TITLE: An Interview with Mac Lynch of the Apollo Alliance
SUMMARY: Mac Lynch is the Program Associate of the Apollo Alliance, a national organization that advocates for green job development and economic sustainability. In this interview, he addresses the concerns and opposing arguments for a new green collar economy in America. Lynch also provides more information on his organization and its mission. The underlying theme throughout the interview is that it is of paramount importance for the United States to start investing in green collar jobs for the sake of our economic well-being and the environment.
TOPIC: The urgency of moving towards a new green economy
CATEGORY: Citizen Interview
WHAT IS IT? A telephone interview I did with Mac Lynch, Program Associate of the Apollo Alliance
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: Chocolatedragon.wordpress.com, March 9, 2009
AUTHOR: Ericka Staples, Interviewer, & Mac Lynch, Interviewee
LOCATION: Telephone interview
ACCESSED: Interview conducted on March 5, 2009
SUPPORT:
* U.S. President Barack Obama
* Congressman Edward Markey, 7th District of Massachusetts
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental, and community leaders who promote the clean energy revolution. It was established in 2001 in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Since the it is a collection of organizations, the Apollo Alliance has multiple resources available to its use. Not only does the organization provide a job bank for green careers, it is also a strong voice on Capitol Hill. Apollo Alliance conducts thorough research to support its mission of increasing U.S. green jobs and environmental sustainability. The Alliance’s most generous donors are dozens of labor unions and developmental and environmental foundations. Among these donors are the Town Creek Foundation (promotes sustainability and public eduction), the United Steel Workers (largest industrial labor and trade organization in the USA), and the Victoria Organization (Newark, NJ non-profit organization that addresses issues of poverty and the environment.) All of these funders have donated anywhere between 5,000 to over 100,000. Apollo Alliance hopes its rigorous efforts are able to jump start the clean energy revolution in America.
USEFULNESS: This interview is one of my most valuable resources. Mac Lynch was very thorough and articulate in addressing questions and concerns I had encountered during my research for green job development. As I noted in older entries, I became stumped when I encountered articles about the problems with associated with greenwashing, since there is no legal or official definition of the term “green job.” Lynch gave me an awesome definition of what the Apollo Alliance defines as a green job: a green collar job offers quality of work with opportunities for career advancement while benefitting American people, the economy, and the environment. He made sure to emphasize that Apollo strictly uses the term “green collar job” to describe jobs that would fit into this definition. By focusing on promoting these green collar jobs that fit this definition, Lynch argues that greenwashing-the business practice of using any and all green terminology to describe products and services, regardless of what such terminology implies- becomes less likely to occur. This argument was one of the best I have heard so far, and I will continue to use this definition to guide the rest of my research. Lynch also talked about the 2009 Stimulus. He basically said that although he is happy that it passed, the Apollo Alliance believes there are a few key pieces of legislation the bill lacks, such as its failure to address job quality, green job safety standards, and workers rights.
WORKS CITED:
* Environmental Priorities Coalition. “Cap and Invest.” 2009
SUMMARY: This film spotlights Portland-based solar energy company, Renewable NRG. It also summarizes the economical and environmental benefits of promoting green jobs in the USA.
TOPIC: Green collar jobs as a solution to the depressing economy
CATEGORY: Multimedia (film)
WHAT IS IT? A short clip on green collar jobs available via internet multimedia database, YouTube.com
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: Ecotrust, February 20, 2009
SUPPORT:
* Tristan McAllister, Portland journalist and narrator
* Smart Energy, east coast company that designs and installs renewable energy technologies in residential homes
* RenewableNRG, Portland, OR firm that distributes and installs solar panels
* Russ Wright, CEO of RenewableNRG
* Jeremy Barnett, Operations employee with RenewableNRG
* Parr Lumber, leading provider of building materials and contract services on the Northwest
* U.S. Green Building Council, non-profit organization that promotes the greening and weatherization of US buildings
* Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, the first completely green remodel in the USA (Portland, OR)
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: Ecotrust is a non-profit organization based in Portland, OR. Their mission is to “inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental well-being.” The organization was founded in 1991 by environmental activist Spencer Beebe. Beebe also co-founded Conservation International, and served as President of The Nature Conservancy International. Within nearly 20 years of its establishment, Ecotrust has evolved into a powerful and well-rounded environmental organization. The program has affiliates in Canada (Ecotrust Canada), and the USA (Shorebank Pacific and Shorebank Enterprise Cascadia.) Ecotrust oversees conservation projects throughout the Northwest, including Alaska and California. It boasts many prestigious accomplishments, including “co-founding the world’s first environmental bank, starting the world’s first ecosystem investment fund, creating a range of programs in fisheries, forestry, food, farms and children’s health, and developing new scientific and information tools to improve social, economic and environmental decision-making.” Ecotrust also manages a myriad of other projects in honoring native and indigenous populations. The organization’s main focus is to promote economic well-being through environmental awareness and sustainability. A main source of funding for Ecotrust are donations from individuals and other organizations who support its mission. You can donate electronically online via the Ecotrust website.
USEFULNESS: One of the main reasons I chose to use this clip as a source is because it promotes a green agenda for our economy here in Oregon (the film was produced and filmed in Portland.) The narrator is college journalist, Tristan McAllister. The film documents the work of Oregon company RenewableNRG, which installs and distributes solar panels in the northern Oregon area. Russ Wright, CEO of RenewableNRG, and Operations employee Jeremy Bennett are interviewees in the clip. Both advocate for green jobs as a great way to earn a living, especially for young people. RenewableNRG claims that converting to a green economy make sense for a number of reasons; they save money, they save energy, and they keep jobs in America. The best argument for the green sector is summarized by McAllister in the film, who says, “the triple bottom line of green collar work is people, planet, and profit.” CEO Russ Wright also claims there is great financial advantage to using renewable energy technology. He says, “local businessnes receive 115% back of the solar installation costs with new solar technology.” This saves money and energy, especially since businesses will no longer be reliant on the power grid for their energy supply. This short four minute film did a great job of promoting the green sector in Oregon while informing the viewer of the many advantages of converting to a clean energy economy.
SUMMARY: This seven minute clip begins with a segment from a speech delivered by Van Jones, environmental activist and the president of Green For All. Jones stresses the importance of pushing for a new green energy economy in America. The remainder of the film documents the work and success of Grown Home Inc., an organic community-based agricultural business in Chicago’s south side.
TOPIC: Green Jobs in the Chicago, IL. area
CATEGORY: Multimedia (film)
WHAT IS IT? An online clip documenting the work of Growing Home Inc. available via internet multimedia site YouTube.com
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: Workingfilms.org, October 31, 2007
SUPPORT:
* Van Jones, President and Founder of sustainable organization Green For All
* Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, non-profit organization in Oakland, CA focusing on promoting justice and peace in America
* Vermont Biofuels Association, organization based in Winooski, VT. focusing on promoting the use of biofuels and other agricultural fuels as an energy resource
* Growing Home Inc., community-based organic agriculture business in Chicago, IL.
* Della Moran, Marketing Manager of Growing Home Inc.
* Orrin Williams, Employment Training Coordinator of Growing Home Inc.
* Wood Street Urban Farm, Growing Home Inc.’s first south side market
* Transientpictures.com, online community of American filmmakers
* Media Process Group, Chicago-based production company
* Keneda Sustainability Fund, Tide Foundation’s donor-advised fund
* Fledging Fund, supports media projects focused on raising awareness about social issues
* Park Foundation, promotes higher education, quality journalism, and raising awareness of social issues
* Toxic Comedy Pictures, New York-based film production company
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: The tag line on the Working Films website reads, “Linking Non-Fiction Film with Cutting-Edge Activism.” It was founded in 1999 by Judith Helfand, Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, and Robert West, media educator. The program has evolved into a national, non-profit film organization that offers services to independent and community filmmakers. These services include developing outreach strategies to raise public awareness, and promoting community campaigns. Working Films claims it is neither a media distributor nor a film production company. The About Us page on the website says that what Working Films does is “bring together the best, brightest and most committed documentary filmmakers and link their work with innovative organizers and educators.” The organization operates under a progressive and unique agenda: “We are the only national media outreach organization offering free consultations on using films for social justice to independent filmmakers and community organizers, with over 400 to date.” Some of the social campaigns Working Films has promoted are The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib campaign to stop torture, New Faces: Latinos in North Carolina campaign to challenge stereotypes in the classroom and the community, and the Blue Vinyl campaign to eliminate poison plastic. The organization’s main source of funding is from progressive foundations that support the Working Films agenda of addressing issues of social injustice and activism. These foundations include the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation supporting grassroots activism, the Dorot Foundation that focuses on preserving Jewish culture, and the progressive Education Foundation of America.
USEFULNESS: This was a powerful film in support of my green job development arguments. The opening clip is a portion of a speech delivered by Oakland, CA environmental activist and entrepreneur, Van Jones. He speaks about the importance of shifting to a green collar economy. By promoting green jobs, not only will America be building its economy, it will be investing in the people by providing ways for citizens to enhance their careers while providing for their families. The remainder of the film documents the work and success of Growing Home Inc. in Chicago, IL. This organization educates and employs citizens who are underpriveledged. By teaching them how to grow organic produce, market and sell their products, and live sustainably, Growing Home has provided a way for dozens of south side community members to become small business owners. Orrin Williams, the Employment Training Coordinator for the program, stresses the importance of the organization’s work. He claims that although there is a lot of food in the Chicago area, the vast majority is of low quality. An informational text in the film supports Williams’ claim, telling the audience that organic agricultural produce travels as far as Asia or South America before it reaches American dinning tables. This movie explains how beneficial it is to promote the same type of work as Gown Home Inc. It is a means to circulate money in local economies as well as provide a comfortable, sustainable way of life for the average American citizen.
TITLE: Green Job’s Key to Obama Administration’s Middle Class Task Force
SUMMARY: This article is about the inaugural Task Force meeting held at the University of Pennsylvania on February 27, 2009. These White House Task Force meetings will be held in PN every month, and are hosted by U.S. VP Joe Biden. On February 27, Joe Biden emphasized the importance of investing in green collar jobs, saying it is key to rescuing the current economy. The creation of a new green collar economy, Biden argues, will be the best remedy for the American middle class at this time. Not only do green jobs pay anywhere from 10 to 20 percent more than most jobs, they are also more likely to be unionized, which would give workers more power and say in the job environment. Proponents of a new green economy also stress the importance of reducing carbon emissions.
TOPIC: Green jobs needed
CATEGORY: Institutional
WHAT IS IT? A press release posted on Environment News Service, an online news resource
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: Environment News Service, February 27, 2009
SUPPORT:
* White House Middle Class Task Force, a branch of the new Obama Task Force focusing on issues that affect the American middle class
* U.S. Vice President Joe Biden
* U.S. President Barack Obama
* Hilda Solis, new White House Labor Secretary & author of the Green Jobs Act
* Tom Vilsack, U.S. Agriculture Secretary
* Shaun Donovan, Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
* Ray LaHood, Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation
* Steven Chu, Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy
* Arne Duncan, Secretary of U.S. Department of Education
* Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund
* Duke University Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness, academic research center focusing on the effects of globalization
* Van Jones, President & Founder of Green For All organization, author of ”The Green Collar Economy”
* Dr. Martin Luther King, American civil rights leader & activist
* Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania
* Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia, PN
* Philadelphia Energy Coordinating Agency, future green training program established by the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation in coordination with the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office (training center will open in 2010)
* John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, Miamai, FL non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting journalism
* Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, non-profit Pennsylvania network promoting business sustainability
* Green Jobs Corp, Philadelphia green collar job organization
* Matt Bergheiser, Program Director for the Knight Foundation
* Pat Eiding, President of Philadelphia’s AFL-CIO
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: The Environment News Service (ENS) is over 100 years old, established in 1900 by Sunny Lewis, Editor-in-Chief, and Jim Crabtree, Managing Editor. ENS claims it “exists to present late-breaking environmental news in a fair and balanced manner.” It continues to be privately owned and operated to this day. I attempted to do more outside research on ENS; Wikipedia.Org says it has won numerous journalism awards, although the Wiki entry failed to mention any of those awards by name. Reports and articles written by the independent journalists in ENS have been used by Reuters/Dow Jones Factivia, journlalism database KeepMedia, and other well-known news and information outlets. ENS employs journalists in different areas around the world. Its focus is on environmental news, legislation, conferences, technology, public health, and other global environmental issues. The main ENS editorial news offices are in Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA. Hundreds of major news services around the globe are subscribers to ENS media, which they use as a source of news information and environmental stories. Among these media figures are BBC World News, ABC News, the City of Eugene, OR, the Daily Astorian, United Nations News, and USA Today. Since so many media use ENS, it is nearly impossible to say how many readers/consumers there are of its products. The Service allows its content to be licensed by subscribers, who can then pick ENS stories and articles for their targeted audiences. The main purpose of ENS is to offer services to these media subscribers. In addition to licensing, ENS also offers advertising and marketing services, video crew to cover events, and text and video publication. The money media outlets pay to utilize these services is the main source of funding for ENS.
USEFULNESS: This article summarized many of my strongest arguments for federal green job development. Some of these arguments are: 1) Green jobs will help the low-income and the middle class by providing stable careers 2) Green jobs would give more power to workers since they are more likely to be unionized 3) Green jobs generally pay more. I was pleased that this article also quoted many powerful government officials who support the Obama-Biden administration’s focus to move towards a green collar economy. Among these individuals are the new Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. This article also highlights the efforts of Philadelphia, which is quickly promoting and moving towards cultivating green collar jobs in the area. I was pleased to get more specifics on the green activity there because it is proof that many large US areas are moving towards a green revolution. Other areas that are following suite are Oakland, CA, Newark, NJ, and Portland, OR. So far, it seems as if the investments of these areas in promoting a green collar economy are paying off by creating more jobs in the local areas, lowering energy bills and consumption, and raising awareness of human impact on the environment.
WORKS CITED:
* Dubay, Kristen., Gereffi, Gary., Lowe, Mark. “Manufacturing Climate Solutions: Carbon-Reducing Technologies & U.S. Jobs.” Duke University Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness. November, 2008.
Accessed March 8, 2009
* Jones, Van. ”The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems.” HarperOne Publishing. October 7, 2008.
http://vanjones.net/page.php?pageid=2
Accessed March 8, 2009
* Middle Class Task Force
http://www.whitehouse.gov/strongmiddleclass/
Accessed March 8, 2009
* Solis, Hilda. “Solis’ Green Jobs Act Signed into Law.” December 19, 2007.
TITLE: Green Building Analysis: How Healthy are National Green Building Programs?
SUMMARY: This article claims there has been an increased demand over the last few years for more energy efficient buildings across the country. The National Center for Healthy Housing also did a report on comparing the air quality guidelines of national green building programs to those of its own organization. NCHH claims many of these programs, though well-intentioned, are missing critical components; such as protection against contaminants and pesticides.
TOPIC: National green building programs
CATEGORY: Institutional Non-Profit
WHAT IS IT? An online article written to introduce a report compiled by the National Center for Healthy Housing
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: National Center for Healthy Housing, 2008
SUPPORT:
* Enterprise Community Partners, national non-profit organization focusing on developmental community housing
* National Association of Home Builders, trade association focusing on national housing issues
* U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, federal agency focusing on chemical regulation and human health
* U.S. Green Building Council, non-profit trade organization focusing on promoting energy efficient buildings
* National Healthy Homes Training Center & Network, non-profit organization focusing on promoting energy efficient homes
* Green Communities, national project funded by Enterprise to build more than 850,000 energy efficient homes in five years
* Robert Charles Lessler & Co., real estate services organization
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: The National Center for Healthy Housing was founded in Columbia, MD in 1992 by the Federal National Mortgage Association. It is a non-profit organization that focuses on advocating energy-efficient homes that are not only safe, but affordable. NCHH is also passionate about advocating for strict national standards regulating the use of chemicals and pesticides in residential homes. The organization’s agenda is focused on pushing for effective national policies that would address housing issues, especially for low-income citizens. The NCHH website claims, “NCHH’s staff of 16 includes housing, health, and environmental professionals with expertise in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, public health, housing policy, and industrial hygiene.” Much of the organization’s funding comes from government agencies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) A significant amount of NCHH’s funding also comes from various foundations in the housing and development area (the Home Depot Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, etc.)
USEFULNESS: This source is valuable to me because it addresses two key issues on U.S. green job development: 1) There is an industry demand for more energy-efficient homes. 2) National policy on green buildings (and the green economy in general), must be standardized. The article listed a survey conducted by established real estate services firm Robert Charles Lesser & Co. It asked home buyers about their motivations for buying energy efficient homes. 41 percent claimed they were willing to pay extra for a greener home. NCHH also claims that national standards for green homes should be stricter in order to protect human health. This argument affirms my should question: the USFG should focus on green job development.
WORKS CITED:
* National Center for Healthy Housing. “Comparing Green Building Guidelines and Healthy Homes Principles: A Preliminary Investigation.” 2006
* Robert Charles Lessler & Co.
TITLE: The Big Money behind Americans for Prosperity
SUMMARY: This article is a criticism of the national conservative advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity (AFP.) The current agenda of AFP is to inform the public of the supposed “global warming hysteria” that has seized the government and lobbyists. The AFP argues that claims of global warming are bogus, and that any national efforts to convert to a new energy economy and focus on green sector development will be disastrously expensive for Americans. This article is an investigative piece that exposes who funds the AFP, the internal details of the organizations politics, and the monetary benefits the AFP receives from its conservative supporters for promoting an anti-Stimulus movement. Some of its largest donors include American oil baron Fred C. Koch, ExxonMobile, and many other business and corporate giants who have always lobbied against any type of climate control legislation.
TOPIC: The political activities promoting deregulation of climate change policies promoted by conservative think tank group, Americans for Prosperity.
CATEGORY: Citizen (blog)
WHAT IS IT? A post written by Kevin Grandia for blogging community Desmogblog.com
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: Desmogblog.com, February 26, 2009
SUPPORT:
* Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Washington D.C.-based conservative advocacy group
* FreedomWorks, Washington D.C.-based conservative non-profit group
* Koch Family of Foundations, group of American charities associated with oil baron Fred C. Koch
* Charles G. Koch, CEO and chairman of the board of Koch Industries
* Media Transparency Project, independent project that tracks the financial activities and political impacts of American conservative think tanks
* Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, member charity of Koch Family Foundations
* Cato Institute, Washington D.C.-based libertarian think tank
* George Mason University Foundation, non-profit organization exclusively for George Mason University
* Koch Industries, private corporation based in Wichita, KS focusing on manufacturing and trade investments
* Forbes, American publishing and media company
* ExxonMobile, American oil and gas corporation
* ExxonSecrets, Greenpeace research project
* Tim Phillips, AFP President
* American Council for Capitol Formation (ACCF), conservative research and political advocacy group
* Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), conservative research and educational institution
* Nancy Pfotenahuer, President of Independent Women’s Forum
* Scaife Family Foundations, organization funding conservative political action
* Heather R. Riggins, chariman of the Independent Women’s Foundation
* Randolph Foundation, New York-based charity foundation
* Philanthropy Roundtable, private non-partisan educational organization
* Americans for Tax Reform, interest group focusing on U.S. tax reduction
* Competitive Enterprise Institute, public policy organization focusing on governmental deregulation of business and commercial interests
* Frontiers of Freedom, conservative educational and public policy institute
* Reason Foundation, American libertarian non-profit think tank
* U.S. President Barack Obama
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: The Desmogblog is an independent project that was established in January of 2006. The mission statement on its website claims it has “become the world’s number one source for accurate, fact based information regarding Global Warming misinformation campaigns.” The project was founded by the Canada-based public relations firm James Hoggan and Associates. The activities and articles by Desmogblog have gained national media attention. Major news resources such as the New York Times and the Huffington Post have published its articles and posts. This online community works closely with established scientists and experts in the field of climate policy to support its claims and mission. The project maintains a blog dedicated to educating the public about climate policy. Financial supporters for the Desmogblog project are the Lefebvre Foundation (dedicated to serving underprivileged youth in the Kansas City area), the Roddick Foundation (family-run progressive activism organization), and the Endwell Foundation (Canada-based environmental sustainability advocacy group.)
USEFULNESS: The main reason I am using this article as a source note is because I need more collected research on what opponents of the 2009 Stimulus are arguing. This article solely focuses on the internal workings of Americans for Prosperity, a wealthy conservative policy organization based in Washington D.C. Not surprisingly, AFP rallied heavily against the passage of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, claiming the Stimulus would be an expensive economical disaster that middle-class Americans will have to pay for. What the AFP failed to mention during its No Stimulus Rally was that one of its most generous sponsors is the Koch Family Foundation, a collective American charity group established by the oil barons in the Koch Family. The blog post included official documented statistics and reports of the funding and grants AFP has received from dozens of conservative advocacy and education institutions. Reading this article infuriated me, and only confirmed the importance of my Should question: The United States Federal Government should focus on green job and green economy development. If America were to agree with the AFP by not approving the Stimulus package, we would continue to allow the deregulation of energy production, a practice that would continue to hinder the development of an effective green collar economy. This blog proves the conservative stance against the Stimulus exists for the selfish monetary interests of corporate giants. It also listed many links and resources to other conservative policy groups, which will be useful for me in collecting more research for different arguments against my Should question.
WORKS CITED:
* American Council for Capital Formation.
http://www.accf.org/about.php
Accessed February 26, 2009
* Americans for Prosperity. “About AFP.” AFP Blog, 2008.
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/about
Accessed February 26, 2009
* Americans for Prosperity. “AFP Launches Virginia Global Warming Ads.” AFP Blog, 2008.
Accessed February 26, 2009.
* ExxonSecrets.org. “Factsheet: Citizens for a Sound Economy and CSE Educational Foundation, CSE.” No publication date or author listed.
Accessed February 26, 2009.
* ExxonSecrets.org. “Factsheet: American Council for Capitol Formation Center for Policy Research, ACCF.” No publication date or author listed.
Accessed February 26, 2009
* Internet Freedom Coalition.
http://internetfreedomcoalition.org/about.asp
Accessed February 26, 2009.
* Media Transparency: The Money Behind Conservative Media. “Aggregated Grants from the Charles G. Koch, David H. Koch, and Claude R. Lambe Foundations.” Mediatransparency.org. No date or author listed.
Accessed February 26, 2009
* Media Transparency: The Money Behind Conservative Media. “Recipient Grants: Independent Women’s Forum.” Mediatransparency.org. No date or author listed.
Accessed February 26, 2009
* Media Transparency: The Money Behind Conservative Media. “Recipient Grants: Americans for Prosperity Foundation.” Mediatransparency.org. No date or author listed.
Accessed February 26, 2009
* NoStimulus.Com. “Fight Special Interests that Want to Take Your Money: The Beginning, Not the End.” Americans for Prosperity. 2009.
http://nostimulus.com/
Accessed February 26, 2009.
* Source Watch: A Project of the Center of Media and Democracy. “Citizens for a Sound Economy.” Source Watch Encyclopedia, January 10, 2008
TITLE: Do American Cities Have Enough Room for Green Jobs?
SUMMARY: Proponents for green job development must consider that in addition to giving green companies the right to exist, they must also consider the resources those companies need in order to be effective. New and developing green companies are going to need more space to operate. Many of the available areas are being sold to retailers and housing development companies. The article argues that recycling is a critical practice for waste reduction and employment in the U.S. According to the article, the recycling sector employs about 1.1 million American citizens, which is comparable to the automotive and truck industry. In order for the green movement to be effective, this blog argues government and state officials must make important decisions about land use so that green businesses are able to have enough room to thrive.
TOPIC: Better planning needed for effective green job development in America
CATEGORY: Citizen (blog)
WHAT IS IT? A blog post written on an online blog-style news service
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: PRWeb Press Release Newswire, February 25, 2009
SUPPORT:
* Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA), collective organization of California-based recycling businesses, companies, & individuals
* U.S. President Barack Obama
* Steve Lautze, Green Business Projects Manager with the City of Oakland, CA and past president of the NCRA
* United States Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.A. federal agency focusing on chemical regulation and human health
* National Recycling Coalition, non-profit advocacy group focusing on waste reduction and recycling in the U.S.A.
* Patty Moore, president of Moore Recycling Associates and a member of the NCRA
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: The PRWeb Press Release Newswire is an online blogging server. The site boasts that over 400,000 organizations of all sizes and purposes use its services to distribute the latest business and social news to the online public. The service itself also publishes many of its own press releases and news reports. It is a flexible resource for users because PRWeb does not take any responsibility for the content posted on its site- it simply provides the service. PRWeb has its complete disclaimer clearly posted, explaining in detail that readers must contact the authors or the publishers of the posts if they have a problem with the content. The site is a database of business information and news on topics ranging anywhere from marketing campaigns, new business partnerships, and online gaming communities. The main purpose of the site is to provide businesses and organizations a free way to present information to the public to gain recognition. However, PRWeb does have a strict legal policy which users must comply with. This includes giving credit where credit is due, leaving any press releases in their original content, and not making any of the press release material published by PRWeb available to its competition.
USEFULNESS: This article informed me about another issue relating to green job development, which is the issue of available resources-mostly land- green businesses need in order to develop and thrive. Previous to reading this article, I did not even consider that green businesses probably do need more than a legal right to exist in order to be successful. The main support source the article focuses on, Steve Lautze, former president of the Northern California Recycling Association, explained that green businesses and the allocation of resources for their use must be planned just as thoroughly as any other social project, such as waste management and repairing city roads. Although it is a great thing that most of the nation would like to focus on cultivating a green economy, this article is key to explaining that it is also of paramount importance to provide enough resources and governmental planning to meet that demand.
WORKS CITED:
* Northern California Recycling Associaiton. “NCRA Video Project.” No post date listed.
http://www.ncrarecycles.org/video/video2.html
Accessed February 26, 2009
* Northen California Recycling Association. “Point of Return.” Greenplanet Films. October 16, 2007.
Accessed February 26, 2009
* PRWeb Press Release Newswire.
SUMMARY: This article categorizes Obama’s 2009 Stimulus Package as a “cap-and-trade” policy. It argues the package could be detrimental to the American economy because it costs too much. The entry argues Europe’s economy should be a warning and an example to America, arguing that even with a focus on green jobs, many European employers in the green sector are still forced to fire workers as a direct result of a cap-and-trade policy. Energy prices and production will increase, and coal production costs alone will increase anywhere between 161% and 413%. This article also claims the Stimulus could potentially cause up to four million job losses (an unemployment rate of about 2.7%.)
TOPIC: 2009 Stimulus Package is bad for America
CATEGORY: Citizen (Blog)
WHAT IS IT? An online blog entry archived at ConservativeXpress.blogspot.com
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: The Conservative Xpress, February 22, 2009
SUPPORT:
* U.S. President Barack Obama
* The New York Times, largest metropolitan newspaper in the U.S.A.
* U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. federal department in charge of energy and nuclear policy
* Wayne Winegarden, economist and partner of Adruin, Laffer, & Moore Firm
* U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, federal agency focusing on chemical, health, and environmental regulations
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: This is a blog by and for American conservatives (hence the witty name.) The motto of ConservativeXpress.com is “Dedicated to America. Self-evident Freedoms Provided by Our Founding Fathers and The Constitution. Personal Freedom and Liberty. Strong National Defense. Fiscal Responsibility. Limited Government. Free Market Enterprise. Freedom of Speech. Say No to The Fairness Doctrine. Support The Bill of Rights. Energy Independance.” The current agenda for this online community is to “track the CRAPulus” bill of 2009. It is also trying to raise lobbying funds via a very obvious and attention-grabbing “DONATE” yellow button on the right side of the screen, conveniently located under the words “Support our Fight; Free our Republic.” Private contributions from individuals online is the site’s funding source. The targeted audience for ConservativeXpress are individuals (preferably conservative), who are not happy with Obama’s being elected as U.S. President, and who are enrage about the 2009 Stimulus Package. Its main goal is to raise awareness of the Stimulus, and how it could make the American economy worse than it already is. Anyone can join this online community and post his or her comments and input, free of charge.
USEFULNESS: Although my display of ignorance in completing this blog entry will be slightly embarrassing; I must be honest and admit that reading this article forced me to look up “emissions trading” on Wikipedia.Org- obviously I am not an economics guru. The article argues against the 2009 Stimulus package, because it claims the Package would increase energy production costs, which will then lead to higher unemployment rates around America because companies will try to pay the rising energy costs by firing workers. The article sites Europe’s emissions trading policy as a failed example the U.S.A. should learn from. One great thing about reading this article was was learning about the conservative argument against the stimulus. However, the major problem I had with this article was the statistics. Although I am glad it cited a few of them from different sources, there seemed to be a problem with each of the sources. For example, one of the sources is the professional opinion of a single expert, which is used as the only reference to merit many of the author’s claims. Many of the statistics also seemed sketchy, as they site a wide range of numbers (“…Cap-and-trade proposal, will increase the cost of coal for power generation by between 161% and 413%.) This is too big a discrepency for me to take this stat seriously. Ultimately, although the numbers and expert opinions in this source appeared a little too skeptical to me, I am glad I was able to learn the conservative argument against emissions trading. President Obama made it clear that he intended to establish business caps and green incentives, so I would like to learn more about this particular area of the Stimulus.
WORKS CITED:
* Calmes, Jackie. “Obama Planning to Slash Deficit, Despite Stimulus Spending.” The New York Times, February 21, 2009.
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Energy Information Administration. “Energy Market and Economic Impacts of S. 2191, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007.” April 2008
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Energy Information Administration. “Energy Market and Economic Impacts of S. 2191, the Lieberman-Warner Climate
Security Act of 2007 ” April 2008.
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Kaminsky, Ross. “Potential Costs to America from Cap-and-Trade.” HumanEvents.com. May 21, 2008.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26621
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Lieberman, Ben. “Beware of Cap and Trade Climate Bills.” The Heritage Foundation Leadership for America. December 6,
2007.
SUMMARY: This article argues that the new cry for green jobs is a nation-wide mania. The author argues the movement has yet to define itself. It raises reader skepticism by arguing that Americans do not even know the definition of a “green” job, and that the phrase “green economy” is being horribly overused by the government, activists, and politicians. Author Joel Makower argues that one of the biggest problems is that there is not a clear distinction between what is a “created” green job and what is a “retained” green job, therefore making any system of measuring the improvement of the economy futile. Makower coins the term “greenwash” to describe the state of disarray in the environmental activist community. For example, many words and terms (“environmental friendly,” “non-toxic,” etc.) used in marketing and advertising do not have legal definitions- a scary reality.
TOPIC: “Green job” terminology is futile
CATEGORY: Institutional Non-Profit
WHAT IS IT? An article written for the online media organization, WorldChanging.com
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: WorldChanging.com, February 23, 2009
SUPPORT:
* U.S. President Barack Obama
* U.S. Congress
* State of Green Business Forum, measures the environmental impacts of the growing green economy
* Commonwealth Club of California, non-profit educational organization based in Northern California
* United Steel Workers, largest industrial labor union in North America
* Communications Workers of America, largest communications and media union in the U.S.A.
* Service Employees International Union, collective labor union for occupations in the U.S.A., Canada, and Puerto Rico
* Sierra Club, environmental activist group
* Apollo Alliance, project organized by the Institute for America’s Future
* Center for American Progress, liberal political research and advocacy organization
* Political Economy Research Institute, research institute for human and ecological well-being
* United States Conference of Mayors, non-partisan organization of mayors of USA cities with populations of 300,000 or more
* Global Insight, world’s largest economics organization
* American Solar Energy Society, U.S.A. section of the International Solar Energy Society
* Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, non-profit public policy think tank focusing on technology and innovation
* United Nations Environmental Programme, environmental organization that assists developing countries
* U.S. Federal Trade Commission, independent agency focusing on consumer protection
AUDIENCE & AGENDA: WorldChanging is an independent, non-profit international media organization founded in 2004. It does not claim to be liberal or conservative, democratic or republican, etc. According to its website, their targeted audience is “readers who are ready to change the world” via intellectual activity and a humanitarian philosophy. The organization focuses on topics of social and public interest, such as renewable energy, refugee camps, public and economical transportation, and other progressive issues. The organization is based out of Seattle, WA., and relies on reporting from its independent journalists based in many different countries around the world. WorldChanging is funded by private, tax deductible contributions from its readers and supporters.
USEFULNESS: This is one of the articles I would love to refer to when discussing opponents of a federal green job agenda. Joel Makower makes very powerful arguments regarding the futile “green” terminology used by American society. One of the strongest arguments against any federal green job initiative is that the term “green job” is not even legally defined. In the midst of this research project, I began to ask myself more and more, “what exactly is a green job?” When I found this article, it explained my quandary. Reading this has forced me to seriously consider any counter arguments against my Should question (“Should the United States Federal Government focus on green job development and an environmentally aware economy?”) This article also listed another resource I could use in a completely different source note entry.
WORKS CITED:
* Atkinson, Robert., Castro, Daniel., Ezell, Stephen. “The Digital Road to Recovery: A Stimulus Plan to Create Jobs, Boost Productivity and Revitalize America.” The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. January 7, 2009.
http://www.itif.org/index.php?id=212
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Federal Trade Commission. “Part 260- Guides for Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.” No publication date listed.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Commonwealth Club of California, Audio Podcast from January 2009 meeting.
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Lurie, Neal. “ASES Green Collar Jobs Report Forecasts 37 Million Jobs from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the U.S. by 2030.” American Solar Energy Society. No publication date listed.
Accessed February 24, 2009
* Podesta, John. “Green Recovery: A New Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy.” Center for American Progress. September 9, 2008.
Our latest big project for our Gateway Course was to make a photo and audio slideshow of the subject we used for our “Day in the Life of” assignment. My subject is my co-worker, Waylon.
It was relatively easy for me to find the focal point of my slideshow. Waylon has the unusual job as a bench jeweler, which he has been practicing for almost five years. I wanted my project to focus primarily on Waylon’s job as a jeweler, and some of the custom and repair work he has done. Not many people know how intricately detailed and precise you must be to work in the jewelry industry.
There were a few things that worked while I was putting this project together. It was convenient for me to photograph Waylon not only because I work with him, but also because I had access to viewing and photographing a lot of the jewelry work he has done. He made his wife’s wedding band, and also the ring the love of my life purchased for me in 2008. At home, Waylon also has a lot of ring waxes he is working on completing before he takes them to the shop to be cast. I was able to take pictures of these, as well as Justine’s ring (Waylon’s wife), and my ring. The fact that I now posses my own digital camera alleviated a lot of stress this project could have caused. The audio interview went okay. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from our first audio project was to NOT interrupt your interviewee, and I think I did a great job of heeding that advice for this project. It made editing a lot easier, and less time-consuming.
Although there were things that went well while I was working on this assignment, I did face many, many challenges. The first and most disastrous problem was that I needed more pictures of Waylon’s daily routine in order to make the audio track match the slideshow. I set up a day and time to come over a second time to Waylon’s house to photograph more pictures of he and his wife. However, they both contracted a viral throat infection before I could accomplish that. I was not able to go back and get more pictures. This caused a lot of trouble for me when I was trying to put my slideshow together. The audio interview was longer than all the available pictures I had. In a state of panic, I was forced to crop three or four of my existing pictures and recycle them. Even though I did this, the last section of my audio track still did not match the pictures. There was almost nothing I could do to compensate for the lack of pictures. Another thing that was very frustrating was opening my pictures on the SoundSlides program, which we were using for this project. For some reason, the Mac computers in the media lab did NOT want to upload my photos, even though they were all in the correct jpeg. format. I had to seek out one of the student technicians in the journalism school to help me solve this problem. It took him about ten minutes to figure out what was wrong. I am very grateful to him for fixing it, but the entire process was such a headache. It was also difficult for me to find time to make it to the media lab on campus in order to edit and complete this project. Since I also have a part-time job off of campus, it was nearly impossible for me to use the editing labs without coming into conflict with any of the scheduled courses that use the labs for class. I did not have the opportunity to access the editing lab until the very last minute- about an hour before the project’s deadline. Since time was a constraint, I honestly feel like my project is not my best and brightest work, which I sincerely wanted it to be. In conclusion, my subject(s) getting sick, my lack of photographs, and the difficulty of accessing the editing labs accumulated to make the completion of this project very stressful.
With that said, there are a few things I wish I could have done differently, but I don’t see what could have possibly been done to avoid the problems (for example, it wasn’t my fault my subjects got sick.) Without a doubt, I would take more pictures of my subject’s evening routine. This was the section where my slideshow was the most lacking. I did not have any pictures of Waylon and Justine preparing dinner, watching a movie, or returning home from work; all of which he mentioned in his audio interview. I would also take more pictures of Waylon interacting with customers during his work hours. So ultimately, the major change I would make is taking many more pictures.
There are a few tips I have in conclusion of this project:
1. Take as many pictures as possible
2. Test the audio input before recording an interview
3. Make sure you have a variety of pictures of your subject(s) in different environments
4. Plan ahead of time
5. Learn the SoundSlide or the appropriate program you will be using for your project as thoroughly
