Think Green Live Clean

Photo Credit: Steve Ryan

A “green job” is a job that helps to reduce energy consumption and decrease our impact on the environment.  As part of President Obama’s plan to reduce America’s environmental impact, he created the White House Council on Environmental Quality and assigned Van Jones, a Yale Law School graduate, community activist, and environmental entrepreneur, to the position.  This position requires Jones to create as many green jobs as possible by coordinating government agencies already looking to the green sector. He will also be advising the President on jobs that cut energy use.

Currently, the national unemployment rate averages about 9.5% and adding green jobs has received a lot of criticism because people believe the economy should be stimulated in other ways.  Critics say that the green jobs Jones wants to create will not have sufficient pay and people cannot be promoted.  Despite what the critics say, Jones believes that adding green jobs will give the youth of America hope. 

 It will allow younger people to start from the ground up in a green job and help the environment at the same time.  They will start out in manual labor, next become managers and later become owners and investors.  Some of Jones’ ideas include training people in installing solar panels and fixing up houses so that they are more energy efficient.  More young people will have a chance to become involved in the work force and even better, it will be a green work force.   

Check out the full article at CNN