Check The Weather

Reposted from http://environmentaladvocate.wordpress.com

By Kirin Kennedy
Green Jobs, for many people, the messages that President Obama, spoke about of a clean green economy for all, seem to have slipped by at the passage of the American Clean Energy and Securities ACT. The picture shown above, is a perfect depiction of what is actually going on in under-served communities. In today's world, there is a promise of a renewed America, that gives even the underprivileged a chance to advance from poverty to wealth. At least that was how the story was told just eight months to a year, ago. What is disheartening is that the ideal green job for the low skill worker does not exist. In fact according the National Conference of Mayors, there will only be 11% of green jobs available to those with less then a college degree. So for example in a city like Philadelphia where it has been laid out in the mayor's new green and econmic plan, only 300 federally funded green jobs will enter philadelphia. Which means that only 30 jobs will go to those of under-served communities. In addition, this does not leave room for a true green economy. Not only that but , what about those who are convicted felons, who trying to turn their lives around? How does green jobs fix all of the social issues that plague under-served communities? these are all issues that have not been quite thought out by those in power or they have been simply ignored. Green justice is a inclusive solution to creating a fair, clean and just Planet, but at this rate those in the underclass, again will be left out of the equation. Leaving them to the their own devices for survival. I say that it is time for Americans to remind the politicians and large environmental groups who they actually serve and that is the people. As it is our responsibility to provide these jobs to those who would benefit the most, the underclass. As I walk around Philadelphia and look at the citizens who struggle every day to meet their basic needs it is disheartening to find out that green jobs are not available to them either. I really hope that as this plan is laid out by organizations like Green 4 All and other green job oriented programs begin to enter our cities, and fight for climate legislation. That these organizations remember the constituents they work with, and protect them. Will work for green job, interesting sounds like a hopeless cause unless we the advocates for human and civil rights fight for green jobs for everyone. I say all of this to say that it is imperative that we find jobs to fix the larger social issues witin these communities and the first way of creating a safer, and cleaner enviornment is not by keeping those whose communities are overlooked out of the equation, but by grafting them in.
PEACE