Their education gives them an awareness of planetary causes but they may not be focused on social change. Instead they may support saving polar bears, which is good for long-term species and planetary complexity, but simultaneously, they may invest in things risky for the earth’s well-being and that actually pollute and continue greed.
The lower left quadrant represents the poor who need immediate help and may experience immediate problems of the poisoning of their water as a resulting of fracking (hydraulic fracturing). However, they don’t know what to do about it.
In the upper right quadrant, where there is wealth and greater ecological consciousness, solar panels may be the focus. And in the lower right quadrant, the fourth quadrant, this is where the real magic can happen according to Van Jones. It’s where the masses who want change, who are aware of the need for the greening of the planet and of our economy. This is where green collar jobs can be successfully created. This is where innovation can make tremendous impact. This is where environmental movements that have been unconsciously segregated to the “haves” can be expanded to the “have nots.” This is where the rift can be healed. If we can figure out the fourth quadrant, there’s the chance to heal the economy AND the earth.
The challenge is the assuring that the green economy is strong enough to lift millions out of poverty. There must be a commitment to defend the vulnerable planet by empowering vulnerable people, to fight pollution and poverty at the same time.
The old economy focused on credit, consumption and resulted in environmental destruction. The recent collapse of this “grey” based economy is proof of it not working.
We now have an opportunity to change, to re-employ the newly poor, to employ new people, to teach entrepreneurs and to build businesses to be green. Green collar jobs could immediately employ an additional 3.1 million people and grow technologies to employ millions more.
If we learned to share instead of consume, our social communities and our earth would green even more. We must change our focus from consumption to caring. Under the existing “rules,” a green economy simply cannot be profitable. The government protected monopolies focus on greed instead of stopping fracking, on controlling energy instead of reducing asthma from air pollution, on protecting revenue instead of creating truly free markets.
The new generations, those who are occupying Wall Street, and who are more diverse and tech savvy, have to change the rules. With the innovation, inspiration and action of these big millennial generations, there can be hope once again.
So these are the thoughts and perspective from Van Jones. Rebuild the American Dream by greening the American Economy.
To learn more, visit VanJones.net. Visit RebuildTheDream.com. Visit our Facebook page to discuss your opinions and perspective.
Watch the video below. Even though it was recorded in 2009 when Van Jones will still with the Obama White House, it contains a great example of green collar jobs and innovation.
Get involved and take a step each day to make this world a better place.
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