As of March 6, 2009 a FOX NEWS article reported that 12.5 million people are unemployed in America. This number is staggering and is the highest it's been since 1983 and still climbing. Putting the 12.5 million people into perspective, it is a larger number than the entire population of Pennsylvania not to mention 45 other states. Alternative energy is more than a source of electricity, fuel, or energy savings; it is a source of jobs. The influx of jobs that would be created by alternative energy would reverse the downward spiral of unemployment and develop a stable job field. According to a November report commissioned by the American Solar Energy Society the U.S jobs involving renewable-energy could grow up to as many as 40 million by 2030 (Macmillan). The future is very bright agreed Kevin Doyle, author of Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century, according to his article, careers in wind,solar, hydrogen, bio-energy and bio-fuels and even the federal government are more prolific than ever; the wide range of niches has something for just about anyone interested in alternative energy. Doyle went on to say that from 1999 to 2004 the wind power industry has grown 26% globally each year which makes it the top pick for available jobs in the alternative energy field (Rossheim). Some jobs will be lost in the process by updating technology and investing in efficient energy and renewable energy. However, an October study done by the American Solar Energy Society showed that 4.5 million more jobs would be generated rather than eliminated. Unlike some industries the alternative energy industry can realistically create jobs for a wide range of occupations across nearly all states. Industries that show the largest growth include, construction, professional services, retail, farming, truck transportation, fabricated metals and electrical equipment (Bezdek 3).
America's utilization of alternative energy through their workforce will improve the environment and set the standard for the rest of the world. Today efficient energy and renewable energy represent only two percent of the globe's total electricity (Shellenberger and Nordhaus 123). Two percent is not nearly enough energy to stop negatively effecting the environment. To address the issue of global climate change the American Solar Energy Society analyzed six renewable energy technologies along with transportation, buildings, and industry and assessed that proper investment in efficient energy and renewable energy technology could give the boot to approximately 1.2 billion metric tons of carbon emissions annually by 2030. A significant reduction of carbon emissions is believed to be necessary by scientists to prevent the most perilous situations of climate change in the future (Bezdek 1). It will be because of these aggressive investments and commitments to efficient energy and renewable energy technology that America will set the standard for environmental issues and once again return to being the poster boy for environmentalism; a place it hasn't been since it established the first National Park in 1872, Yellowstone National Park.
Investing in new efficient energy and renewable energy technology carries quite the price tag, one with infinite value. Yet, value for each individual is different, it is an undetermined standard that makes something desirable. America has been under the
misconception that changing over to more efficient energy sources is going to cost them too much money upfront. "When Americans today fear for their economic lives, what they fear is not starvation or dying from lack of medical treatment but rather losing their status, their community and their quality of life"(Shellenberger and Nordhaus 171). Upon putting together a complicated equation, taking everything including deployment, efficiency, research and development into account, the results found by American Solar Energy Society and Management Information Services Incorporated discovered that a net savings of $140 billion dollars was more accurate over a 15-year span than a net loss (Bezdek 5-6). Due to energy savings the economic growth of America will show vast improvement.
Creating millions of jobs and saving the country billions of dollars sounds like a golden plan, but is it truly the answer? Many Americans fear that the government will not take haste action with the billions of stimulus dollars in their hands. Others fear that the money spent on training and the new industry will be wasted if the industry fails, leaving them back where they started, unemployed. According to Van Jones, president of Green for All, Americans have nothing to worry about when it comes to green jobs. The jobs created by renewable energy will be here to stay; they cannot be simply outsourced by another country. On top of that twenty-eight states are requiring that in the next decade or two 10-25% of their energy to be acquired through renewable energy (Greenhouse). "The development of a green economy creates a broad new set of opportunities. The only comparable example we can find is the Industrial Revolution. It will affect every business and every industry," said Lois Quam. Alternative energy is the future for America's economy and is exactly what we need to reenergize and refuel our economy. Investing in efficient energy and renewable energy technology is guaranteed to provide jobs and boost the economy.
Making the change to alternative energy will not only create jobs and improve our economy but also save our environment. It will dramatically reduce harmful emissions, improve air quality and boost public health. Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, once stated "We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation similar to the present hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birth-day of a new world is at hand" (Shellenberger and Nordhaus 156).
Greg Parker Jr.
Works Cited
Bezdek, Roger H, Ph.D. "Estimating the Jobs Impacts of Tackling Climate Change" American Solar Energy Society. USA: Colorado Printing Company, 2009. October 2009. Print. 29 October 2009.
Greenhouse, Steven. "Millions of Jobs of a Different Collar." New York Times Online. New York Times, 26 March 2008. Web. 29 October 2009.
Macmillan, Douglas. "Switching to Green Collar Jobs." Businessweek.com. The McGraw-Hill Companies, 10 January 2008. Web. 17 October 2009.
Rossheim, John. "Renewable Energy Generates Sustainable Careers." The Urban Conservancy. 23 May 2006. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
Shellenberger, Michael, and Ted Nordhaus. Break Through From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. Print. 15 October 2009.
"Unemployment by the Numbers: How Bad Is It Hurting?" FOXNEWS. 6 Mar. 2009. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
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