We are determined to go to the next conference in Bali to achieve a result.
Popular Articles
Could capping carbon emissions recover the economy and create jobs? - 19 Nov 2008
Eight nations warn EU over biofuel barriers - 07 Nov 2008
Count on green demand - 20 Nov 2008
Underground “nuclear batteries” promise zero-carbon power - 11 Nov 2008
Energy agency sees oil price rising to $200 a barrel - 07 Nov 2008
Source: Environmental News Network
A $100 billion U.S. government investment over two years could create 2 million "green" jobs in such industrial sectors as steel and construction, environmental and labor groups said on Tuesday.
"From the point of view of the steelworkers union, the view is quite simple, that a energy efficient green economy creates jobs and it can create jobs in America," said Leo Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers.
He said the U.S. move toward wind power has already prompted the reopening of two struggling steel mills, now making steel plate for use in new windmills.
Beyond that, the retrofitting of old, energy-inefficient buildings would create jobs for steelworkers, glassmakers and those who manufacture heating and cooling systems, Gerard said in a telephone briefing.
Gerard and others cited a report commissioned by the Center for American Progress think tank, assessing the benefits of the $100 billion investment plan.
John Podesta, president of the think tank and a former Clinton administration official, said $50 billion of the investment would be tax credits to help private businesses and homeowners pay to make their buildings more energy efficient; $46 billion would be in the form of direct government spending on retrofitting buildings, expanding mass transit and freight rail, making "smart" electrical grids and new investment in renewable energy; and $4 billion in federal loan guarantees.
Click here to read more
