Clinton, Edwards Power Up With 'Green-Collar' Workers

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Politicians Power Up With 'Green-Collar' Workers
By Sridhar Pappu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 23, 2008; Page C01

When Hal Jordan, the fictional playboy test pilot, was given a power ring from a dying spaceman, thus making him the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 (Earth), he joined an elite military institution called the Green Lantern Corps -- a group dedicated to preserving order in the universe while sporting distinctive green attire.

Now, thanks largely to Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and others, they've been joined by a new emerald power: the "green-collar" worker. "We need to make sure that we start jump-starting the jobs in this country again," Clinton said during Monday's Democratic presidential debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. "That's why I want to put money into clean-energy jobs, green-collar jobs." Later, when speaking of his plans of an economic stimulus during his presidency, Edwards said what he had "proposed for green-collar jobs will create jobs within 30 or so days, so we will have an immediate impact on the economy and stimulate the economy."

This wasn't the first time either Clinton or Edwards has touted such jobs. In various speeches on the campaign trail, Clinton has used green-collar to describe the employment that'll be created in the wake of job losses in manufacturing and other sectors. She can foresee a future where the manual labor of installing solar power panels or maintaining wind turbines becomes a mainstream occupation. "These are jobs that can't be outsourced by and large," Clinton said last year on the Senate floor.

Not to be outdone, Edwards himself has been trying his best to to make green-collar part of the American labor-force lexicon. Last July, Clinton's fellow Democratic candidate for president announced his own plan to train 150,000 green-collar workers each year. "We can turn the crisis of climate change into an opportunity for a new energy economy, right here in America -- and Iowa in particular," Edwards said in, you guessed it, Iowa.

But the term isn't limited to people running for high office. Last June, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during an appearance on "Charlie Rose," spoke about a "green revolution" and "green-collar jobs, green jobs that, again, reverse global warming, reduce energy independence and take us to another place, where everybody participates, not just some."...Nor has it been limited to political rhetoric. Earlier this month, in a report on c areer change, BusinessWeek.com described "green career changers" as the "growing number of professionals" who are "taking their talents and moving them to jobs that can help improve the environment."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/22/AR2008012203784.html?hpid=topnews

[polichick]

1. It's about time - didn't we talk about green collar workers in the 70s?!

Just think where we'd be today if Reagan and the Bushies had never gone to Washington!!!