Cap-and-trade bill creates green jobs
The economic meltdown, energy crisis and global warming are interconnected, and so are the solutions. By implementing the right policies, we can create jobs, secure our energy independence and power capacity, and protect natural resources for our future.
But we need a long-term strategy that provides better energy choices by driving investments to build, deliver and install clean energy solutions. We need energy policies that will support both a U.S. auto industry and other manufacturing and that are vibrant, competitive, technologically advanced and an integral part of the solution to global warming.
The cap-and-trade legislation will help take a balanced approach toward an economy-wide program that prevents foreign competitors from getting advantages over America companies. The nation should maintain a diverse energy portfolio that includes renewable energy, fossil fuels, nuclear and hydro electric. And solutions must protect individual industries and geographical regions from being disproportionably or adversely affected.
Such a strategy is the American Clean Energy & Security Act, which is in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which will help to create millions of new clean-energy jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, encourage the development of cleaner, cheaper sources of energy, and dramatically cut the carbon pollution that causes global warming.
The historic changes in the legislation -- also known as the Waxman-Markey bill -- come with risks, and we must work to balance bettering the environment with job creation.
The Michigan congressional delegation has been working hard to protect and promote the auto industry, including garnering $50 billion in low-interest loans for automakers to retool their production facilities. U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, deserves credit for leading the fight to secure 3 percent of the revenue from the auctioning of carbon emission permits, worth an estimated $10 billion to $20 billion over the next 20 years, for the auto industry to develop advanced technology vehicles.
Two labor-environmental groups, the Blue Green Alliance and Apollo Alliance, support this legislation.
We have seen other examples of trade unions working to both protect jobs and better our environment. Recently, union leaders stood with President Barack Obama when he announced new fuel-economy and tailpipe emission standards. This was truly an historic achievement, bringing together labor, industry, environmentalists and government in support of a comprehensive and consistent national policy.
While the resulting standards are aggressive, calling for a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency by 2016, they are achievable within the time lines proposed. And they can help to spur a renaissance in the American auto industry, creating new jobs as manufacturers restructure to build the clean energy vehicles of the future.
Creating a clean energy economy will be good for Michigan with the potential of thousands of new, well-paying jobs. According to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Development's "green jobs" report, from 2005 to 2008, more than 2,500 green jobs were added to Michigan's economy, a growth rate of 7.7 percent.
Green jobs also pay well; 13 of the top 15 sectors of green employment have weekly wages above the overall private sector weekly average. The Steel Workers union reminds us that each wind turbine built contain 250 tons of steel and thousands of machined parts.
We have an opportunity to rebuild our economy with millions of clean energy jobs, retool manufacturing, increase our energy independence and preserve the planet for future generations. It is time for the leaders in Washington to take the bold, forward-looking action that we need by passing the Waxman-Markey bill.
