http://www.cchange.net Covering the transformations to social, environment and economic sustainability Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:26:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Sea Change Radio covers the transformations to social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Change is accelerating in positive and negative directions: the clock is ticking in the race to see which will tip first—the problems or the solutions. Join Sea Change's Host, Alex Wise, as he provides in-depth analysis to help our audience understand possible remedies and potential pitfalls. Sea Change interviews sustainability experts including Paul Hawken, Stewart Brand, Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Lester Brown, and many others. Sea Change airs on over 30 radio stations around the country. Alex Wise clean Alex Wise awise@cchange.net awise@cchange.net (Alex Wise) 2007-2011 Making Connections for Sustainability Sustainability, Climate Change, Human Rights, Environment, Corporate Responsibility, Socially Responsible Investing, Accountability, Stakeholders, Clean Tech, Renewable Energy, Green Jobs, Wealth Divide http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/cwr-images-archive/SeaChangeRadioTAG_square144_sm.jpg http://www.cchange.net Weekly http://www.cchange.net/2009/07/01/boosting-employment-with-green-jobs/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/07/01/boosting-employment-with-green-jobs/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:35:47 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=1349 http://www.cchange.net/2009/07/01/boosting-employment-with-green-jobs/feed/ 3 bob pollin,Clean Energy economy,Climate Bill,Green Jobs,stimulus “If you spend money on clean energy project, what happens in terms of effects on employment?”  That's the question Bob Pollin of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts seeks to answer in a pair of new reports... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/BobPollin.jpg) “If you spend money on clean energy project, what happens in terms of effects on employment?”  That's the question Bob Pollin (http://www.peri.umass.edu/staff/#c128) of the Political Economy Research Institute (http://www.peri.umass.edu/) (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts seeks to answer in a pair of new reports in its Green Economics (http://www.peri.umass.edu/green_economics/) program. The Stimulus Plan (http://www.recovery.gov/) passed this spring and the Climate Bill (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1633&catid=155&Itemid=55) that passed in the House (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1697:house-passes-historic-waxman-markey-clean-energy-bill&catid=155:statements&Itemid=55) last week both hitch their wagons to creating a clean energy economy, with green jobs doing the heavy pulling.  The question is, will building a clean energy economy also boost employment, particularly for lower-income workers?  Bob Pollin and his PERI colleagues propose some answers in two new reports.  (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/GreenProsperity1.jpg)Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States, commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council (http://www.nrdc.org/) and Green For All (http://www.greenforall.org/), looks at how clean energy investments will impact lower-income workers. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/EconomicBenefits.jpg)The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy: How the Economic Stimulus Program and New Legislation Can Boost U.S. Economic Growth and Employment (http://www.peri.umass.edu/economic_benefits/), commissioned by the Center for American Progress (http://www.americanprogress.org/), takes a broader look at how clean energy investments will impact the economy. The reports look at both energy efficiency measures, such as building retrofits, public transportation, and smart grid, as well as clean energy such as solar, wind, and biomass.  They calculate that for every $1 million invested in these areas, 16.7 jobs are created. The PERI researchers then factor in the estimated 5.3 jobs lost in the fossil fuel sectors, for a net of 11.4 jobs gained per $1 million invested. With estimated investment of $150 billion flowing from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.00001:) (ARRA) and the American Clean Energy and Security Act (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.02454:)(ACES), this translates into a net of about 1.7 million new green jobs across the economy.  Of these, 870,000 green jobs require only a high school degree, almost three-quarters of which offer advancement opportunities. Next week, we'll hear on-the-ground reports from the green job pastures.  Sea Change Co-Host Francesca Rheannon visits the Spanish American Union (http://www.lacasahispana.org/) in Springfield, Massachusetts to speak with Patricia Moss, project manager of Groundwork Springfield (http://groundworkspringfield.org/), part of the Groundwork USA (http://www.groundworkusa.net/) national movement for communities to foster economic development through green jobs that help heal the environment.  The program is particularly geared toward youth employment (http://groundworkspringfield.org/node/7), and Francesca speaks with several of the young adults employed through the program.  We'll also hear from Adin Maynard, director of operations at Cozy Home Performance (http://www.mycozyhome.org/), which is embarking on a pilot project with the local utility for deep energy retrofits. Bill Baue clean 28:55 http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/18/making-the-case-for-a-green-stimulus/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/18/making-the-case-for-a-green-stimulus/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:15:23 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=566 http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/18/making-the-case-for-a-green-stimulus/feed/ 0 Clean Tech,Climate Change,EPA,global warming,Green Building,Green Jobs,Green Living,nicholas stern,Renewable Energy,stimulus,Sustainable Agriculture,Sustainable Innovation Alex Bowen, a Principal Research Fellow at The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment of the London School of Economics, discusses An Outline of the Case for a ‘Green’ Stimulus, a report he co-authored with Lord Nicholas Stern, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/alexbowen.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/greenstimulus.jpg)Alex Bowen, a Principal Research Fellow at The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/granthamInstitute/Default.htm) of the London School of Economics, discusses An Outline of the Case for a ‘Green’ Stimulus (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/granthamInstitute/publications/An%20outline%20of%20the%20case%20for%20a%20'green'%20stimulus.pdf), a report he co-authored with Lord Nicholas Stern, the man behind the 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (http://www.occ.gov.uk/activities/stern.htm).   And in the ViewPoint, Donald Bartlett of the investigative journalism team Bartlett and Steele (http://barlettandsteele.com/index.php) advances the idea of a Federal Reserve for health care (http://barlettandsteele.com/blog/?p=10). President Obama signed a $787 billion dollar stimulus package into law this week --and many say it's good news for the green industry (http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/obama-signs-stimulus-packed-with-clean-energy-provisions/). Obama declared it would "double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years" and help transform the way we use energy. That's all to the good. But is it enough? Forty percent of the package is in the form of tax cuts, which most economists think are much worse at stimulating economic activity than spending (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/02/06/afx6019551.html). Mass transit supporters were discouraged by the small portion given over to light rail. (Although there was a last minute infusion for high speed rail (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18924.html).) Throwing a lot of money at roads and bridges instead of public transportation doesn't exactly help the climate. We've talked a lot on this show about how going green is good for the economy, too. But when the economy is in free fall, many argue the priority is a stimulus that is "timely and targeted"-- and that means getting the political will behind quick passage with the sweetener of tax cuts and funds for "shovel ready" projects like repairing roads and bridges. But a new report says we can get the stimulus right and green. "An outline of the case for a 'green' stimulus" is jointly out from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (http://www.cccep.ac.uk/Default.htm). They're both connected to the London School of Economics. Sea Change Radio Co-Host Francesca Rheannon spoke with the report's lead author, Alex Bowen. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/14/change-we-cant-believe-in/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/14/change-we-cant-believe-in/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:28:04 +0000 Francesca Rheannon http://www.cchange.net/?p=317 http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/14/change-we-cant-believe-in/feed/ 0 cap and trade,Climate Change,climate policy,global warming,new york times,Obama,stimulus,stimulus package Barack Obama has said time and again that change comes from the bottom up at least as much as from policy directives from on high. He's right--and he seems to be giving signs that pressure from below is going to be needed to keep him true to his own ca... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/cropped-moi21-150x150.jpg)Barack Obama has said time and again that change comes from the bottom up at least as much as from policy directives from on high. He's right--and he seems to be giving signs that pressure from below is going to be needed to keep him true to his own campaign promises. This past Sunday, I opened the New York Times to the front page headline: Economy May Delay Work on Campaign Pledges (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/us/politics/11obama.html?_r=1&hp). Obama’s campaign pledges, of course.  Uh, oh, I thought. I hope climate change policy isn't on that list. But it was. The Times reports that Obama may "put off" restricting carbon emissions and initiating a cap-and-trade program. The President-Elect has put some terrific climate crisis-savvy people on his team for energy matters (Stephen Chu) and science (John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco). But if they are to be more than mere window dressing, Obama needs to remember that climate change policy isn’t a frill. It’s basic. While I personally think a tax on carbon is best (combined with comparable cuts on payroll taxes and subsidies for consumer use of renewable energy and conservation), an effective cap and trade system is at least a step in the right direction. Moreover, Obama seems a bit cheaper than his word when it comes to the funds allotted for clean energy in his stimulus package, as Joe Romm noted January 9th on his blog Climate Progress (http://climateprogress.org/2009/01/09/senate-dems-unhappy-with-level-of-energy-spending-in-obama-stimulus-plan/#more-4612). The plan offers a measly $10 billion in an overall package of $300 billion. Heck, Obama was willing to throw almost three times that much---no strings attached--to the Detroit boys who helped put us in this mess--and who continue to fight tooth and nail (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/04/07/auto-alliance-lobbying-state-legislatures-in-co-sub-2-sub-fight/) against (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/25/automakers-and-ethanol-producers-fight-minnesota-emissions-rules/) controlling the greenhouse gases spewed (http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0412/p04s01-wogi.html) by their products. If Obama ends up putting off his campaign promise to control carbon emissions, it would indicate a disturbing lack of judgment. He would be subscribing to a the bankrupt idea that the economy and the environment play a zero-sum game. In fact, their fortunes go hand-in-hand. If he thinks we are "running out of time" to fix the economy, he ought to consider that we are running out of time on the climate crisis (http://climateprogress.org/2008/11/09/stabilize-at-350-ppm-or-risk-ice-free-planet-warn-nasa-yale-sheffield-versailles-boston-et-al/), with far more devastating results--to the economy and everything else. The current recession will look like the days of wine and roses when compared to the lean and barren years ahead as we try to cope with crop losses due to megadrought, infrastructure damage due to extreme weather, loss of life and property, lack of potable water and the staggering costs of disease and resource wars that are sweeping down on us on the back of the climate catastrophe. New Orleans was the first major U.S. city to be devastated by global warming. Think about New York and Boston (http://www.climatechoices.org/ne/resources_ne/nereport.html). There is literally no time for delay. So I’d like to quote some words of wisdom about the climate crisis to Mr. Obama from someone he knows very well: “The science is beyond dispute… Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response.” Those words, Mr. President-Elect, are yours. And for the rest of us: it's up to us to keep Mr. Obama's feet to the fire. --Francesca Rheannon Francesca Rheannon clean 3:14 http://www.cchange.net/2008/11/19/a-global-green-deal/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/11/19/a-global-green-deal/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:14:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/2008/11/19/a-global-green-deal/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/11/19/a-global-green-deal/feed/ 0 bruce kahn,business ethics,Climate Change,deutsche asset management,energy economy,gary gardner,global warming,green economy,Green Jobs,michael renner,mitch anderson,Obama At the G-20 Summit addressing the global financial crisis this weekend, the government leaders of the world's largest economies essentially twiddled their thumbs, punting on setting ambitious goals until April 2009 -- when the Barack Obama Administrati... (http://www.worldwatch.org/brain/images/staff/mrenner.jpg)(http://www.dbadvisors.com/deam/dyn/meta/bios/loadImage.do?dispatch=executeLoadImage&empId=2371) At the G-20 Summit addressing the global financial crisis this weekend, the government leaders of the world's largest economies essentially twiddled their thumbs, punting on setting ambitious goals until April 2009 -- when the Barack Obama Administration, which is dedicated to addressing the financial crisis and the climate crisis, is in office. Before the Summit, Worldwatch Institute Senior Researchers Michael Renner and Gary Gardner proposed that the G-20 enact a Global Green Deal, evocative of FDR’s new deal but more audacious in scope and vision. CWR co-hosts Francesca Rheannon and Bill Baue speak with Renner about the proposal's 5 strategies, including transitioning to a renewable energy economy, launching an efficiency revolution, and investing in green infrastructure. And speaking of green infrastructure, Deutsche Asset Management issued a report calling for the establishment of a “green” National Infrastructure Bank. Bill Baue speaks with Deutsche Climate Change Investment Research Director Bruce Kahn about the report, a followup on the Investing in Climate Change 2009: Necessity and Opportunity in Turbulent Times report CWR covered recently. Listen (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/CWR-2008-11-19.mp3) "Building a Green Economy: It’s Time for the G20 to Focus on a Global Green Deal" (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5935) Michael Renner (http://www.worldwatch.org/user/117) Report: Green Jobs: Towards decent work in a sustainable, low-carbon world (http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/features/greenjobs.asp) Bruce Kahn (http://www.dbadvisors.com/deam/dyn/meta/bios/indivBio.jsp?empDetailID=8993) Deutsche Asset Management Report: Economic Stimulus: The Case for “Green” Infrastructure, Energy Security and “Green” Jobs (http://www.dbadvisors.com/deam/stat/globalResearch/1113_GreenEconomicStimulus.pdf) CWR News Analysis: Listen (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/CWR-Headlines-2008-11-19.mp3) News Sources: --Pew Research Center on the People and the Environment "A Deeper Partisan Divide Over Global Warming" (http://people-press.org/report/417/a-deeper-partisan-divide-over-global-warming) --Schwarzenegger Blames Global Warming for Elongated Fire Season (http://www.businessandmedia.org/printer/2008/20081117131633.aspx) --BBC: "Emissions up in developed nations" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7734547.stm) --NY Times: "Pollution Has Leveled Off, but the Figures Have Holes" (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/world/18climate.html) --Pam Solo: "Saving Detroit from itself" (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/17/EDVF1467NS.DTL) --Marketplace: "Obama meant it about C02" (http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/offair/2008/11/remember_obamas_emissions_prom.html) CWR ViewPoint: Listen (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/CWR-Commentary-2008-11-19.mp3) The Top BENNY Award for 2008, given to activist campaigns holding corporations accountable by the Business Ethics Network (BEN), went to the Clean Up Ecuador campaign for bringing Chevron to justice for decades of pollution in the Amazon. The campaign is led by the Amazon Defense Coalition and Amazon Watch. Mitch Anderson of Amazon Watch has our commentary today, produced in partnership with BEN. Amazon Watch (http://www.amazonwatch.org/) ChevronToxico (http://www.chevrontoxico.com) Business Ethics Network (http://www.businessethicsnetwork.org) Bill Baue clean 29:59