Green Jobs

Unitarian Universalists have long supported racial and economic equality, as well as respect for the well-being of the planet of which we are a part. Growing a green economy allows us to address both of these concerns simultaneously. It will simultaneously transition us from non-renewable fossil fuels to bio-renewables such as solar, wind and water and transition us from an economic structure in which energy resources are controlled by a few to a structure where resources are shared by many. To get there we need to:

• Create "green pathways out of poverty" (job training for low-income people to enter the work force in green jobs—since many of these jobs involve retrofitting houses, they cannot be exported)
   
• Facilitate "just transitions" (job re-training to transition people already working into green practices)
   
• Invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency research
   
• Extend and expand tax incentives for renewable energy, as well as for plug-in hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances
   
• Close loopholes allowing corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas
   
• Curtail unnecessary tax subsidies for big, multinational oil and gas companies

Take Action

Urge your representative to keep our clean energy economy moving forward.

Resources

• The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, by Van Jones
   
• Green For All
  Green For All is a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. By advocating for local, state and federal commitment to job creation, job training, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the emerging green economy—especially for people from disadvantaged communities—Green For All fights both poverty and pollution at the same time.
   
• Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green Investments
  A report, sponsored in part by the Center for American Progress, that provides a snapshot of what kinds of jobs are needed to build a green economy in the United States. It focuses on six key strategies for attacking global warming and highlight some of the major "green jobs" associated with each of these approaches.
   
• Green Jobs Guidebook
  Most green employment reports focus on high level statistics, overall trends and general job types. This Green Jobs Guidebook is an inspiring, user-friendly handbook aimed at all job seekers regardless of their current skillset. The Green Jobs Guidebook is brought to you by Environmental Defense Fund, in partnership with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.